Issue 13

UCC INSIDE VERGE

LAURA HUSSEY TALKS TO AUTHOR LOUISE PHILLIPS

EXPRESS

Friday, 21 March 2014 | www.uccexpress.net | Volume 21 | Issue 13

SUMMER STYLE P16

THE PUTIN PROBLEM P10

Graduate salaries hit ten year low Stephen Barry | News Editor @StphnBarry

STARRY-EYED: Lauren Ronan, Katie Cornally Somers, Barry Nevin, Pádraig Rice, Olga Dennehy, Katie Dennison, Aaron O’ Sullivan, Annie Hoey and David O Leary, attending the UCC Societies’ Guild STARS Awards 2014. Photo: Emmet Curtin

Stanton chosen as Union President Elect

Eoghan Lyng | Arts & Literature Editor @EoghanLyng

Third year Economics student Mark Stanton won the position of SU President for 2014/2015 at the Election Count on March 11th.

Stanton’s victory was announced in the New Bar, following three counts.

It was Stanton’s second year running for the role, following his lose to Padraig Haughney last year.

However this year he managed an additional 600 first preference votes, with his total of 1,729 being double that of second placed, Luke Field.

In his acceptance speech, Stanton commiserated with opponents Field, Diarmuid ‘Pooch’ Collins and Susan Logue, before thanking his campaign team for their strenuous work over the last couple of weeks.

Talking to the Express after the count, Stanton emphasised that he is looking forward to the academic

year; “I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few weeks,” he said. “It was a fantastic experience and I really look forward to working with the incumbent team.”

The other full-time officers were also announced on the night.

Richard ‘Dick’ Murphy defeated SU LGBT Rights Officer James Upton for the position of Deputy President and Campaigns Officer.

Murphy’s campaign saw him secure 57% of the vote, which means he will succeed Annie Hoey on the 1st of July.

Barry Nevin will succeed Owen Kirby as Commercial and Communications Officer. The member of the Societies Guild Executive prevailed in a contest which was evenly contested between the three candidates. David McCarthy edged out Paul Lawless in the second count by 40 votes, after RON (Re-Open Nominations) was eliminated. The two were

evenly matched on transfers meaning Nevin was elected without reaching the quota.

Joe Kennedy was deemed elected as the incoming Education Officer after the first count, beating David Magee with a 2 to 1 vote. Meanwhile Cian Power had a substantial victory of 3131 votes to 667 votes against Kyros Stavrianos, securing a remarkable 81% of the vote.

Part Time Officers have also been announced.

Unopposed Irish Officer candidate John Prendergast will succeed Timmy Collins, while second year student Robert O’Sullivan will take over as Equality Officer from incumbent Mary Collins.

Second year Commerce student Paidí Brady defeated Grace O’ Leary for the role of Entertainments Officer, with 2563 votes to 1296; O’Leary polling well despite running her campaign from Mexico where she is on a year abroad.

The College Rep positions will be

held by Markus Knutsson (Business and Law), who ran unopposed, Ali Khan (Medicine and Health), and Leigh-Ann Hayes (Science, Engineering and Food Science), who beat Julia Cooper by 29 votes.

The fourth College Rep will be Ian Hutchinson (Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Science), after he won a remarkably tight race. His opponent Kelly Doherty out-polled him on the first count by 5 votes. However after RON was eliminated and the second preferences transferred, Hutchinson picked up 19 votes to Doherty’s 6; swinging a 5 vote deficit into an 8 vote winning margin.

There are two more part time positions available on the Students Union Executive; the role of Postgraduate Officer, who shall be elected during the next Academic term, and Council Chair, who was elected at Student Council on Wednesday night.

Research by the Central Bank of Ireland has found that starting salaries for graduates have fallen to a level below the average 2004 rate.

“The analysis presented suggests a significant decline in average starting salaries for new graduates since 2007,” concludes the report. “With the majority of new jobs in the economy being filed by those with third level qualifications, this suggests that the fall in graduate salaries could impact overall economy-wide pay trends in the coming years.”

The study which examined wage data from 2004 to 2012 found that as well as an across the board decrease since 2007, which wiped out wage increases in the prior three years, that graduates from certain sectors have been disproportionately affected.

Architecture graduates have been worst affected with salaries falling by 31% since their 2007 peak. Arts students have also seen salaries fall dramatically, hitting €19,748 in 2012; a drop of 19.1%.

Agriculture and Science graduates also experienced a decline in wages above the 11.7% average.

Graduates from Commerce and Business Studies programmes were among the least affected by the downturn with salaries dropping 5% of their value to €23,860.

“The decline in salaries could arise from a number of sources,” according to the report. “It could reflect a degree of underemployment among graduates who have had to move into lower skilled sectors or occupations in search of work. Alternatively individuals with third level qualifications may be doing jobs comparable to similar graduates in 2007, but for a lower wage.”

Full results of SU Elections on page 5 Continued on Page 3

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Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

EDITORIALS

INSIDE TODAY

SU Election in Numbers

The Final Farewell

That’ll Do

closer to its current incarnation@AudreyEWalsh staff of the Irish Examiner, Irish Independent, Herald, Evening Echo ‘I hope that and Journal.ie found their feet.

To follow in the footsteps of you will prominent Irish journalists, and indulge have a small role in maintaining me a final the legacy of strong student media has been a supreme honour. farewell’ in UCC It has come with challenges though too. There is no point in And so we reach our final issue- denying that year has been harder lucky number thirteen. Seeing as this space is my soapbox I hope that you will indulge me a final ‘I am confident that farewell.

When I received my Freshers the UCC Express will Pack way back in 2009 it contained continue to be the a copy of the UCC Express.

Inspired by notions of trenchcoats vital springboard for and excitement I decided that I budding journalists’ would get involved in the college paper, and aim to one day serve as than I expected. I have felt a weight its editor.

I could have never imagined heavier than anything I expected back then that I would actually be in the form of pressure to not only honoured with the job much less produce a paper but to fight for a the vast array of opportunities that right to free speech that has been made in some ways a privilege. the title would afford me.

Therefore I am delighted that there This paper has a strong heritage.

UCC student media can be tracked is an election commitment from the back as far as the 1960’s at least incoming Students’ Union to firmly when John Horgan, current establish a free and independent press Ombudsman, edited The Media Executive next year. I hope Quarryman. From The Gazette to that this promise is kept and that The University Examiner- a form future Express and Motley editors Audrey Ellard Walsh | Editor

Page 7

Page 5

Rethinking The Putin Problem Page 10 Internships

Page 9

The New Corker Alison Miller Page 19

Page 20

‘Just Getting Older’

Features 7-11 Photography 14-15 The New Corker 19 Gaeilge 12

Fashion 16-17 Sport 20-24

Editorial Staff:

Contributors:

Editor: Audrey Ellard Walsh

Martha Ewance

Deputy Editor: Stephen Barry Copy Editor: Rebecca Baker Deputy News Editor: Heather Steele Features Editor: Grace O’ Sullivan

Elaine Reid Randy Marx Eilis O’ Keefe Fiona Nugent Aaron Kieran Noonan Aoife Ní Chochláin

Deputy Features Editor: Claire Crowley Stephen Walsh Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin Irish Editor: Rachel Ní hAodha Fashion Editor: Nicole Clinton Fiction Editor: Eoghan Scott Sport Editor: Barry Aldworth Designer: Cathal O’ Gara

Michael Hanrahan Sinead Walsh Michael Mc Grath Hugh Tobin Nevin Power

will have the luxury of being free to focus on providing the highest quality of student journalism they can, free from fear of reprisal.

I have been constantly impressed by the calibre of writing that this year’s team have consistently produced. I want to thank each and every contributor for your time, your dedication and your creativity. We began the year as a roomful of strangers connected by our ideas and aspirations. I feel confident that we have ended the year as friends.

I would like to thank my family and friends- you all know who you are- who are the ones on the end of a phoneline when it all gets too much. I want to thank you for your support during my five years in UCC and particularly in your encouragement of my ambitions to enter a notoriously difficult field of work.

I am confident that the UCC Express will continue to be the vital springboard for budding journalists.

I have no doubt that some of the bylines from this year’s edition will go on to bright futures- both in media and alternative fields. To next year’s team- yet to be announced- I wish you the very best of luck. With a strong coffee and a strong spirit you will have the best of times.

Good Luck and Good Riddance

Stephen Barry | Deputy Editor

@StphnBarry

Having said a few words of thanks in our previous election special, I’ll avoid any over-sentimentality; or any sentimentality at all today.

It would only be appropriate really as I write this in a study break the day before my exam, while sitting in the Express/ Motley office; and of course by office I mean a derelict and disused chemistry lab.

Writing the Express is far from romantic work, indeed it was a particularly hard slog over the past few weeks with exams and assignments and other commitments all reaching a climax.

It’s the sort of thing you can never be right in too. Only last week I wrote about what a good job we do, and then talked about the social media ban on

SU campaigners; forgetting to mention that it completely decimated the chances of those campaigning from abroad.

There are always mistakes and omissions in the constant rush. So maybe I’ll end with an apology

‘For once I’m looking forward to study month’ for any story that I missed across the year, rather than get bogged down in thanks!

You know, for once I’m looking forward to study month; a time when I can turn over a new leaf and have the time and energy to put into my terminal exams, which I have so far ignored.

The real reward at this time of year is free time, although it was

nice to receive a UCC Works award for my troubles too.

And while recognition is great, I feel like it’s probably about time that those who take from their studies to contribute to other students’ college experience through events, or performances, or publications, get their due compensation, as much as getting an award.

Sportsmen can get up to 10% added on to their CAO points to get them in to UCC, so why shouldn’t student life be a 5 credit module to take the pressure off, and enable students to make UCC a better place, not punish them.

For me the Express is punishment enough. I love it, but it is an extra 2 or 3 deadlines that I have to hit every fortnight.

So for now it’s good luck and good riddance to the Express.

But I’ll probably miss it this time next week!

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UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

Nominees for Society Person of the Year announced Martha Ewance | News Writer

Hosted by the Societies Guild, last Thursday’s annual Stars Awards were a glamorous affair. Guests were greeted with a drinks reception in the Cork International Airport hotel followed by the centrepiece of the night, the awards ceremony itself.

There were many winners on the night with societies like Amnesty scooping the gong for Best Campaign and Economics taking Most Improved Society. There was also success for Surgeon Noonan as Outstanding Charitable and Religious Society. The Feminist Society were commended for their body cast exhibition in the form of a runner up prize for Best Creative Event, but lost out the Choral’s Carols By Candlelight. The Art Society won Outstanding Creative Society.

There were also nods of approval for new and revived societies Africa, Barnardos and Engineers Without Borders, and many received the highly coveted Societies Choice nomination.

Fresher of the year will be announced on the night of the Clubs and Socs Ball along with these awards.

Four outstanding students who had represented UCC successfully abroad were honoured on the night in the form of a Participation Award.

These included Joe Kennedy (International Relations), Michelle Coyle (Philosoph), Mike Ryan (Dramat) and Deirdre Ni Dhonnchadha (An Chuallacht).

Next up were the society achievement awards, given to 10 students who had greatly contributed to the running of a society. Winners were Clara O’Connor (BIS), Kevin Conlon (Medical), Rob O’Sullivan (Film), Claire Crowley (Journalism

Continued from page 1 Graduate salaries had grown by 11.8% between 2004 and 2007; however this increase has been eliminated as they have since decreased on average to €23,777.

Commenting on the decreasing trend in wages, the report stated that; “While aggregate data and some previous research suggests only marginal reductions in overall earnings during the recession, the results presented here provide evidence of significant downward adjustment in nominal pay for new graduate entrants into the labour market.”

The report suggests that the reduction in graduate pay in Ireland is higher than in other countries. However the report goes on to say that this

downward adjustment compared to other countries increases Ireland’s relative competitiveness.

In terms of employment figures, the number of graduates employed has picked up from 2009 (45%) and stands at 52% as of 2012. However some of this increase is attributed to an increase in the number of graduates employed overseas, which has doubled to 10% since 2008.

Nevertheless Irish based graduate employment has grown throughout the crisis, with the increase of 2% is put down to those gaining employment in the high-skilled export sector.

Indeed of the 58,000 becoming employed in the year to September 2013, 50,000 of those were third level graduates.

UCC partner with Dublin counselling institute Stephen Barry | News Editor

and Commerce), Cian Cassidy (NetSoc), Niall Hartnett (Sci-Fi), Kate Healy (Cuman Dramaiochta and Choral), Jason Hayes (Pharmacy), Stephen Barry (Economics) and Jerome Wholihane (International Development and Amnesty).

Lastly, the much revered Bene Merenti awards were announced as the night drew to a climax. There were seven awards in all and they went to Meig Collins (Macra na Feirme), Anna Heverin (Journalism and Choral), Mike Murphy (Film),

Ruth Lawlor (Philosoph), Samantha Cooney (Amnesty and Barnardos), Audrey O’Mahony (Choral and Planning) and Laura Cashman (Cancer). One of those winners will be awarded Society Person of the Year at the Clubs and Societies Ball, the theme for which will be “What happens in Vegas…”.

Other awards that will be revealed on that night include Best Small Society and Society of the Year, for which Art, Choral, Cancer, Economics and Film are the nominees.

Graduates in demand, but salaries at ten year low Stephen Barry | News Editor

NEWS

UCC has entered a partnership with Turning Point Training Institute (TPTI), a Dun Laoghaire based organisation which provides counselling and psychotherapy services. The centre also provides training to future mental health professionals and the institute’s flagship four-year MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy is now validated by UCC. The programme has just over 100 students enrolled across all years, and will offer 36 places next September.

However the institute has already received over 100 enquiries about these positions. The course runs over one three-day weekend each month, for nine months of the year.

It is accredited by the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP) and recognised by the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy as having met their training standard requirements.

It is also recognised by the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy, IAHIP. Co-Founding Director Kay Conroy explained more about the institute’s modus operandi; “Turning Point is dedicated to advancing and developing psychotherapy studies in Ireland, encompassing educational training, clinical practice, research and supervision. It seeks to set a benchmark of excellence commensurate with similar, internationally acclaimed, institutes of psychotherapy.”

However the partnership with UCC comes as a major boost for Conroy and TPTI; “This validation of our MSc course by University College Cork offers new vistas for educational initiatives and collaborations.”

UCC Registrar, Professor Paul Giller sees the partnership as an addition to UCC’s current services in Applied Psychology.

“UCC is delighted to work with an established centre of excellence in counselling and psychotherapy services and studies in Ireland. This will be an exciting new phase for Turning Point and will further complement UCC’s existing programmes in the School of Applied Psychology.”

Turning Point was founded in 1986 by Conroy and Mary Paula Walsh as one of the first services to offer humanistic and integrative and psychotherapy services. The Training Institute was added as a training facility in 2001 and since has seen graduates including Virginia Kerr, the acclaimed Irish soprano, pass through its corridors.

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Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

NEWS

Irish rugby doctor gets UCC PhD NEWS IN BRIEF Stephen Barry | News Editor

You probably saw him attending to Johnny Sexton in Paris last Saturday, but Team Doctor to the 6 Nationswinning Irish Senior rugby team, Eanna Falvey was in UCC just before the Italy game receiving his PhD in Sports Medicine.

Falvey studied medicine in UCC and Cork University Hospital and then undertook a fellowship in sports medicine in the University of Melbourne, before returning to his alma mater for his PhD. As well as being doctor for Ireland’s rugby players, Falvey is Team Doctor for the Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance Unit, and was doctor to the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. He is a member of the International Rugby Board’s Pitch Side Concussion Assessment working group.

The title of Falvey’s PhD is ‘An Examination of the Role of Sports and Exercise Medicine Specialist in Ireland – from Epidemiology to treatment’ and delves into screening, the evidence base for treatment and the impact of injury prevention measures as they apply to specialists

working in medicine in sport.

He co-authored the medical textbook ‘Clinical Sports Anatomy’ and wrote numerous book chapters for the International Olympic Committee.

He currently is Director of Sports Medicine at The Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin where as well as operating a clinic he researches athletic groin pain, anterior cruciate ligament injury, lower back pain and genetics in tendinopathy.

Falvey has a sporting background himself. In UCC he received a sports scholarship for three years as Captain of the Boxing Club, as well as Sports Star of the Year Awards in 1997 and 1998. He went on to be Irish super-heavyweight boxing champion and represented Ireland at the World Championships in 2001.

Professor Mary Horgan, Dean of the School of Medicine congratulated Falvey on his PhD; “today builds on Dr. Falvey’s achievements in sports and exercise medicine. He is an active academic contributor in teaching the Sports and Exercise Masters programme (MMedSc) at UCC and is an advocate for Health and Wellbeing in the Irish population.”

Gamelan to be heard at FUAIM Stephen Barry | News Editor

The 20th anniversary of the UCC Gamelan orchestra will be celebrated as part of UCC’s Fuaim Festival this weekend.

The unique Javanese gamelan, housed in UCC, is a single musical instrument that is made up of 66 bronze gongs, and as such is a whole orchestra in one instrument. It was made by Japanese gong-smith, Pak Tentrem Sarwanto, in 1994 and was named Nyai Sekar Madu Sari, or Venerable Flower of Honey Essence.

The concert on Saturday will see the Cork Gamelan Ensemble perform, under the Direction of Mel Mercier,

with a range of guests including Duke Special, Iarla O Lionaird and the West Cork Ukelele Orchestra.

The event will also feature actors and dancers.

Fuaim also features a Gala on Friday with Scullion, Julie Feeney (a graduate of music from UCC) and Loudest Whisper and the Vanburgh String Quartet performing alongside Micheal O Suilleabhain and Niall Vallely on Saturday afternoon.

The festival comes to a close on Sunday night with John Spillane performing alongside the UCC Choir, made up of both staff and students of music.

Stephen Barry | News Editor

Inaugural UCC anime convention The first ever staging of Kaizoku-Con will take place in UCC on the final weekend of March. The celebration of Japanese animation, manga and culture will feature a trade hall and video and board games rooms. Two American voice actors, Johnny Yong Bosch, who is best known for his portrayal of Adam Park – the Black Power Ranger, and John Michael Tatum, of Black Butler and FMA Brotherhood fame, will be guests at the convention. A charity auction in aid of LauraLynn House Children’s Hospice will also take place.

Chambers appointed to international role

US partnership for INFANT announced Stephen Barry | News Editor

A €14m CUH-based research centre, established last September, has signed a research partnership with the Waters Corporation, a US company. The partnership between INFANT (the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research) and the Waters Corporation was announced

by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was speaking in Washington as he attended an event hosted by Science Foundation Ireland as part of his St. Patrick’s Festival itinerary.

The partnership is expected to enhance the reputation of INFANT abroad as a leading perinatal research centre, while the Waters Corporation will gain a greater insight into their development of laboratory instrument and software with an aim to prevent health issues.

Welcoming the announcement, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny said; “This partnership is further evidence of the great progress Ireland has made in developing partnerships between industry and academia to deliver excellence in research and innovation. This new research programme has potential to make a real difference to the health of mothers and babies.

“I congratulate both INFANT and the Waters Corporation on this endeavour and have no doubt we will hear more about the progress of this project as it develops.”

The INFANT centre was set up to examine causes of pre-term deliveries and is made up of a team of doctors, scientists and engineers who seek to develop screening and diagnostic tests to monitor pregnancy.

The new research programme will address the need for a predictive screening test for the increasing problem of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB), which is one of the main causes of neonatal deaths.

The test is a blood-based biomarker test which will indicate within the first 15 weeks whether the pregnant mother is likely to develop PTB later in the pregnancy.

President of UCC, Dr Michael Murphy, said; “UCC is proud to support the INFANT Research Centre as its ground-breaking project, which is poised to revolutionise the field of obstetrics, goes global.

“This screening test will deliver hope across the world through reducing neonatal mortality and improving health in later life, as well as relieving an immense societal and health service concern.”

UCC’s Director of Sports Studies and Physical Education has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the ‘Association Internationale des Ecole Superieures d’Education Physique’ (AIESEP); The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education. Dr. Fiona Chambers will serve a fouryear term on the board of the body which promotes sport’s role in healthy living across the globe. She will serve along colleagues from 14 countries.

“This international body sets out to shape and drive a research-led conversation to ensure we all thrive through engagement in sport, physical education and physical activity,” said Chambers of AIESEP.

EMI call for youth vote European Movement Ireland (EMI) have established a 32-county initiative to get 18- to 25-year olds with a passion and interest in having their voices heard, to collaborate on a youth manifesto prior to May’s European elections. ‘My MEP – My Voice’ will allow participants to take part in a video manifesto, which will be screened to all Irish MEP candidates. The video will be filmed in collaboration with professional film crews, advocacy trainers, script writers and TV figures. Speaking in advance of the launch, EMI Executive Director, Noelle O Connell, said; “we are extremely excited about this new programme and the opportunity to work closely with so many young citizens over the coming months to help them have their voices heard.”

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UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

NEWS

Relay for Life set to break new landmark AROUND THE Elaine Reid | News Writer

UCC Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life event took place at the start of March, lasting 24 hours at the Mardyke Sports Ground Track.

Teams of students, staff and members of the Cork community gathered in crowds of what has been estimated to have been more than 800 people over the course of the 24 hours.

The night was opened by Miss Ireland Aoife Walsh, Munster Rugby players and a performance by UV5.

The walking began with 70 cancer survivors doing a celebratory lap of the track, before being taken away for a free survivors’ meal, which was sponsored by Elite Cuisine.

At 10pm a ‘Candle of Hope’ remembrance ceremony took place.

1,200 personalised candle bags were laid out and lit around the track in remembrance of those lost, or those who are suffering. In a moving ceremony, the Choral Society and Dance Club gave performances, before all lights save for that of the candles were put out and all present walked a silent lap in honour of each name or message on each candle bag.

Margaret O’Keeffe, Vice-Chair

of survivors’ group the Waterford Dragon Warriors, said in a note of thanks to the Cancer Society “to walk the track in silence with so many students was extremely moving and humbling and we left bursting to tell the world about the brilliant, kind, caring UCC students we had encountered.”

The remainder of the 24 hours saw live performances from Lowlek, Underground Party Cartel, UCC DJ Society and many more. The early morning also featured a magician, a human gyroscope and a 7am Zumba class.

Individual teams who took part have so far reached a variety of

totals, some evening hitting over €1500 each. A final combined total has not yet been announced but Cancer Society Finance Officer, Vincent O Brien, told The Express that “with a recent bank night our total amount collected for the Irish Cancer Society so far has reached €30,000.

“This is a landmark achievement for the UCC Cancer Society and the final total has still to be determined.”

With further bank nights in the coming weeks, it will be seen if the Cancer Society can make their €50,000 target. Relay for Life went on to win Best Charitable Event at the STARS Awards and received a standing ovation from all present.

It has also been nominated for Best Overall Event, the winner of which will be announced at the upcoming Clubs and Societies Ball.

The Cancer Society also took part in a skydive on the 7th of March in aid of the same charity, as part of their ‘Shave or Dive Campaign’.

Proceeds of the skydive will also go to the Irish Cancer Society and with 31 volunteer skydivers raising a minimum of €200 each for the Irish Cancer Society, it has raised near €7,000 for the same cause.

UCCSU Election in Numbers First Count

9

195

FIRST COUNT

THIRD COUNT 6

180

31% 18%

22% 15% PRESIDENT

32%

36%

COMMS

44% 65%

33%

81%

DEPUTY

57%

3131

Stephen Barry | News Editor

NUIG SU to boycott Israel The NUIG Students’ Union have become the first in Ireland to endorse an Israeli boycott. The vote passed with almost two-thirds of students voting ‘yes’ to join the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. The vote was triggered due to the link between the G4S security company who patrol the campus at night and allegations of human rights abuses in Israel and Palestine. The Israeli Embassy in Dublin has termed the vote anti-Semitic. Meanwhile the SU voted to maintain its pro-choice stance, with 53% in favour, and to campaign for same-sex marriage with a 95% vote.

UCD using debt-collectors on students UCD has begun using debtcollectors to collect up to €1m in outstanding fees. DCU and NUIG are other colleges who employ outside agencies to do so, although NUI Maynooth and UL have stopped using such a strategy. “The need for outsourcing is the result of a lack of internal resources to conduct this service,” said a UCD spokesperson. “Therefore, it is expected that a percentage of outstanding monies will be recouped as a result of this process that might otherwise be lost.”

DCU re-join USI with 1 vote to spare Dublin City University will reaffiliate to the Union of Students in Ireland after a referendum passed by one vote. The college had disaffiliated in 2002 and a vote last year was declared null and void due to the DCU SU failing to inform about or promote the referendum. However the re-run this year passed by 726 votes to 725, with a 12% turnout.

Naked strippers perform in Maynooth

2%

EDUCATION WELFARE

42%

COLLEGES

17% 2%

College authorities in NUI Maynooth have called the performance of strippers at an event on campus “totally unacceptable.”

The event was held as a fake stag party in advance of an SU mock wedding event, although the stag party was unofficial. A group of female strippers were hired to perform at the event which was held in the college bar.

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Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

POLITICS

PARTY PEOPLE

Editor Audrey Ellard Walsh speaks to three UCC students who are balancing studies with local election campaigns

Stephen Cunningham - Sinn Féin -Cork City North East

Cormac Manning - Green Party -Ballincollig and Carrigaline

Stephen Cunningham, a 21 year old Mayfield native has been involved with Sinn Féin for two and a half years.

Having switched courses, Stephen is currently in first year of the BSc Government programme. The constituency which is spread over Mayfield, Montenotte and Silversprings is a familiar batting ground for Stephen. A seasoned activist through holding positions in the UCC, Cork City and Mayfield Cummans, Stephen has seen a lot of issues over the years which he is keen to focus on should he be elected.

Stephen’s main local platform, aside from putting across Sinn Féin’s policies of opposing the water charge and household charge are issues surrounding housing, littering and drugs and suicide rates. “One in five houses in Mayfield are unoccupied.

Some parts of the community have serious littering issues. Suicide rates are unfortunately unacceptably high- any suicide is one too many but rates are particularly bad in Mayfieldand the lack of facilities for young people. There are hardly any playgrounds in the area and those that there are not maintained. There isn’t even a café where people can go to have a chat, there’s no area that you could build a community around.”

The campaign has been “brilliant” according to Stephen. “ I’ve loved every second of it. I’ll be quite honest I was a bit worried about it at the start that it might be too much work but at this point I’m loving it.

I’ve been hard on the canvas for two months now engaging with community groups and meeting a diverse group of people which gives you the drive to keep going to the doors. My goal at the moment is to get to every door, speak to everybody and after that we see where we go from there.”

His family are delighted that he is running. “They wouldn’t be active in politics though

Third year Law and Irish student Cormac Manning is 21 and running for election in his native Ballingcollig. The Ballincolling-Carrigaline Ward is the largest in the country outside of Dublin encompassing Douglas and Passage, taking in approximately 70,000 residents.

Cormac joined the Young Greens upon coming to college and progressed from First Year Rep in the UCC Greens to Auditor and is now National Chairperson of the Young Greens coordinating all branches.

“I liked their policies and I saw that no other party was trying to promote the things that I believed in so I thought that I would join and help promote those things that I believe need to be done.”

His parents are not political and are cautious but supportive about his campaign.

“It was something I was kind of thinking about and at the same time there was no one else from the Greens running in that ward so I thought with 70,000 people there I’d give people a chance to vote Green.

But it was also something I was personally interested in doing giving my best shot.”

“It’s a real pity and it’s true that a lot of young people just don’t really care. A lot of it is because of a vicious cycle where a lot of young people don’t vote or are perceived not to vote so the political establishment focuses on people who they think are more likely to vote which means that young people are then ignored so less likely again to get engaged.”

Cormac also cites the problem that a lot of people are not registered to vote or are registered in other areas. He notes that the local elections will fall on the last day of UCC exams which may cause difficulties for those who wish to vote but have to be in Cork. “I think it’s a pity that we don’t have postal voting or some other way to allow people to vote here”.

‘I’ve been engaging with community groups and meeting a diverse group of people which gives you the drive to keep going to the doors’ they do vote but they’ve over the moon to see me going for it.” With regards to being a young candidate, there has been a mixed response.

“Mostly I get a very positive reaction on the doors people are saying it’s great to see a young fella who’s engaging in their community, who takes an interest and putting their community ahead of themselves. You get a couple of comments alright that maybe you’re too young for it but what I say to that it I’m bringing a new energy, drive and passion to the area so I think being a young candidate doesn’t really hamper me in any way.”

Stephen believes that young people should put themselves forward if they have an interest. “When the opportunity arose for me I had a long hard think about it for a good week because it initially clicked with me that I might like to do it but you have to realise the time commitment.”

That time commitment has proven to be tricky at times but the first year student is managing.

“It’s very hard to strike a balance between college work, employment and then the campaign and trying to maintain friendships. It can be quite hard but I’m, enjoying it and I would recommend it to anyone if they have a real passion for it.”

‘Some people may be a little less enthusiastic but I think most people are quite glad to see young people involved in politics’ His key focus is looking at planning policy and social justice.

“I think the Green Party has a good track record in honesty in planning and we need to make good decisions on planning such as not building on floodplains, the consequences of which we have seen recently. Local justice so looking at insulation especially in local authority houses and then looking at other things for example promoting public transport.”

“Carrigaline is the most car dependent town in the country and Ballincollig while having a great transport network, it costs €6.80 return which I think really discourages people from taking it but hopefully if we can increase the passenger numbers we would have a case for reducing the price.”

How has the response been to his campaign? “I think some people may be a little less enthusiastic but I think most people are quite glad to see young people involved in politics even if their policies are not something that they agree with. I think most people are glad to see young people running and I’d be the same. I think it’s great to see young people from all parties standing even if I don’t agree with what they’re standing for.”

Conor Murphy - Fine Gael -Cobh With Cobh Town Council being disbanded, the area is set to be made into a seven seat electoral ward of its own encompassing much of the rural surrounds. At 20 years of age, Conor Murphy is Fine Gael’s youngest candidate nationally but the third year Politics and History student says he’s ready to “put the theory to the test.”

While he comes from Fine Gael pedigree, Conor says that he took his time making the decision to join. “We were always a Fine Gael family, right from its foundation but I didn’t join Fine Gael outright. I actually went to a couple of the other political parties to make up my own mind. I wasn’t going to follow the family line I’m going to follow the party or ideology that best represents my views and it just worked out in the end that it was Fine Gael.”

Conor is currently balancing two final year dissertations with the campaign but credits his team to helping him keep all the balls in the air.

“My family are extremely proud of me. My mother who had never canvassed before in her life was up all night before nervous but after an hour said she loved it and didn’t want to come home. So they are proud of me and it’s great to see that as well that I am doing something beneficial and something that affects a better future.”

His key issues focus on building community spirit and local business.

“I’m pushing to create a community spirit and a community in which young people can grow. To ensure that local businesses are able to get the necessary grants that are available to them and that the rates they pay are lowered if not held at a sustainable level so that the more money they make they can hire more people, put it back into the community and they can grow.

So it’s all about ensuring that the community itself grows within the wider area.”

So far the response on door has been very positive, Conor says. “There does seem to be an anti- Fine Gael backlash but on the doors I’m not meeting any of that. People understand that what we’re doing has to be done. They know it is tough but it has to be done at the end of the day.”

“Now of course there are some houses where you wouldn’t want to put your fingers on the door for fear they’d be chopped off but that has always been there and will always be there. For the most part people are actually quite happy with having a young person represent them,

‘I’m pushing to create a community spirit and a community in which young people can grow’ especially young families who see that I am coming from their generation and with new ideas.”

“Taking parties out of it would you rather vote for a sixty year old or a twenty three year old who knows where you’re coming from, your background and is going through the same times as you. It’s no longer voting for the party, people are now voting for the candidate that they feel can best represent them and their views be they local or national.

Conor feel that it’s extremely important for young people to become aware about politics.

“It is vital for them to get registered and to vote because no offence but if you don’t vote you shouldn’t complain.

That’s how I look at it. If you vote, whether you vote for me or vote for someone else as long as you vote is the main thing. We are representing ye at the end of the day. You are paying our wages so you might as well influence who the wages are going to.”

The European and Local Elections take place on the 23rd of May. You can register to vote at www. checktheregister.ie.

UCC Express | Friday March 21, 2014

7

FEATURES

Our features editors Grace O’Sullivan bids us adieu and offers her last words of wisdom

THE FINAL FAREWELL

o say this year has flown would be an understatement, and to avoid asking the same question as everyone else: “where has the year gone?” So here we are on the brink of another month of study, and stress before the dreaded/anticipated exams. For me this is my final year and it has been quite the year really – we have looked at everything from trying to go to the gym more, to cooking for yourself. So what’s left? Well I think in order to keep in with the tone of the column the best thing for us to do is come up with some sort of a plan – a plan for studying month, the future etc. etc. etc. Okay, well maybe not a life plan but just some things we could all do over the next few weeks to stay happy go lucky.

SO here we have it, the last time I am going to offer an insight into the weird and wonderful thoughts that ramble around in my mind.

Study Month Perhaps this is your time to shine or the time you dread the most, but no matter what study month is upon us once again. A time when everyone seems to get the use out of their library card, and make numerous study timetables. Trust me I am no expert on what is the best way to attempt your study plan, but I can offer some lessons I’ve learned myself over the past few years.

‘So here we are on the brink of another month of study, and stress before the dreaded/ anticipated exams’ 1. Don’t get overwhelmed. Granted this is easier said than done but the worst thing to do is freak out. Like my mother always says, “Take each day as it comes.” Try to do a bit everyday and eventually you will get through it.

2. If you are a risk taker and like to play exam roulette: by all means go for it. I suppose we are all guilty of trying our hands at predicting what will come up: sometimes there are patterns, sometimes there are not.

Just be careful that you manage to cover yourself as best you can.

No one expects you to be Wonder Woman/Superman, just try and do as best as you can in the time you have.

3. The sales of energy drinks surely go up during study month but I’m not sure if it’s the best method of ensuring your success. Why not try getting into a regular sleep pattern, taking regular breaks and trying to stay calm. Yes, this does sound like an ideal world but trust me it will pay off if you try to stay on top of

things with just your regular routine.

4. Enjoy yourself. It is easy to fall into a whirlwind of martyrdom whereby you forget the outside world exists and just spend all your days cooped up in your room. This is no way to live. Go out, exercise and keep in contact with your friends.

At the end of the day the exams will pass and your friends and family will be there for you when they have.

Summer Ah yes, Summer 2014, like every other summer can be filled with so much joy and excitement – especially for anyone going on a J1.

However, if you are sticking around and trying to save money, it is easy to fall into the trap of work, eat and sleep. Basically studying and college are replaced with work. Here is my advice in relation to trying to make this summer like the ones you had when you were smaller. You know the ones when the smell of cut grass and the sound of the ice-cream van music was the equivalent to winning the lottery.

1. Go out playing. Now I mean in the old-fashioned innocent five year old you way. Seriously go outside, paint up your legs in the Factor 50 and go for a walk, run, grab a bicycle and go for a cycle.

2. Help others. The best way to make oneself happy is by doing nice things for other people. Some things to do would include; visiting an elderly

told Tommy to “shlow down.”

Seriously when was the last time you looked around you and appreciated the people, sights, and good things in your life? I read something somewhere about trying to remember the last time you actually tasted food, like I mean really tasted food? Chances are it was probably something when you were a child, and didn’t worry about anything else other then Life In General playtime, food, and not making Now I am not claiming to be mammy cross. some sort of life coach or guru or whatever, but these are things I feel Overall we could all learn something from.

1. Try to do more than just judge Okay I know what you’re thinking, your success in terms of shares, either 1. You’re reckoning that I likes and retweets. This is no way am talking rubbish and should be to live your life. Status Updates and doling out some proper advice in Check-ins are all well and good but relation to exam technique and don’t forget to do a bit more with study hints. Or alternatively, you your life. So what if you don’t have may be half thinking that I could be 600 Facebook friends: two best on to something: I hope the latter Face-to-Face friends would be so is true. Why not just try your best with the exams and listen if you much better.

2. Be kind. Sounds simple, right? don’t manage to get a 1H, what of But look around you, look at the it? There are more important things world. All you need do is interrupt in your life, things that haven’t even someone’s day, or delay someone crossed your mind yet that will be in some way and you will see that much more important than the the world needs more kindness amount of rote learned material you and patience. We all have a choice can reproduce in three hours. Go out when it comes to the story of our there, live, love, and do no harm. lives; we can either be the hero or Perhaps Fisher Price were really giving us all some sound lifestyle the victim. The choice is yours.

3. Slow down. Maybe Sminkey advice when they copyrighted Shorts stumbled upon some really “play, laugh, grow.” profound wisdom when they

neighbour, bake a cake for your mam, get to know your siblings.

3. Get to know your family. No joke.

You may be of the opinion that you know your family already, but do you really? Have you ever asked your sister if she is happy? Or if she knows that she is your best friend in the whole world, despite the fact that your argue like cat and dog?

8

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES

An Erasmus Diary: “Ein Astra bitte!”

Eilis O’ Keefe | Feature Writer

Hamburg, situated on the river Elbe, is the second largest port in Europe.

Officially known as the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg), it is an ultra-modern city. The second largest city in Germany, Hamburg is similar to Berlin in many respects, although the port adds a gritty, industrial feel to the city. It is a city of contrasts: from its official name which alludes to its medieval past to the sleek, glass buildings of HafenCity and finally the Reeperbahn, known in German as die sündigste Meile (the most sinful mile).

Hamburger Highlights: Boat trip: Taking a boat trip along the Elbe is an essential part of any trip to Hamburg. The Elbe is the living, breathing heart of Hamburg.

If you have a public transport ticket you can hop on the number 62 boat which offers a cheap alternative to one of the dedicated harbour boat tours. The best time to take a boat trip is just as the sun is going down – the sight of the harbour cranes framed against the background of a sunset is truly spectacular (and if you consider yourself to be an amateur

photographer I guarantee that you’ll get some excellent photos!) If you feel a bit peckish afterwards I would recommend Nordsee, a takeaway located just beside the stop at Landungsbrücken. They do great fish and chips with Danish Remoulade – mayonnaise with pickled cucumbers (which tastes better than it sounds!)

Reeperbahn: A trip to Hamburg would not be complete without a visit to the Reeperbahn. The former rope-making district, it is now a sea of neon (even the sign for the police station was lit up in an appropriate neon blue!) As the largest redlight district in Europe, it is the Reeperbahn which gives Hamburg its iniquitous reputation. Highlights of the Reeperbahn include Beatlesplatz and Große Freiheit. Beatlesplatz was built to commemorate the formative years spent by the Beatles in Hamburg: John Lennon later said “I might have been born in Liverpool – but I grew up in Hamburg.”

Beatlesplatz is located at the crossing of Reeperbahn and Große Freiheit, one of the most appropriately named streets in the world. It translates as Great Freedom, a reference to a time when it was one of the few areas where Catholics could practice their religion. Nowadays it refers to a

freedom of a more licentious kind, as it is situated within Germany’s most famous red-light district.

The Reeperbahn serves a dual function, acting as both red-light district and nightlife hub, with plenty of pubs and clubs to choose from, some more X-rated than others! If you find yourself tiring of the Mile of Sin, Hamburg has no shortage of options in terms of nightlife. Germany seems to specialise in great dive bars. The two I found in Hamburg are amongst my favourites: Luba Luft in St. Pauli and Saal II in the Schanzenviertel.

The latter is located on the site of a former butcher’s and still has the distinctive white tiles on the walls.

Politeness pays off in this bar as you will get a 20c discount if you say “bitte” (please) when ordering a bottle of the local brew, Astra.

Rathaus: This is the town hall and one of the few pre-War buildings you will find in Hamburg. As a large port and an industrial centre of Germany, Hamburg was the target of many Allied bombing raids during WWII. The Battle of Hamburg, codenamed Operation Gomorrah by the RAF, left much of the inner city destroyed and killed 42,000 civilians. The distinct lack of historic

buildings in comparison with other European cities is a striking feature of Hamburg and a constant reminder of this period of German history.

Speicherstadt: Located on the waterfront, this was one of my favourite areas of Hamburg. With its distinctive red-brick warehouses dating from the 19th Century it is the perfect place to wander amongst the canals – Hamburg has more of them than Venice or Amsterdam! I particularly enjoyed the Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei, a café with an amazing choice of coffee that was slightly pricey but completely worth it.

Künsthalle: This is the Hamburger art museum and hosts Hamburg’s must-see art collection with works ranging from Old Masters to Contemporary Art. I particularly enjoyed their Modern Art Collection with paintings by Max Ernst, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dali. It is currently hosting an exhibition on the cult of beauty and the adoration of muses and models entitled Feuerbach’s Muses – Lagerfeld’s Models. An interesting exhibition it brings together the works of Anselm Feuerbach and Karl Lagerfeld, a native of Hamburg.

Chocolate Museum: If you are interested in learning about how that bar of Dairymilk in your fridge was produced then this is the place to go.

I particularly liked the fact that you could taste the products at the various stages of the chocolate making process – from the unprocessed cocoa bean to the end product. Particularly exciting is also the fact that you get to make your own bar of chocolate by adding various ingredients – I found that jelly bears work well!

During my weekend stay I couldn’t help but draw parallels between modern Hamburg and Venice during its heyday, when it was one of the great sea powers of the world.

Hamburg is in many ways the Venice of Northern Europe with its landscape of bridges and canals and its function as one of the world’s great harbours.

But it bears little resemblance to the Venice of the 21st Century which is a mere shadow of its former self, an ornate mausoleum bearing signs of its former grandeur and role as a great trading port. Hamburg is in fact the antithesis of modern Venice – it is a vibrant, working city where the primacy of industry is evident as you wander along the Elbe and marvel at this harbour city which I believe is a wonder of the modern world.

March Madness and April Survival

Deputy Features Editor Claire Crowley talks about those last precious few weeks of college March is, by far, the busiest month by campaigners. But, it also of the workload they ‘This April will be because in the college year (in my humble means free sweets, cakes and tea. suddenly find that they have, and opinion, anyway). Suddenly, all of And, of course, the all-important the last ever Study once March is actually over, a wellthose assignments that were “ages decision of who to elect on to the deserved break is needed, which away!” are just a few days away. Union. Reading manifesto’s can be Month in UCC with usually lasts until the beginning of Caffeine drinks become a staple in the entertaining to read and useful in April, also known as Study Month. everyday diet (if they’re not already), the making of that final decision… the introduction of This particular April will be the last and suddenly you find yourself but also passes time when you are ever Study Month in UCC, as the Semesterisation’ shaking from over-indulgence, and avoiding those aforementioned introduction of Semesterisation will you are sure you can hear your heart beat becoming louder and louder.

Library books are suddenly in even more demand, with three people already after calling the book you desperately need for the assignment that is due in less than forty-eight hours. Queues for the Main Rest/ Student Centre/Daybreak/Coffee Dock seem to be longer, especially between 12pm and 2pm. Getting out of bed for morning lectures just seems to be becoming more difficult. But when you do make it to college, and escape the confines of the library, college is still as lively as ever. The Student Union elections are always one of the biggest elements of March, meaning you can’t move from one building to the other without being harassed

assignments. The silence on campus is always strange after the campaigns are over, and you would almost miss the hustle and bustle.

Almost. Society and Club AGMs (Annual General Meetings) are looming, with decisions to be made for the upcoming year (“Which society should I join?” “How much work is involved in being a PRO?” “What even is a Webmaster?”). It is always a good idea to join a club or society tailored to your interests, and if you like it, even run for a committee position, and boost your Curriculum Vitae in the process.

Getting away from the books is advisable, and Clubs and Societies are very rewarding, and fun.

March can sometimes mean that students become extremely stressed

course meal in town. If the weather is sunny (this usually happens, the weather likes to mock us), you will be tempted to go for a few drinks in a beer garden and only remember the library exists when the sun starts to set. You will also want to lie in the President’s Garden and work on your Farmer’s tan, while watching eliminate Study Month. If you are over-eager people stroll around in one of those people who can only shorts. This is all acceptable…once study in the library, there are a few you go back to the library at some point. simple guidelines to follow: (1) Be there early. This goes without saying, but people really do panic and rush into college not long after dawn. I got a rude awakening in first year when I strolled in at 11a.m. and found it extremely tough to find a seat. As May looms, people start arriving earlier and earlier, with people queuing as early as 6am the day before the exams started last year.

(2) Take regular breaks. Now, some days you will abuse these breaks, and suddenly a sandwich in the Student Centre can turn into a three-

(3) The main tip for study month is to actually study. Try not to leave it all to the night before. If you manage to do a couple of hours of study in a day/week, it’s a lot better than leaving it to the last minute, when panic and stress have set in.

This is my last article as Deputy Features Editor for the Express. It has been an absolutely fantastic year and I’ve enjoyed working with the talented and amazing team here.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the last few weeks of this academic term!

9

UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

FEATURES

With Jobbridge effecting the representative value of internships in Ireland, Fiona Nugent reflects on her experiences working as an intern in the European Parliament

THE OPINION OF AN INTERN Internship, jaysus that’s all that Jobbridge scambridge craic isn’t it? I heaRd a fella on Joe Duffy last week saying that it was slavery- is that what you´re at?”

This is what my taxi driver said to me the other day when I told him I was getting a taxi to the airport as I was flying back to Brussels to work and that work was in fact an internship in the European Parliament.

I was more than a little taken aback. For some reason Ireland has decided that all things internship must be evil. I could not disagree more.

I am an intern working in the office of Seán Kelly MEP in the European Parliament in Brussels.

I studied Irish and Politics in UCC and I was delighted to be accepted into the MBA Government for this year however I was concerned about my C.V and thus employability. I decided to apply for internships and after much research and help from UCC Careers Service: I tailored my C.V and sent in for various positions.

I was stunned when I was offered an internship in Seán Kelly MEP’s office for the months of June, July and August.

I moved to Brussels in June without knowing a sole and although I was nervous and frankly a little worried that I would regret not taking the easy option and continuing to work as a waitress for the summer: I was extremely excited.

On my first day I was introduced to Seán’s staff and was given a tour of the Parliament- if you have ever seen the European Parliament you will understand this was very intimidating. The place is absolutely insane, think the ORB but with no logical signs, maps or common language to ask for advice!

After that the role of the intern briefly explained to me: basically I am a trainee Parliamentary Assistant.

This means I am here to learn from Kevin: Seán’s Parliamentary Assistant. Unlike the many horror stories I have heard about internships, it was clear from the beginning that I was predominately there for my own benefit: I was there to learn rather than be cheap labour.

The rules regarding internship conditions are very clearly set out by the European Parliament however I have had friends who did internships here and spent most of their days running errands and deleting spam rather than doing

‘Unlike the many horror stories I have heard about internships, it was clear from the beginning that I was there to learn rather than be cheap labour’ what a real Parliamentary Assistants do so I am extremely glad that I got placed in such a highly functioning office. Seán is the Industry and Research Committee’s rapporteur (lead negotiator) on the massive Data Protection file which is being thrashed out in the Parliament at the moment (yes, the first thing people think about data protection is usually either about Edward Snowdon or the NSA not European Parliament!) I get to sit in on Seán’s meetings about this legislation which is extremely interesting-most of the time!

As I became more comfortable in my new role, I began to take on more responsibility, this means I have gained great experience of the various policy & administration tasks of the office. What I greatly appreciated about my internship was

that I always knew questions were welcome. If I wasn’t sure how to do something I had no fear of asking and if something didn’t go as it should I was assured the final responsibility did not lay with the intern ever.

Basically this allowed me to actually learn rather than not live in fear of getting something wrong.

When I was offered the extension after the summer I had to make the difficult decision: would I stay or would I go back to UCC for my masters. I felt there was still so much I could learn here so I wrote to the Government/Politics Department and as always: they were very encouraging and helpful. I decided to stay and I as my internship draws

‘I would not be very comfortable if I went to the A&E and found out my doctor had passed all her exams but had not done any supervised on-the-job training’

to a close it I can say with no fear of exaggeration that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Yes the hours can feel long at times, and dealing with bureaucracy can drive me a little insane but I have learned so much in the past few months that it has been more than worth it. Working for very highly regarded MEP like Seán Kelly has meant that I gained the kind of experience that employers will want once I have my master’s qualification and it also helped to make fantastic connections. I have discovered that this job that I had never even heard of two years ago is what I want to do for the foreseeable future and that I want to work in an environment like Brussels. I will never be able to fully express how valuable this internship has really been for me but I can explain why I think where possible they should be encouraged.

For some reason Irish people have decided that internships are bad, of course if there is exploitation it is a disgrace however if they are properly regulated and the learning objectives are clear- I think an internship is a fantastic way to bridge the gap from college to the working world.

I would not be very comfortable if I went to the A&E and found out my doctor had passed all her exams but had not done any supervised on the job training. For this reason I don’t see why any other profession shouldn’t require a period of on the job learning. Of course some colleges such as UL have begun making internships a mandatory element of the degree which is great as it is what employers want to see however if your degree does not offer that opportunity, as mine didn’t, I think looking for a good internship is highly valuable. It makes you stand out from the crowd.

I don’t deny that I have been lucky in getting an internship in Seán Kelly’s office as I had no idea before I got out here how impressive an operation he runs so I would say if you think your C.V is a little light or you need to gain some experience to work out if you are going down the right path, you should absolutely look into finding a good internship.

My couple of months as an intern in Brussels has given me many new friends from around the world, a great deal of experience and the confidence I needed to peruse this career path. It was most definitely the right path for me after graduation and I would highly recommend it.

10

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES

With the recent controversial Crimea referendum sparking debate on both sides of the Atlantic, Aaron Kieran Noonan discusses the implications

THE PUTIN PROBLEM We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos,” said Vladimir Putin in his New York Times op-ed last September, amid a plea for caution to the United States to refrain from using military force in Syria. “The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not.” If one were to apply Putin’s (or, more likely, his ghostwriter’s) logic to the Ukraine situation today, and the words don’t seem to bear much weight. With Russia seizing an opportunity to militarily occupy the autonomous region of Crimea in the south, it is obvious that international law means very little when the national interest of a country is at stake.

Since Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych, a Putin ally, was deposed last month after several weeks of protests by citizens, the political situation in Ukraine has changed dramatically. A westernleaning interim government has been installed after and Russia has moved in to Crimea. Western countries have declared such a move by Russia as illegal, while the Kremlin says it reserves the right to protect ethnic Russians in the southern region, who make up the vast majority of the population (58%). A referendum is due on March 16th to decide whether or not Crimea should secede from Ukraine and join Russia. It is likely to pass, although if it does, it won’t be recognised by Western nations and is likely to create further tensions. So why is this relatively small peninsula in the south of Ukraine so contentious? The answer is inherently complex.

Russia’s claim to Crimea dates back centuries. It was under Russian control until 1954 when it was gifted to the Ukraine by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in a symbolic gesture. This dispensation did not foresee the break-up of the Soviet Union thirty-seven years later, in 1991. Since Ukraine became an independent state, tensions have risen periodically over the possession of Crimea, particularly because Russia maintains its Black Sea navy fleet in the south-west city of Sevastopol. Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia all agreed to provide

security assurances to Ukraine (and by extension Crimea), including respecting the fledgling nation’s independence, and not using force or threatening to use force there. Given that Russia has recently invaded Crimea, western powers believe that Putin has broken this agreement.

In legal terms, it does sound quite simple. Russia broke the Budapest agreement, and therefore broke international law. However, international law has no neutral enforcer and is oftentimes there to be flouted. No international crisis is the sum of its legal breaches, as history, culture and political maneuvering all heavily influence the course it takes.

Perhaps the historical backdrop to the current Crimean crisis is the Cold War. In broad terms, the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving Russia in the shadow of the increasingly powerful United States and European Union.

Ukraine, a former member of the Soviet Union, is representative of a bygone Russian era, and for Russia to lose its influence over it to Europe would be perceived domestically as a catastrophic show of weakness for Putin. This is why, after Ukraine saw a pro-Europe government installed after months of protests, Putin saw the need to stake his claim in Ukraine, by way occupying Crimea.

In essence, regaining control of Crimea is a highly romanticised idea in Russian political discourse, as it represents the power and influence the country once held. If Russia can bring Crimea back under its sphere of influence and legitimise such a move without bloodshed, it’ll portray Russia as a force to be reckoned with on the international stage, no longer seen as the developing country that was ravaged by poverty and social discontent in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Indeed, Putin’s popularity in Russia has soared after his move into Crimea. The west deem his actions as abhorrent, but domestically he has been receiving praise as he defends

Regaining control of Crimea is a highly romanticised idea in Russian political discourse, as it represents the power and influence the country once held’

Russia’s interests and its large ethnic population in the region.

While maintaining influence over Ukraine and Crimea is important to Russia, perhaps more tangible consequences of the East versus West tug of war are the economic issues, specifically in terms of Europe’s oil supply. Russia has huge oil reserves, and it supplies around 30% of Europe’s oil in total. It does this through a vast network of pipelines that flow directly through Ukraine. As Europe and the United States seek to lay sanctions on Russia for its actions in Crimea, all are acutely aware that Russia holds an incredibly powerful trump card in the way of oil. Although to cut this supply would cripple Russia as well.

Indeed, much of the reason why the crisis in Ukraine took place relates to oil. The $15 billion economic aid package that was offered to President Yanukovych by Russia last year (the one that kicked off the original protests) partly came after Ukraine was unable to sustain a Russian oil price hike imposed on Ukraine in 2005. Many see Ukraine’s dependence on Russia’s oil as a method by Vladimir Putin to keep his stranglehold on the former Soviet subjugate.

As the west and east battle for influence over the future of Ukraine and Crimea, the outcome, regardless of the referendum result, remains uncertain. With Crimea falling into the hands of Vladimir Putin with relative ease, he is very aware that there is little that Europe and the United States can do to stop him.

Sanctions are forthcoming, and the US has threatened to pull out of a G8 summit to be held in Russia, but these are largely inconsequential and of little worry to Putin. Western leaders now fear Putin may go further and attempt to annex Ukraine entirely, pulling the east of the nation back under Russian influence. How Europe and the United States will respond to Russia’s new show of strength in the long term will be very important to watch.

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UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

FEATURES

‘You must retain your independence and identity apart from that person, or else your relationship is utterly toxic and unhealthy and will only end very badly’ brutal pain to endure. The wide seas become even harder to escape when the one beside you seems impossibly far away.

If all this describes you, or your current relationship, I can only say three things:

DEPRESSION AND DATING his is the article I have long wanted to write.

This week has presented me that opportunity to touch on something important to sex, dating, and relationships that often goes unspoken and ignored-heartache, loneliness, and sorrow. There is a universal, or at least quite common, tendency among the lonely and broken-hearted to lose hope. Admittedly, it is quite painful and difficult to navigate a sea of beautiful, lively faces each day while you yourself struggle to remain on the living side of your own dark seas.

I have lived with depression my entire life, and for me these oceans have at times been pitch black and as cold as death. Singlehood, as simple and as meaningless as it may be for most people, can be agony for the lonesome and broken.

When I was younger and single, my main complaint was--pardon me--a lack of sex. I cared less about the lack of fulfilling relationships as much as I was devastated to find myself in the sexual doldrums. (I was an idiot.) I despaired at what I then thought of as loneliness. Really though, sex and dating should augment your happiness, not be the basis for it. As I got older and matured (slightly) I

began to experience true, meaningful friendships and found my aspirations becoming loftier and more ambitious.

Suddenly, I found myself desiring love, romance, and intimacy. The shift itself is hardly spectacular, as anyone who’s watched a romantic comedy in the last decade is already familiar with the plotline of a person transitioning from happily single to longing for something more substantive.

As I got older, then, my loneliness took on a new depth. The seas became darker and more turbulent, and more vast. This was because I now had more to lose, more invested not just in myself, but in others.

My intense desire for love and connectedness compelled me, and in many ways still does, towards new and lasting happiness. The gamble lies in that great love and great hope invites great heartache and sorrow.

It is interesting, I think, that the word passion--which we often connect with sex, romance, and relationships-comes from the Latin word “passio” which means “suffering.” Love involves suffering, whether it’s a love of music or an intense longing for a particular person. The more you give yourself over to that love, the more it hurts (cue awesomely awful 80’s song).

Being single, then, can feel like a gaping wound. Unfulfilled needs, not just sexual, but emotional, physical, and social too, can manifest themselves much like physical pains. We ache, struggling each day, seeming to suffocate beneath the weight of crushing emptiness. To those who would say this roughly describes their feelings towards being single, I say this: look around you and count the number of beautiful, engaging, wonderful people in the world. One of the reasons I love people watching is because, aside from being highly entertaining, it reminds me that the world is filled with essentially amazing individuals, and that many of them cannot appreciate how beautiful and splendid they truly are.

Ironically, this is exactly the kind of monologue we ought to direct inwardly on the darkest, coldest, emptiest nights. You are loved. You are beautiful. You are, no matter how hard it is to see or accept, worthy of love and happiness. When you feel caught in the wide seas of isolation and despair, just remember: there are many souls wading beside you, waiting for the opportunity to experience the depths of your love, and to show you the same.

1. Make sure you are communicating your feelings, as difficult as that is.

Intimacy and love are both fostered through open communication, and if you find yourself separated from your love by an ocean of emptiness, start by opening up your heart to someone, especially your partner.

Failing that; 2. Make sure that the relationship has not gotten in the way of your other relationships.

This tends to happen, especially for those who are relatively inexperienced romantically, and it is never okay, ever, for two people to disappear into each other. You must retain your independence and identity apart from that person, or else your relationship is utterly toxic and unhealthy and will only end very badly. Finally, 3. If nothing can be done to salvage it without sacrificing your own identity, autonomy, dreams or ideals, end it immediately. Like a gangrenous leg, sever it from your life lest it drag you down to hell. I love my ex, but our relationship needed to end as we simply were not right for each other.

If, on the other hand, you are not It is painful, but there is nothing single and yet still feel this same worse than staying in a bad, toxic, or way it is another matter entirely. As unfulfilling relationship.

I mentioned in a previous article, I was once engaged to a lovely, sweet, Lastly, above all else, if you find and affectionate girl named Ana. yourself feeling lonely, depressed, For the first year of our relationship hopeless, or suicidal, please speak it was mostly wine and roses-- with someone, either a close friend, splendour in the grass, I suppose. We family member, or professional Things seem dark got engaged a few months after our counsellor. first anniversary, and over the next and hopeless, but I’ll let you in on year the relationship deteriorated. a secret: the world is filled with Being in an unfulfilling relationship beautiful people longing to know is terrible. Lying beside someone you, love you, and share their hearts you once loved, with whom you with you. Just remember: where have shared so much, and finding an there is love, there is hope. You are impassable chasm between you is a loved, therefore there is hope.

WITH RANDY MARX

‘Admittedly, it is quite painful and difficult to navigate a sea of beautiful, lively faces each day while you yourself struggle to remain on the living side of your own dark seas’

12

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

GAEILGE

“Sé Seachtainí”–Gearrchúrsa Gaeilge Rachel Hayes | Eagarthóir Gaeilge Is minic a deireann daoine go bhfuil fonn orthu a bheith ábalta Gaeilge a labhairt ach níl fhios acu conas is féidir leo tús a dhéanamh léi. Tá feachtas tar éis a bheith forbartha ag Coláiste Lurgan chun tacú leis na daoine sin agus iad ag iarraidh feabhas a chur ar a gcuid Gaeilge labhartha.

Cuireadh tús leis an bhfeachtas ar an 3ú Márta. Cruthaíodh saotharlann teanga ar líne, darb ainm, ‘Oide’. Is áis luachmhar í chun cabhrú le daoine a gcuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh agus

a fheabhsú. D’fhéadfaidís a nguth féin a thaifeadadh agus éisteacht leis chun Gaeilge nádúrtha a fhorbairt cosúil le Gaeilgeoirí dúchasacha. Is féidir le daoine ‘Oide’ a íoslódáil dá bhfón póca nó dá ríomhaire agus clárú leis. Úaslódaltar na ceachtanna ar TG Lurgan ar Youtube gach seachtain ar feadh na sé seachtainí. ‘Sé atá i gceist insna ceachtanna ná múineadh na Gaeilge i mbealach neamhfhoirmiúil agus taitneamhach. Níl aon tacaíocht airgeadais ón Rialtas curtha sa bhfeachtas mar tá na rannpháirtithe ag obair go deonach chun an tsraith a

chruthú dos na daoine atá ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim. Is linne í an Ghaeilge agus ba mhaith leo í a scaipeadh.

Má tá fonn ort do chuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh agus a fheabhsú, mholfainn go mór duit féach ar na físeáin a úaslódálfar ar Youtube i rith na seachtainí atá tharainn agus ‘Oide’ a úaslódáil chun tacú leat.

Is deis iontach í seo chun cumas na Gaeilge labhartha a bhaint amach i slí neamhfhoirmiúil, spraoíúil agus compordach gan lua ar bith de scrúdú! Mar a deirtear, ‘Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste!’

An Chuallacht ag scaipeadh na Gaeilge Stephen Walsh | Iriseoir I dtús báire, ní bhfhuaireamar aon duais in sa chomortás Glór na Gael i mbliana mar bhí na cumainn eile níos fearr ach tríd is tríd bhí an bhliain seo an-mhaith. Beidh mé ag caint faoi na príomh-imeachtaí a rinneamar mar chumann le linn na bliana i m’alt an tseachtain seo.

I dtósach na bliana, bhi cóisir mór istigh san old-bar ar siúl againn le gach duine as an gcéad bhliain agus tar éis cúpla cluichí greannmhara, chuamar go dtí Havanna’s ansin don chuid eile den oíche.

Mar is eol duit, bhí an club cáinte ar siúl gach Deardaoin insan Common Room agus rinneamar go leor rudaí ann mar shampla scoráil scapta (Speed-Dating) agus cluichí bord. Bhí an t-atmaisféar an-mhaith gach seachtain agus d’eagraíomar cúpla rudaí chomh maith i rith na bliana mar shampla, an Oireachtas, an turas cultúrtha

agus taifeadadh na n-amhrán.

Chuamar go dtí Cill Airne don Oireachtas thar deireadh seachtaine i mí Deireadh Fomhair le 30 daoine. Bhuamar an díospóireacht i gcoinne TCD, UCD agus UUM. Ghlac Deirdre Ni Dhonnacha agus Lara Ní Dalaigh páirt sa chomórtas seo agus bhí gach duine as UCC an-bhródúil leis na torthaí. Ach b’fhéidir mar is eol duit, bhí cóisir no dhó ann thar an deireadh seachtaine. Beidh an t-oireachtas ar siúl I gCill Áirne an bhliain seo chugainn agus gan dabht beidh grúpa mór ann ó UCC. Cóimeád súil ar an leathnach facebook i gcomhair níos mó eolais.

An tarna rud, chuamar go Rinn i bPort Lairge i mí Dheireadh Fomhair agus chuamar timpeall na Gaeltachta agus chríochnaíomar ag an teach taibhrne ar feadh deoch nó dhó agus níos mó pizza.

An rud deireanach beidh mé ag caint faoi na amhráin a chuireamar

ar Youtube agus faoi na tweets a fhuaireamar ó ghrúpa ceol saghas cáiliúil. I dtús báire, rinne Niamh Byrne agus Christine Cusack an t-amhrán “Catch me if you can” ó Walking on Cars agus fuaireamar retweet as iad. An bhfuil eád ort?

Agus rinneamar an collab mór le níos mó ná 100 daoine as UCC Dance, UCC choral society, An Chuallacht agus Trad Soc don amhrán eile. Bhíomar in san amharclann Tír Eolaiochta ag canadh an amhráin ó “The Wanted.”

Faoi lathair, tá níos mó ná 17,000 amharcanna ar an bhfiseán seo agus fuaireamar tweet ó “The Wanted” agus “UMI Ireland”,. Bhíomar anshásta leis an bhfiseán seo agus na retweets a fuair sé. Tá seans mór go mbeidh collab eile chun tarlú an bhliain seo chugainn.

Tríd is tríd is léir go bhfuil an Chuallacht ag feabhsú agus ag spreagadh úsáid na Gaeilge i measc na mac léinn.

Go dtí seo bhí “Céilí Mór agus Féile” ar siúl ar Shráid an Chapaill Bhuí chun tús maith a chur le Mí Na Gaeilge! Tháinig na sluaite daoine chuig an imeacht agus rath mór a bhí ann.

Don chuid eile de Mhí na Gaeilge, tá mórán imeachtaí eagraithe ag Gael-Taca, an cuid is mó acu saor in aisce chomh maith! Mar is gnáth, bíonn na Seisúin Trad fós ar siúl gach maidin Dé Céadaoin ag 11r.n. in Ionad Gael-Taca. Gach maidin Dé Déardaoin ag 10.30r.n bíonn Ranganna Gaeilge ar siúl istigh in Ionad Ghael-Taca.

Beidh dhá lá le taispeántas scannáin Gaeilge ar siúl chomh maith. Ar an 13ú Márta beidh Lá Scannán ar siúl le gearrscannán á

léiriú ar “loop” ó 2i.n-8i.n. Freisin, beidh Oíche Scannán san Ionad ag 8i.n. Beidh dhá ceardlann rince ar siúl freisin, an chéad cheann ar an 19ú lá ag 7i.n san Ionad, is ceardlann “Samba” atá I gceist, agus ar an 25ú lá tá ceardlann Rince Gaelach ar siúl ag 12i.n san Ionad!

Ceann de na hócáidí is mó a bheidh ar siúl ag Gael-Taca I rith Mí Na Gaeilge ná an “Mórshúil Lá Fhéile Pádraig”. Fágfaidh an mórshiúl an Ionad ag 12:30i.n ar an 17ú lá!

Chun níos mó eolais a fháil faoi cad atá ar siúl ag Gael-Taca I rith Mí na Gaeilge 2014, lean @GaelTacaChorcai ar Twitter nó tabhair Like do “Gael-Taca Corcaigh” ar Facebook!

Mí na Gaeilge Aoife Ní Chochláin | Scríbhneoir

Tá Mí na Márta tagtha agus ciallaíonn sé sin go bhfuil Mí na Gaeilge anseo chomh maith! Is deis iontach í Mí na Gaeilge chun do chuid Gaeilge a cleachtadh.

I rith Seachtain na Gaeilge, bíonn imeachtaí éagsúla ar siúl ar fud na háite. Ach tá amchlár déanta suas ag GaelTaca, eagraíocht atá suite I lár na cathrach. Tá an t-Ionad suite ar Phort Uí Súilleabháin. Tá rud éigin ar siúl beagnach gach lá acu agus tá rud a oireann do ghach duine, daoine fásta agus páistí agus tá imeachtaí a oireann do ghach leibhéal Ghaeilge, mar sin tá fáilte roimh gach éinne!

Seo Linn Ar Scáth a Chéile

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge Is deas an rud é a bheith ábalta éisteacht le amhráin den chineál seo Tá clú agus cáil ar Seo Linn de inár dteanga dhúchas. Tá súil againn bhárr an réimse leathan d’amhráin go leanóidh siad le hamhráin eile a dheineadar clúdach orthu i rith a chumadh. Is fiú éisteacht le “Ar an tsamhraidh seo caite i gColáiste Scáth a Chéile” ar Youtube.

Lurgan. Is é an cludach a dheineadar ar “Wake Me Up le Avicii” é an Na liricí: t-amhrán is cáiliúla acu. Díreach in am do Sheachtain na Gaeilge, (Ag) Luí amach, faoi thaitneamh na d’úaslódáil siad ar Youtube amhrán a gréine chum siad féin, “Ar Scáth a Chéile”. Aon aoibh amháin, ag tarraingt le Úaslódáladh é ar an 3ú Márta agus tá chéile timpeall is 21,000 amharcanna bainte Siúil ár slí, an t-aon chine daonna amach acu go dtí seo. Is amhrán Lámh i láimh, is féidir aon cheo a iontach, dearfach é agus baineann an dhéanamh físeán le turas deonach a dheineadar le Self Help Africa agus roinnt Oh oh oh oh.. clipeanna óna gceolchoirm a bhí ar siúl acu san Acadamh i mBaile Átha Ar scáth a chéile, faoi theas na gréine Cliath le déanaí. Beidh gach cent Ar scáth a chéile, faoi bhrat na spéire a shaothraíonn an t-amhrán ag dul Ar scáth a chéile, faoi theas na gréine chun tacú le obair na heagraíochta, Ar scáth a chéile, faoi bhrat na spéire Self Help Africa. “Is carthánacht idirnáisiúnta í Self-Help Africa a Taobh le taobh, ag foghlaim ‘s ag fás chuireann deiseanna forbartha ar Damhsa ‘s spraoi, ár gcaidreamh fáil do dhaoine ag maireachtáil i faoi bhláth gceantair thuaithe san Afraic.”

Le chroí amháin, an t-anam ag gáirí, Is léir go bhfuil sár-obair á Díocas mór i súile na bpáistí dhéanamh acu chun an Ghaeilge a scaipeadh trí mhéan an cheoil. Kwegata bwe bugumu

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14

EXPRESS PHOTOS

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

15

EXPRESS PHOTOS

16

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

FASHION

Summer Style Sussed Fashion Editor, Nicole Clinton, details two of the summer season’s frequent trends, illustrating the looks with pieces from her own collection

Nautical

The nautical look seems to be a permanent S/S trend as it continues to epitomise summer style with its strong dependence on white and its association with the seaside. The colour pallette predominantly consists of red, white and navy. However, white and navy may be substituted with ivory and black respectively. And if you find red a bit too bold for you, pair navy or white with coral or peach instead. Stripes are notoriously a key pattern for this trend with horizontal stripes producing a casual look and vertical stripes achieving a more cutting-edge image. Polka-dot designs combining any of the designated nautical colours also exemplify the trend. All of the metallic colours match this look but strong golds particularly compliment it. The chunky, gold chains that saw a resurgence in popularity last year especially add to the nautical aura as they possess a hint of the seafaring tradition that the trend stems from.

Photography by Aoife Cheung.

Modelled and Styled by Nicole Clinton.

Shot on location in the Executive Suite of the Hayfield Manor Hotel

17

UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

FASHION

FESTIVAL

In recent years, the increase in the presence of celebrities and fashion icons at music festivals had led to the birth of the ‘festival look’ and turned these music extravaganzas into fashion parades. Denim is a must in achieving the festival look. Denim shorts are a favourite of supermodel and festival darling Kate Moss. Shorts with frayed edges reinforce the careless, rocker attitude and can even be created from cutting up an old pair of jeans. Denim jackets also boast these attributes and will match all colours.The floral dress or jumpsuit ultimately lends a softer tone to the festival wardrobe and displays a generally laid back attitude. The floral pattern adds feminine touch to create a ‘hippy chic’ effect.The leather ankle- boot are a comfortable yet stylish festival footwear option. They pair well with shorts or jeans to accomplish a rocker attitude, especially when they are decorated with studs. When it comes to festival hair, if it’s a long and flowing effect that you wish to produce, the headband worn around the head is the ideal way to add a girly flair to any outfit.

Sunglasses are an obligatory addition to every festival outfit and ‘the bigger the better’ is the motto. You can have some fun with them too if you choose different shapes or colours. They can also serve as a useful hair accessory when the sun goes down if you put them on your head.

Photography by Aoife Cheung.

Modelled and Styled by Nicole Clinton.

Shot on location in the Executive Suite of the Hayfield Manor Hotel

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

18

----------------WARNING: DON’T LET THIS BE YOU----------------WARNING: DON’T LET THIS BE YOU-

-WARNING: DON’T LET THIS BE YOU-

HUMOUR

19

UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

THE NEW CORKER

THE NEW CORKER Just Getting Older he glass in front of him stood still on the counter, half-empty. Some might say half-full, but all he saw was the emptiness. What was left of the beautiful acidic liquid inside, unmoving, taunted him.

It begged to be finished, and he was keen to oblige. He picked it up, and with one smooth yet sloppy gesture, he downed the remainder of the pint. The glass fell on its side as he clumsily let it down. He made to pick it back up, grasping nothing but air before he eventually managed to grab hold of something solid. Glass in hand; he studied

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the inside of it with care. A strange feeling arose inside of him. Cenosillicaphobia, it was called. He asked for another, money was exchanged, and his drink arrived he felt at ease once more. *** Diarmuid woke with a start. Or more accurately, he was woken up roughly by the bartender. He looked stern, yet there was pity in his eyes.

“Come on now, you know you can’t sleep in here”, he warned.

Still half-asleep, he was having trouble adjusting to the situation. What had he done wrong?

“Same again”, countered Diarmuid, a crooked smile fixed on his face.

“I think you’ve had enough for now, you’re gonna have to go.” And with that, he dragged him out of the pub and back onto the street.

The sunlight hit him like a like a slap in the face, not least the realization that it was in fact still bright outside. He steadied himself for a moment, adjusted his belt, adjusted his hair, and started walking. He stopped walking the moment he realized that he had no idea where he was. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time, and upon doing this, he immediately forgot. He reached once more into his pocket for it, and found nothing. It had been there mere seconds ago, he was sure of this, but now...it was no more. Nothing felt real, his breathing was heavy, and his heart beat quickly. He was fine. *** A tramp sat slumped inside an empty doorway. The day was growing steadily darker and the streetlights began to gently flicker into life, waiting to be needed.

Diarmuid threw some spare change out as he passed by the tramp, considering that as his daily good deed. He hardly felt the coins hit the back of his head as the tramp threw them right back at him.

After walking for what felt like a distance that was definitely not worth walking, he stopped just shy of another pub. He reached into his pocket to feel for what money he had left. Already regretting those coppers he gave to the tramp, yet not willing/able to return for them, he made his way inside. *** It looked like any pub does. They all look the same really, don’t they? The interior is hardly the point anyway, just as long as the services are good. None of this entered his mind as he made his way to the bar. The

By Eoghan Scott

stink of alcohol from the crowd at the bar was overwhelming, he noticed. This was before it occurred to him that he was alone at the bar. He studied his reflection in the mirror and saw a somewhat familiar figure looking back at him. He did recognize the man in the mirror, but he didn’t know him. It was like an old friend had returned to him after falling on hard times. It was like an old friend had come to him looking for help. It was like an old friend that he wanted nothing to do with...

Exasperated, the bartender asked again, “What are you having?”

Getting no reaction, he gave up, having better things to do than talk to himself all day. As he began to move away, Diarmuid came out of his apparent coma, and asked for a drink. *** Two hours later and the night had taken over. The crowd had swarmed inside and the atmosphere had improved considerably.

Diarmuid sat in his corner drinking quietly. 7 empty glasses crowded the table.

Finishing his drink, he got up and stumbled his way towards the toilets.

On his way back to the bar, he reflected on how odd it was that there were so many women in the men’s room. This troubled him for a moment. He felt that there was something he was missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He figured it couldn’t be too important anyway.

“Nah you’ve had enough mate, I’m gonna have to cut you off. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Diarmuid was at a loss. He just wanted one more drink. It wasn’t so unreasonable... he knew that, he just wanted the bartender to know that too.

“C’mon man”, he began, “don’t be a dick.

I just want one more drink. I’m heading home now anyway, just one for the road like?”

The bartender wasn’t even listening, having gone on to serve another customer.

Diarmuid waited patiently, waited for him to finish, waited for him to come back.

“Listen, it’s for your own good. You’ve had more than enough. I’ll pour you a glass of water, but then I’m going to have to ask you to leave”, he offered.

“Please...” was all he could say. The bartender poured out the pint of water and Diarmuid took it. He downed it in one go.

Gripping the empty glass tightly, he stared blankly in the distance. A strange feeling arose inside of him.

Cenosillicaphobia, it was called.

20

Friday March 21, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

SPORT

Miller’s French odyssey off to a flying start

Stephen Barry | News Editor

Last Wednesday night Alison Miller boarded a chartered flight in Dublin, and set course for Pau in the South of France. She arrived at the Pyrénéen airport that night, and settled down in her hotel room two days before her big game on Friday.

It was far from an epic journey, but it is just what the Irish Women’s Rugby team have come to expect and appreciate.

Such organisation has become commonplace for the Grand Slam champions, however it was that same trip to France two years previously which caused the change in attitude and increasingly professional treatment towards the women’s game.

Back then the IRFU were cutting corners with the Women’s finances, and the cheapest travel route was considered the optimal one. They were flown to Paris, 800 kilometres away from Pau, where they were caught in the rush hour traffic. They missed their train to Pau by two hours, and eventually managed to squeeze onto an overnight train, arriving at 7am.

“We only got 3 hours sleep before the game, which we lost by a point,” adds Miller, “so there was a lot of controversy and the IRFU had to deal with the consequences of that.

“It was probably the best thing that could have happened for us, because everything improved for us after that; the finances, the structure, the support behind us… It was probably a blessing in disguise even though it didn’t seem like that at the time.”

After that debacle the IRFU brought in a rule that teams have to arrive 48 hours in advance of any away game, and such a change has facilitated Ireland’s transformation from perennial underdogs to serious contenders.

“That trip is gone now, and it won’t ever be the case again.”

Indeed that trip has been pushed further from the mind by the side’s immediate upturn in fortunes, which seemed to snowball with every passing game since France 2012 until the following year’s unexpected Grand Slam victory.

“It was something that was never really within our reach for a long time because we had never beaten England and I was never on a team to beat France.

“We beat England in the second

Above and Right: Paul Geaney celebrating Sigerson victory with fellow UCC teammates game, which suddenly set up a Triple Crown, which we had never won either. And all of a sudden we were in a game against France, and then the Grand Slam game and the 6 Nations too; it was great to win because we had no expectations to do it.”

On Friday Ireland knew what they needed to do to even stand a chance of retaining their 6 Nations title: beat France by 19 points; but even then they had to hope that England didn’t go to town on Italy and rack up a half-century winning margin.

Miller is happy enough with their performances this year even though they didn’t retain their Grand Slam; but then again who does?

They lost to a decent English side while kicking away too much of the ball, and sought to learn from those mistakes for 80 minutes of ball-in-hand, attacking rugby against France.

Ireland rely on Miller to score tries to achieve such results, but that is something the speedster has done regularly from her perch on the wing. She scored a remarkable hat-trick against England last

year on her way to being the championship’s top try-scorer, and she remains joint-top of the pile this year after three touchdowns.

She has become so good that it seems impossible that the 29-yearold could have only taken up the sport seven years previously, when studying in WIT, and committed to it in 2009.

“I thought women playing rugby was mad; I used see them train and think ‘oh my God, what are they doing?’

“But I went down eventually and I loved it straight away. I loved that freedom that you wouldn’t have in other sports.”

‘Everything improved for us after that; the finances, the structure, the support behind us… It was probably a blessing in disguise even though it didn’t seem like that at the time.’

She was generally a sporting child though, and goes through a roll-call of the sports she played.

She didn’t just play them though, she was a born winner. She won a Leinster title with the Laois footballers (having again taken up that sport in WIT), wore the Irish singlet as a runner, and holds national medals for gymnastics, basketball and hockey.

These days Miller is in her third year of Sports Studies in UCC, and in her first two years she has helped take women’s rugby in the college to a new level. She was the first recipient of a Sports Star Award from that club and has taken on the occasional training session to help develop the squad.

“Nearly all the girls who took it up this year are new, so it’s a real transition year. But they’re going to be so good in the next year or two because they’re so talented.

“The standard of women’s college rugby has really improved, especially since I was in college in Waterford. What you’d find now when you go to the first day of college training are girls that’d played underage rugby, and that’s something I wouldn’t have seen in Waterford.”

Miller set up the underage girls team in her hometown club of Portlaoise too, but that seems a million miles away from the arenas which Miller has played in recently, with a game in Twickenham followed by a visit to the Aviva Stadium.

“It was indescribable to be able to play in those places, especially having been to the Aviva for men’s games; to hear your name being called out by the same announcer was amazing. It motivates you to play better when you’re playing in stadiums like that.”

It has been hard to hit the heights of last year but there’s plenty of time to change that. Sevens rugby remains an option for Miller, although the immediate target on the horizon is the World Cup. That tournament will be held in France too and come August, Miller and Ireland will have left no stone unturned in their preparations.

As she says herself; “from missing the train to getting chartered flights, we’ve come a long way.”

And plenty more air miles yet to be clocked up.

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22

Friday March 21, 2014 | UCC EXPRESS

SPORT

Squash Club shine at intervarsities Michael Hanrahan | Sport Writer

Teams from 7 universities converged on Cork last weekend for the Irish Intervarsities 2014. There were entries from every province, with University College Cork, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, National University of Ireland Galway, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and Queens University Belfast all sending teams.

In the Womens B UCC's ladies team were rampant, winning all their games 5-0 and claiming the trophy for the third year in a row. Led by ladies captain Orlaith Ní Shúilleabháin, they were too strong for DCU and Trinity and justified their #1 seeding.

Indeed, the ladies team was so strong that they entered the mens D and won that also. This time, however, they had a much tougher time of it, only narrowly beating last year’s winners, the UCC D team, 3-2 in the final. Former club captain, Laura Horan, returned to support the girls, only to find herself called upon to play as Kayrin Ong had to retire injured. Her performance, along with a fantastic win by Maria O'Brien, saw the ladies take home two trophies and all the bragging rights.

In the Mens C, a very strong QUB team were eventual winners of the grade, accounting for both UCC C teams along the way. The UCC C1 team, led by Omar Aziz, fell just a little bit short of their opponents but ran them very close in a tough final in the Mardyke Arena.

The Mens B saw yet more

silverware for UCC, with their B team cruising to victory with wins over TCD and DCU in the group stages. In the final they faced off against NUIG who had overcome UCD and UCC's second B team in the other group. Michael Ryan was in irresistible form at #1 and wasted no time winning his game 3-0. Donal Coughlan at #2 had a much tougher match, losing the first game to a very skillful opponent, Donal recovered in the second to tie and then showed his class to push on and win 3-0. Brendan Lawton had a comfortable win at #3. The #4 Eoghan Meaney was too much for his opponent, with some wonderfully deft touches at the front.

For the final match Ryan McHale was injured and had to be replaced

by Gavin Boch who kept the winning streak going and beat his opponent

3-0. 5-0 to UCC and the Men’s B trophy was secured for the first time in four years.

In the Ladies A, the final was contested by RCSI and UCD. RCSI have a very experienced panel of ladies in their A team and despite some great individual performances from the UCD girls took the final comfortably.

The Men’s A final was the pick of the matches with TCD going up against UCD. Both teams were packed with excellent players and every one of the ties was hard fought.

At #1 Theo Anderson of Trinity was in scintillating form. His ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court entertained the crowd in what was the most comfortable of all the matches.

UCD then won at #3 and #5, followed by a win at #4 for Trinity to leave the tie poised 2-2.

At #2 Tony Simpson of Trinity looked in trouble after squandering a 2-0 lead in games. At 2-2 in games and 6-3 down in points it was looking like at UCD win, but the Trinity student dug deep and forced several long rallies that ended in his favour.

A fantastic 3-2 win for the Trinity student saw their team win the men’s A for the first time since 2009.

It was a great weekend for college squash and, during his speech at the awards dinner that evening. The event concluded with the Munster Masters secretary praising the young students claiming, "You are the future of the game, and judging by what I saw this weekend, the future is very bright indeed."

Dance Club steal show at intervarsities

Only two weeks after the extremely successful show UCC Goes Dancing the UCC Dance Club finished their superb year with three trophies at this year’s dance intervarsities in

C.I.T on the 26th of February.

The 18 member strong jazz squad retained their title of Jazz winners. Our Irish troupe won 2nd place and our lyrical team won 3rd place. It was the

clubs most successful inter varsities in the last 3 years. The committee would like to thank every single dancer for all their hard work and commitment throughout the year.

Bull’s-eyes and Moustaches highlight Archery season Sinead Walsh | Sport Writer

For the 2013/14 academic year, UCC Archery club once again had a jam packed year of on and off campus activity. Time for a look back at the year the club had.

On 15th of February UCCAC hosted the Student National Indoor Championship, drawing competing archers from across the country.

The competition format had archers shooting a qualifying round and then competing in head to head matches, both as individuals and teams. Held in the Nemo Rangers’ complex, the competition was a great success in terms of riveting competition and excellent organisation.

With one intervarsity left in the season, UCC has managed an impressive haul of medals this year across categories and disciplines.

The season started very well in November at the DCU IV, with Linda Hearn and Simon HenleyWillis taking 2nd in their respective categories. Simon continued with a strong season to take 2nd in the ITC and DKIT IVs. Club Captain Andrew Egan shot well in the highly competitive Advanced Male Compound category, winning medals at ITC and NUIG while former Captain Katie Hamilton came second in the Female Compound category at the NUIG IV. Team efforts were also excellent this year. The mixed team (one archer from each discipline) placed 3rd at both the National Indoors and the NUIG IV. While the Barebow and Compound Teams placed at the Nationals and NUIG respectively.

Everyone’s hard work will reach a

head as the overall league winners are announced on Saturday the 15th of March, with Linda Hearn currently ranked 4th, Andrew Egan placed 5th and Marc Crehan ranked 7th in their respective categories.

Of course sometimes internal competition can be as exciting as external competition. With this in mind, the club will give all beginner archers another chance to compete against each other in our own beginner competition. This will take place on Tuesday 25th of March in Electrical Engineering Building, L1. Prizes will be awarded for the winners of each category and hopefully the atmosphere will be equal parts friendly and competitive!

Outside of the shooting range, UCCAC was active around campus.

For a whole month moustaches were prominent for Movember.

To coincide with our fundraising effort the club held its first Archery Week. The week was packed with events like the Butt Race, a film screening, the moustache scavenger hunt, a table quiz and of course our beginner’s competition. Thanks to all the donations and participation the club was able to raise €675.

UCCAC celebrated R&G week in style in collaboration with UCC Judo Club. The two clubs co-hosted a gladiator event at the Amphitheatre on the Wednesday. There were thrills, spills and a lot of fallen gladiators.

To round up, thanks to all who shot, competed and fundraised to make this a great year for the club and bring on the future!

23

UCC EXPRESS | Friday March 21, 2014

SPORT

UCC spreads Ultimate Frisbee to school level Micheál McGrath | Sport Writer

Fencing Club foiled at National Championships Hugh Tobin | Sport Writer

This year marked the 60th Irish Intervarsity Fencing Championships and proved to be one of the most successful competitions for UCC Fencing. The event has always been dominated by Dublin-based colleges. Since the beginning of the competition Trinity and UCD have traded winning streaks which have only been broken by a (relatively) recent win from QUB in 2000 and from several early victories from RCSI decades ago.

Fencing competitions involve three different weapons. The first is foil. This is a short thrusting sword and valid hits are only permitted on the torso and throat- essentially the areas you needed to hit to kill someone back in the day. Next is sabre, which permits both cuts and thrusts and has its origins in the old cavalry weapon. The target area is everything above the waistbecause you want to kill the man, not the horse. Finally there is the old duelling sword, the epee. The entire body is valid target and the button on the tip of the sword will only register a hit if it is depressed with sufficient force to actually draw blood if the sword was sharp. Yes these are pretty weird rules, but a sport that has its origins in sword-fighting is going to have some leftovers from the old days, isn’t it? Colleges

generally field six teams, one men’s team and one ladies team for each weapon. Each team is permitted four fencers, three fighters and one sub.

Some colleges focus on just one or two weapons, good examples being DkIT and Carlow IT who are sabreonly clubs.

In the last few years UCC has slowly but surely been closing in on the trophy. From struggling for third place against the stronger colleges like QUB, Maynooth and University of Ulster, UCC began to take third comfortably and to close the points gap between 2nd and 3rd in the competition. A policy of hard work, squad gym training under the incredible staff at the Mardyke arena, physiotherapist-led warmups and regular participation in competitions and training weekends began to show results. In 2012 UCC, Trinity and UCD essentially tied for first, with each college winning two of the six weapons, but the results showed Trinity to be the strongest overall with UCD and UCC pushed into second and third respectively.

2013 again saw UCC pushed into third by a narrow margin.

2014 proved different. Superb performances saw both our mens and ladies sabre teams undefeated, crushing other sabre powerhouses like QUB, UCD and DkIT with relative ease. Our mens and ladies foil teams also performed amazingly well, with both teams taking second

place in the weapon being defeated only by Trinity. Epee proved tougher, with our mens team placing 4th and our ladies team placing 3rd.

A strong UCD mens epee composed of high-level pentathletes (including a 2012 Olympian) and Canadian international placed first. Ladies epee was won by a strong Trinity side which, surprisingly, lacked their own 2012 Olympian but nevertheless saw off the challenge of UCDs pentathlete-dominated epee team.

Overall UCC finished in second, our strongest result to date.

If you’re interested in trying fencing, why not come to training?

7pm Mondays and Thursdays and Saturdays at 4pm in the Mardyke Arena. We have an excellent beginners programme, and regularly perform well at the largest novice competition in Ireland (this year we took 2nd in both mens and womens and probably a 3rd or two). Training is fun, but not easy.

Expect exhausted legs, tired arms and to come out feeling like the least coordinated person in the world, initially. But then your legs will get strong, your blade-arm will get fast and you’ll start getting smart enough to find the gaps in what once looked like impenetrable defences. We’ll provide the weapons and protective gear, just bring what you’d wear to the gym- please don’t be the twit who shows up in jeans and highheels. Hope to see you at training.

Since the beginning of October members of UCC's Ultimate Frisbee club have been going out into the community and coaching children how to play this new alternative sport. These UCC students have diligently gone out to schools weekly for after school sessions, TY modules, weekend trainings and inter school tournaments. The club since October have coached over a hundred and fifty sessions in over twenty schools.

Firstly it's fantastic to see so many UCC students with a thirst to coach and to learn traits that they will hold forever and secondly we are delighted with the response that schools are after having this year to the programme. We are delighted to see so many schools coming to us for coaching and TY modules. We've gotten a great praise for the programme's smooth running organisation and professionalism.

The club would like to wish the best of luck to Presentation College, Ballincollig Community School and Colaiste Choilm who are competing in the All-Ireland tournament in Kilkenny on the 30th of March.

Many of these school players will represent Ireland at the U20's and U17's championships in Lecco, Italy this summer. I'm been the coordinator of this programme for the past year and as captain I'd like to personally thank all the UCC students involved as they've truly helped so many secondary and primary students this year. I'd also like to extend this thank you to the twenty schools involved with us this year and to anyone who would like to get involved with this school coaching programme in the future to please contact us.

Motorcycling club receive new workshop Nevin Power | Sport Writer In November 2012 the UCC Motorcycling club began working on the design of a new workshop custombuilt for the club. At that point the club developed a comprehensive proposal document which was approved by the Clubs Exec and the Sports Office - this outlined our current facility and its faults along with many of the health and safety concerns around it.

At the motorcycle club we are very concerned about the safety and wellbeing of our members both within the workshop environment, on the open road, and on track as well.

Ever since first moving into a workshop with equipment for maintaining motorcycles and indeed preparing motorbikes for racing and, over the last few years, building custom motorcycles, we have endeavoured to maintain a high standard in everything we do.

With us moving into our brand new workshop on the North Mall Campus we look forward to building on this tradition of teamwork, craftsmanship and camaraderie. The new workshop will have enough space for two or three motorcycles to be worked on at the same time along with space for various components, such as engines, to be worked on separately. With full electrical facilities and running water the new workshop is relatively self-contained and would rival any professional workshop. Indeed we have modelled its proposed interior layout on the layout

of professional racing teams in order to ensure efficiency and safety.

The process for its development was long and arduous but the end result will prove the journey to have been well worth undertaking! As all club members will realise we had to ensure that a budget was in place for the work to be carried out and to this end we followed UCC’s own tendering and procurement processes in order to ensure that value for money was at the very top of the agenda.

Along with this a site had to be chosen based on a number of factors, not least to do with access for motorcycles, but also proximity to water and electrical supplies. With space at such a premium on the main campus we worked closely with Buildings and Estates to secure a site on the North Mall campus. The Clubs Exec and Sports Office have been extremely helpful throughout the whole process, supporting our original proposal and liaising with Buildings and Estates on various matters in the completion of the workshop.

With such a fantastic facility it is our hope that new members will endeavour to become involved in the activities of the club, whether or not they have a bike themselves as most of the current committee first entered the club without having owned a motorcycle of their own - workshop facilities give a real taste of what it is like to own a bike, care for it and improve it. We’re a friendly bunch and all you really need is a sense of adventure!

SPORT

24 UCC EXPRESS Friday March 21, 2014

ULTIMATE FRISBEE CHAMPS

P 23

Alison Miller P 20

Alison Miller: “The standard of women’s college rugby has really improved, especially since I was in college”

Woeful defence deprives Demons of victory Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

C&S UCC Demons 69 – 93 Killester In a thrilling Friday night encounter UCC had With both sides entering this matchup with a single defeat in the season every single player on the court on Sunday, March 2, knew that their championship ambitions could be decided at the Mardyke Arena.

However, for a UCC side which has often dominated offensively this season a poor defensive performance may leave them with too much work to do to pull off a league and cup double.

In the opening moments of the contest UCC, buoyed on by a large home crowd, took full advantage of Killester’s slow start to the game, with Ciaran O’Sullivan scoring a brace of three-pointers. However, Killester who were beaten twice by UCC already this season seemingly learnt their lessons, and a series of quick scores insured the gap between the teams was marginal at best for the majority of the first quarter.

With three minutes left in the opening quarter a stunning three-pointer from Adrian O’Sullivan meant UCC entered the break 23-21 ahead. However, a defence which had held tough during the opening quarter quickly disintegrated upon the restart.

Throughout the year Colin O’Reilly, despite his success in the National Cup, has faced numerous questions over a series of strange tactical decisions which have come close to costing UCC important games.

The torrent of criticism certainly won’t disappear after this game as the decision to switch from zone defence to man-to-man was central to Killester fighting their way back into the match.

The defensive switch suited a physical Killester side, which effectively removed two of UCC’s star players, Lehmon Colbert and Niall O’Reilly from the game. However, at the end of the second half a UCC comeback still seemed like a possibility as just three points separated the teams, the home side trailing on a margin of 42-39.

These hopes were quickly dashed however, as the team lost all control in the second half as their much renowned discipline was thrown out the window.

A well drilled Killester side began to score at will, and with the UCC players unable to stop them frustration began to set in. Having been stifled for much of the match Lehmon Colbert drew a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half which earned him an immediate ejection from the game. Whilst the second foul was a dubious call to say the least the decision epitomised

and we had no answers for that and I think they learned a lot from the two games we had beaten them in” Trophy Tango: UCC Dance When asked about the side’s championship Club chances Coughlan added “I do not think UL Page 22 Eagles will have enough to defeat them in Clontarf, and Neptune will have to produce a performance similar to last year’s cup final so at this stage everything is out of our hands.”

Whilst O’Reilly will surely face his fair share of criticism over this result, a criticism which in many ways is warranted, ultimately his side was simply outclassed and outperformed by a dominant Dublin team.

Questions about certain tactical decisions and what ifs will undoubtedly linger but having brought the National Cup back to UCC’s day as the team went into self- Leeside, and encouraged the development of several young players it appears the future is destruct mode.

Ultimately Killester deserved the victory bright for basketball at UCC. but captain Shane Coughlan was quick to highlight that whilst his team still had a C &S UCC Demons: S. Coughlan, C. Anon, chance to win the league title, only a miracle K. Hosford, B. O’Neill, C. O’Sullivan, D. and a much better performance than had O’Sullivan, M. O’Leary, N. O’Reilly, A. been seen in the second half against Killester O’Sullivan, L. Colbert, C. O’Reilly. could end the Demons’ league title drought.

After the match Coughlan stated “We Killester: I. Westbrooks, R. Clarke, A. Casey, were basically outclassed in the second half A. Coler, J. O’Neill, K. O’Brien, J. Behan, P. and I am shocked by the manner we played Sullivan, M. Westbrooks, C. Roe, N. Hegarty, in that period. They outfought us in the end M. Bonaparte, G. Reid, M. Gomez

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