UCC Express

UCC VERGE TALKS TO COMIC BOOK ARTIST WILL SLINEY

EXPRESS

Tuesday, 19 November 2013 | www.uccexpress.net | Volume 21 | Issue 6

FEATURES INVESTIGATES DISABILITY ON CAMPUS

QUINN: DISAPPOINTED

BY REFORM P17

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Picture: Jim Coughlan

Haughney hits heavyweight heights in charity bout Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor @Aldworth_Barry

Fighting Fit: Charity Fight Night where over 500 students attended to raise funds for CUH Childrens Wing & Breakthrough Cancer Research

Society budgets capped at €20,000 Heather Steele | Deputy News Editor

@Heatherysteele

The Societies’ Guild has decided to cap society budgets at €20,000 for the first time. The cap has been introduced in order to address the disparity between the levels of funding different societies receive.

“In previous years there has been, we felt, a very big gap between what some of the societies are funded,” explained President of the Guild Pádraig Rice.

“Some of them would have received just under €40,000 whereas some societies would have gotten €500, which is a huge gap.”

All of the society budgets are on or below the €20,000 cap with only four exceeding €10,000; The Choral Society receiving €15,000, Dramat getting €15,000 while both Philosoph and the Law Society were allocated the maximum €20,000.

These societies are the ones who have experienced the largest cuts due to the cap as in 2011 these societies shared €92,000 worth of funding.

The average budget across the 99 societies who have received their allocations is €3,703. In spite of the increase in the number of societies, the average funding has continued to climb with this figure up by €532 in the past two years.

Rice believes that introducing a cap could benefit smaller societies and allow them to grow; “What I said when I was running for the position was that I wanted to support smaller societies, to ensure that they develop and are on an even keel with the larger societies.

“There’s a perception within some of the smaller societies that they’re always going to be small and they’re only entitled to a limited amount of

resources. I think that all the societies could have huge levels of engagement with students. If someone wants to do something it shouldn’t be limited by last year or the previous committee.”

In deciding the budgets, the Guild assessed each request independently before evaluating them as a whole in relation to the overall budget. Priority was given to societies who requested less than €10,000 before deciding the exact allocations for the biggest societies, with the biggest societies having applied for up to €40,000.

In addition to the cap, the Guild also revised the start-up grants that societies receive. “In previous years the start-up grant for societies was a flat rate of €500 but we amended that this year to be more progressive, so if the society was starting off on a good footing they got less.”

Last Tuesday, the Students’ Union’s first ever Charity Fight Night was held to raise funds for the Cork University Hospital Children’s Wing and Breakthrough Cancer Research.

Held in association with the Clubs’ Executive, the event attracted approximately 500 people to The Savoy, eager to see how SU President Padraig Haughney would do in his bout against Olympic silver medallist Kenny Egan.

The night also offered a challenge to the societal stigma which surrounds disability, as SU Welfare Officer David Berry squared off with College of Arts Rep, Cian Power in a wheelchair boxing match.

Whilst a final figure had yet to be confirmed at the time of printing, the event is expected to raise several thousand euro for the two charities, through both admission prices and the money raised by the boxers themselves.

On the night, however, UCC would reign supreme as Chris McCarthy’s victory over CIT SU President Danny O’Donovan was followed by a surprise win for Haughney.

“I think the event was fantastic,” said Haughney. “Credit needs to go out to every boxer who took part; it’s not easy to go out in front of your peers and compete the way they did. It was a great night for all involved and at the end of the day we did a good deed and raised money for some very worthy charities.”

The Guild receives the majority of its funding from UCC. This year UCC contributed €402,000, made up of the core-University grant and money from the Student Contribution Charge.

Overall the Guild devotes €300,000 to society budgets and special projects, with €44,000 dedicated to start-up grants. Other major areas of expenditure are the Guild President’s salary (€21,000), administration expenses (budgeted at €15,000) and promotional booklets and clothing (€12,000).

According to Rice, the reaction to the cap has been positive; “Mostly the societies are happy with the new cap. In the past people have said that a handful of societies have retained most of the budget. But this year 95% For more on the Charity Fight Night, turn of people felt it was very fair budget.” to Sport on page 24

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

EDITORIALS

INSIDE TODAY

Size Matters

Disability on Campus

Go and get it willing to make the tea- do anythingaround the office. He said that he wasn’t interested in that. ‘I can make my own tea, I want someone who can report.’

Uncle Joe was quick to pipe in that a degree is always a worthwhile thing but described people asking ‘Joe, I want to be a journalist’ and his reply always being ‘what’s stopping you?’.

More and more these days it feels like a degree is no longer enough. Expressions such as ‘a BA is the new Leaving Cert’ certainly feel like the case when entering the job market. Pre-masters, and with an already comprehensive CV it must be said, I struggled to find employment in anything bar retail. And at that it was a struggle.

The importance of a well rounded education, and relevant work experience cannot be overestimatedneither in media nor any other field.

A blank CV with glowing grades pales in comparison to a packed CV that demonstrates you are a go-getter, committed to pursuing your chosen career.

And the joy here is that it is not too late to get CV stacking. Be it club or society involvement, which always

peaks after Christmas, or volunteer work, or frankly offering to graft for free for the experience, there are many things that students can do to make contacts and gain skills vital for life after college.

I always said I wanted to be a journalist but it wasn’t until I was culture shocked into actually working on a portfolio and developing my skills that I began to pursue it. Like many students I had an aspiration but the vague idea that I would do a masters in it and that would guarantee me a job.

It is clear now to me that there is no substitute for experience- experience gained albeit by grabbing every possible opportunity and running with it.

So whether your goal lies like me in media or in a completely different sphere, or if like the majority of us,you’re still not sure, it is vitally important to start working towards making yourself stand out. When asked what you did in college, the answer should be- to quote those ALDI recruitment signs on bathroom doors- ‘I was captaining the team, not just making it’.

self-referential ramblings.

I think these pieces are really a bit like the old Paddy Irishman, “I’m in the shower and I’m writing Paddy Englishman and Paddy a song Scotsman jokes really; just without Stop me if you’ve heard it.

Paddy Irishman.

My skin is soapy, and my hair is Firstly people don’t like hearing wet, about Paddy Englishman and Paddy and Tegrin spelled backward is Scotsman; they’re the pantomime Nirget.

Lather, rinse, repeat and lather, rinse, repeat and lather, rinse, repeat as needed.”

It was while watching Phoebe singing on ‘Friends’ that I got the most appropriate allegory yet for what this editorial has become. It’s villains of the piece. all a bit too self-referential really?

And secondly, the joke goes Is the answer to this question no? nowhere without Paddy Irishman’s The ‘Friends’ quotes also offers punch-line. some substantial padding before I In the interest of filling space move into the meat of editorial and and providing comedy, I’ll give an move away from self-reference, example. which is now.

Paddy Englishman, Paddy I guess my point is that you’re Scotsman and Paddy Irishman were wasting your time reading this. boasting about how famous their You really are. uncles are.

I’ve put a lot of thought into ‘My uncle is a bishop,’ said Paddy pieces later on in this section, Englishman, ‘and when he walks hell I interviewed the Minister for down the street, everybody says, Education for God’s sake. And “Your Lordship.”’ others have put huge thought into ‘My uncle is a cardinal,’ said their pieces.

Paddy Scotsman, ‘and when he Instead you’re coming here, walks down the street everybody reading my sleepless, no longer

says, “Your Eminence.”’

‘My Uncle,’ said Paddy Irishman, ‘weighs 27 stone and when everybody sees him they say, “God Almighty!”’

You see without Paddy Irishman, the joke becomes a pretty dour story about two boastful Brits.

The joke is going in circles and ultimately heading nowhere; starting at one point and finishing there too.

Which loops me back to ‘Friends’.

You see I’m not really in this for the editorials and the resultant fame; if anything it’s quite tiring having to autograph copies of the Express wherever I go around campus.

This is just a hoop to jump through in order to get the final page of text filled, so don’t take enjoyment from it.

To quote from that same ‘Friends’ episode; “When I play, I play for me I don’t need your charity La lalala lalalalalalala lalala lalala lalalalalalala....”

And now, the alternative Paddy Irishman ending: Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman and Paddy Deputy Editor walk into a bar. Paddy Deputy Editor stops and says, ‘Wait a minute I’m in the wrong joke here!’

Audrey Ellard Walsh | Editor

@AudreyEWalsh

“It is clear now to me that there is no substitute for experience”

Page 10

Page 8

College Dinners

Coat of Arms Page 17

Page 13

The New Corker

The Right Call?

Velvet Morning

I attended the National Media Conference last weekend in Trinity College Dublin. Amongst speakers from the world of print and broadcast journalism was the eponymous agony aunt of the nations- Joe Duffy. With an audience present of aspiring student hacks it wasn’t long until people asked Joe, how can we be journalists? Is a degree in the field necessary?

The latter is something which I have questions, and my experience, which was echoed by the panelists is a resounding ‘no’. It is clear that no matter what the degree, it is ultimately experience outside of college that it most important in getting a foot in the door. Ger Gilroy of Newstalk recalled receiving CVs from journalism students

Another Analysis

Stephen Barry | Deputy Editor

@StphnBarry

Page18 Page 21 Features 7-9 Photography 14 Fashion 16-17 The New Corker 18 Gaeilge 19 Sport 20-24

Editorial Staff: Editor: Audrey Ellard Walsh Deputy Editor: Stephen Barry

Contributors: Stephen Goulding Esther Ellen Cogan Conor Shearman

Deputy News Editor: Heather Steele Eilis O’ Keefe Features Editor: Grace O’ Sullivan Deputy Features Editor: Claire Crowley

Noel Sullivan Michael Fitzpatrick Brian Barry

Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin

Claire Fox

Irish Editor: Rachel Ní hAodha

Sean O’ Mahony

Fashion Editor: Nicole Clinton Fiction Editor: Eoghan Scott Sport Editor: Barry Aldworth Designer: Cathal O’ Gara

AdamO’ Reilly

Lather Rinse Repeat

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

SVP raise awareness of local homeless problem Eoghan Lyng | Arts & Lit Editor

Homeless Week aims to help raise awareness for the ever-growing homeless population throughout Cork City and County on campus this week.

St. Vincent de Paul Society Auditor Kevin Curtin explained the importance of such a week.

“Homeless Week is one of the biggest events we run each year.

Above all we hope to help raise awareness amongst UCC students and staff as regards to the evergrowing homeless population throughout Cork City and County.

“Since 2009 the homeless figures for Cork have increased by 64% .We want to play a small part to help tackle this problem.”

The highlight of the week is the 48 Hour Campus Sleep Out, held in conjunction with the Simon Society and UCC Friends of MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres). This takes place on Monday and Tuesday outside the Boole Library.

Societies’ Guild Development Officer and former SVP Auditor Katie Cornally Somers spoke about the functional qualities of such an event.

Facebook took direct action last week in removing the UCC Bird of the Day page, stating that it breached the ‘community standards’ of the site.

The removal of the page comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the site initially decided not to remove the page after receiving complaints from UCC and a number student bodies.

The page, which was the latest in a number of ‘like’ pages concerning the social elements of students’ lives, came under criticism from UCC and the Students’ Union who released a joint statement condemning the page. They also encouraged people who had been negatively affected by similar pages to report it to Facebook officials.

The university had received several complaints from members of the student body who stated that they had been victims of cyberbullying after pictures were published on the page without the pre-approval of the featured individuals.

They also said that a number of defamatory comments directed at UCC students and staff had been published.

The page, which was in direct violation of UCC’s Social Media Policy, asked women to submit their photos, in order to be considered for the title of UCC Bird of The Day. The statement acknowledged that one of the core purposes of social media is for recreation and fun, but pointed out that “it may not always be perceived that way by the person at the receiving end.”

Media Law Conference draws crowd Audrey Ellard Walsh| Editor

“We [as a society] kind of become immune to people in the city on the streets and automatically walk past.

But when they see us on campus, people do a double take. We get them thinking that anyone can become homeless.

“And of course we are fundraising as well. People have been so generous in the past and we hope they will be this year as well.”

Somers was quick to note the difficulties surrounding such an event; “we have been lucky for the past two years that it has not rained. We were still trying to

attend classes during the day and I had to turn up to placement.”

“I think the most annoying thing of last year was the college fox was brazen: coming up to our camp, he actually woke me by biting my foot!”

With regard to the upcoming event, Somers stated; “We’d love more people to join us. When people pass us they often stop and chat, we had a guy playing guitar with us for a few hours last year.”

As well as Homeless Week, Curtin has announced that SVP are planning a number of events

throughout the year. “We run eleven weekly volunteering activities, both working with children (Deerpark Youth Club, Breakfast Clubs, Homework Clubs, Grinds, Lego Club) and vulnerable adults (Homeless Hostels, Visiting the Elderly, Marymount Hospice, Traveller’s Literacy, COPE Foundation, Penny Dinners).

“Events we run throughout the year include training nights for our volunteers, the Giving Tree Campaign and SVP Day in February.”

Facebook took direct action last week Stephen Goulding | News Writer

NEWS

UCC SU Welfare Officer, David Berry insisted that “we don’t want to stop people having fun. But these so-called funny jokes can result in people being defamed, their reputations being affected, and can result in serious mental health issues. We have seen tragic examples over the last two or three years of how cyberbullying can affect young people.”

It emerged the page had been removed after several clubs and societies from the college as well as UCC officials lobbied Facebook by combining efforts and reporting the page to the site.

After the page had been removed, Berry vowed to “continue to implement UCC’s Social Media Policy and our campaign to tackle other such offending pages will continue.”

Tom McCarthy, UCC’s Media and Public Relations Officer, also expressed his satisfaction with the page’s removal: “I would like to congratulate Facebook for the decision, but I wish it was easier to make our voices heard without having to resort to such a coordinated campaign.”

Paul Moriarty, Head of Student Counselling and Development, stated that, “Cyberbullying can happen to anyone. Whoever’s doing it can act anonymously and can say things they’d never say in real life. Its impact is just as serious as face-to-face bullying and no one should have to deal with it.

“It’s very important for students to learn how to protect themselves online and to know how to respond if they or a friend becomes a victim of cyberbullying.”

The 13th annual Law Society Conference, which took place last Tuesday, drew an esteemed cohort of speakers and participants to a packed Aula Maxima. Sponsored

by William Fry, the conference examined the ‘Changing Landscape of Media Law’.

Conference Chairperson, Justice Bryan McMahon presided over discussions ranging from issues of legal challenges for broadcasters, the potential impacts of defamation law on new modes of communication, press freedom and threats to privacy in the online world.

Speakers included entertainment and media lawyer Andrea Martin, barrister and former Opinion Editor of the Irish Times John Maher, Dr. Eoin O’Dell and Professor John Horgan, Press Ombudsman.

In the days leading up to the conference, the high profile speakers and timely topic generated a notable deal of press interest.

Conference Director Elaine O’Flynn spoke to the Express about what made the event a success: “I think the main reason that there was an overwhelming response was because the topic was accessible to all students across a variety of disciplines, but it was also important because it enabled students to bridge the gap between the law in theory and in practice.

“Similarly I feel it gained attention due to the content on a professional level. It was beneficial for practitioners as they are faced with advising clients on the broad natured topic of media law, without having legal clarity a lot of time.”

O’Flynn, who has always had a particular interest in the media, journalism and broadcasting, was elected Conference Director last April. Her proposed conference topic was an aspect of her successful candidature.

“I think the topic of media law was well received was because we live in a fast paced and cultured society, however our laws often not able to keep up with that change.

“At a basic level I wanted to inform individuals of the changing face of media law and how we have a more involved role because at the end of the day we often do become a publisher of material.”

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

NEWS

Minister disappointed by slow NEWS progress of college reform IN BRIEF Stephen Barry | News Editor

Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn has expressed disappointment at the slow progress in bringing about a reduction of the number of third-level courses available to new entrants.

Speaking to the UCC Express, Minister Quinn explained that NUI Maynooth President, Philip Nolan has been heading a working group to reform college entry, but has experienced delays in tackling the multiplicity of courses for entrants at undergraduate level.

These delays mean progress has been slower than anticipated on Quinn’s desire to have more foundation type first year courses (citing general engineering courses as an example) before asking students to specialise in their degrees.

“It is very confusing for a lot of applications who are filling out CAO forms to distinguish between certain courses. Probably as low as 15% of people filling out the CAO forms have a very clear idea of what it is they want to study at third level and that results in people selecting wrong courses or it being too soon for them to make a concrete choice. The present system is not satisfactory.”

Quinn compared third-level institutions to Premier League soccer clubs fighting for the best players; however the system which they use to rank and admit these students is wrong in his opinion.

“They’re using the points system and performance in the Leaving Certificate as an indication of talent and if we could reduce the number of courses and reduce the amount of confusion, we would get a better type of student coming into the system.

“If we change the way the Leaving Certificate is used for points generation by the CAO, then we might in fact get improvements there.”

However changes to this system are a long way off with the immediate plan being the abolition of the Junior Certificate by 2020.

These plans will have a big knock on effects for the Leaving Certificate, according to Quinn, but it is ultimately the abolition of the points system and the associated rote learning which he believes will achieve his goal of opening doors for those who aren’t suited to the current system.

“The CAO system, combined with the points system, makes it overly dependent on rote learning and that

Stephen Barry & Esther Ellen Cogan

Inaugural Psychology Journal launched

60 seconds in the hotseat When asked what he would change in the morning without any budget constraints, Quinn said he would concentrate on the retention of students, particularly up to Leaving Certificate level.

“Anybody who drops out before doing their Leaving Cert or equivalent terminal exam really is, according to all of the international and national research, on a lower trajectory for the rest of their life: in terms of employment prospects; job satisfaction; level of remuneration. And education is the key forward.

“Our system in the past for some people has been too academic, too exam focused; and while that suits a lot of people, it doesn’t suit everybody.”

Meanwhile, speaking about the recent rejection of the proposal to abolish the Seanad, Quinn sees agreement and consensus on

reform within the Oireachtas as taking time and money, and will be difficult without a referendum.

But Quinn was most animated when questioned about whether his party had compromised its own morals in entering government, stating that they’re not cutting for the sake of cutting.

“I suspect they’d be motivated by more than what happened in their own pocket,” he replied when asked what would make a student join his party. “The Labour Party is transforming Irish society in a way that other parties have not done in the past and won’t do in the future. We have led the charge in relation to the liberal agenda.

We’re looking for equity in relation to educational disadvantage, we’re reforming the third-level system, and I’m in the process of reforming the whole question of pluralism and patronage at primary level.”

doesn’t suit everybody. I’m not sure it produces the right kind of undergraduate student in the year which they sit their Leaving Cert exams.”

Quinn is delayed in his third level reforms but he plans to take a greater government control of Irish colleges next year by reforming the Higher Education Authority, as recommended in the Hunt report (2011).

“We don’t have as comprehensive a handle on the third level sector as we have in either primary or post primary; and not having that, we’re not in the same position to introduce some of the reforms that we’re doing with primary and postprimary education.

But Quinn believes that greater central planning, as exhibited by the planned regional clusters and Technological Universities will

“

The third-level landscape is going to be transformed quite dramatically in terms of how it functions and how it performs.

In fact it would be performance bring about “better coordination, better resource sharing, better efficiencies and elimination of duplication.

“The third-level landscape is going to be transformed quite dramatically in terms of how it functions and how it performs.

In fact it would be performance indicators which would have expenditure-revenue attached to them; so in other words underperformance in the area will have a financial consequence for the institutions.”

On other college related issues Quinn doesn’t see a work placement as a necessity for all third-level courses and doesn’t believe attempts by UCC to cut the Department of Classics exhibit decreasing support being given to the Arts and Humanities. He also believes that extending the €25m cut to third-level institutions for another year is something which they have the capacity to carry, equating it to a loan.

The first ever UCC Psychology Journal has been launched, aiming to provide an opportunity for students, academics and professionals worldwide to have their work published and to be an up-to-date resource for current findings, while also being a valuable source of learning and growth for academics and students alike. Edited

by Siobhan O’Neill, this challenging first edition has been inspired by the Cork Online Law Review, a world renowned Law Review run by UCC Law students. The journal is now open to submissions from all fields of psychology including; cognitive, neuroscience, linguistics, social science and any other papers that are relevant to the science of psychology and research.

Students honoured at NUI Awards 42 UCC students were recognised for high achievements across a range of disciplines last Tuesday. Among them Jesse Harrington, Conal Ryan and Mary Gallagher received NUI Travelling Studentships to fund PhD research.

Indian Society celebrates Diwali A wide variety of traditional Indian music and dance was on offer in UCC last week for Diwali, one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar.

The event, organised by the newly formed Indian Society which represents the over 130 students currently enrolled at UCC, attracted over 400 attendees including students, staff and members of the local Indian community.

Student Assistance Fund closes The UCC Students’ Union has announced that all of the funds available to the Student Assistance Fund Committee have been allocated, and the fund has closed for the coming academic year. The fund provides financial assistance for students who are experiencing financial difficulties whilst attending college.

Bus fares to rise by 10c City centre bus fares are due to increase by 10c per journey, with a fare hike due for the 1st of December. The National Transport Authority is increasing fares across bus and train services nationally in order to protect service delivery.

Cork city bus fares have gone up 10c every year since 2011, an increase of almost 19%.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

NEWS

Watch Your Mouth Campaign Launched AROUND THE Some students, speaking to the Express, commended the campaign on its bravery for putting posters with such language around campus, for tackling the problem head on and raising awareness of what most people would not.

However some thought that comparing the words to drastic physical actions such as beatings and rape trivialise the actions.

One commenter felt that the campaign has lead to an increase in use of the terms used in the posters, mostly jokingly.

According to Cooney, “Many of the words featured in the posters are used so frequently that people have become de-sensitised to their true meaning. This is reinforced by the media, especially social media.

“The campaign aims to make people aware of the impact of their words, especially when these terms are used in slang, jokes or taunts.”

The relevance of such a campaign in UCC cannot be questioned. On the day the campaign was launched, the infamous ‘UCC Bird of the Day’ Facebook page was taken down.

The campaign won’t end at these posters though, “Hopefully the campaign will be around for a long time. With the support of the SU, in particular Annie Hoey (Deputy and Campaigns Officer), we hope to develop this into a national campaign.

The campaign will be developed further in term two and we hope to engage the student community as much as possible.”

There are also plans to expand the campaign beyond the currently covered issues, with the society inviting suggestions from the public.

Robert O’Sullivan | Film & TV Editor

The UCC LGBT, Amnesty International, International Development, Feminist and Disability Awareness & Activism Societies, in conjunction with the Students’ Union, have launched the Watch Your Mouth Campaign.

Several posters were displayed at the launch, all of which featured words or terms that are used in everyday speech but have offensive connotations or meanings.

“The campaign targets language, not people,” said Samantha Cooney, the Auditor of the UCC Amnesty International Society. “Just because a person says ‘frape’, ‘retard’ or ‘that’s gay’ doesn’t always mean they say it with malice or the intent to offend; it’s mostly a lack of awareness and understanding.

“However, these words cause deep offence to many groups in society, and can act as trigger words for survivors of sexual violence and rape.”

The campaign was launched on campus, but there has already been interest in the campaign beyond the gates of UCC with. Representatives of NASC (the Irish Immigrant Support Centre), the Y Factor (National Women’s Council of Ireland youth initiative), the Rape Crisis Network Ireland and the Union of Students Ireland were at the launch, and expressed huge support for the movement, with a suggestion of taking the campaign to a national scale.

Reactions to the campaign have been mainly positive, in different ways.

The Union of Students in Ireland are supporting the Healthy Travel Campaign, which has been instigated by First Medical Communications. The campaign has aimed at students to ensure that they receive vaccinations before departing to foreign countries.

Tropical diseases are quite common in Ireland, with one in eight people (13% of the Irish population) knowing someone affected. However, only 23% of travellers got themselves vaccinated before going to at-risk countries.

Research prior to the campaign discovered that the main diseases travellers vaccinated against in the past two years included typhoid fever, diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. It also revealed that Irish adults rank haircuts as more important before going travelling than getting vaccinated.

However students are the most conscious demographic when it comes to contracting a virus abroad, with 12% of under 25s citing vaccines as important.

Commenting on the launch, Dr Jack Lambert, Consultant in Infectious Diseases in the Mater and Rotunda

Hospitals and UCD, said, “Younger travellers can often be disregarded as thrill-seekers who don’t focus on more serious travel preparations, but this research shows that they are the most conscious of the importance of vaccinations when travelling to exotic parts of the world.

“A pre-travel health assessment for advice on preventative measures including vaccination, insect bite avoidance, good food and water hygiene should be on the top of your travel checklist to ensure you get the most out of your trip, especially when going to locations where diseases uncommon in Ireland can be contracted easily,” he added.

Heather Steele | Deputy News Editor

German University unenrols all of its students by mistake The Dresden University of Technology emailed its 37,000 students last week, to inform them that they were no longer active students at the institution. The email read “Your logins will be locked in twelve days. This is happening because you have been unenrolled as a student, your contract is up or your guest logins are no longer valid. Please ensure you have saved any information that may be contained within these logins.” The university later fixed the mistake with a spokeswoman blaming human error while using a software programme that collates student and staff data for the incident.

DCU awards Nicola Furlong’s degree to her family

Nicola Furlong, the DCU student who was murdered while on an exchange programme in Japan, has received her degree. Nicola’s sister Andrea collected her degree in International Business and Languages during the graduation ceremony. The audience in attendance applauded for the deceased student. Angie Furlong commented on the support DCU offered to the family; “DCU are amazing. They met us at the door and brought us to our seats, and kept coming over to make sure we “The continued need for travel health were OK during the ceremony.” vigilance and vaccination is highlighted by the fact that one in eight people Universities head to Africa in know someone who has contracted a bid to attract students a preventable tropical disease while the Minister of abroad. Don’t leave it until the last minute Following to get vaccinated, contact your GP, Education’s visit to Brazil last practice nurse or travel health clinic after month, half a dozen third-level you book your trip, as some vaccinations education institutions are taking may need to be administered six to eight part in Ireland’s trade mission to South Africa and Nigeria in a bid weeks in advance.”

UCC Students’ Union Welfare to attract students to their courses Officer, David Berry has said that and improve collaboration with vaccination is vital before foreign universities. The group, which includes Trinity, Griffith College departures.

“I would strongly suggest that students and a number of Institutes of get vaccinated before going on long Technology, make up a 37 member holidays, especially to countries where contingent of companies taking part healthcare is not as easily available as in the Enterprise Ireland facilitated trade mission. in Ireland.

Irish third-level institutes “A preventative approach to disease and illness control is always best have a long-standing level of which is why we always implore our collaborations with South African students to practice safe sex, to look universities, but the Nigerian after each other on nights out and venture is a huge leap in terms of equally, to travel safely. Students can engagement there. Over 250,000 receive reasonably priced vaccinations South African students go aboard from our medical service in UCC, so each year to study at third level. it’s always best to remain vigilant.”

Healthy Travel Campaign Eoghan Lyng | Arts & Lit Editor

COLLEGES

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

COMMENT

#BLURRED LINES DEBATE Against the banning of Blurred Lines #ROBO’SULLIVAN

At the time of writing, I have not actually properly listened to the song in question, although being a keen reader of the zeitgeist, I am aware of two facts: The song has a terrible moral connotation, encouraging rape culture & the objectification of women, and its singer, Robin Thicke, is a unapologetic slimeball.

I oppose the banning of this song on two major ideological points. Censorship & relevancy. Banning the song across campus is not the right thing to do. The banning of any media is the never the answer, no matter how offensive the media. Everything has a right to exist in the world, even if it was brought into it by an idiotic twat with questionable morals.

What must change is not the availability to access this type of media, but how people are educated. The same stance should be taken with holocaust deniers (yes, I did just directly compare Mr.Thicke to a holocaust denier. Also, yes, I am going to ignore Godwin’s Law): we, as a society, allow them to make their stupid point, but then we turn to our children, point at the holocaust deniers and tell them exactly why & how they’re moronic excuses for human beings. Let me also remind you about the dubious history our country has with censorship: in 1979, the film “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” was banned in Ireland, because the Pythons made a film that was about a guy who was not the Messiah (whether or not he was a very naughty boy is debatable).

At the beginning of September, the University of Edinburgh banned the song from being played on their campus, with many college campuses across the UK following suit. For those of you not adept

I don’t want it

## ## ## ## ## at maths (including myself, I used an #University College London Students’ # # abacus) that’s around 2 & a half months #Union last week joined with some twenty # ago. The song entered the Irish charts over #other UK universities in banning the song # 30 weeks ago. Arguably the songs’ most #Blurred Lines at their on campus events. socially relevant time was the MTV Video # # In announcing the decision, UCLU # Music Awards performance with Miley #women’s officer Beth Sutton tweeted: # # Cyrus, when the former Ms.Montana “UCLU have just passed motion to not play ## ‘twerked’ up against Thicke sporting a blurred lines in union spaces & events. ## darling Beetlejuice costume: that was in Solidarity with all survivors!” ## August. So over 6 months passed since # # I believe that her statement sums up the the song’s relevancy, nearly 3 since the #reality of this debate. The fact of the matter # banning of the song in Universities was #is, # the issue here is not about music. It is not relevant. One must ask when something #about being a buzzkill. And it is about more # becomes irrelevant. The Christmas classic #than censorship.

It is about putting what is # “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was penned #preached into practice and through a strong # # back in 1944, and contains the line “Hey, #action condemning the normalisation and # what’s in this drink?” #glorification of rape # which is sang by the role #culture. traditionally done by # # Free speech is all well # good, but we must a woman. Should it be #and # # consider privilege. banned in College? No, also # # that would be ludicrous It is our privilege to ## (unless it was part of a enjoy, if we must, Robin ## ban of any Christmas #Thicke’s inane lyrics, but # music outside the month #it# is our duty to ensure December. That may #that # our enjoyment does have some merit). negatively affect #not # As of this paragraph, #another person. In this # I have not only listened #vein, why would we # # to the song, but I have #fight so hard to protect # also watched the unrated version of the #somethingthey playing of Blurred Lines # campus- in the knowledge that while video. I had read somewhere that Robin #on # Thicke called the song a feminist song, #possibly a mere song to one, it is the height # offence to another. That being the crux and I can see what he means, except no. #of # campaigns such as ‘Watch Your Mouth’ This song is an absolute abomination. I #of # # mean, Mr.Thicke rhymed the phrase “You which seeks to raise awareness of the ## wanna hug me?” with “What rhymes with power a seemingly passive comment can ## hug me?”... also, it’s as morally deplorable #hold # when aimed at the right person. as everyone said. Should it banned from # # We’ve all heard the lyrics. We’ve all campus? Absolutely not. Never mind my #been # shocked by the video. But what makes moral objection to banning anything, at #this # song different to every other one in it’s this stage we would probably be better to #genre is that it has peaked our interests and # just leave it die a slow death, especially #generated a crucial debate about rights and # with such a massive void of any skill or #consent. # talent. I mean, what rhymes with hug me? # # But lets take the lyrics off the table for #a#moment and look at arguments floating Seriously?

# What must change is not the availability to access this type of media, but how people are educated.

#AUDREYELLARDWALSH around against action on this issue.

The main rebuttal that I have heard against taking any action on this song is that it will ‘annoy people’, be seen as ‘antibanter’ or ‘be ineffectual’. Please.

There is a longstanding Students’ Union boycott of Nestlé in place and the Daily Mail was removed from sale in campus shops in reaction to a particularly insensitive article.

Hell, we’ve even banned the sale of chewing gum on campus. So banning things for ideological or practical reasons even though it may bother some people is not something that hasn’t been done here before.

A ban, such as has just been passed in UCL, would mean that Students’ Union events would not voluntarily play that song and so would not voluntarily encourage the normalisation of it’s message. I don’t see how that could infringe upon anyone’s rights, bar your right to request a horrendous song on a night out. It would however vindicate the rights rape victims to enjoy a night out on campus with friends without a reminder of a past ordeal coupled with a visual and aural demonstration of that ordeal’s often belittlement by society. We sometimes need to look beyond what we may feel is acceptable and ask why others disagree.

‘I’ll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two Nothing like your last guy, he too square for you/ He don’t smack that ass and pull your hair like that Do it like it hurt, like it hurt/ What you don’t like work?’

I find those lyrics offensive. You have the right to listen to them on your own time. I have the right to not have to.

# what makes this song different to every other one in it’s genre is that it has peaked our interests and generated a crucial debate about rights and consent.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

THIS WEEK IN

FEATURES

Size Matters

Media Law Grace O’Sullivan | Features Editor

In the wake of UCC Law Society’s 13th Annual Law Conference “The Changing Landscape of Media Law” which took place in the Aula Maxima, UCC. This week I investigate how media law affects not just P8 the professionals, but also the faux-fessionals. Media law is an effervescent issue at the heart of today’s society – which is becoming more prevalent with the advancement of new technology.

Tweeting, blogging, sharing, and posting, the majority of us are now social networking– according to an Ipsos MRBI poll more than half the population has a social networking account. However this raises a number of issues in relation to the law, and whether we know P8 the legal consequence of what we are making public property? Media Law has been legislated for with many years, however are all the advancements of modern Berlin media encompassed under the current legislation?

Eilis has the best Originally defamation law was one of the most serious advice on how to legal issues facing journalists. However as online forums provide everyone with outlets to voice their get around ‘The opinions, are we not all modern day armchair journalists Grey City’ of sorts?

Article 40.6.1 of the Irish Constitution vindicates to right to express opinions and convections freely.

However, akin to all rights, this is not absolute, thus free speech is subject to limitations. As a result of this, media law is at the heart of modern society, and perhaps we P9 should all look into what the rules are in relation to what we make public. There is a cliché out there that teaches actions speak louder then words – well what if your P a r a n o r m a l A c t i v i t y actions portray your words, publically?

In recent years the development of social media, Adam O’Reilly speaks to forums and blogs have been unprecedented. We live Sinead O’Donnell from Cork in an age of constant online updates, pictures and posts.

Paranormal Investigators The automatic response from some people is: “Hang on, I need to tweet about it.” Most conversations seem to start with “oh did you see on Facebook …”

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Surviving Story:

Ellen Desmond speaks with Holocaust survivor, Tomi Reichental

FEATURES INVESIGATES: DISABILITY ON CAMPUS

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FEATURES We all have the right to a good name, and defamation is something the Courts take very seriously. However in relation to social media, the law seems lethargic in coming in line with modern developments. The majority of us have access to the internet, and with said access comes outlets to voice our thoughts and opinions on, well, just about everything. It would appear that social media is providing us all with a personal soapbox, but are there legal repercussions?

The power of social media cannot be underestimated – take for example the well established equitable remedy of an injunction. As we saw in our neighbour country, a so-called super injunction: intended to provide the ultimate privacy can be negated in less than 140 characters.

Where does this leave us in terms of the law? How do you know what you are saying is not defamatory in anyway? It seems the law is playing catch up when it comes to social media law – the developments are so rapid that it would be unfair to expect the law to have legislation covering every issue. The legal side of social media is largely untested in Ireland, thus new technology is proving to be a lacuna in media law.

The area of tort law known as defamation is where the law in relation to slanderous and libelous comments is set out. One must question however if the current law provides enough clarity in our modern media driven age.

Many questions arise in relation to social media – we as users should know where we stand legally in relation to what we say. Take for example Twitter – a mere 140 characters can get you into a sticky legal situation. Does it constitute as libel to endorse/ retweet a comment made by somebody else? Can a comment on your personal Facebook page - that would otherwise be considered defamatory - give rise to legal proceedings? Are public forums not just an opportunity to have open debate?

The current legislation governing defamation law is the The Defamation Act 2009. The act made great strides in attempting to modernise the somewhat dated 1961 Act. However if you are looking to this

Act for information, it does come with a caveat emptor element attached to it. Since 2009 we have seen more and more outlets for defamatory publication. Vimeo, Vines, Birds of the Day, there are many social media saucepans that can get you into legal hot water.

Modern challenges in relation to media law today include; phone hacking: both in media and governmental worlds. New technology and the online world are generating many legal issues that are largely unknown legal territory, both on home soil and abroad.

In addition to defamation and damages, there is a high price to be paid in relation to loss of privacy when it comes to media law. It is an infringement of someone’s privacy to share information about someone that is deemed as highly offensive. This is an established principle in law, however there are many untested areas when it comes to modern media. Just look at Facebook – you can write a status update, about “what’s on your mind?” Granted, what is on your mind could relate to someone else, and in one click of a post button, you may have broken the law!

What does this mean for all of voicing our opinion online? At the end of the day the onus lies on you in order to know exactly what the law relating to the media is. There are laws out there protecting our right to impart information, but there are also laws to govern what we say. This is an interesting topic, and media law seems to have the difficult task of balancing peoples’ rights. As the law stands, it is unknown how certain scenarios - in relation to new technologies and the online world - will play out before the Courts. It seems our only option is to wait and see how the legislation will evolve, but in the mean time – perhaps some self-censorship of what we make public is advisable. Perhaps we should view the share button, as the beware button?

Finally I would like to congratulate all those involved in this year’s conference – it was huge success to say the least. The discussion on the day was interesting, thought provoking, and applicable to all our lives.

Although users may be willing to turn a blind eye, significant risks are associated with these drugs.

A long list of side effects ranging from increased blood pressure to mood swings accompanies each drug whilst tolerance and dependence are also major issues. The real worry though is that the long term effects of these drugs on the brain are still unknown.

Professor Barbara Sahakian a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge suggests that students are a group particularly susceptible to long term damage, “At present there are no long-term safety studies of these drugs in healthy people. We know that the brain is in development into late adolescence. Therefore we do not know the long-term consequences of the effects of these drugs on a healthy developing brain.”

The absence of concrete medical evidence on the long term effects of these drugs is prompting another debate on the moral issue of these substances. Should healthy people be allowed to take them? Proponents of this view argue that we already consume less potent versions of these drugs in the form of nicotine and caffeine to increase alertness; whilst they can hardly be disqualified as an unfair advantage in an age of computers and private tutoring.

Arguments have been made that a world in which smart drugs were legal could be a better one; scientists could come up with ideas faster, doctors could save more lives and efficiency could be improved in everyday work across the globe. This idea is not one which is being ignored; five prominent academics published an article in Nature in 2008 advocating that “mentally competent adults should be able to engage in cognitive enhancement using drugs.” In fact what may seem an abstract and distant dilemma is actually a lot closer than many realise. Soldiers in the US army have long been offered cognitive enhancing drugs such as Modafinil to increase alertness and are legally obliged to take medications for the sake of their military performance.

The idea of being legally required to take smart drugs is a worrying aspect involved in their availability. Would employers seeking maximum profit or efficiency force employees to take these substances? Would those who refused these drugs be left at a disadvantage or even unemployed? The impact of allowing these substances to be made available cannot be underestimated; the very idea of a world in which everyone took drugs to get through their day is not one filled with promise and optimism.

The debate over smart drugs is clearly not one with an easy answer and the only certainty is that their illicit use shows no signs of disappearing.

Smart Drugs Conor Shearman | Features Writer

Cognition-enhancing drugs or smart drugs as they have become known are a group of substances which supposedly improve a variety of mental functions.

These drugs which work by altering neurotransmitter systems in the brain were originally developed to treat disorders including ADHD, narcolepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Increasingly though their use is being seen amongst people with no such disorders. The reasons are simple, imagine a pill which offered enhanced memory, motivation and focus for hours at a time. This tempting prospect proves too great for many; in particular it seems amongst students.

Survey estimates in the US found 7% of students in US universities and up to 25% on certain campuses had used prescription stimulants in the past year with these benefits in mind. Nor is this a phenomenon limited to the US; a 2012 study in Cambridge found 10% of students admitted to using enhancers to help them work.

The prescription only basis of these substances seems to have had little impact on their availability.

The UK Quality Care Commission has seen a 56% rise in prescriptions for methylphenidate drugs in the past five years which includes smart drugs such as Ritalin and there is considerable anecdotal evidence which indicates that students exaggerate or fabricate symptoms of ADHD in order to receive the drug. Those unable to procure the drugs firsthand simply go online where a readily available supply is even more straightforward to access.

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES

Fashionable Expectations Deputy Features Editor Claire Crowley on how size matters

Debenhams has become the first store to encourage body confidence by being the first high street retailer to introduce size sixteen mannequins.

These new mannequins will be used at its shop in Oxford Street, London, and will appear alongside size ten mannequins on all women’s fashion floors.

They will then be introduced in all Debenhams’ stores in the UK and Ireland over the next year.

Currently, size ten is the standard size for mannequins on the high street, which is not an accurate description of the average woman, as the average woman is a size sixteen. The majority of high street stores show women’s clothing that are three sizes too small, adding to the pressure to look a certain way.

Shopping, or “retail therapy” is supposed to be relaxing, and it also supposed to make you feel good about yourself. But, when you go into the shop and see the apparent average size, it would undoubtedly make anybody feel insecure. It is thought that these new mannequins would stop the thoughts of negative body image, and allow women to embrace their shape. It just proves how much pressure is on women to look a certain way. Sizes are getting smaller and smaller, clothes are being stitched differently. I have even seen clothes pinned a certain way on mannequins that does not match what they look like when they are on an actual person. What they see is not what they get. Personally, I have sometimes found frustration with shopping as what would be my size in one shop would not fit me in another, leaving me wonder did I really put on three stone since lunch? Of course not.

Nowadays, women only have to look to the media to see what they perception of “perfection” and “beauty” is. Reality is, it’s getting harder and harder to believe this version of reality when a lot of it is disguised by Photoshop and make-up tricks.

The mannequins that Debenhams have introduced will hopefully start a trend in other stores. Reality is beautiful. Not all people are going to look the same, as a matter of fact, we are often told that everyone is unique. Shouldn’t the mannequins, the magazines and the advertisements all convey that message?

Research shows that women are more likely to buy clothes when the fashion models are their size, so, ultimately, this is good news for stores that promote the usage of these mannequins. In the end, if the customer is happy and secure in their store, it’s more money in the tills for them. Everyone is happier.

I work in retail. I’ve worked in fitting rooms where I have to dart in and out to the shop floor looking for a dress or a pair of jeans in a larger size. I’ve seen women become irritated when they can’t fit into their regular size and the smiles fade from their face when the zipper won’t go all the way up. They question themselves. They question the clothes. They leave the store in a different mood to the one they came in with.

A comment was passed one day that the fashion industry was secretly working with weight loss companies, to encourage women to look a certain way. In a society where we judge and obsess over looks, I couldn’t help but wonder if this comment could be true. So, I say, fair play to Debenhams, for being brave and taking on the fashion industry by introducing these mannequins and for also promoting a good body image to women.

Erasmus Diary

A Berlin Adventure ...with Eilis O'Keeffe

B How to get there: The scale of Europe is something which is difficult to comprehend for an Irish person – so while Berlin and Strasbourg appear not to be that far apart, in reality they are 800km away from one another.

As Erasmus is all about new experiences we opted to travel via sleeper train. The compartments are of course tiny and you do wake up every time the train stops in a station, but overall this is a very efficient way to travel as no time is wasted through physically getting from one place to another – you go to sleep in one city and wake up in another.

Helpful hint: don’t use spray deodorants in the small bathrooms as you will set off the fire alarm and will be given a telling off by a rather scary German man. Or if you do, make sure to run away as soon as the alarm goes off (as the individual in the other bathroom so wisely did).

Where to stay: The Grand Hostel Undoubtedly the best hostel I have ever stayed in. Really atmospheric as it is located in a historic building – I particularly enjoyed the library-bar. Staff are immensely helpful – they pointed us in the direction of the best kebab in Berlin (Mustafa’s Gemüsse Kebab on Mehringdamm Straße – worth the 45 minute wait!) as well as a great Berlin nightclub that was most definitely not on the tourist trail (Farbfernseher). Great location – literally two minutes from a U-Bahn station giving easy access to all of Berlin.

What to do: There is no shortage of things to do in Berlin. We stayed for six days and still did not manage to see everything. My highlights were the East Side Gallery, the Reichstag and the Deutsches Historiches Museum.

East Side Gallery: a true Berlin monument consisting of murals that were painted on the remains of the Berlin Wall in 1990 following its fall. Includes such iconic images as Mein Gott, hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben (My God, Help Me to Survive this Deadly Love) which depicts a fraternal kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic and the Trabant, once the most common vehicle in East Germany.

The Reichstag: the seat of the German Bundestag. Entry is free (always a good thing) but you must register online. The Reichstag Dome offers great views of Berlin (an alternative to paying €11 to climb the TV tower) and an interesting audio guide which gives such nuggets of information as the environmentally-friendly nature of the Dome as well as helpfully telling you which iconic Berlin monuments are visible from the top of the Dome.

erlin is a city unique within Europe. Nowhere else does the tug of history and of past events seem quite so near. It is a city of contrasts – formerly the confluence of East and West it is currently a crossroads between modernity and antiquity within which one can encounter the wonder of the ancient Pergamon Altar, a frieze depicting the battle between the Olympian Gods and the Titans, and the striking Sony Centre, a modern day altar of consumerism. No other city in Europe has embraced the 21st Century quite to the same extent as Berlin. Neither does any city contain an atmosphere quite like it – lively, irreverent and infectious – it will capture your heart and refuse to let it go.

Deutsches Historiches Museum: a must-see for anyone who considers themselves to be in anyway a history nerd. Did get a little star-struck by the hat that Napoleon wore at Waterloo and a first edition of the French civil code (law student, remember!).

Helpful hints: • If you plan on visiting some of the many museums in Berlin the Museum Pass is definitely worth it. Costing €12 it gains you entry into some of Berlin’s most famous museums including the Neues Museum home of the iconic Ancient-Egyptian bust of Nefertiti • Watch out in touristy areas such as Checkpoint Charlie for people running scams. They do tend to come out of nowhere and may be prepared to chase you down Unter den Linden in order to “sign” their petition.....

• Jay-walking is illegal in Germany – so unfortunately no mad dashes across the road allowed unless you want old German women to start shouting at you (apparently they rather enjoy it) • Berlin is rather cold (apparently the wind originates from Siberia) – so hat/scarf/gloves are appropriate

Nightlife: Berlin is renowned for its nightlife and it most certainly did not disappoint.

Highlights included Kvartina Nr. 62 (Lübbener Straße 18), a Russian bar with particularly good vodka and Pelmeni (Russian ravioli), Monsieur Vuong (Alte Schönhauser Straße 46) which had the most delicious spring rolls I have ever tasted in my life (also worth visiting for the hilarity that will ensue while trying to eat with chopsticks) and Aufsturz (Oranienburger Straße 67) a bar with a selection of over 200 types of beer. Farbfernseher (Skalitzer Straße 114) was also the epitome of what I imagined Berlin nightlife to be – a wonderfully dingy club blasting out the electronica until the early hours of the morning.

Helpful hints: • Very sensibly in Berlin they do have a night bus which replaces the U-Bahn in the early hours of the morning meaning that you won’t have to worry about how to get home (although if you do look rather lost Berlin bus drivers are happy to help and will point you in the right direction).

• It is expected that you leave a tip not only in restaurants but also in bars (otherwise you will have to feel the wrath of a German waitress). This is done by rounding up to the next euro.

Berlin is a multi-faceted city the essence of which I cannot hope to capture. My visit was an unforgettable experience – crazy, exciting and unique. Ultimately the uniqueness of Berlin is its defining characteristic – both as a European city and also in the sense that the experiences of no two people in this city will be the same. Therefore my advice to all those who have read this far is thus – have your own Berlin experience. I’m sure it will bear no resemblance to my own and will be equally memorable – for that is the joy of a city such as Berlin.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

FEATURES

Looking beyond the void

Hi Sinead, can you tell us a little about your team and what CPI’s main goal is?

Cork Paranormal Investigators are a non-profit organisation team based in Cork. We are a very scientifically based team and prefer to use various different pieces of equipment to prove the existence of an afterlife rather than relying on a feeling.

Our team was set up back in 2006 and the main goal of our team is to try and find the answer to one of the biggest questions: Is there life after death?

In recent years we have seen a lot of tv shows based on the paranormal, such as Most Haunted, tell us, how genuine do you feel those types of shows are?

I have watched many of these shows over the years and in fact they are probably one of the reasons I got involved in the paranormal. The reality is that actual paranormal investigating is very different to what you see on TV. Take for example Most Haunted. They get to investigate some fantastic locations but in every episode they always seem to be screaming or running from something. I have to say that personally I have never screamed during an investigation nor have I ever run from anything.

I have no doubt you have lots of interesting and possibly disturbing experiences under your belt; if we were sitting around a camp-fire telling ghost stories that you yourself witnessed what would you tell?

We use a piece of equipment known as a KII. Basically this is an EMF detector and the theory behind it is that if a ghost/spirit is trying

Adam O’Reilly speaks to Sinead O’Donnell from Cork Paranormal Investigators

to manifest then it emits and Electro Magnetic Field that can then be picked up on the KII. During an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) session the KII kept going off in direct response to the questions we were asking. After asking numerous different questions we were able to establish that it was a little girl that we were in communication with.

At the end of the session asked the little girl if she was getting tired. At this point the lights on the KII started to fade with only one remaining light left on. I then told her that if she was really tired that she could go, that we wouldn’t keep her any longer. At this point the last light on the KII went off and we had no more hits for the rest of the night. What makes this so poignant is that a little girl had died in the house.

There are many different thoughts on what actually constitutes as a ‘ghost’ what are your own personal thoughts?

There are different types of ‘ghosts’ or spirits as we like to call them. The main two are intelligent and residual. An intelligent spirit is where they can interact with you. You ask a specific question and you get a response to that question.

A residual spirit is where they don’t interact with you. It’s like an imprint of that person left behind after they pass. A good example of this would be an investigation that we done in a cemetery down in Waterford. On reviewing the evidence we discovered there was a voice on our Dictaphone saying: “Oh we’re bleedin f***ed”. This wasn’t in response to any question that was asked. It appears to be the final words of somebody from years ago.

You and the team must receive a certain amount of scepticism

at times, anything to say to the non-believers out there?

We constantly receive scepticism from people and to a certain degree we remain sceptics ourselves. We certainly try and debunk something before saying that it is paranormal. But what I would say to any sceptic out there is don’t knock it till you have tried it. You may be surprised.

What are the essential tools inside a paranormal investigators backpack?

The most essential tools inside any paranormal investigators backpack is a dictaphone, a digital camera, full spectrum camera (this is a camera that allows you to see in the dark) and of course a torch.

What advice would you give to people who want to follow in CPI’s foot-steps?

If anyone is looking to start their own group I would say to start small. If anybody is interested in starting their own group and wants to ask us any questions they can contact us on paranormalcork@ hotmail.com or through our Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/Cork.Paranormal.Investigators. We will also be setting up a website shortly so keep an eye on our Facebook page and of course if you do pop across to our Facebook page be sure to give us a like.

To read more of this conversation, head to www.uccexpress.net

Practising Catholic Students: A Forgotten Minority Sean O’ Mahony | Features Writer

I sat alongside two Belgian Catholics in the 2nd pew from the front of St. Olav’s Cathedral for the sole English language Mass being celebrated that Easter Sunday. Apart from the native Norwegian celebrant, almost the entirety of the congregation was of Vietnamese extraction. Where I had expected to hear the familiar reluctant strain of lethargic responses, my heart was stirred by the fervent zeal of the faithful. It was at that moment I realized a truth that I had been denying myself for years. I was no longer truly a Catholic.

Seemingly endless scandals and reports had already left me entirely cynical about the nature of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. I hold and have always held nothing but utter contempt for the men who abused their positions within the Church to abuse the very people they had a duty of pastoral care to. But it would be remiss of me not to profess that on a personal level that my experiences of the Catholicism have been entirely positive in nature.

Throughout my brother’s treatment for Leukaemia the staff of the Mercy Hospital were a bulwark of professionalism, support and hope for my entire family. The staff both lay and religious provided us with help when we were at our most vulnerable.

Another continuing source of inspiration for me is my great-uncle Fr. Laurence Bonaventure who will soon celebrate his 91st Birthday this Sunday . As of the last remaining Monks of Mount Melleray Abbey in Waterford his wisdom and contentedness have always been aspirational for me.

My respect for religious people is an enduring one.

It is easy to unthinkingly dismiss the values of past generations out of hand. In truth it is my contention that it is true reasonable discourse that will provide us

with a fuller understanding of one another. It is far easier to sit among the like-minded and mock caricatures of those who disagree with our beliefs than to really engage with who people are, what they stand for and why they believe what they believe. This article is not an attempt at apologism for the tenets of the Catholic faith.

Many of which are repugnant to my liberal and secular ideals. However in the spirit of creating a society which embraces all of its sons and daughters, dissenting voices should be engaged with not simply mocked or ignored.

Ultimately my reason for writing this article is a conversation I had with someone who had recently had a spiritual realization of a very different nature to my own. The person in question had embraced wholeheartedly the faith that I had just rejected.

She told me of the isolation, rejection and lack of understanding that she had faced from certain quarters since admitting to her religious awakening.

Personally I hold a deep distrust for the leadership of the Catholic Church. The problems endemic in the Church go far deeper than merely “just a few bad eggs”. The failure of the Church to exorcise root and branch reforms in the face of the obvious failures of its hierarchal structures frankly disgust me. Patriarchy, Paranoia and Intransigency have mired the Church into a state of seemingly constant scandal. Palatial Churches stuffed to the brim with priceless works of art frankly seem to mock the life of simplicity, poverty and selflessness that Jesus’ ministry preached.

Nevertheless it remains in my view so intrinsically arrogant to dismiss and exclude any person from friendship or understanding simply for belonging to a collective to which over a billion people belong. It is far easier to scorn and mock straw-men than to engage in a meaningful discourse with someone with an entirely different set of beliefs and values than your own. It is only through the latter than we can truly grow as individuals. Spirited debate with an eagerness to understand another’s way of thinking serves to temper strident hearts.

To dismiss a person by virtue of being a Catholic, implicitly casts a judgment on all Catholics. The only Irishman viewed by the State of Israel as “Righteous Amongst the Nations” was a Catholic Monsignor.

The Righteous

were defined as non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty was responsible for saving the lives of 6500 Jews and Allied Servicemen during the Second World War. Men such as the aforementioned Monsignor and liberation theologians such as Archbishop Oscar Romero, were not exemplary people in spite of their religion, but partly because of it. Catholicism inspired their minds and actions.

The Catholic Church is of course the largest religious community on this island. But amongst the student population the fervently religious are far out-numbered by a majority of non-practising religious people and secularists. As secularists a balance needs to be struck between vindicating and professing our beliefs and respecting the position of those who partially or entirely reject our values. To ignore religiosity serves no purpose other than to exclude people from the progressive and tolerant society which is ultimate desire to build.

The recent “Watch Your Mouth” campaign as conducted by the Students Union highlighted the impact that derisive language, thoughtlesslyused , in day-to-day speech can have on those who belong to minority groups. Those who actively practise a religion and fervently believe in its tenets can often be overlooked as one such minority. While the beliefs and actions of religious institutions and their adherents should never be beyond criticism, those who through the fervency of their belief act for the betterment of society and mankind should be equally praised.

In our hurry to build a tolerant and secular state let’s not forget the positive impact that religious people can have on our society.

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES INVESTIGATES

Disability on Campus

Features investigates the lives of students with disabilities in UCC. Laura Kiersey is student in her second year studying Public Health, an interest not so much driven by her need for a powered wheelchair, but by her interest in food and nutrition. Her choice of college and accommodation were more greatly affected though; “I went to other colleges to have a look around and I didn’t think they were great, so that made me want to come to UCC. UCC is fairly good for accessibility, most of the rooms are ok and where they can they’ll change the rooms around. I’m happy enough with how I can get around and it’s not too awkward.”

The major inconvenience though is the lack of more widespread automatic doors both on campus and in student accommodation; “People are helpful but it can be difficult; you just have to bulldoze your way through the door!” The Disability Support Services are, in her opinion, very good as they provide her with a scribe for exams, note-takers in classes and PAs. She started out studying Arts but didn’t enjoy it, and finds herself more at home in her Public Health class of 30. Talking about the impact of having a disability on her social life, she mentions one main problems; “The nightclubs in Cork are desperately bad for access although they do their best to accommodate you. It’s getting there but most of the places you can really get into. But you work around

By Stephen Barry it, it doesn’t stop me socialising!”

Ciara O’Mahony, a first year arts student, is a T2 paraplegic. Paralyzed from the mid waist down she has been a wheelchair user her entire life but says “I didn’t let that stop me getting here.” Ciara says that being a wheelchair used in UCC has positive and negative aspects, “the campus itself is quite flat which is always a bonus,” and she also finds most on campus buildings “perfectly accessible.” As an Arts student, a number of Ciara’s lectures take place in the Boole; the new lift and electric doors make access here particularly easy. Even lectures in some older parts of the college such as the West Wing she finds accessible.

While finding UCC itself quite easy to get around a large issue Ciara finds is the area surrounding the campus and generally non flat areas on campus such as the incline past the ORB leading to the SU common room, “I myself would have no hope of reaching the top without assistance.” Of more concern though is the incline from main campus to Castlewhite apartments, whether that be the one through the arch and then to the left which is not just steep but also poorly paved or the hill opposite Daybreak which is “incredibly steep and one I often go down when leaving college at night after society meetings. The issue I have is this hill is very poorly lit and as someone in a wheelchair I’m constantly eyeing the ground, attempting to dodge cracks and holes” which the lack of light makes obviously difficult. This is one concern she believes should be addressed for the benefit of all students.

Ciara is in contact with Disability Support Services on campus “who are hugely supportive of all students with disabilities here in UCC” and provide a range of services such as PAs or transport organisation.

By Brian Conmy

Some of you may know Dara O’Cinnéide as the fully blind student who parasailed down the Kane building last year for charity. Now a second year studying languages, Irish and Hispanic Studies, Dara gets around with the use of his seeing eye dog Patsy. Having utilised a walking stick before getting Patsy a few years ago, Dara notes “you’re either a walking stick person or a dog person” and having had Patsy has made his life much easier. Tempted as I was to pet and play with Patsy, Dara told me jokingly of how often people would come to play with the dog while he was on campus and how it distracted the dog from her duty. He also recounted the joy his former housemates in Castlewhite felt when they realised they’d be living with Dara and Patsy.

Being in arts Dara has a timetable that takes him all over campus and as such utilised Disability Support Services for route training to assist in making his way around. While he rated this service as valuable he still had some trouble in accessing buildings from time to time, notably the Windle. Since Dara had agreed to interview via text I enquired how he managed with technology, after telling me about his love for the iPhone he told me about the voice software he used on computers to aid his use of them. Overall Dara seemed very well adapted to college life through the use of services available on campus and services and products available generally to assist people with particular needs that are not generally met.

By Brian Conmy

Cormac Fahy is a third year genetics student with mid-spectrum asbergers syndrome.

Diagnosed with the condition at the age of 1 and a half, it was something that he never really considered, in fact he was only told that he had it when he turned 12. He says that it it never something that never in itself really bothered him, though it did attract negative attention. School was tough as other pupils noticed his difference and ‘some people took advantage’.

Cormac’s asbergers affects him in a number of ways. Primarily there is a focussing issue. He finds that he sometimes get preoccupied with thoughts for hours when he should be working on something else. As a college student this can be a problem where study is concerned and the DSS provide him with certain supports. He has permission to use a dictaphone to record lectures and sits exams separately so as to minimise distractions to himself- and to others. ‘I can get loud sometimes’. Intriguingly, Cormac also has hypersensitive hearing, allowing him to hear conversations in another room at times.

Cormac chose to study genetics, partly due to an interest in learning more about his own condition. Little is known about asbergers, but there may, he says, be an epigenetic link.

Growing up, Cormac’s social skills have improved greatly and he cites Transition Year as being a big help. He made a choice to be less reserved and to engage with people. ‘I’m open about it, it’s part of who I am’. He now lives out of home, socialises and he has been involved with the Choral Society.

By Audrey Ellard Walsh

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

FEATURES INVESTIGATES

Disability in the Workplace *Sources: National Disability Authority and disability.ie

A majority are economically inactive Table 3 How disabled people not in work describe their status (age group 20­64)

Men %

Women %

Unable to work due to sickness or disability

69

54

Retired

9

5

Home duties

2

29

Student

3

3

Unemployed or looking for first job

13

6

People disabled for longer are less likely to hold a job Table 6 Employment rate of people with disabilities (aged 15­64) by duration of disability %

0­6 months

57.0

6­12 months

55.1

1­2 years

43.5

2­3 years

45.1

3­5 years

40.6

5­10 years

37.1

10+ years

37.4

since birth

39.0

Work participation by medical condition

Work participation by medical condition Work participation by medical condition Table 11 Work participation rates by

Table 11 Work participation rates by type of disability type of disability

Mental, nervous, emotional

Mental, nervous, emotional Other progressive illness Other progressive illness Arms or hands Legs or feet Arms or hands

Other longstanding problem(s) Legs or feet Seeing difficulty

% at work

% at work

22.0

% point gap v. non­disabled

% point gap v. non­disabled

­46.5

22.0 28.4

­46.5 ­40.1

28.4 34.7

­40.1 ­33.8

35.4 34.7

­33.1 ­33.8

36.2 35.4

­32.3 ­33.1

38.3

­30.2

Other longstanding problem(s)

36.2

­32.3

Seeing difficulty

38.3

­30.2

Speech impediment

38.5

­30.0

Speech impediment

Heart, blood pressure, circulation Back or neck

38.5 40.4 42.7

­30.0 ­28.1 ­25.8

Epilepsy

44.1

­24.4

Hearing difficulty

46.4

­22.1

Stomach, liver, kidney, digestive

48.3

­20.2

Chest or breathing

50.5

­18.0

Skin conditions

58.7

­9.8

Diabetes

58.9

­9.6

Data on persons with disabilities are hard to come by in almost every country. Specific data on their employment situation are even harder to find . Yet persons with disabilities face the same predicament everywhere. In developing countries, 80% to 90% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed, whereas in industrialised countries the figure is between 50% and 70%.

The figures below come from the National Disability Authority and disability.ie Almost 600,000 people in Ireland — 13% of the population — have a disability Work Participation rates: There were 162,681 people with a disability in the labour force — a participation rate of 30%, compared to almost 62% of the overall population. Large gap in employment rates

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Tuesday November 19 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

FEATURES

“I know that I owe it to the people, so that their memory is not forgotten. That is why I speak.”

Ellen Desmond speaks with Holocaust survivor, Tomi Reichental, who was incarcerated in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during WW2 For many people living today, the Holocaust is defined by a documentary they briefly see on television or something they learn about for an exam. But for Tomi Reichental, it was a real life experience of his childhood. It’s not every day I have the honour of answering the phone to a voice full of such history but, then again, there aren’t very many people like the brave Mr Reichental, who has spent the past 8 years telling his story to over 50,000 students.

“I am so busy I am booked up ‘till next June believe it or not!” Mr Reichental told The UCC Express. Born in Slovakia in 1935, Reichental was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944,for no reason other than being Jewish.

But for 60 years following liberation in 1945, Reichental said nothing of his Bergen-Belsen experience.

“I lost my wife ten years ago; she never knew anything about my past. I never told her. It’s only in the last 8 years that I speak about this. I never told my children, they found out from the work I started doing, the radio, television and of course newspapers. That’s how they found out.”

invitation. He has spoken in Slovenia and in Germany, in Bergen-Belsen camp to German students and given testimony to the BergenBelsen archives. “And of course since I started to speak two films were made” Mr Reichental added with much self-effacement, as though this were something that happens to people every day, “I wrote a book and at the end of the year we will go to the fourth edition, and it’s only two years out! And now I’m writing a second book as well!”

Mr Reichental’s first book, I Was a Boy in Belsen, gives a detailed account of how the atmosphere of anti-Semitism rapidly grew around him and his family. He highlights the change in people’s attitude towards him and how he distanced himself from them as a result of feeling different. I Was a Boy in Belsen outlines the betrayal of members of his community against his father and grandparents, and how his family had to split up in order to avoid being captured, until they were finally arrested following being

Mr Reichental first gave a talk about his Bergen-Belsen experience in his grandchildren’s school in Dublin. When he made that first lecture he saw that people knew very little about the Holocaust. “I found myself surrounded with children crying” Mr Reichental imparted, “the teacher was crying and I was crying. It was a real amazing scene and then this made me realise that this is not a story that you tell to an 11 or 12 year old child.” Yet, Reichental was only 9 years old when he lived through the reality of it himself.

Reichental highlighted how he had been afraid that the children’s parents would be angry that his story had upset them but “the opposite happened, everyone was very interested.”

Since then he has recognized that, as one of the few remaining witnesses of the Holocaust, he should be speaking to kids (albeit, older ones) and ensuring that the correct education is there to prevent any reoccurrences. Now his story is in demand across the world and not only has he travelled across Ireland, he has lectured in the USA and in England, by

beaten. An event that stands out in the book is Reichental’s retelling of his Grandmother’s death, and how he had to watch as her body was taken away to be piled on the mountain of corpses in the camp. It really brings to light the real-life horror of the Holocaust on an emotional and personal level. Reichental also recounted how “there was no celebration [upon liberation] because 90% of the inmates were so sick…we were just delighted that finally we were free.” With all this in mind it’s nothing less than a miracle for a young boy to make it out alive. Reichental names his mother as a contributing factor in keeping his family’s faith and hope alive. “[My mother] always encouraged us just to go on and be strong and we will get out of it and everything will be alright. So we never lost any hope. As far as the religion goes, I’m not a religious person and obviously that thing that happened to me is something that I question. If there was a god, how could he not do anything about it? It really truly was a terrible, terrible thing that happened.

And while it was happening, nobody stepped in to stop it.” He also explained how the main struggle

...the message is that we have to be very careful here in Ireland because of the recession, it is a breeding ground for racism so we have to stop it.

for him afterwards was regaining the education that he had completely lost out on, as he could not read or write. Today, many years later, he is an educated engineer, and though he keeps the Sabbath and is a “traditional Jew” he is not overly religious.

In 2007, Mr Reichental returned to the place where the camp he was incarcerated in once stood.

“It was extremely difficult because I never wanted to go back to Bergen-Belsen” he admitted, “I was invited there because they opened a teaching centre and a museum…and for the opening they invited inmates that were in Bergen-Belsen, the survivors... there is nothing left of the camp but when we arrived and we saw these beautiful green areas …and you can just imagine, children playing.

But for us, when we come there and looked into the distance… for us it was open graveyard. When we were there it was all covered with corpses. It was extremely hard.”

The documentary film of Mr Reichental’s life, Till the Tenth Generation, shows his return to Bergen-Belsen. He summarised the tender content himself;“…they took pictures of us, of my brother and myself and my cousin as we…approached the camp. We were stone faced, just absolutely…we were in terrible pain, saddened to see this place as it reminded us of such a horror. So it was… it was very difficult.”

Reichental told The Express that his second film, which has just been finished, concerns itself with an SS guard who he wished to meet “and I was prepared to shake her hand” he says. This guard was accused of killing and beating inmates; she was sentenced to one year in prison andis still living in Germany today. Mr Reichental “… wanted to do some reconciliation after all these

things. Just for me, for some sort of a closure, and for her as well and that’s what the new film is about. ”When questioned on his feelings towards those who went unprosecuted for their crimes, the courageous Mr Reichental discussed how he has “no hatred as such but of course I can’t forgive them what they did …I like to put it all into the past and sort of look forward. It’s regretful that they escaped the judgement but I think to judge them today, I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do.”

Mr Reichental made clear the reasons why hearing his story is more relevant than ever in today’s world. We now have a multi-national society in Ireland and with the recession, “people like to blame somebody else for their trouble… it is a breeding ground for racism. ”The lesson is that if you see bullying “don’t be a bystander. Get involved, tell that it’s wrong and that you mustn’t behave like this because in our time, unfortunately, nobody said anything - and look what happened to us!” The education has to be there so that such a thing doesn’t happen again and that’s his message, to students: to make sure that if anything ever happens again like this“…they should step in and stop it before it is too late.”

The full interview with Mr Reichental is available on www.uccexpress.net.

I Was a Boy in Belsen is available from all good bookshops or libraries. Till the Tenth Generation, which was directed by Gerry Gregg and broadcasted on RTÉ, is now distributed on DVD to all post-primary schools by the Holocaust Education Trust Ireland.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

FOOD

– The home of student cooking!

Homemade Burger with Spicy Wedges Preparation Time 10 Minutes Cooking Time 35 Minutes

Hi Guys, Well this our last feature before we break for Christmas - can you believe first term is nearly done! Where did it go? On the plus side, Santa is coming soon and who knows what delights will be winging ones way....

The New Year will bring many faithful promises to try something new and break old habits….if you haven’t tried the CollegeDinners service as yet, it might just be the perfect time to start….

This weeks recipe is a real mouthful and packed with plenty of nutrients such as iron and zinc. Who’s up for a homemade burger with a side portion of spicy wedges...

TO

Enjoy the seasonal celebrations over the next few weeks and we will catch you again in the New Year!

THIS WEEK’S COMPETITION! In association with UCC Express we are offering one lucky winner the chance to win 4 we eks Mealdeal’s.

All you have to do is email us at info@ collegedinners.ie with the name of one of our we ek ly deliver y points.

Include your name and contact number and all entries must be re ceive d by 28th Novemb er G o od Luck!

P

Ingredients • Portion of Beef Mince • Salt and Pepper • Garlic clove crushed • Seasoning-Paprika/Mixed Herbs/Garlic Salt • 2-3 Potatoes(washed and cut into wedges) • ½ Onion (peeled and v-finely chopped) • Glug of Oil • Slice of bread (grated into breadcrumbs) Cooking Instructions 1. Place your seasoning, potatoes and ½ your chopped onion in a bowl and add dash of oil-Make sure you cover potatoes well with oil and seasoning.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 200C for 30/35 mins until soft.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in same bowl ie:beef mince, onion, breadcrumbs and shape into burger(not too thick)-if mixture gets a bit sticky add a sprinkle of flour.

3. Place under your pre-heated grill and cook for 15 minutes turning now and then until cooked through(Cut into burger with knife it should not be pink) 4. Serve with your wedges and some grated cheese if you have it –Ronald MWho needs him!

P TICan

also serve in a burger bun or in a ciabatta!

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EXPRESS PHOTOS

TuesdayNovember 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

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EXPRESS PHOTOS

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Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

FASHION

Editorial Sartorial

Fashion Editor, Nicole Clinton, explores the appeal of the fashion magazine.

T

he fashion magazine’s origins can be traced back to the late 1600’s and 1700’s when the French aristocracy began to record what they were wearing and sketches were put together in books that were reproduced and sold. Today, it is almost impossible to enter even the smallest newsagent or corner shop without finding at least four different fashion print publications. And while they are a pleasing form of entertainment, in reality, they are so much more than that. If fashion is an art, then the fashion magazine is the gallery and if fashion is a science, then the magazine is the laboratory in which experiments are carried out.

The purpose of the fashion magazine is obviously mainly rooted in fashion but it also known to employ other elements of pop-

culture to increase its appeal. It showcases the latest trends by acting as a souvenir book of the season’s catwalk collections. The photoshoots that are arranged somewhere between the middle and end of the publication bring together the most visionary photographers, the most ravishing models and the most extraordinary styling to produce a sartorial feast for the eyes.

The outcome of these spreads can range from outrageously controversial to awe- inspiring glamour to stimulating originality. Although the average reader may never be able to afford the designer items on show, they get a glimpse of a vision that may in turn induce some chic ideas of their own. The main fashion features of each issue provide the dictators of taste that compile them with an opportunity to preach their beliefs to the masses. However,

S T Y L E CRUSH With Nicole Clinton

a certain level of insecurity regarding the power of fashion alone could be suggested by the editors need to regularly use a music or movie star to cover their magazine, especially in the American editions. In fact, Vogue has been criticized by fashion industry insiders for supporting celebrity culture over fashion integrity. But perhaps, in a slightly paradoxical way, Vogue is increasing fashion awareness and interest by utilizing pop culture to entice the public into buying their fashion magazine.

Perhaps my favourite part of the fashion magazine is the advertisements. Seeping in glamour, these stylised ads are often like otherworldly pieces of art as they portray

With the digital age in full swing, the future of the print publication is obviously in danger.

While it has greatly enhanced our lives, the internet is slowly leading to the devaluation of everything, including the fashion magazine.

The rise of the blog is swiftly upon us and while a certain proportion of bloggers’ thoughts are actually worth hearing, I’m of the opinion that the internet is currently over-saturated with fashion blogs. The increase in popularity of the fashion blog could perhaps be attributed to the current generation’s obsession with a desire to relate to or to identify with everything. But my question is why opt for a reflection of reality when you could marvel at the otherworldly

beautiful, exotic people doing beautiful, exotic things in beautiful, exotic locations.

In an enchanting way, the two dimensional photograph exudes a three dimensional quality, as if the ad is a still from the most alluring movie imaginable and we are seduced into dreaming about how the characters’ story will unfold.

All in the vicinity of one magazine, the Chanel model perches on a swing, suspended high over the ocean, the Gucci model bends her body backwards over a glass table, clutching her head in despair with a backdrop of a turquoise sea and sky and the Tommy Hilfiger model stretches over a Miami balcony, awaiting her mysterious lover. These commercial spectacles work off a philosophy of curiosity and attraction by being masterpieces of suggestion. They convince you that their product will permit you to enter the world of the ad without actually saying it at all.

and unobtainable instead? People today have become fixated with reality rather than the magic of not knowing how and therefore, the glorious possibilities that the imagination can create out of curiosity are obliterated. The aesthetic quality of the fashion magazine, in its artistic spreads and its seductive advertisements, offers an escape from this tedious reality in the same way that a trip to the cinema to see a beautiful star enter an wonderful world does. Perhaps it is an outcome of the recession or maybe it is just proof that society’s valuation of things is going into decline that the attitude of ‘why pay for something when it’s being given away for free?’ is, rather worryingly, becoming the norm. Of course, you can look up pictures of clothes or fashion articles anywhere on the internet, but nothing beats holding a glossy in your hands and watching a vision unfold page by page…..

hile his character in Love/Hate may have donned the same leather jacket and blue hoodie for the majority of his onscreen life, Robert Sheehan’s personal style is anything but predictable. The Irish actor has been proving to the world that he is a man who is not afraid to take fashion risks that most women wouldn’t even contemplate and has transcended into an eccentric fashion icon.

Sheehan’s most note-worthy style exhibitions appeared during the promotional events for last summer’s ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’. And although his paisley Dent de Man suits were labelled a bit too flamboyant, his slightly more subtle style experiments still conveyed an unusual, chic taste.

To the Toronto premiere, he tackled Monochrome with a black suit jacket with leather lapels and a crisp white shirt accessorised with a black collar and a grey, printed tie. He toughened up this decadent look with black leather trousers and added a spruce of quirk with leopard print loafers.

He flaunted a more casual look as he jetted into Toronto airport with his co-stars, demonstrating his relaxed take on the punk trend. He teamed loose-fitting tartan trousers with a white t-shirt and slipped on a white hoodie and a black, biker jacket to finish off the look. And on a Daybreak appearance (and subsequent night-out) in London he very daringly matched a wine leather jacket with the black leather trousers from the Toronto red-carpet.

Therefore, Robert Sheehan’s style is distinctive as he combines the current trends with his own unconventional taste in a courageous manner that illustrates his enjoyment of fashion. He also confirms that fashion experimentation is not just confined to women through his dedication to producing original looks.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

FASHION

But I’m a 90’s Chick I

Claire Fox describes how today’s fashion is reliving the nineties

t’s 2013 but once again fashion is giving a nod to the past when it comes to the latest trends taking the style world by storm. However, in the case of this season we seem to be giving more of a full blown, hearty hug to the nineties grunge trend rather than a mere miserable nod. So who is to blame for this current love-in we seem to be enjoying with the fashion of our youth? Should we point the finger at Icona Pop for injecting their insanely catchy and unforgettable song ‘’I love it’’ into our brains over the summer? Or should MTV be made answerable for their countless re-runs of ‘’ Fresh Prince of Bell-Air’’ at every God-given hour of the day? Sure we might as well hold the recession responsible (we seem to blame it for everything else in the country!), just as Jean-Paul Gaultier did in the early nineties when he remarked that the grunge trend was ‘’ Nothing more than the way we dress when we have no money’’. The time has come where we have traded in our bright bandage dresses and platform heels of the Celtic Tiger for denim cut offs, shabby hair and Doc-Marten boots.

It seems to be more 1993 than 2013 when it comes to the style stakes these days and you know what I Love It!

While back in the nineties pin-ups such as Kate Moss and Courtney Love were hailed for the birth of the grunge trend, these days we have fashionistas such as Rita Ora, Rihanna and model of the moment, Cara Delevigne to thank for this riveting nineties revival. As soon as Rihanna launched her collection of bomber jackets, crop tops and baseball caps for River Island in 2013 it was as if the nineties had never left us. Soon “it” girls Ora and Delevigne were snapped sporting nineties inspired pieces such as army boots and leather jackets giving the trend such a boost that even the catwalk began to catch on. A range of designers from Stella McCartney to Alexander McQueen featured the grunge trend heavily in their recent Autumn/Winter Collections with tartan and baggy parka coats taking centre stage this season.

Speaking of tartan, it is probably worth your while digging out those dusty old school uniforms because tartan is having a major fashion revolution at the moment. Is it just me or are those slouchy, school smocks from Home and Away becoming increasingly eye-catching? While Scotland are preparing for their referendum to break free from Britain in

The Hat Is Back

2014, the style world will be well kitted out in an army of tartan trends. High-Street stores such as Oasis and Top-shop all carry their own range of blazers, mini-skirts and tailored shirts, all stamped with the tartan seal of approval. Emma Watson and Mollie King are leading the tartan brigade with both seen donning checked skater skirts and dresses. Tartan also goes hand in hand with two other nineties trends, namely denim and leather. Nothing accentuates the rich colours and design of this punk trend more than a delicate denim jacket or a luscious leather coat. Team these items with grunge style boots or chunky statement jewellery and you’ll have the nineties trend covered!

So there you have it, our love-affair with all things nineties has well and truly kicked off. For heaven’s sake Sally being back in Summer Bay is enough to prove that we have an obsession with the decade of our youth! What’s great about the nineties trend is that it is low maintenance fashion that doesn’t come at a high price, but yet it is ultra-chic! It’s a winwin situation and that in the middle of a recession is music to most fashion forward ears!

Arts and Literature editor, Eoghan Lyng, charts the return of the hat.

C

oats, jeans, shirts, they have all been written about in length. Fashionable treasures they sure are, but surely they have been written for all the fruitfulness that they bestow. There is a clothing item that does not even receive half the attention that it`s relatives receive and that item, naturally, is the hat.

An item of great comfort, it serves to warmth and sustenance in its attractive and alluring manner.

Functional, yet pretty, light, yet revealing, the hat has a charm to it, one that can be cherished by people of any gender. And guess what, after a brief lull; the hat has begun re-appearing in in the public eye as a fashion statement. Now, it is no longer the flapper emulators or the older generation still reeling from the extravagance of Diana Spencer`s glorious wedding.

No, the hat has once again become an independent fashionable statement!

the mass appeal of such an object. Not only do hats provide decoration, veneration and adoration, they also provide disguises and personality traits!

The bowler hat is sartorially stimulating, the beret suggests a cultural fascination, the fedora implies a raw intellectual property while the auspiciously titled

But why have hats maintained such an appeal after several centuries? Why are they consumed in such large quantities? This is where Margaret Atwood steps in. Atwood has made the most pertinent comment about their consistent popularity.

Stating that "I myself have 12 hats", she went on to say that "each one represents a different personality.

Why just be yourself? "That is as perfect a quotation as anybody will find in this day and age concerning

caubeen resonates nationalistic pride. A hat offers the explanation that words cannot draw; it`s an aesthetic type of emotion!

For a long time, rock stars avoided hats in their live performances, probably to avoid the generic pomposity propagated by eighties metal superstars like Slash and Izzy Stradlin. But the seeds of this change started when the great Pete Doherty started wearing the bowler hat with The Babyshambles. The

The bowler hat is sartorially stimulating, the beret suggests a cultural fascination, the fedora implies a raw intellectual property

epitome of cool, Doherty started a trend amongst the musical elite to wear smart fashion accessories. Since Doherty`s revolutionary conceptualisation in the mid noughties, the hat has appeared on the heads of many other musical greats such as Damon Albarn, Gary Clark Jr. and individual members of the now defunct rock band Supergrass. These bowler hats have the perfect gravelling nature that perpetrates a criminal style of radiance, the style initiated by Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II. Proving that the hat has a certain mystery attached to it, it`s not uncommon now to witness bohemian wannabe`s strutting down The Grand Parade with hair-lite condiments attached.

These hair accessories have also made a return on the silver screen. The flapper hairnet enjoyed resurgence over the summer, thanks to the visual extravagance of The Great Gatsby, while in the

male world of fashion, The Bourne Legacy proved that caps had a certain machismatic quality to it.

Films have always been great to popularise fashion trends. Thanks to these two films (which used hats for compositional, as well as visual, purposes), hats have enjoyed a rebirth amongst the liberal intellectual classes of today.

The hat has not remained impartial to other parts of popular culture. Hats have made a feisty return in the modelling world. Vogue`s Autumn/ Winter catalogue has placed an unusual emphasis on this clothing item.

According to this infectious publication, “Berets and beanies, cloches and caps, trilbies and trappers - hats in every size, shape and style are the ultimate topping this season.” Further along, Vogue extrapolates that Gucci, Louis Vuitton and John Galliano have become popular signatures for the magazine`s models. These hats (regarded for their affectionately dexterous breadth and width) are set to become the de rigour clothes of the upcoming months. With a heightened respect for the hat within the catwalk world, it looks like this fashion accessory has made a sensuous return. And, it looks like it`s going to stay that way!

If popular culture deems that hats are sexy once more, then what can the posse do but consume such a product. At such a wintery time of year, a hat is an essential item of clothing. So go out. Be daring. To paraphrase Miller`s Crossing, a person is nothing without their hat!

Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

18

THE NEW CORKER

THE NEW CORKER Velvet Morning

By Anonymous

I woke up this morning With a single thought in my head No feelings, no impulse, no hopes and no dread Nothing philosophical to spout at my friends No sudden fear that this day will soon end No plans to right all the wrongs of the world Just the one thought, a thought of a girl

Is God Dead?*

By Eoghan Lyng *Dedicated to The Actor !

Verse 1: I`m walking to the light of day, In Crowley`s sight, I shirk away, From misery.

I`m smiling on the silver screen, For Leary`s thoughts on serene Tranquillity.

I`m frightened of my gilded face, I`m sickened by my thinning waist, And I ain`t got the sirens to cry.

I`m sold to Khruschev`s pedistle, Chained to her cross on the hill, Pilled in my sorrows on high!

Verse 2: I`m the sickened twisted psychopath, A peaceful sleep should kill the wrath, I`m living on.

A vagrant to sleep with good vibrations, To ape it all in hallucination, Far right, far wrong.

If I don`t explain what you wish to see, Write all your thoughts in a fallacy, I`m sinking with the sapiens in the ground.

Watching the wheels turn round.

Chorus: Don`t believe in the world, Don`t believe what you heard, Faith has died before our eyes, What`s the truth, what`s the lie? (x2) Verse 3: With Wuthered Heights and atomic lows, The superman fights blow by blow, We lie in wait.

How small to sing the nation`s theme, I fall flat faced inside a dream, And eradicate.

If I don`t recite what you wanna hear, Tell me all about it through your glass of beer.

I`m sinking with the sapiens in the ground.

Watching the wheels turn round.

The day went by, as most days do My mind plagued all the while By dusty memories of her broken smile Her laugh and her cry, the elegant joy behind her crocodile tears Shed for all that I knew not to fear But for that which I feared all the same Just trying to keep up with her as she played her sweet games At the end of the day I go back to bed Hoping against hope that I’ll be able to rest my poor head Forget all my troubles, the pain that I’ve caused But as I close my eyes, I see just one thing I see her face, and it makes me think It’s all that I see and it’s all that I know I find it so hard to just let her go I wake up the next morning with just one thought in my head Of a girl I once knew, but now she is dead I wish that I’d told her when I had the chance How much that I loved her and how much that I cared But nothing is perfect; I guess that’s romance.

Untitled

By Noel Sullivan

As she stuffed her toy rhino into her duffel bag, Polly smiled to herself. It had been a good day.

The sun had been shining, even though rain had been forecast, and all her friends seemed to have had a good time. Her parents were busy packing the picnic stuff into the car, so Polly and her little brother, Thomas, ran around the field, as fast as their legs would carry them. Thomas, three years younger, struggled to keep up and Polly teased him for it.

“You’re too slow. Catch up silly” Polly ran faster and faster, turning and taunting her brother at every occasion. Until...

Splash!

Polly had run straight into the duck pond at the edge of the field. Dripping wet, the eight year old stood waist high in the water, tears trickling down her face. Thomas stood at the edge of the water, wide eyed and began to giggle.

“Look Polly, a swan” Polly turned to see a huge white swan swimming towards her. And then she spotted another, and another. Polly was soon surrounded by probably fifty swans. They circled her, not taking their eyes off her for a moment. Their eyes seemed to have a red tint to them. Polly stood, mesmerised and terrified.

These were no ordinary swans. They seemed eager to keep her here.

The young girl began to whimper. Thomas stood in silence.

“Get mom and dad.”

Thomas turned and ran across the field towards their parents’ car.

More swans, probably another fifty, appeared from nowhere, all white, except for one black one. They stopped circling and swam towards her, the black swan in front, until they were all blocking her exit from the pool. The black swan opened it’s beak and let out a sound like an out of tune trumpet.

The White swans followed suit and started making the awful sound. Polly covered her ears and scrunched her eyes shut.

She felt a pair of warm hands wrapped around her waist, lifting her from the cold dark water. She opened her eyes to see her dad’s face inches from hers. Her mom, standing on the edge, throwing food at the swans, including pieces of her birthday cake that was covered in pink icing sugar.

The three of them ran towards the car where Thomas was waiting. Starting the engine, the Forest family drove away, a hundred swans flying above them.

19

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

GAEILGE

Des Bishop – In The Name of The Fada Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Le linn an tréimhse ama a chaith sé sa Ghaeltacht, d’fhreastail sé ar an méanscoil inti. Cuireadh é i rang na hArdteiste agus d’ullmhaigh sé do scrúdú na Gaeilge a dhéanamh. Ní dhearna sé staidéar uirthi nuair a bhí sé i scoil, agus mar sin bhí fonn air an scrúdú a dhéanamh cosúil le formhór na ndaoine eile. Rinne sé a dhícheall chun éirí leis sa scrúdú – rinne sé an béaltriail agus an páipéar scríofa ag bunleibhéal, agus d’éirigh leis grád A1 a bhaint amach. Ní raibh sé ach tar éis cúpla mí ag foghlaim na teanga ag an bpointe sin!

Chomh maith leis sin, d’fhreastail sé ar Choláiste Samhraidh mar is ghnáth do dhéagóirí an lae inniú. Bhuail sé le Michéal, príomhoide an Choláiste Lurgan, agus ghlac sé páirt sa chúrsa ann – chuir sé aithne ar dhaoine nua, d’fhoghlaim sé Gaeilge sna ranganna, chuaigh sé go dtí na céilithe agus d’imir sé sna cluichí spóirt. Bhain

Seachtain Chultúir na hÉireann

Rachel Ní hAodha | Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Tá Seachtain Chultúir na hÉireann ar siúl i rith na seachtaine seo ón 18 go dtí 21 Samhain. Líontar í le h-imeachtaí éagsúla timpeall an champais atá eagraithe ag Oifigeach na Gaeilge, ag TradSoc, ag an gCumann Drámaíochta agus ag an gCuallacht. Céiliúradh atá i gceist chun ár n-Éireannachas a léiriú trínár gcultúr.

Is deis iontach í chun taitneamh a bhaint as gnéithe éagsúla de chultúr na hÉireann – i measc na n-imeachtaí a n-eagraítear, tá seisiúin ceoil, dráma as Gaeilge, scannán Harry Potter as Gaeilge, agus dar ndóigh, céilí! Ní Sheachtain Chultúir na hÉireann a bheidh ann gan chéilí ach UV

Céilí atá i gceist i mbliana! Críochnófar an tseachtain le Tóg Amach Mé agus ceolchoirm san Old Bar. Coiméad súil ar leathanach d’Oifigeach na Gaeilge chun na sonraí a fháil.

Má tá Gaeilge agat, tóg an deis i rith na seachtaine seo chun bualadh le Gaelgeoirí eile agus aithne a chur ar dhaoine eile a bhfuil suim acu i gcultúr na hÉireann chomh maith. Is minic a bhíonn atmaisféar iontach ar fud an champais le linn na seachtaine seo agus a dhéanann mic léinn iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt. Mar a deirtear: Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste!

sé sár-taitneamh as agus bhraith sé gur tháinig feabhas ar a chuid Gaeilge le linn an chúrsa.

Ina dhiaidh sin, chláraigh sé le cúrsa Gaeilge a dhírigh ar chruinneas na teanga agus ar an ngrammadach. Bhí air béaltriail eile a dhéanamh chun caighdeán aird a léiriú do na múinteoirí.

Thuig sé go bhfuil grammadach na Gaeilge casta go leor agus d’amhaigh sé nár thaitin an ghné sin den teanga leis. B’fhearr leis a bheith ag labhairt na teanga, gan a bheith buartha faoin ngrammadach.

Lasmuigh den seomra ranga, bhain sé triail as áiseanna eile chun a chuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh.

Bhí dúil aige an t-amhrán, Jump Around, a aistriú go Gaeilge agus le cúnamh charad, chruthaigh siad Léim Thart. Is minic a chuireann sé an t-amhrán sin i láthair ar an stáitse chun taitneamh leis an lucht tacaíochta. Is slí éifeachtach é an teanga a fhoghlaim trí úsáid an cheoil. Chomh

Abair as Gaeilge é!

Tá clú agus cáil ar Des Bishop ar fud an domhain ach go háirithe, tá na hÉireannaigh an-cheanúil air. Tá bua an ghrinn aige agus taitníonn a ghreann go mór linn. Is as Nua Eabhrac do Des, ach tháinig sé go hÉirinn nuair a bhí sé ceithre bliana déag d’aois. Shocraigh sé síos i Loch Garmann lena chlann agus d’fhreastail sé ar an méanscoil sa cheantar áitiúil. Ina dhiaidh sin, chuaigh sé go dtí Coláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh agus bhain sé céim na hÉalaíona amach i stair agus i mbéarla.

D’éirigh leis cáil a bhaint amach ag scaipeadh an gháire. Rinne sé roinnt sraitheanna teilifíse do RTÉ mar shampla, The Des Bishop Work Experience i 2004 agus Joy in the Hood i 2006.

Ach i 2007, rinne Des cinneadh chun sraith nua darb ainm, In the Name of the Fada, a chruthú do RTÉ agus chaith sé an bhliain iomlán i gConnemara ag foghlaim na Gaeilge. Nuair a d’fhreastail sé ar mhéanscoil, ní raibh an Ghaeilge á dhéanamh aige mar ábhar Ardteiste. Nuair a d’éirigh sé níos sine, d’fhorbair sé suim sa teanga a fhoghlaim. Mar sin, thóg sé an deis chun í a fhoghlaim agus chun buairtí na ndaoine óga ó thaobh na Gaeilge de a thuiscint.

D’fhan sé le clann ina dteach ina labhraíodh an Ghaeilge ó mhaidin go hoíche. Thug siad cabhair agus spreagadh dó dálach is domhnach.

Ba chabhair mór é a bheith i dtimpeallacht lánGhaeilge chun éisteacht le fuaimeanna na teanga agus chun fhoghlaim ó na Gaeilgeoirí dúchasacha féin. Anuas air sin, ghlac sé páirt leis an bhfoireann peile sa cheantar chun cairde a dhéanamh leis na himreoirí agus chun caint leo as Gaeilge.

maith leis sin, d’éirigh sé ina aisteoir ar feadh lae nuair a chuaigh sé ar Ros na Rún chun ról beag a líonadh! Ón taithí a bhain sé amach sa Ghaeltacht ar feadh na bliana, d’fhorbair sé tuiscint níos doimhne faoin tuairim coitianta a bhíonn ag daoine óga i leith na Gaeilge. Is minic a chloistear daoine ag gearán faoin Modh Coinníollach agus faoin dTuiseal Ginideach, agus an réiteach nuair a bhíonn tú amhrasach chun séimhiú a chur leis an bhfocal!

Cuireann sé greann le struchtúr na teanga agus na rialacha a bhaineann leis an ngrammadach. Mar shampla, déanann sé gearán ar na slithe difriúla chun uimhir a dó a úsáid; ag cóireamh daoine, ag cóireamh rudaí, ag cóireamh i nginearálta.

Musclaíonn sé gáire sa lucht éisteachta mar go dtuigeann siad cé chomh chasta is atá an teanga!

Tá na buairtí sin á phlé aige sa sraith mar go bhfuil an t-úafás rialacha ag baint leis an nGaeilge maidir leis an ngrammadach ach tá fonn air an meon sin a oscailt agus fonn úsáide a mhuscailt sa lucht éisteachta chun triail a bhaint as labhairt na teanga.

Tuigeann sé an tuairim coitianta atá ag daoine faoin teanga toisc go ndearna sé an Ardteist agus gur fhoghlaim sé an grammadach! Admhaíonn sé go bhfuil an iomarca béime ar scríobh na teanga, ar litríocht agus ar an ngrammadach, ach déanann sé iarracht tuairim na ndaoine a oscailt chun an teanga a athbheochan agus a chaomhnú! Dar leis, tá sé i bhfad níos deise an teanga a chloisint agus a labhairt mar is teanga álainn í! Iarrann sé orainn iarracht a dhéanamh chun í a choiméad suas.

Chun féachaint ar an sraith teilifíse, tá sé ar fáil ar Youtube. Is fiú féachaint air!

An bhfuil léacht agat ag a haon? Do you have a lecture at 1?

Tá / Níl léacht agam An bhfuil tú ag dul go dtí an rang teagaisc? Are you going to the tutorial?

Táim / Nílim ag dul An bhfuil tionscnamh le déanamh againn? Do we have an assignment to do?

Tá tionscnamh le déanamh againn / Níl aon tionscnamh againn fós (We have an assignment / We don’t have any yet) An mbeidh tú saor ag am lóin? Will you be free at lunch?

Beidh / Ní bheidh mé An rachaimid go dtí Áras na Mac Léinn? Will we go to the Student Centre?

Rachaimid ann – We’ll go there Buailfidh mé leat ansin – I’ll meet you then Feicfidh mé go luath tú – I’ll see you soon

20

Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

SPORT

Con power past UCC Aussie Rules club make European history brave students Stephen Barry | News Editor

UCC 11 Cork Constitution 21 UCC came up short in the semi-final of the Munster Senior Cup, being beaten by ten points by city rivals, Cork Constitution.

Con didn’t have it all their own way though and the reigning champions were limited them to six points in the opening half as they were shackled by an excellent student defence.

UCC opened the second period trailing by three and with Dave O’Connell in the sin bin, but in that time they had their best period of sustained pressure as they worked their way to the Con line. But they couldn’t cross it and had to settle for a levelling three points from Sean Og Murphy.

Con then cut loose with two tries in the space of five minutes, both from lineout-mauls.

The first came from a rolling maul, which rumbled from outside the 22 to within five metres of the college line before Johnny Holland stepped his way over the whitewash.

Then Con went for the kill, kicking a penalty to touch and driving over with Andrew O’Driscoll taking the plaudits.

However UCC managed to reply within four minutes as Ned Hodson created space for Conor Barry out wide, Barry played in Seamus Glynn who ran out of space only for Barry to reappear on his shoulder for the return pass and five points.

Con could’ve ended the game in the seventieth minute but Holland’s grubber was just too fast for Luke Duffy to touch down, and college remained within touching distance.

The students scrum began to reassert its dominance and with that platform they advanced into the Con 22. However UCC were pinged for not releasing and Con escaped upfield, where Holland kicked the final points of the game.

For UCC Head Coach David O’Mahony, there were some positives on a day in which Goliath proved too powerful; “I think we showed that we can compete and the effort from the lads was superb.

“I thought we played some really decent rugby, we scored a super try from deep, which is great for college; that’s the type of rugby we want to play because that’s when we look dangerous.”

“I think we slipped up once or twice where we could’ve put more pressure on them,” said Con Coach Mick O’Driscoll, “but they’re a good side and we’re happy with a win. Ten points is not bad but there’s certainly plenty to work on for us.”

UCC: Joe Holland; Mark Chander, Ned Hodson, Cian McGovern, Conor Barry; Sean Og Murphy, Ben Nugent; Peter McCabe, Brian Vaughan, Charlie Slowey, Brian Quill (capt), Dave O’Connell, Cathal Gallagher, Dean Nolan, Paul Derham.

Rolling Replacements: Kieran Stokes, Dave Hartnett, Ross McCarthy, Kevin Kidney, Seamus Glynn, Cian O’Halloran, Kieran Frost.

CORK CON: Johnny Holland; Cathal Quinn, Luke Duffy, Cyprian Jouvre, Chris Quinn; Dara Lyons (capt), Alex Ryan; James Rochford, Max Abbott, Patrick Galvin, Joe McSwiney, Dave O’Brien, Cathal O’Flaherty, James Ryan, Luke Cahill.

Rolling Replacements: Andrew O’Driscoll, Gavin Duffy, Brian Cagney, Garrett O’Suilleabhain, Rob Jermyn, Alan Ross, Barry Fitzgerald.

Michael Fitzpatrick | Sport Writer

The UCC Aussie Rules club, the UCC Bombers, recently entered the inaugural AFL Europe accredited Fitzpatrick Cup cup at Islandbridge, Dublin. The competitions saw four clubs competing, representing Northern Regional College(NRC), University College Cork (UCC), Dublin City University (DCU) and the oldest AFL team outside Australia, Oxford University.

The opening semi-final of the tournament pitted UCC against DCU, whilst Oxford University went head to head with NRC in the other.

AFL Commission Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, whom the tournament is named after, kicked off proceedings at the Opening Ceremony, recalling stories from his time spent at St John’s College and his association with the Oxford University football club.

“I am very humbled that this great tournament is being held in my honour”, stated Fitzpatrick. “I look forward to seeing some potential AFL stars take the field today.” Also in attendance was AFL Europe Chairman, Chris Dow who addressed the special guests ahead of the knockout tournament.

“This is an historic day for AFL in Europe and each participating club”, he said.

The matches got underway just before midday, with a fiery encounter between UCC and DCU. UCC travelled with a good squad of players which were primed for football after 6 weeks of hard work with club coach Eoin O’Sullivan. For the majority of the playing group this was their first game, with only a handful having previously experienced AFL action.

With all the build up out the window the game got underway as UCC ruckman Ian Silke went head to head with his DCU counterpart. It proved to be an interesting contest with both giving it their all as Silke more than held his own early on. DCU made the brighter start but after some good work from the half back line consisting of Mark O’Brien, Peter Traynor and Teddy Hartigan UCC began to find their feet.

The fullback line of PJ O’Brien and Kian McCarthy easily held their own, as they made early clearances thwarting DCU attacks. On the opposite end of the pitch, the half forward line of Fergal Lalor, Dan Gallagher and Muiris Bartley repeatedly got the better o the DCU defence. David Higgins was lively also in the forward pocket role assisting

Fizpatrick Cup Semi-Final vs. DCU (Stats) Goals: Muiris Bartley (2), Cormac McDonagh (2), David Higgins (1), Ian Silke (1), Sean Coleman (1),Diarmuid O’Sullivan(1).

Best (top 5): Ian Silke, Kevin O’Leary, Peter Traynor, Mike O’Riordan, Muiris Bartley.

Best on ground: Ian Silke

Fitzpatrick Cup final vs. Oxford (Stats): Goals: Muiris Bartley (3),Cormac Mac Donagh (2), Sean Coleman (2) Best (Top5): Mike O'Riordan, Ian Silke, Cormac MacDonagh, Sean Coleman, Kian McCarthy Best on ground in the final: Mike O’Riordan

UCC Player of the tournament:Mike O’Riordan the forward line very well. After the opening two quarters UCC led 3.4(22) to DCU 1.2(9). Majors in that half were kicked by Muiris Bartley (2) and Ian Silke.

UCC began the third quarter as the better side, with subs Sean Coleman and Cormac McDonagh entering the match, and quickly grabbing a score apiece. DCU were visibly tiring under the sustained pressure from UCC but managed to tag on a goal and a couple of behinds just before the 3 quarter time siren.

The fourth quarter was about UCC seeing the job through as Danny O’Brien and Eoin O’Sullivan used the rolling interchange bench wisely with Oisin Collins, Matt Bell and Ger O’Sullivan coming on to great effect in the forwards. Dean Crowley came on at half back flank and made some bulldozing runs while disposing the footy to maximum effect. Ronan Sheehan and Stephen O’Connor also played well in the backline when called upon. Other players who made significant contributions when called upon were Luke Bradley, Luke Gibbons, Ian O’Brien, Joe Maguire, Michael Maher, Ronan Murphy and Ciaran Doyle.

The final siren sounded with UCC running out deserved winners on a scoreline of UCC 8.6 (54) DCU 4.7 (31).

After defeating DCU, UCC were handed the task of playing Oxford University in the Fitzpatick Cup fina. The Bombers were under no illusions of the with Oxford’s team comprising primarily of Australian nationals.

To their credit UCC took control of the game from the start. Mike O’Riordan took up where he left off in the previous game putting in some huge hits and disposing the ball well out of the middle. O’Leary, O’Keeffe and Silke were dominating the exchanges in the middle early on as UCC’s fierce desire for the football came to the fore.

Even with the rain bucketing down the intensity level didn’t drop as each tackle, mark and score was met with a rapturous roar of approval from every UCC player and supporter. Cormac McDonagh, David Higgins and big full forward Diarmuid O’Sullivan were fantastic throughout as McDonagh’s eye for goal really shone through. Sean Coleman was finding his radar also along with key forward Muiris Bartley. At the end of the first 20minute half UCC led by 3.7(25) to Oxford University 1.2(8).

The second half of this encounter was more physical as Oxford attempted to force their way back into proceedings. This was met again by fierce determination as the UCC players stood tall turning over possession in key areas. Dan Gallagher was seeing more of the ball and was aided well by Fergal Lalor and the impressive Ger O’Sullivan.

As they had done in the semi-final, the back line was continued to dominate, led by Captain PJ O’Brien. Having only played their first ever game in the match previous McCarthy and Traynor were fantastic showing real composure in the wet conditions. Each player when called upon put their bodies on the line for the team and that desire and commitment was rewarded when the final siren sounded.

UCC had completed a marvelous victory over tournament favorites Oxford University on a scoreline of UCC 7.11 (53) Oxford 3.4 (22).

The celebrations were a joy to behold as AFL Europe chairman Chris Dow presented the inaugural Mike Fitzpatrick cup to UCC captain P.J. O’Brien.

It was a fantastic weekend for the UCC Bombers club, as the club was only set up in 2012 and to have made such great strides is a testament to the players and management.

21

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

SPORT

The FAI have announced that Martin O’ Neill will replace Giovanni Trapattoni as Ireland manager, in a move that can hardly be classed as a surprise. However, in a more sensational move, the white flag has been raised 11 years after Saipan, and Roy Keane has been confirmed as O ‘Neill’s right-hand man. The Derry native has an impressive CV, with stints at Leicester City, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland. The football public at large in the country are eager to see drastic changes, following the calamity of the latest qualifying campaign, but the question remains; is a Keane and O’ Neill combination the answer to Ireland’s problems?

There were suggestions when O’ Neill was released by Sunderland that he was no longer up to the standard required in the Premier League. He was sacked as an attempt to save the club from relegation, after a 1-0 loss to Manchester United which left the team just one point above the relegation zone. He failed to make a major impact with the Black Cats, despite an initial boost in their fortunes.

However, there is perhaps a reason for this.

John Robertson, his long-time sidekick in previous jobs, was not available. O’Neill

O’Neill and Keane: The right call?

couldn’t get his man in place Brian Barry looks at what is in store for the Republic of was the Trapattoni at Sunderland, and suffered the era. The pair will Ireland team after the appointment of Martin O’ Neill give all players a consequences. He did not produce to the same standard as other jobs chance, and build a and Roy Keane without his preferred choice of system around the Brian Clough.

Clough was the classic oldassistant. He has recognised this, and entered strengths of the team. negotiations with the FAI determined that he school, no-nonsense football manager. He However, one doubt about O’ Neill taking got his choice of assistant this time. This time, was charismatic, controversial, out-spoken, the job was his ‘Trap-esque’ tendency to have but most importantly, he was a winner. O favourites. He has not always picked his teams that man was Roy Keane.

Keane, meanwhile, has been out of the ‘Neill and Keane may well have based their based on form. Keane, on the other hand, is at the game since being sacked by Ipswich Town in managerial techniques around Clough’s style. opposite end of the spectrum, famously calling 2011. After a reasonably successful stint with Clough guided small teams to big success in for 11 changes after Ireland’s 4-0 loss to Spain Sunderland where he guided them back into his career, most notably Derby County and last year. If the two men met half-way, there the Premier League, he left the club, and they Nottingham Forest. This has been a speciality may be a competitive environment within reason of O’ Neill too. Keane brought Sunderland where everybody will be fighting for places. have never pushed on after that.

Keane’s methods were criticised after his back from the doldrums after slipping down These are exciting times for Ireland who look stint at Ipswich, but he did not turn into a bad the pecking order in England. These two are to put the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign manager overnight. Keane is a winner, and men who know what it takes to turn around the behind them. Presuming Romania don’t beat has had time to contemplate the mistakes he fortunes of a team; they learned from the best.

Greece over both legs in their upcoming playSo the question is a simple one. Is the O’ Neill off, Ireland should be second seeds for Euro has made. He has spent his time in managerial purgatory. As an assistant to Martin O’ Neill, and Keane combination a recipe for success?

2016 qualifying. O’ Neill and Keane have the Change is needed in the Ireland camp.

The he will be given a chance for rehab, and prove best part of 10 months preparation before they to the footballing world that he has what it experience and raw managerial ability of O’ have a competitive fixture, so there is more Neill, paired with the winning mentality of than enough time to play around with things takes to manage at the top-level.

One striking thing in common on the CVs Keane, is a prospect with a lot of potential. and decide on their best eleven, tactics and Furthermore, the players need a platform to of the Derry and Cork natives is that they approach. One thing is for sure though; have both played under the stewardship of express themselves after the dictatorship that exciting times lie ahead for Irish football.

Will Keane be content playing second fiddle?

Sports Editor Barry Aldworth takes a look at whether Roy Keane’s outspoken nature will prove to be a liability for Martin O’Neill "I am not Roy Keane's father, absolutely not.

He can look after himself and he can say what he wants.”

Among the first words spoken by Martin O’Neill at the press conference following his unveiling as the new Irish Manager was an acknowledgement that he was going to let Roy Keane be Roy Keane. However, it is important to note that Roy Keane does not like being in anyone’s shadow. Therefore, will Keano truly be happy playing second fiddle?

Having started his career with Cobh Ramblers, Roy Keane needed just four seasons before he found himself playing for one of the top sides in world football, Manchester United. After being signed for a then-record transfer fee, Keane quickly established himself as a first team selection in Manchester, before being

awarded the captain’s armband in 1997, after Eric Cantona’s retirement.

Keane was always known as a ruthless player on the pitch, perhaps best highlighted by the table which essentially ended Alfe-Inge Håland’s career. However, this was just the beginning of Keane’s journey to notoriety, as Saipan followed shortly after intentional effort to injure Håland.

Whilst the Saipan incident largely divided Ireland, it was not the only time Keane was removed from a team because of his opinions.

After 12 years with United Keane left the team, by mutual consent, after United’s management took issue with criticism Keane aimed at several young team-mates on MUTV. So it must be asked, can Keane assist Martin O’Neill in improving the Irish national side,

or will he be a divisive influence in the locker room.

Keane has earned, and without any doubt deserves the respect of any player on the Irish side. However, his propensity to criticise young players, particularly during the formative years of their career, could prove to be a problem for O’Neill. If Keane is unable to curtail his remarks there may be a significant increase in the number of players making themselves unavailable for international duty.

However, Keane has had previous success as a manager, where Keane’s strict treatment of players (including an incident where he left three players behind for being late for the bus to a match) brought Sunderland back to the Premiership, and saw Keane pick up two “Manager of the Month” awards. Despite the

success Keane’s mouth once again got him in trouble, as differences between the Cork man and Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn led to Keane leaving the club, an event which was reportedly celebrated by many of the club’s players.

Roy Keane has never truly been content in anyone else’s shadow. Despite the respect and winning ways that he brings to the fold, his outspoken nature may, in the long run, prove to be too much for O’Neill to handle. If success comes Ireland’s way quickly the new partnership could be a great one. However, if results are poor it is likely only a matter of time before Keane sounds off on Martin O’Neill, which could lead to him losing his current post, and any hope of one day being the Irish manager.

22

Tuesday November 19, 2013 | UCC EXPRESS

SPORT

Demons dominate UCD in National Cup Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor @Aldworth_Barry

C & S UCC Demons 96-65 UCD Marian On Sunday November 10 the C & S UCC Demons hosted UCD Marian in the first leg of the Men’s Premier National Cup. Having begun the year in fine form, currently undefeated in the league, the Demons continued to dominate, as an upset victory for the UCD side never seemed to be on the cards.

Despite conceding a number of long range three-pointers to start the match, UCC quickly steadied the ship, with Colin O’Reilly leading the charge to establish a 17-11 lead after five minutes. However, just as UCC appeared to have found their footing in the match they once again fell into a lull.

Two quick scores, capped by a big dunk by Terrence King left the Dublin side just two points behind with three minutes left in the opening quarter.

However, that proved to be the last time UCD came close to taking control. Making use of various team rotations UCC once again stamped its authority on the match. Whilst some of the rotations performed better than others, the Cork side was ultimately able to recover and set up a 31-19 lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter the scoring rate dropped dramatically, but UCC maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the quarter.

Despite the low scoring rate UCC will be happy with the continued growth of American player Lehmon Colbert. Upon joining the Demons Colbert’s fitness was brought into question. However, through the hard work of the coach, and the player himself, Colbert has become one of the stars of this squad, securing 29 points against UCD.

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After a loose ball deflected off a UCD player before going out of play two of the three officials awarded possession to UCC. However, they were ultimately overruled by the third, and to make matters worse for UCC, player-coach Colin O’Reilly was handed a technical foul for criticising the call.

However, the decision had little bearing on the result of the match as UCC continued to stretch their lead, ultimately winning by 21 points.

Following the win O’Reilly congratulated his players, but highlighted that there was still work to be done. “When you can win by 31 points and there is improvement to come then that’s very encouraging.”

The 96-65 victory should mean that the return leg in Dublin will be a comfortable affair for the Demons, with entry to round two of the National Cup seemingly With the score reading 47-38 in UCC’s guaranteed. favour at the start of the third, the Demons, despite some scrappy play, continued to out- C & S UCC Demons: S. Coughlan, K. Hosford, C. Anon, B. O’Neil, C. perform the Dublin side.

With UCD visibly struggling to keep up with O’Sullivan, D. O’Sullivan, M. O’Leary, UCC’s constant rotations the gap between the N. O’Reilly, A. O’Sullivan, L. Colbert, C. sides continued to grow. Holding a 69-51 O’Reilly. lead going into the final quarter it appeared that UCC’s work for the day had been done. UCD Marian: S. Ingle, C. Meany, M. However, on a weekend where the cost Chubb, E. Chubb, A. Moorehead, B. of referees had come to the fore, the match Drumm, M. Kelly, B. O’Riain, N. Baynes, K. Foley, N. Lynch, T. King. provided one final moment of drama.

First ever Intervarsity Martial Arts competition to be held in UCC

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Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

On January 25, 2014 the UCC Karate Club and UCC TaeKwon-Do club will join forces to co-host the first ever Open Martial Arts Intervarsity competition, in the Mardyke Arena.

The event will be open to student practitioners of Karate, Kung-Fu, TaeKwon-So and Kickboxing. Whilst participants must be registered with a recognised club in an approved third level institution, the event is open to both individuals and teams.

This competition will consist of kata (patterns), kumite (sparring), destruction (which sees participants attempt to break as man boards as possible with a single designated technique) and special technique as well as team events for kata and kumite.

Anyone interested in taking part in the event must have their application submitted to UCCopenmartialarts@ gmail.com no later than Friday January 17, 2014.

More information on the event can be found at facebook.com/uccmartialartsopen.

23

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday November 19, 2013

SPORT

An hour on Inniscarra Lake Stephen Barry | News Editor

“We wouldn’t want you to put your back out” For my own good my time on Iniscarra Lake with the UCC Rowing Club will be spent at least an oar’s length away from any rowing boats as I come to observe some of UCC’s most dedicated athletes.

Certainly calling them the most dedicated athletes doesn’t seem a stretch when I was, gratefully, informed that there wouldn’t be room for me at a novice ‘erg’ session at 7am on a Wednesday morning. A session of novice circuits that evening was offered too, but having already tried running and found out I was no good at it, a Sunday kicking back on Their budget is €65,000, a generous yet a lake sounded a free pass for my editorial restrictive amount when everywhere you look penance. is a cost…

The Senior four are coming off the water as “Everything is a Challenge” I arrive out. With a major Regatta in London The twenty minute car journey out to coming up, they’ll be putting UCCRC’s name Inniscarra is pretty pleasant. Aside from out on an international front but transport for establishing what I will be doing and meeting them and their boats has a cost. the kind rowing folk, I am given a general The novices require one coach per eight introduction to a club which has undergone a rowers; a limitation of both cost and logistics… major transition in moving out to Inniscarra 95 turned up to an info night earlier this year last year and experienced success with two but the club can only bring 16 people onto All-Ireland titles last summer.

Inniscarra Lake on any weekend.

Mainly though I hear about the crazy costs of equipment the club incur: €30,000 for “Grab the Oars Ger, Grab the Oars” an 8-man boat; €10,000 to rent the bays in It’s no wonder the first twenty minutes Inniscarra; €2,500 on petrol annually for the are concerned with protecting the club’s coaches’ boats. equipment as it is brought from land to lake.

UCC Rowing Club Battle the Irish Sea for the Heart Foundation Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor

UCC’s Kickboxing club has continued its impressive year, as two of the club’s members Triona O’Sullivan and Pat O’Connor recently represented the club at the WKU World Championships in Greece.

However, that was not the last of the good news for the club as O’Sullivan picked up one gold medal and three silvers at the event.

Meanwhile, O’Connor was busy collecting medals himself as he left the tournament with two bronze medals draped around his neck.

Despite their mutual success, the stories of how O’Sullivan and O’Connor got to this stage are very different.

For O’Sullivan the success came after devoting much of her life to the sport. “ Before leaving for Greece she said: “I’ve been doing kickboxing and Taekwon-do with Master and Mrs Dalton for the past nine years in my home club of Millstreet and around the country at national training sessions. When it came to filling out my CAO form before my Leaving Cert this year, UCC was my first choice. Not only because of the Sports Studies and Physical Education course the college had to offer but because of the kickboxing club!”

Whilst O’Sullivan was brought to UCC because of kickboxing, O’Connor was brought to kickboxing because of UCC. “After being fortunate enough to have obtained a place in Medicine in UCC, my next goal was to join as many clubs as possible.

With this cost-awareness in mind I think that the onlookers are calling to save the oars from sinking after an early capsize, when it is actually a move that helps balance the rower and boat.

Things are going wrong for the coaches though and one motor-boat’s engine won’t work, before a better motor-boat’s engine swallows a rope. The third takes its time to start and eventually myself and one of the coaches join the novices on the water.

“Do you scull?”

90% of those on the water took up rowing only six weeks ago and they are put through their paces with exercises designed to help their posture in the boat. Given their inexperience, the plan is to keep close tabs on them and get their technique right before letting them row

for longer distances.

Under the direction of coach and cox, the crew attempt to act in unison at all times, while maintaining their own power in the movement.

I’m quite glad to be sitting at my leisure throughout, with little excitement bar the motor-boat’s engine briefly cutting out and almost crashing into the 8 person boat. But the rest of my hour on water is spend being a safe distance from the boat before the crew, who were here on Saturday too, head for shore.

It’s clearly not a sport you can just jump into, but with the right temperament and workrate, the Rowing Club are able to point you in the right direction and plan a pathway to a competitive level.

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Having gone to my first kickboxing class, I immediately fell in love with the sport and knew it was for me.”

The story does not end there, however, as the two have now been chosen to represent Ireland once more, this time in Germany.

At only 17 O’Sullivan highlighted that this is potentially only the beginning of a, hopefully, very successful stint in the sport.

Needless to say, watch this space!

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SPORT 24 UCC EXPRESS Tuesday, November 19, 2013

O’Neill and Keane: The right call?

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SEE PAGE 21

Haughney reigns supreme at charity fight night Barry Aldworth | Sport Editor @Aldworth_Barry

Prior to the main-event, chants of “There’s only one Podge Haughney” rang around the Savoy Theatre.

As he entered the ring to square off with Olympic silver medallist, and three time EU Amateur Championships gold medallist Ken Egan the SU President might have been wondering if there was even going to be “one Podge Haughney” left when the final bell rang.

As both combatants tried to out-perform each other with their respective entrances it was clear that the crowd was entirely in Haughney’s corner. Upon the bell to start the fight Haughney, representing the red team, was quick to take control of the action.

was quickly brought to a stand-still when a lowblow by Egan left Haughney on the ground, drawing cries of agony from every man, and the majority of women, in attendance.

With fatigue setting in, the third and final round was a more cagey affair, as both fighters tied to earn the victory. On the night, however, a split-decision by the judges handed Haughney the win, and bragging rights for the year.

However, speaking after the event the SU President was under no illusions that the result of the night could have been a very different one. “In fairness to Ken he is an absolute gentleman, an inspiration and a legend! It’s great to say I stepped into the ring with him, I think it’s fair to say he could have knocked me out in 10 seconds if he wanted

With both boxers struggling to navigate the wheelchairs whilst wearing boxing gloves the fight quickly became a scrappy affair. After meeting in the middle of the ring, Berry and Power exchanged blows for three rounds with both struggling to get out of the way.

Whilst the match was ultimately called as a draw, the victory should have perhaps gone to Berry who, in the third round, trapped his opponent in one corner before letting the punches fly.

On a night in which the results were mainly decided by the judges, the most dominant performance must be awarded to Owen Kirby for his win over Alan Chawke. A series of what became known as “Limerick Lefts” saw Kirby secure the victory after just 22 seconds of the first round, via a referee stoppage.

Earlier in the night, in the only female match on the card, Dee Begley secured a hard fought win over Aoife Foley.

Foley, fighting out of the blue corner, started the fight the better, as she took control of the early portions of the match. However, despite some problems with her protective helmet, Begley quickly worked her way back into the fight.

As both boxers continued to fight hard in the second round, the tide began to turn in favour of the red corner. Several hard shots saw Begley move ahead in points, and entering the third it looked as if a stoppage was possible. However, to Foley’s credit she continued to fight hard, but was ultimately unable to overcome Begley’s performance in the second and third round.

Haughney once again became the aggressor, as even the bell to signal the end of the first round couldn’t stop the punches.

What started as a physical encounter soon became scrappy as a series of cheap shots in the clinch by Egan was met with boos from the crowd. However, after the referee stopped in to break the two fighters apart, Haughney once again became the aggressor, as even the bell to signal the end of the first round couldn’t stop the punches.

Early in the second round the crowd was shocked once more as Egan went down. Whilst the Olympic boxer will claim, and perhaps would be correct in doing so, that the fall was simply a slip, the crowd began to roar in approval as an upset appeared to be on the cards. However, Haughney’s momentum

but he congratulated me on all the hard work and training I’ve done, and he said I have a big right hand which is a huge compliment coming from a man of his class.”

However, the night was about far more than Haughney vs. Egan, as a total of 21 combatants fought it out in 11 separate fights to raise money for Breakthrough Cancer Research and the CUH children’s ward.

Perhaps the most interesting fight on the undercard saw SU Welfare Officer David Berry go up against CACSSS Rep Cian Power in a bout of wheelchair boxing.

The final match on the undercard saw CITSU President Danny O’Donovan go up against UCC’s Chris McCarthy in the battle of the colleges.

With the crowd exchanging chants of “CIT” and “UCC” both fighters left everything they had in the ring to try to pick up the win for their fellow students. With hard shots being swapped in the ring, both fighters deserved to be given the victory.

However, after a judge’s decision the win went to McCarthy and to UCC to the delight of the majority of the crowd.

Whilst the night went in UCC’s favour, Haughney was quick to highlight that the event was about far more than boxing.

After the event he said: “I think the event was fantastic! Credit needs to go out to every boxer who took part, it’s not easy to go out in front of your peers and compete the way they did last night! Each and every one of them should be proud of themselves!

It was a great night had by all and at the end of the day we did a good deed and raised money for some very worthy charities!”

This sentiment was echoed by CACSSS rep Power, the only person to fight twice on the night, who said he took part because he “wanted to give back, especially to the two great Cork based charities who contribute so much to the Cork area but also globally with respects to Cancer Breakthrough.

Whilst a final figure has yet to be confirmed, the event will in no doubt go down as one of the most successful charity events organised by any UCCSU, especially given its taking place outside of RAG Week.