/march2009 by CIT Students' Union

CIT Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union Magazine Volume Ten - Issue Six

Student Centre Strike Notice

CITSU Elections

RAG Week Photos

Closed Access

Opinion

Editorial

Clean Conscience!

CIT Students’ Union Rossa Ave, Bishopstown Cork, Ireland. Telephone: 021 493 3120 Fax: 021 454 5343 Email: info@expliCIT.ie

expliCIT Staff Editor - Killian Hughes Design & Advertising - Philip O’Reilly Contributions Gearóid Buckley Shane Fitzgerald Vicky O’Sullivan James O’Sullivan Young Fine Gael Society

Adam O’Brien Sarah Morey Niall O’Mara Barry O’Sullivan Suas Society

CIT Students’ Union President - Gearóid Buckley (supresident@cit.ie) Vice President Education - Adam O’Brien (sueducation@cit.ie) Vice President Welfare - Thomas Lynch (suwelfare@cit.ie) Entertainments Officer - Rebecca Liston (suentertainments@cit.ie) Projects Officer - Chris Scanlon (suprojects@cit.ie) Communications Officer - Killian Hughes (sucommunications@cit.ie) Print Barnaville Print & Graphics LTD Advertising Opportunities CIT has almost 17,000 full and part-time students with over 1,500 staff. Why not use expliCIT to promote your business to this large audience? Copy deadlines, advertising rates and technical specifications are available from our website www.expliCIT.ie or upon request from the Publications Office.

expliCIT magazine is published monthly by CIT Students’ Union. The views expressed in the magazine are those of their authors and are not necessarily those of CIT Students’ Union. All articles and pictures are the property of their respective owners and should not be reproduced without their permission.

We Need You! If you would like to contribute to expliCIT please contact Philip in the Publications Office, 1st Floor, Student Centre or email: info@expliCIT.ie

A portrait worth paying for!

Joe Keane, Business Studies Lecturer, helps to raise hundreds of euro at Charity Gunge Hey guys, Another month down, only three to go, oh lordy, lordy! We (yes; that includes me) should really start getting those projects done as deadlines are fast approaching, and now that the biggest event of the student year is over and done with, we’ll have to start thinking up some good excuses to get out of studying. RAG week is now over, I hope ye all had a good time (I know I did), and I’d like to thank all the people that helped out and gave generously to charity over the few days. All the photos will be up soon on the Union website and bebo, if you need a reminder of what you got up to during the week, keep an eye on the net for updates. As you’re reading this issue, Students’ Union election week will be upon us, but don’t worry; Batt O’Keeffe won’t be on the ballots! Make sure you get out there and vote for the right people as they’re the ones that will be representing you next year, and on that note I’d like to remind ye that if ye have any problems between now and the end of the year please call into the Union office. Well lads, that’s all from me for another issue, I’d like to wish all the election candidates the best of luck, hope the best men/women win! Shake it easy, Killian Hughes SU Communications Officer

ne t

issue:

See www.expliCIT.ie for magazine dates and copy deadlines

• Report on RAG Week Fundraising • IT Factor & €urostar Song Competition • Student Centre Debacle Update

NOTICE OF STRIKE ACTION Cork Institute of Technology Students’ Union would like to advise students of possible strike actions which may be taking place over the next few weeks. Class Representatives will be informed in advance of any proceedings and notices will be placed on campus, our website www.citsu.ie and expliCIT. We appreciate the support of all students in assisting and respecting any protests that will take place over the duration of this semester. Reasons for Action: The Institute President, Dr Brendan Murphy, has taken the unilateral decision to abandon plans for commercial units in the Student Centre to host administrative offices. We are appalled with the Presidents lack of consultation with the student body and Student Centre Management Board. We will not accept the removal of retail units, including bookshop, merchandise shop and bar, to house administrative offices.

Letter to Institute President:

(no reply or acknowledgement from President to this letter or emails as of print)

11 February 2009 Dr Brendan Murphy President Cork Institute of Technology Bishopstown Cork

cc: Mr John Clarence, Mr Damien Courtney, Ms Orla Flynn, Mr Liam Hodnett, Mr Tadhg Leane, Mr Michael Loftus, Dr Michael Noonan, Dr Barry O’Connor, Dr Geoffrey Spratt, Mr Michael Delaney, Mr John Cogan, Mr Frank Hanley, Mr Edmond Riordan, Ms Fiona Kelly, Miss Vicky O’Sullivan, Ms Anne O’Leary, Mr Brian Keaty. Dear President With reference to a meeting held on 10 February 2009 relating to the vacant commercial units in the Students Centre, we the Students’ Union Executive, have been mandated by the Students’ Union Council on 11 February 2009 to inform you that any proposal to transfer administration functions to the Students’ Centre will be totally and unequivocally rejected by the student population. The implementation of such a proposal will result in official Union action on the part of the student population.

governmental regulations, or rules of the Revenue Commissioners should cause such cessation of interest or loss of potential tenants given that many Third Level Institutes have commercial tenants operating successfully within their campuses, e.g., Sligo Institute of Technology. Furthermore, the student body has been advised that the Students’ Union proposed that they would operate a service from one of the units, and this proposal has been completely dismissed. There is a Student Centre Board of Management in place which represents the views of students, staff and management of the Institute. A number of the members of the Board have significant commercial expertise and are in a position to offer the Institute, what must be viewed, as sound business advice. However you have often ignored the advice and recommendations of the Board. This fact engenders the notion that the Board simply plays lip service‚ to the recognition of the need for student representation and consultation concerning the Student Centre, and that the decision of the President will be imposed in any case. It must be acknowledged that students have contributed financially to the construction and development of the Student Centre, and as the chief stakeholders of the Institute, their needs must be addressed and their opinions respected. We see no evidence, so far, that this is reflected in reality. This lack of genuine consultation has reached an intolerable level, and students are no longer prepared to passively accept the despotic decisions which have been imposed by CIT management.

The premise for developing a Student Centre was to provide a social hub, where students can connect with each other through sporting, social and other extra-curricular activities, and to avail of support structures such as careers, counselling and medical services. The Student Centre is also viewed as the appropriate area to house essential commercial facilities such as banking, shops and catering services.

We, as the Students’ Union Executive, demand on behalf of the student body, that a fair and authentic forum of consultation is put in place so that the views of students relating to the Student Centre are considered before any concrete decisions or plans are executed relating to the future use of the Student Centre.

The student body has been informed that several suitable commercial operators have expressed an interest in leasing the commercial units in the Student Centre but have withdrawn tenders or expressions of interest due to the unnecessary level of bureaucracy which exists within Cork Institute of Technology. It seems unreasonable to suggest that legal complications,

Yours sincerely Gearóid Buckley, President Thomas Lynch, VP Welfare Killian Hughes, Communications

Adam O’Brien, VP Education Becky Liston, Entertainments Chris Scanlon, Projects

Latest News Government Killing Education National Day of Protest Held at CIT Students from CIT joined their colleagues from across the country on Wednesday 4th February in a National Day of Action. Students shouldered a coffin across campus and buried it in the Student Centre as a symbolic demonstration to portray that the government is ‘killing education’. The Minister for Education wants to reintroduce student tuition fees of anywhere between €4,000 - €8,000, and has raised the registration fee by sixty six percent on top of this to €1,500. This will have a detrimental impact on students and families already struggling with the cost of education, and will make it almost impossible for many to afford college at all. Student representatives from CIT Students’ Union recently met the Minister of Education, Batt O’Keeffe, at which time the Minister announced that fees were off the agenda. Hours later the batty Minister denied any such conversation claiming that fees were not off the table for government. Gearóid Buckley, CIT Students’ Union President, stated: “This demonstration will not just highlight that any reintroduction of tuition fees will negate any hope for the future of our failing economy but also to acknowledge that the Minister of Education has not just disgraced his position but the office of the Department of Education. Surely his main

National

prerogative should be to at least maintain the current standards and opportunities to access education, if not to develop our 2nd class education system. We must not forget that with all our governments’ frivolous spending, and that government funding of the education system is still below the EU average. With a frozen grant and rising living costs third level students continue to be made the scapegoat for the government’s mismanagement of public funding. We must also think of access to education, increased registration fees will diminish access and put Ireland back decades to a two tiered society — those who can and those who cannot pay a fee. If the government further increase the original ‘nominal’ fee, we can say good bye to any hope of our knowledge economy, and say good bye to any hope of getting out these tough economic times. This is a complete disgrace, students should not and will not pay a cent for the substandard facilities of many IT’s and Universities around the country. It is very easy for Minister to raise fees because students don’t vote, it is also very easy for him to do so sitting in his warm office , while students sit in cold prefabs. ” Students laid parchments on the coffin as a symbolic gesture demonstrating the harmful effects of the government’s actions.

Latest News

CITSU Raise €1000 for Cork Simon CIT may have cancelled Christmas Day but CITSU managed to raise €1000 for local charity Cork Simon Community. The money was raised in the run up to the Christmas examinations with festive activities in the atrium. Cork Simon Community are traditionally given a charitable contribution from CIT Students’ Union Christmas Day but this year due to its cancellation, the charity didn’t suffer as a result. CITSU met with staff of the canteen and organised week long festivities in aid of the charity. The Student Services Company supplied Christmas Dinner while the Students’ Union organised the entertainment. Gearóid Buckley, CIT Students’ Union explained, “It was a great week of festivities, and just what

the doctor ordered just before the exams, we gave out a huge number of prizes and chocolates. After Christmas Day being cancelled, students needed a bit of a lift; also it was important that monies were raised for charity. This year charities are finding it pretty tough in light of the economic climate so it was great to be able to help a local charity such as Simon.” Cork Simon works in solidarity with men and women who are homeless, offering housing and support in their journey back to independent or supported living. Every night Simon provides over 100 beds for people in Cork who are homeless. A spokesperson from Cork Simon stated that it was fantastic gift to receive from CIT students, in a time when funding was being cut in charities across the board.

CIT Promotes PleaseTalk.ie Service to Offer Additional Support to Students Please Talk was first launched in January 2007 in UCD. It was in response to the deaths of a number of students by suicide in the student populous. Please Talk urges students to understand that Speaking is a strength not of weakness, and if you’re experiencing problems while at college, there are people there who’ll listen to you. It promotes this message through a collaborative effort involving the various support services present in colleges up and down the country such as: chaplains, counsellors, student support officers, students’ unions, disability support services and many, many more. Gearóid Buckley, CIT Students’ Union President, welcomed the new support structure: “It is a fantastic support structure to be part of, as it enables all our services across campuses to be

branded as one. I believe that the pleasetalk.ie brand will strengthen existing support services in every college, there are many support services offered from chaplaincy to Students’ Union and it is important that all such services are marketed as united front. Going forward into a time when debt accumulates more and more victims it is important now more than ever that we respond to the changing needs of those who need support” CIT will hold a launch party on Monday 16th March, so keep your eyes opened for more information. If students experience problems at home, college, or in their private lives, they can log on to www.pleasetalk.ie, select their college and identify what services that are available that they might want to access.

Students’ Union Elections 2009 Voting Procedures - FAQ Who can vote? All members of the Students’ Union as set down in article 3.1 of the constitution of the Students’ Union are eligible to vote in the referenda: Extract from the Constitution “3.1 Full Membership: All registered students of the college, whether full, part-time, day or block release or any combination of these shall be full and equal members of the Union on payment of the fee as specified by the Union annually.” What do I need to vote? You need a valid college ID card or acceptable form of Identification to vote. How do I cast my vote? You need to call to the polling station closest to you. (A schedule of polling station locations and time will be available in the what’s On and from the Students’ Union Office). Present your ID to the election officials who will give you the ballot forms. You can indicate your preferences in numerical order i.e., number 1 is your first preference; number 2 your second preference, and so on. How do I make up my mind? In order to find out more information, to help you to decide which way you wish to vote, talk to the candidates, read their electioneering material and attend the official husting the day before the votes are cast. For any further information on the election process, rules and electorate eligibility, please call into the Students’ Union Office or go to the Students’ Union Notice Boards. Vicky O’Sullivan, Assistant Returning Officer

Sports News

We are the Champions! Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup Final CIT made history on the 28th February 2009 as they won the Sigerson Cup for the first time. Although 16-1 outsiders from the outset Keith Ricken's men strolled to the final and even then were outsiders to overcome DIT. CIT made it into the semi-finals Cup after edging out DCU by 1-15 to 0-14, after extra time, following a thrilling tie. Two days later CIT faced a skilful NUIG. Daniel Goulding pointed the way with six points as a powerful burst after half-time propelled CIT into the final for the first time. Yet the host side were left hanging on at the finish as five points on the trot from NUIG brought them within touching distance. CIT were relieved to hear the full-time whistle, yet their overall performance merited their progression into the decider. The final was a special day for the club’s long-serving officer, Keith Ricken. “It’s being a long-time coming for our club, which is 30 years old. We weren’t allowed compete for a while, but it’s a very emotional day for us all. “I told the players before the game they were the best group ever to wear the red and white jersey and I knew we were going to win, even after the slow start. I was always confident,” he said. In excellent conditions at the CIT Sports grounds, the hosts got off to a very poor start as DIT began in determined fashion. Despite conceding 1-3 inside the opening five minutes, Kevin McManamon scored a goal from Martin Reilly’s precise pass, CIT settled to dominate the rest of the wind-assisted half.

Photo: Barry O’Sullivan

CIT 1-15 DIT 1-10

Cork star Daniel Goulding gave a master class from placed balls, scoring eight in all, to help his side lead 0-10 to 1-4. Though Colm O’Neill and Paul Kerrigan missed clear-cut goal scoring chances, both players can be well and truly forgiven by their work rate from start to finish. DIT began the second half in determined fashion with a brace of scores each from half-time substitute Niall Coughlan and defender Darragh Walsh. However, a 37th-minute Shane McCarthy goal put CIT back in front and they held a comfortable five-point lead with 13 minutes remaining. A superb Shane McCarthy goal after 36 minutes eased nerves as CIT added 0-3 without replay. DIT kept plugging away and they punished CIT hard in the closing minutes, with McManamon adding his second point before CIT goalkeeper Liam Sheehan was forced to pull off a fine save from Niall Coughlan. Such a save must have been even inspirational to DIT as they relentlessly played balls into their half forward line. However such balls were ineffective against CIT’s half back line that were indispensible throughout the whole tournament, noting Kerry man Aidan O’ Sullivan as man of the match. His tireless performance was key to holding DIT at bay. Fittingly, Goulding wrapped up the win with the final score of the game, his ninth, to give the Cork college their first ever win in the national competition. Gearóid Buckley

Sports News O’Sullivan Cog in Ricken’s Firing Machine I’m no GAA analyst but after the NUIG game I highlighted powerhouse defender Aidan O’ Sullivan as the most under rated player on the pitch, and was delighted he got his just reward after the final. If his ability to read and anticipate the game doesn’t cement the argument that he should be playing for the Kerry seniors, then his mistake less performance throughout the whole Sigerson Cup should. He possesses both consistency and reliability which are key traits for a defender at intercounty level. After the game Aidan was ecstatic at wining the competition stating that he could not find the words to describe the feeling, and upon wining the MOM Award he was shocked and felt that such an award should reside with the team and Keith as a representation at the manner in which they played. Aidan was involved in much link up play throughout the game including in the run up to CIT’s only goal. One could argue that every player deserved such an award as every player played a significant role in CIT’s victory. Liam Sheehan’s fine save, Daniel Gouldings nine points and Paul Kerrigan’s expert passing just to name a few. I felt the success of CIT was accountable to their not just their excellent short passes but their sheer commitment. A Cork IT player was never left on

his own, always plenty of options and support, and playing to their strengths of agility and pace, breaking down the physical DIT side. Such attitude is inspired by both Keith Ricken and the team Captain Paul O’ Flynn. When I visited other colleges in the summer, every Registrar, Sports Officer or anyone with any remote interest in students sang Keith’s praises just as any student in CIT would. Keith is widely known for his dedication to all students not just those playing Senior, but Fresher’s and evens those who don’t play sports in CIT. It was fantastic to finally see him get rewarded for not just his hard work but dedication. Such dedication could be easily mirrored to team captain Paul O’ Flynn, who scared many as he limped off the pitch after beating NUIG. However in true O’ Flynn fashion he led us into the final and played a major force in breaking down our counter parts from Dublin. Such a team performance was just what the doctor ordered after a serious run of bad news for students in recent months. It is the first time we’ve got our hands on the Sigerson and If last weekend’s performance is anything to go by then there should be no reason we can’t hold onto it for years to come. Congratulations lads. Gearóid Buckley

Union Address CIT Students’ Union President A Chara, Semester two is now truly in full swing, the first month was packed with RAG week, the Business & Accounting Society Ball, NMCI Graduations, both Sigerson and Fitzgibbon, Euro Star, and many other Sport & Society events. And the chaos doesn’t end in March. This week are the Students’ Union Elections, the year ahead will be a difficult year for students throughout the country, with the increase in the registration fees, calls for the reintroduction of tuition fees, and the overall down turn of the economy, students need strong representation at all levels, so please place your votes carefully and make them count. The hustings are on Wednesday in the canteen at 1.00 pm, this is a chance for you to ask any questions to any candidates, use this opportunity wisely. I have to wish all candidates the best of luck, it is a fantastic week for all and win loose or draw the election week is an experience of a lifetime. I attended the Euro Star final, this years talent was at an all time peak, and I genuinely felt sorry for the contestants and judges as all who took part could have easily done CIT justice in the IT Factor Finals in Tralee. So congrats to Fiona Kiely who won the covers and Triona O’Neill who won the originals. As I’m in a congratuloraty mood I must take my hat off to both the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon lads, they showed great dedication over the past number of months, training even during the Christmas holidays. It was a great boost to the RAG week line up to have both games played on the Bishopstown Campus, and an even greater boost to the night time events as CIT were victorious on both occasions. UCC won’t be coming back in a hurry after a thrilling game that saw the superior quality shine through in extra time. CIT then went one step further today and reached the semi final of the Fitzgibbon, beating a deflated UCD side in the process. I mentioned fees above; I can understand that everyone is well and truly tired of hearing about impending fees. However a recent report from a meeting of heads of Institutes highlights that fees will be of the detriment

of current and future students but also those that have gone before us, as we would see an Aldi education sector arise in Ireland. Have a read of my article later in the issue. It explains it in more detail. For those of you who are pi**ed off after reading my article in last months expliCIT with regard the Student Centre, you’d better sit down as I tell you that the Institute’s President, Dr Brendan Murphy, now wants to move admin offices down stairs into the unfilled units. Yes, that means saying good bye to any possibility of a bookshop, travel shop, merchandise store or a bar. It is a further disgrace that this decision was arrived to by the President, the Acting Registrar and the Development Officer. Yes you read that correctly, not one student in that list, nor is there one person who deals directly with students. How can those that are completely sealed off from students, know what is best for them. But an even bigger insult was that a committee set up by CIT, the Student Centre Board of Management, which includes student reps was completely ignored in the decision making process. I have this issue explained in more detail in a further article so please take time to read it. I’ve also come across many problems with open access, it is a complete disgrace that in a third level institution there is no access to computers and printers. There has been issues all year long with this service and I am sick of hearing excuses. Hopefully by the time this issue is published such issues will be resolved once and for all. If you come across any problems with this service or any service please drop me a text, or just call in as it is difficult to fix things without knowing about them. However on a more positive note there are two more Society Balls coming up which I’m sure everyone has been saving for. Society and Class Representative Awards are also fast approaching so get your nominations in for those that you think have excelled in Society work over the year. Just a quick reminder if you have any problems, please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the executive any time. Best of luck, Gar

CITSU Vice President Education RAG week was fun. Hectic but fun. The year is winding down – we’re all into the final stretch of eight weeks or so (not including the Easter break). I’ll bet everyone is waiting for the summer to come after this difficult year. There’s lots of stuff to do before the end of the year: Safety Week, SU elections (lots of free sweets), Arts Fest and others. Arts Fest itself, at the end of March will be great with concerts from local artists such as Meteor award nominated Mick Flannery, Fred and John Spillane to look forward to.

Opinion

During the week, every student should receive an email concerning their electives and/or free choice modules and you will be asked to enter which you have taken. When you fill out this information, the admin will be able to compile who’s where and when faster, and hopefully get the examination timetable out for everyone faster. Six weeks, I think is when they and everybody else want to have it finished by. Other developments include the Student Wireless, which i have been going on about for months but sure if you’re here in CIT, you know CIT. So myself and the rest of the Union are still on it, and will create a solution shortly. Oh and did everyone see that the TV’s in the Common Room are hooked up properly so you should be able watch Home and Away now. Good Luck Adam.

NEEDS YOU! If you would like to get involved with your college magazine, email info@explicit.ie or visit the SU office.

Union Address CITSU Projects Officer Nice to see ye all back. Well not all of ye! Hope Rag Week was good for ye, I had a laugh. For any of ye who were disturbed by my dressing up as ‘slut’, I am truly sorry. You can blame Becky and her stupid luminous green knickers . . . ugh the thought of it is horrifying. Oh and the funny thing about my whole transvestite experience has to be the cars beeping at me around Bishoptown. I think Claire was freaked out

by the whole thing. Lads a word of advice, dressing like a slut does get you women. Ask Mick if you don’t believe me. I was amazed at how generous some of ye were to the charities by both putting money into the bucket and by supporting the various official CITSU events. The Blizzards were without a shadow of a doubt the highlight of the week, and I’m sure ye all will agree with me on that! How good was it to see Gearoid and Joe Keane both gunged. Cheers Lads, Chris (FISH)

CITSU Entertainments Officer First of all I would like to thank all of my little girlies(you know who ye are) and boys for all the help over rag week, ye were the best help and the best rag crew in years!! Also like to thank Frank Hanley(Student Centre Manager), Tim and Donal (From the building office) and a big thanks to all the staff in the union for all there advise and support during the week. Over all rag week was a great week,

Opinion

I really enjoyed it and hope you all did as well. The highlight of my week was the lock and key party on Tuesday night, I think it was a great night. The Tramps ball was one of the best in years and there just going to get better. To all of ye out there don’t forget election week is coming up and being in the union is one of the best experiences in your live. Don’t be afraid to come to me if you would like a in side point of view. Fact of the day: Hate the gym? You burn about 200 calories during 30 minutes of active sex. Love Becky

CITSU Vice President Welfare

Opinion

Woooaaaa Rag Week’s over? Already? I was at a house party Thursday night and there was only 4 of us still awake at 7 in the morning.

Coming up SU elections and Arts Fest this month, and Safety Week in to look forward to in April.

One of the lads wanted to go to sleep and I was like “no… if you go to sleep Rag Week is over”. Then I fell asleep. No more Rag Week.

Thomas

Loads planned for Safety Week stay on the look out for demos.

Welfare

Welfare Guide to:

Living Away from Home (and more importantly, in student accommodation) Living away from your parents or guardians for the first time can be quite daunting at first, but mostly it’s ‘unreal’. No one nagging you telling you to clean your room, no one asking you “do you think you’ve done enough study”, and no one keeping an eye on what time you come back in at and who you come back with. But, wait . . . in a contract of one of the student apartment complexes around Bishopstown it reads: The Tenant (that’s the student) agrees with the Landlord. . . To permit the Agent at all reasonable times to enter the Apartment and the Room and examine the state of repair and condition . . . Following such inspection the Agent may give notice to the Tenant requiring the Tenant to put the Apartment and the Room into a proper state of cleanliness . . . Translation: “Jimmy, get up them stairs and clean your room!”

Another often overseen agreement: Overnight visitors are not permitted in the Apartment or the Room and all guests must depart by 11 pm. Why do students agree to this? Personally I’d rather take my chances my folks. . . The reality is that absolute power corrupts absolutely and when “Tenants” sign on the dotted line without a thorough read of the document they leave themselves vulnerable. By not reading the contract, they don’t know their rights, the rights that they are waiving by signing the contract and their obligations under the contract. In short… read the contract. If you have a dispute with a landlord of such a student complex, or even a private landlord, call into the Accommodation Office or the Students’ Union Welfare Office on the 1st floor (Balcony) of the Student Centre and report it. Thomas Lynch, Vice President Welfare.

CITSU RAG Week 2009

Joker & Hillbilly

The Blizzards

Sandra, Niamh and Niamh

Aoife & SĂŠan

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po

Aoife & Sarah

Joe Keane

Megan 1st year, with Niall, lead singer of the Blizzards - Tramps Ball

Finbar Sheehan

Joe, Shirley & Teresa

Becky & Karl Spain

Mick & Danny

Business & Accounting Ball

Becky Liston

John Joe, Connor, Aidan, Jamie, Peter and Peter

Lynn and Linda

Marian, John, Sarah & Ray

Rose & John Joe

Aoife Kelliher & Dan Collins, CIT

Aoife & SĂŠan

Dodge Ball 2009

Grab RagWeek by the Balls...

Dodgeball Wednesday 18th Feb - CIT Gym Things got off to a shaky start inside the gym on the cold frigid Wednesday afternoon. With eighteen teams signed up, the formalities began to compete for the ‘made up’ coveted title of Dodgeball Champions of CIT. Many teams came dressed up with members dressed as superheroes and in wife beaters shirts. The aforementioned team – the friendly women beaters had difficulty understanding the rules of Dodgeball but were soon put in their place☺. The battles were intense but luckily many teams kept within their ‘zones’ and within the rules. Headshots were amazingly infrequent with at least one hitting the Students’ Union Welfare officer, Thomas, in the jaw. He fumbled, shouting to reinforce the fact that he was not out whilst the other team, Balls of Sponge, were gearing up to aim again. The newly formed GUnit, who satisfied at least some of the scheduling difficulties that I had to overcome, played excellently despite having three girls on the team! The BioEng Dodgers and Position of Thrust put up valiant fights each within their tournament games but succumbed to championship contenders. The costumed up CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet were a sight to see jumping all around the court. Taste Our Balls, who had a lot of substitutes and friends along, felt a little hard done by the rules at the beginning but eventually got into the swing of things and battled hard. The championship match consisted of two teams who turned out tops against their tournament matches. Balls of Sponge championed by Brendan Crowley were up against the impromp-

tu Simply Coomey championed by; well they didn’t have a team captain so Kieran Coomey. The match was not subject to a time trial but would go on until the last person was eliminated. The match began tensely with both sides hoping to win the vouchers for McDonalds worth €50! The match went well and soon Simply Coomey came out tops and began celebrating. Not to be perturbed by this, the cocky lads of Balls of Sponge issued a challenge of best out of three to which Simply Coomey succumbed. When Balls of Sponge won the second match the pressure was on the boys of Simply Coomey. ‘Out’ players began helping their teammates by grabbing their balls from all over the court and setting them up to shoot. The tension could be cut with an angle grinder as the last game began with little or no regard to the time. It eventually came down to Thomas Lynch, Welfare Officer versus three members of Balls of Sponge. He fought and dodged like a snake doing the rumba in Cubins; this included the headshot – but as with all things, the game came to an end. With Thomas defeated, Balls of Sponge reigned victorious and celebrated loudly. The boys were presented their prize by the organizers, Adam and Chris. The Dodgeball Tournament went brilliantly and had a good number of spectators and supporters. I hope that this all continues next year and I hope everyone who took part had a good bit of fun. Good Luck A.

Artsfest 2009 Battle of the Bands

- Heat 2

CIT Music Society has taken a fresh new jump to one of Cork’s most established venues, Cyprus Avenue , for their battle of the bands. Heat 2 of this Battle Royal will take place on March the 25th at 9.00pm. The event will be run in association with the CIT ArtsFest and Life fm.

VENUE: Cyprus Avenue DATE & TIME: Wednesday 25th March 9pm COST: €3

ArtsFest Danceathon

For details on CIT Music Society meetings and events, see www.bebo.com/citmusicsoc MUSIC SOCIETY Watch out for Bands playing at surprise locations across campus

8 hours, 8 workshops, 8 dance styles

CIT Dance Society, in association with CIT Suas Society, are running a fundraising Dance-Athon – 8 1-hour workshops in different dance styles including Bollywood, Capoeria, Breakdancing, Hip-hop, Salsa, and Bellydancing. VENUE: CIT West Atrium DATE & TIME: Tues 24th 11am - 7pm COST: Donations Welcome

The bands have been picked, the stage has been set and the gloves are off… Best of luck to all involved.

Professional teachers will be leading each workshop, so this is a great chance to try out some new dance

techniques, and help raise funds for this very worthwhile cause. Donations will be collected at the workshops and around campus during the Danceathon, so please give generously! For more about SUAS, see www.suas.ie , or contact suascit@gmail.com

BLANKspace BLANKspace is a studentbased, student-curated contemporary ﬁne art exhibition which explores the range of diversity in the production and conceptualisation of Fine Art at CIT Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork.

The show aims to demonstrate a 'snap-shot view' of the depth of talent evident in the BA(Hons)in Fine Art Course at CIT CCAD. BLANKspace has featured in ArtsFest since 2007

Welcome

VENUE: Student Centre Nexus DATE & TIME: Daily, Opening 2pm Mon 23rd COST: FREE

Vivienne Roche

Welcome to another action packed Artsfest programme, in a new March slot. This year’s festival presents music, art, theatre, spectacle, and more to the campuses of CIT. It celebrates and showcases the talented students and staff of the Institute, and CIT’s unique identity and cultural contribution to Cork City.

– ‘Never start before the time’ Vivienne Roche gives an illustrated talk about the role of light in her recent sculptures. One of Ireland’s leading sculptors, and a graduate of Crawford College of Art & Design, Roche has

VENUE: CIT Cork School of Music DATE & TIME: Saturday 28th 3pm - 4pm COST: FREE

recently completed a number of major projects including Light Ensemble, CIT Cork School of Music; Whitelight Garden, Parkwest Pointe Dublin and N.C. Iris Dublin Docklands.

Artsfest Gig Bookings Contact: Kevin Tuohy, ArtsFest Administrator Arts Ofﬁce Prefab (Outside main corridor) Email: artsfest@cit.ie Tel: 021-4326445

ArtsFest is an annual celebration of the Arts at CIT which programmes leading arts practitioners and cutting-edge acts. Many of the events are free and we invite the public to attend this wonderful week of culture and art. Our new March date reflects Artsfest’s ongoing commitment to the development of new and exciting programmes. We hope that the March dates will fit neatly into the new academic schedule and facilitate students, staff and the wider community to join in the celebrations. So whether it’s classical or rock music, photography, theatre, performance art, or films that you’re into, get into Artsfest this year!! Ta súil againn go mbainfidh sibh uilig taitneamh as imeachtaí na seachtaine seo! Sarah Morey Arts Officer, CIT

Jim Walsh Chairperson, ArtsFest Committee

Artsfest 2009 Mick Flannery Brought up on a farmland outside Blarney, Mick's ﬁrst real connection to music was watching an unplugged Nirvana covering Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World".

VENUE: Rory Gallagher Theatre DATE & TIME: Tuesday 24th March, 1pm COST: €10 / €5 Student

He sold his soul that day and after a stint in Music College in Cork, he went wandering in the U.S. for a few years. While there, he astonished everyone, but most of all

Rock with Your Cork Out

Mick’s recently released ‘White Lies’ album has been hugely successful, and ArtsFest are delighted to welcome him to the stage in CIT.

- Screening and industry discussion

For bands and musicians in Cork, we have a special screening of this acclaimed documentary, followed by a music industry discussion with some of the leading names in the business.

VENUE: Rory Gallagher Theatre DATE & TIME: Tuesday 24th March, 6pm COST: FREE

himself, by winning a US International Songwriting Competition award for one of his ﬁrst ever compositions - the judge of Mick's category was Tom Waits.

The documentary by and about the Cork rock music scene, here laid bare under the spot lights and cameras, its success and shortcomings voiced openly and honestly

by the very people giving it life. With interviews, live footage, and commentary. RWYCO premiered at the 2008 Corona Cork Film Festival and features the likes of Stanley Super 800, Fred, The Frank and Walters, and Rulers of the Planet. Presented by CIT Music Society supported by ArtsFest

Fred

VENUE: Rory Gallagher Theatre DATE & TIME: Thursday 26th March, 1pm COST: €10 / €5 Student

Amani Acrobats Mind-bending feats of acrobatics, contortion, gymnastics, an incredible ﬂaming LIMBO, human pyramids, Spinning top, and lots lots more unbelievable balancing acts from these masters of street performance. VENUE: Student Centre Nexus DATE & TIME: Wed 25th March 1pm COST: FREE

Fred are a ﬁve piece from Cork City, Ireland who take the anguish, angst and pain out of Rock'n'roll, opting instead to just be really good.

John Spillane

Well known from their shows on Patrick’s Street and at festivals across Ireland, this is your chance to see AMANI Acrobats live like never before!!

VENUE: Rory Gallagher Theatre DATE & TIME: Friday 27th March, 1pm COST: €10 / €5 Student

Some journalists interpret this as 'quirky', but Fred's achievements both live and in their recorded output far exceed any 'quirky' ﬂash in the pan.

- 'Irish Songs We Learned at School'

In Autumn 2008, John Spillane climbed on to the shoulders of giants, the likes of Padraig Pearse, Domhnall Ó Mulláin, and other great Irish poets & songwriters, to record a collection of songs most us hadn't heard since we left primary school, or since our last summer trip to the gaeltacht, many moons ago. The resulting recordings, 'Irish Songs We Learned at School', quickly went

straight in to the Irish Top 10 in the run up to Christmas, and has gone on to achieve Double Platinum status. A selection of songs from this hugely popular recent album, featuring sing-along songs you learnt at school, or down in the Gaeltacht - in a special performance with music students from Gaelcholaiste Choilm, who sang with John on the album.

www.artsfest.ie - 021 4326445 - artsfest@cit.ie

Your Letters Loosing Faith:

Opinion

FOUR WEEKS DELAYED AND STILL NO EXAM RESULTS “...We have younger family and friends who may be interested in coming to this college. What do you think we will tell them...” Dear expliCIT, It is now week four of semester 2. The holidays are over, we’ve got our results and we’re back into the college routine. However, there is one group of students who have yet to receive all six of their exam results, students who go to bed at night wondering if their average will go up or down, students who come to college expecting the worst and at the end of the day being told ‘sorry, not today guys, come back tomorrow’. I speak of course of BS4. Four weeks on and we are still waiting for the result of our economics exam. The reasons for this delay are unknown to the students in question. Rumours run like wild fire throughout the class, fuelled by misinterpreted hints from lecturers which, like a game of Chinese whispers, have become completely distorted. Where is the communication from top management? Does our course coordinator or head of department even know how we did? Perhaps the results are so bad overall that they are just ignoring them and hoping we will forget that we ever did the exam? The latter of these possibilities may not be so far from the truth as the lecturer in question is notorious for being an exceptionally hard marker. A prime example of this was seen in second year economics when students lost a mark for writing ‘Economics’ instead of ‘Economics 2’ on the subject line of their exam papers. While the lecturer may not be wrong to demand absolute and unconditional perfection from his students, it may be an unreasonable expectation as we are only human. Surely some percentage of error is acceptable. This well known fact combined with the unacceptable length of our exam only makes us more nervous about our results. On Tuesday 10 February a petition was signed by 107 of the class members. The majority of the signatures were accompanied by a note from each student explaining why they were unhappy. Everyone had the same story ‘exam was too long’. Every student in the class agrees either more time or fewer questions would have been more suitable.

So lets add the fact that every student had to rush their exam and the lecturer is a hard marker together. The result is a very nervous and stressed group of students. And more than likely very bad exam results overall. According to all our other lecturers our semester 1 results were exceptionally good. The class as a whole have performed very well in all of our subjects, so if the result of economics is bad overall then what’s wrong? Surely it can’t be the class if they are doing well in everything else and I doubt the management of CIT would allow a sub par lecturer teach any of their students, would they? The only other cause of bad marks must be the exam paper. So to all of you who have received your results, congratulations and I hope you got what you wanted. To those of you still waiting, what can I say? Lets just hope it doesn’t affect our average too much. To those of you who have our results, can we please have them? We are tired of restless sleep, we are tired of not even knowing why our results are so late and we are tired of this college not listening to our complaints about poor lecturers. Another point to add is that some students may need their results in order to apply for a master’s degree. The deadlines are fast approaching and what are we supposed to do? The result we have now can’t surely be the same as the result we will have after getting our economics result. Just one more thing keeping us up at night. I have heard that colleges will receive money from the government based on how many students they have. We have younger family and friends who may be interested in coming to this college. What do you think we will tell them? I’m sure our old secondary schools would love to have us give a talk to leaving cert students on life in CIT. What do you think we will tell them? I am writing this article as a member of BS4, not because I was elected to do it by my class but because I feel somebody needs to voice my class’ concerns and let this college know that we are dissatisfied with the quality of the service being given to us by some of our lecturers and the people who manage this college. A concerned student

BE HEARD ON CAMPUS! If you would like your letters, articles, reviews or photos printed in expliCIT... Email: submissions@explicit.ie or contact the SU Publications Office

Your Letters Right to Reply: MSM Blood Ban

Opinion

HAEMOGLOBIN VS. HOMOPHOBIA pt.2 “...The article over-simplified the MSM blood ban and the conclusions of Mr.Holbrook were, on the whole, misguided and uninformed...” Dear expliCIT I refer to Shane Holbrooks article published in the February edition of ExpliCIT “MSM blood ban- Haemogloblin versus Homophobia”. The article over-simplified the MSM blood ban and the conclusions of Mr.Holbrook were, on the whole, misguided and uninformed. Mr. Holbrook however is not alone in his misconception. The MSM blood ban is widely perceived to be outdated and discriminatory against homosexual men; media criticism and protests on college campuses are a common occurrence. The MSM blood ban is imposed upon men who have/have had sex with other men, that is, the policy excludes on the basis of sexual practices rather than orientation; the IBTS clearly stipulate this. The life-time deferral policy for MSM maintained by the IBTS is in line with blood transfusion services in other countries, such as the UK and USA. The ban is a carefully considered policy based upon current epidemiological data, best practice procedures and is reviewed each year. Condemning the ban as unscientific and homophobic is, not only dramatic, but simply untrue. Blood transfusion services are among the most highly regulated clinical establishments, conforming to accreditation protocols and legalisation (e.g. The EU blood directive).The IBTS’s policies became subject to government-imposed benchmarking following blood scandals such as the Armour scandal. No blood in Ireland is imported to bulk up stocks and meet demand, all blood utilised by the IBTS is sourced within the Republic of Ireland, with the exception of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), which is bought in from Texas. FFP is imported to avoid CJD (the causative agent of BSE) being transmitted through plasma infusions as, to date, there is no known case of CJD reported in this area. Mr.Holbrooks claims that Ireland imports blood from Spain are contrary to the reality and completely unfounded.

Recently some discussion has taken place with regard to alleviating a lifeban and imposing one of between 1-5years. The literature is divided about the most appropriate time-period. The general consensus however is that accepting blood from abstinent MSM after a certain time-period would pose a risk to the safety of the blood supply albeit slight. The risk increment although slight, would not be zero(M.Germain et al. The risks and benefits of accepting men who have had sex with men on blood donors. Transfusion 2003; 43:25-33). From a risk-benefit perspective, a temporary deferral policy for anyone at risk of HIV infection may prove an inferior course of action compared to a blanket life-time ban in times of financial constraint, shot-gun litigations and severely limited resources. It is worthy to mention that even in this day and age of modern testing processes for blood-borne pathogens such as HIV; no method can always provide absolute results. Measures such as the MSM ban are therefore undertaken to help identify and exclude high-risk populations and improve the safety of blood components. Although a blanket ban seems unfair and discriminatory, it is current best practice procedure and blood transfusion services must act in the interests of patient safety. Politicising this issue is pointless as it is substantiated by evidence-based scientific reasoning, and not bigoted homophobia. I advise Mr.Holbrook to assess his knowledge of the subject and re-evaluate any foregone conclusions.

Yours etc, Niall O’Mara BioMedical Science

INTERESTED IN MEDICAL RESEARCH? WE REQUIRE HEALTHY MALES & FEMALES AGED 18 - 50 TO PARTICIPATE IN CLINICAL STUDIES. PARTICIPANTS ARE FINANCIALLY COMPENSATED FOR THEIR TIME AND EXPENSES.

FREE PHONE 1800 201 365 TEL: (021) 4505933 (BETWEEN 9AM-4PM) OR E-MAIL: jean.conway@shandonclinic.ie

www.shandonclinic.ie

Feature

WHAT IS THE VIDEO GAME In August 2005, a 28-year-old Korean died of heart failure courtesy of a non-stop 50-hour video game marathon. His untimely death was put down to a heart attack, brought on by exhaustion. Does video game addiction exist? Such stories would lead one to believe that it does. By 2010, it is estimated that the video games industry will be enjoying a worldwide market value of some $46.5 billion. It is currently growing at an average compound annual rate of 11.4%, a figure more than double that of the film industry’s 5.3%. Such growth is unprecedented in a market that was effectively born less than three decades ago. In that time, developers have produced numerous titles that have captured the imaginations, and stirred the emotions, of millions of people across the globe, many of these titles claim rank amongst the greatest: “Space Invaders proved so addictive that it not only inaugurated an entire video game paradigm, it caused a nationwide coin shortage in Japan.” - Chris Green The earliest video game ever patented was done so in 1948 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann under US Patent & Trademark Office Patent # 2,455,992. What was registered by the two was a simple device composed of a cathode-ray tube and analog circuitry, with the game seeing its players attempt to guide missiles to static target illustrations. Things have come a long way since the 40s, but that’s not to say that the greatest video games of all time are modern productions. Tetris, Pong, Pac Man and Space Invaders were four of the first ever games to have hit consumer shelves, and without question, four of the greatest ever made. Originally developed in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris has seen countless reincarnations, the latest of which has seen it brought to the Nintendo DS. Recently, Tetris reached a staggering 24-years-old. Over two decades from now, how many people will be playing the multi-million dollar productions of today? Not many. Sure there will be the sequels to the sequels of the sequels, and of course a few prequels, but these will be redeveloped, tuned and enhanced by the

latest technology. Tetris conversely, has essentially remained the same since its original inception, something that I very much doubt Resident Evil 12 will be able to claim. Furthermore, Tetris, on the Game Boy alone, sold over 33 million copies, putting it amongst the best selling video games in the industry’s 30-year history. Pong, Pac Man and Space Invaders haven’t survived as long as Pajitnov’s masterpiece, but they are surely still amongst the greatest, each of them having sold several million copies, a feat that relatively few titles, even to this day, have achieved. Yet it wasn’t just about the sales with these three, rather, it was about being the first games to cause a stir in a market that had, until now, few champions to call its own. Space Invaders, the brainchild of Japanese developers Taito, was the foundation on which the gaming craze that has swept Asia was built. Its release showed manufacturers in the technological industries what the future of entertainment was, and led the way for the likes of the Playstation, Nintendo and Sega consoles. With the exception of a select few, the giants of video game machinery have all spawned from Asia Space Invaders led the way for these. What Space Invaders did in Japan, Pong and Pac Man achieved throughout the rest of the world. These games revolutionised video gaming, they were its founding fathers, and without question amongst the greatest of all time. For a very long time, video games and memorable plots were effectively independent of one another. They just could not seem to coexist. Games certainly had stories, heroes and villains, but the defeat of Dr Robotnik, or even the rescue of Princess Toadstool, rarely moved any of us. This all changed in 1997 when RPG developers Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII. Little did writers Yoshinori Kitase and Kazushige Nojima know, their game was to become recognised as one of the greatest and most influential of all time. The fact that Final Fantasy VII has sold almost 10 million copies pales in comparison to the cult following that it has amassed. There are few gamers that have not played this remarkable production, and fewer that weren’t moved by it. Gamers sought the destruction of their character’s nemesis, Sephiroth, in a way that had never before

Feature

GREATEST OF ALL TIME? been experienced by players and enthusiasts. The death of Aeris, one of the game’s lead characters, was immortalised and hailed as one of the most shocking, and moving, scenes of all time. When Sephiroth drew his blade and cast it through her as she knelt before him, gamers across the globe wondered how it was that a game could touch them so much. Few developers, even Square Enix themselves, have replicated the success of Final Fantasy VII’s plot, and most critics have resigned to the fact that 1997 will, for a very long time at least, be the year in which the greatest ever story featured in a video game was told. However, you don’t have to be Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy’s protagonist and saviour of the world, to make it big - as a portly Italian plumber showed us midway through the 80s. Super Mario, and his notso-super brother Luigi, first arrived on the scene in 1983, bringing an end to the industry slump that hit on the turn of the decade. Super Mario Bros, the 1985 sequel to Mario Bros, is the best selling game of all time, having shipped a massive 40 million copies worldwide to date. Still going strong on the Nintendo Wii, Mario is without a doubt one of most recognisable faces in video game archives - one day he was fixing pipes, the next he was an iconic figure of worldwide recognition worth well over $1 billion. We can certainly all live in hope. Mario isn’t the only face from a video game that’s become recognisable in all four(ish) corners of the globe. In 1996, the heroine who has been awarded a Guinness World Record, and hailed in an MSN poll as the third most iconic video game character of all time, burst onto the scene - and with a delectable English accent as well, Lara Croft was essentially Indiana Jones in hot pants. Late last year, she made it into the Official Playstation Magazine’s “Hottest Chicks Ever” list at number two, and rightfully so if you ask this observer. There are a variety of theories offered as to why her adventures achieved such mammoth popularity, but regardless of this, there is no question that Tomb Raider deserves a place amongst the annals, and Lara Croft a seat at the top table. With the exception of perhaps Chun-Li, there has been no greater spokesperson for the feminist movement in the virtual realm.

Recently, the industry has seen a shift to online titles, many of which have taken the form of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. When one thinks MMORPG, they usually associate the acronym with gaming phenomenon World of Warcraft. In the five or so years since it was first released, World of Warcraft has won over a considerable slice of the MMO market, and with over 10 million subscribers, now controls well in excess of over half its market’s share. Its rivals are plentiful, but none have come close to even putting a dent in the title’s popularity. So impressive are the game’s figures that the term “WOWbeater” has been coined, and is used when discussing whether or not any newly emerging MMOs will have the potential to take on this industry titan. Like it or loath it, World of Warcraft is the Goliath of the online gaming world, and it looks as though poor lil’ Davie has forgotten his sling. World of Warcraft will have its place in history for sure; it is usually written by the victorious. The most recent games have not been a disappointment, but few look likely to rank amongst the greatest of all time. Grand Theft Auto has certainly made an attempt at gaining recognition, particularly for its originality, while Gears of War 2 has thrown out a cut scene that is, to be fair, every bit as dramatic as that of the scene that witnessed the death of Aeris. There are of course many hugely successful and critically acclaimed titles that I have failed to mention; Zelda, Half-life, Halo, GoldenEye, Castlevania, the list is endless. Yet, being the hit of the year, even the champion of the decade, isn’t enough in an industry whose critics are also your customers - and harsh critics they can be. For any video game to be hailed as one of time’s greatest, they must truly stand up to her test; both now, and as the likes of Tetris have done, throughout the generations to come. James O’Sullivan

Sport Can Hughes Leave his Mark on Man City?

As we enter the final furlong of this years Premiership, the final standings become more apparent weekly. Manchester United defied their critics by leading the pack after many criticised Fergusons decision to field his strongest eleven in Japan for the club championship. Such success is poles apart from that of the blue half of Manchester, where it now seems Mark Hughes is just one more defeat away from the boot. No disrespect to Mark Hughes. When he initially took the managers job in the summer, City were a sleeping giant. A club with a huge following and a great heritage despite cob webs in the trophy cabinet.

A club who have almost everything in place to tackle the big boys. On the June 4th of last year, Mark Hughes was charged with bringing this sleeping giant out of the wilderness. With Thaksin Shinawatra's backing and an academy that was producing potential stars of tomorrow, his future looked bright. However Sheik Monsour and his Abu Dhabi consortium came in on transfer deadline day in September and the world of football changed, and the world of Mark Hughes with it. Hughes was no longer in charge of a ship where he commanded its course. Manchester City had grown in one day from a sleeping giant to a snarling Godzilla like creature who needed to break free of its lower half of the Premier League shackles. The new owners demanded that City become a force to be reckoned with and they immediately started a deadline day transfer frenzy. Manchester City were linked with star players all over Europe. Sky News, Fox Sports, Setanta Sports, BBC, RTE, any station, and every station led with stories of this new football power trying to sign players. Bids were put in for players like Dimitar Berbatov, David Villa, Gianluigi Buffon, John Terry, and many many more. Eventually City ended up with Robinho. The little Brazillian had been told he was surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu by Bernd Schuster and Chelsea were interested in acquiring his services, but City came in with a last minute £32m bid and the rest is history.

Robinho was not a Mark Hughes signing. Nor was the proposed Kaka signing. However the signings of Given and Bellamy and Nigel De Jong, seem to inherit Hughes fine tradition of purchasing good hard working players at reasonable prices. The point being that Mark Hughes is signing players and that someone else at the club is pinpointing exciting talent and trying to sign them too. When Hughes is inevitably sacked where do the club go from here? Manchester City are no longer an ordinary club. They proved that with their audacious £100m bid for Kaka. They went out and in one fell swoop they sent a message around world football. But there is a problem at City that needs to be addressed. Like it or not, and most fans won't, Man City are now one of the leading franchises in the world. They have the potential to bid for anyone. But until they get things right on and off the pitch, they will not attract the biggest stars. And the two positions that Manchester City need to look at are the Chief Executive role which is currently held by Garry Cook and a Director of Football type role to dictate the shape of the club on the field. The whole Kaka fiasco fell apart due to Garry Cooks inadequacy in the negotiations. Ultimately, a good director of football should be like a good referee, making crucial decisions, not interfering unnecessarily, and going about his business quietly so that everything around him runs smoothly. At all of Europe's major clubs, Great Britain excluded, the role of Director of Football is heavily utilised. Ajax, Barca, Bayern, Madrid, Milan, Inter, Juve, Valencia, PSV, Manchester United, the list of clubs where the Director is used is long. The main reason for using a Director of Football is to allow continuity at a club. It is he who decides on what style of play the club uses, what formation the club uses, and then that strategy is developed throughout the entire club. Every team in the club from underage to senior level use the same formation and playing style, in that way players fit in seamlessly as they move up the ranks. Poor Mark Hughes is stuck in the middle of an unorganised structure where even his pedigree may not survive the next few months. In their current plight Manchester City may have the buying power of the combined La Liga and Premiership together however unless they get their house in order, such buying power could be made redundant to premiership rejects as they may battle for promotion to the premiership next year. Gearóid Buckley

Societies Society Update:

CIT Young Fine Gael Education budget took a pounding this year. It’s hard to see us keeping even 4.6%... The European average is 5.8%. We want a knowledge based economy??? To have your opinions heard, to make a difference, join YFG, and be part of the real alternative! European Elections Sean Kelly, former President of the GAA is running for Fine Gael in the European Elections. He’s running alongside Munster’s hardest working MEP, Colm Burke. For details of Colm Burke’s work in Europe, check out the bebo page, www.bebo.com/cityfg. The New National Exec: Back from left: Sarah Moore (UL & Wexford), Alison Meaghar (Trinity & Dublin), Colm Murray (UL & Longford), Gregory Lawless (Galway), Munster Organiser Keith Winters (UCC & Waterford). Front from left: Michelle Perry (NUIG & Sligo), James O’Sullivan (UCD & Dublin), Peter McCarthy (CIT), President Barry Walsh (UL & Cork), Vice President Stephen Behan (UCC & Kerry). National Conference The National Conference was a huge success! Brilliant two days had by all in Athlone, fair bit of serious debate, but a lot of craic too. New policies were formed on how to tackle the economic crisis, and crime, and much else besides. The conference presented brilliant talks from Jim Higgins MEP, Richard Bruton TD, Paul “The Hack” Williams and of course, Enda Kenny. Big news, Peter McCarthy, Applied bio sciences student, CIT YFG Chairman, has been elected to the YFG National Exec. He is one of ten people on the national committee, which runs the 4000 strong organisation. The new exec has 6 Munster faces on it, including President and Vice President. With 4000 members, YFG now has more members than the ENTIRE labour party!! Education YFG again spoke out against the reintroduction of Student Fees at the national conference in Athlone, and passed a motion to increase education spending from 4.6% GDP to 6% GDP. In 1995, it was 4.9%... 2000 – 2002 it was 4.1%…

CIT YFG also took part in a Munster YFG trip to Brussels in February. It was an incredible trip, an inside view of the EU parliament, the council of ministers, the EU commission, in dept meeting with Fine Gael’s MEP’s, and a trip to Bruges, and Antwerp. Once in a lifetime experience, but if others are interested, another trip might be happening early next year… Registering to vote Health system? Class sizes? Registration fees? Student fees? No job creation? Over 70’s medical cards? Your vote is your voice. It’s your chance to choose where you want this country to go? National Irish? Gangland Crime? Wild Wild West banking system? Unemployment for under 25s has gone up 90% in the past year! If you don’t fight for what you like, be prepared to like what you get or fight what you get. The supplementary registrar is still open. It’s your vote. Register it. Use it. If you’re not registered, check out www.checktheregistrar.ie, or contact us at yfg.cit@gmail.com. Up-coming Events Charity Table Quiz – Listowel, Co. North, 27th of March Fine Gael Ard Fheis, April 3rd and 4th in the Citywest Hotel, need I say more?? Dail Trip – Keep an eye on the Whats On!

SUAS Soc Raise Funds to Aid Third World Founded in 2002, Suas Educational Development is a movement dedicated to supporting quality education in targeted underresourced communities, with programmes in India, Ireland and Kenya. Suas tries to promote and aid the education of children in third world countries. Every year a group of volunteers from Irish third level institutions are sent to Africa and India to work in schools teaching children. Last year 80 volunteers went to India and Africa. This year there have been 7 applications from CIT and we wish all luck in being chosen for the program. We started the 2008/2009 college year with the intention of running 6 society events and raising €1000 for the Suas charity. Last semester Suas ran 3 events. A Halloween party, which was such a blast… from old school party games, snap apple to prizes for best dressed Kindly Sponsored by the floppy soc (Thanks Lads!) a human auction which our student union president kindly offered his money and body to our cause and our movie quiz

which we have to say a big thanks to the 3rd year multimedia class for their posters and love for Patrick Stuart In these 3 events we managed to raise €600. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to these events, the organisers, our generous sponsors, the various bars and clubs that hosted us and most importantly you, the students of CIT who attended the events and gave such generous donations. For Ted Fest, during rag week, Suas members were seen in the college dressed as priests, nuns and various other characters from Father Ted, handing out free tea and coffee to students. We are hoping to run three more events this semester. Suas will join forces with Dance Soc for a dance-a-thon in the canteen during Arts Fest. On Patrick’s day Suas will be on the streets of Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Belfast Face painting so if u see us wave! If anybody would like to participate or help out, Suas have a meeting every Wednesday at 1pm in meeting room 3 Keep an eye on the What’s On for any changes to this. The third event has yet to be decided upon but if you have any ideas feel free to share

Drop in your competition entries to the Students’ Union office before 15th March 2008 in SAE. Winners Listed on www.citsu.ie Forums

Fun Stuff

MAZE The Mask

By Shane Fitzgerald

Does a mask show the world what we are? Does a mask hide the real from the real? Does it trap a precious bird from its freedom? Do we use masks to fight the world? If you wear a mask for so long do you forget who you are behind it? Do we wear masks to surrender to society? I wear a mask to protect my loved ones from the demons. Giving up your freedom for the love of another can save you. It can damn you to the abyss of sorrow as well A mask can be a shield from your demons or prisons to trap them

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