CIT Students’ Union Magazine Volume Fourteen, Issue 6
Get set! Thurs 21st March
Student Raceday 2013
in this issue:
• Thinking of Running in the SU Elections? • CIT Rag Week Review & Picture Galleries • Dear CIT letters & problem pages • Sports & Socs news • Features: Gossip, Slow Food, Media Fast and much more...
r e t s a e y n n u b bash
Egg giveaway on the night!
Over 18s. ROAR Garda age ID/passport must be produced as proof of age.
Adm €2 before 11.30pm, €5 after with college ID or flyer
CIT Students’ Union, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland. Telephone: 021 433 5274 Email: supublications@cit.ie facebook.com/CITSU Web: www.explicit.ie
Front Cover pic: JANE MANGAN (student at CIT), LIZ LALOR and KATE HARRINGTON looking forward to CIT Race Day. On Sale Now from the Students’ Union
expliCIT Production Design & Advertising - Keith Brown Entertainments Manager Mick O’Mahony (Event@cit.ie) CIT Students’ Union President - Danny O’ Donovan (supresident@cit.ie) Vice President Education - Killian Hughes (sueducation@cit.ie) Vice President Welfare - Niamh Hayes (suwelfare@cit.ie) Projects Officer - Richard MacCarthy (suprojects@cit.ie) Communications Officer - Laura Horgan (sucommunications@cit.ie) Entertainments Officer - Martin Daly (suentertainments@cit.ie)
Contents 4 5 6 7 8
U Officers’ Address S STudent Raceday 2013 Celebrity Central - gossip ECF trip to Norway Thinking of running in the SU Elections? 10 Slow Food Soc - feature 11 Mix your mode 12 CIT Rag Week 2013 Review
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14 Lots of pictures from CIT Rag Week 2013 17 Media Fast - Feature 18 Dear CIT, why am I so miserable? 20 CIT Socs Volunteer Prog 21 Societies News 23 Munster rugby 23 Sports news 24 Problem page 25 gaisce - The president’s Award 26 Prize Crossword and brainteaser
Competition! Name all the well known faces in our Elections feature on pages 8 and 9 for your chance to WIN €50.
Deliver your answers to the Students’ Union office. Good luck!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Winners of our competitions from expliCIT 5: Crossword: Mollie O’Riordan SC2 €30 BrainTeaser: Casper Dudarec, BPS4 €50 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.
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Exams After Christmas?
The Students’ Union received a considerable number of complaints from you, the student body, in relation to the timing of this year’s exams through the media of Union Council, email, facebook, telephone and personal visits to the office. In response to this we undertook a survey to formally document the viewpoint of the students in relation to holding exams after Christmas. There was a huge response rate as 1,819 students entered the survey. Significantly but not surprisingly 87.9% of students are dissatisfied with exams after Christmas. We also gathered information on why holding exams after Christmas has such a negative impact on students. Contributing factors that underline students’ dissatisfaction with post ChristContributing factor mas exams;that underline students’ dissatisfaction with post Christmas exams; with post Christmas exams; underline students’ dissatisfaction that Contributing factor D id ha v ing e xa ms a fte r Chris tma s inc o nv e nie nc e y o u in a ny o f the
fo llo wing wa y s ?
Did not cause ence Did not cause inconveni inconvenience
Interrupt family timeInterrupt family time
Travelling to Travelling to and from home and from home
Part-time work hoursPart-time work hours
ny o f the tma s inc o nv e nie nc e y o u in a 80.0% D id ha v ing e xa ms a fte r Chris Travelling to and from home fo llo wing wa y s ? 70.0% 60.0% Work Placement to and from home Travelling 50.0% arrangements 80.0% 40.0% 70.0% nt hours Placemework WorkPart-time 30.0% ents 60.0% arrangem 20.0% Disrupt 50.0% Christmas hours break work Part-time 10.0% 40.0% 0.0% 30.0% Interrupt family break time Christmas Disrupt 20.0% 10.0% Otherfamily time Interrupt 0.0%
Did not cause inconvenience Other Did not cause inconvenience
Did having exams after Christmas inconvenience you in any of the
following ways?
Did having exams after Christmas Answer Options following ways?
Percent Response 39.7% Percent 6.5% 39.7% 38.3% 6.5% 67.2% 38.3% 57.0% 67.2% 19.0% 57.0% 13.0% 19.0%
Part-time from home to andhours ngwork Travelli Disrupt Christmas nt arrangem break ents Placeme Work Interrupte family time work hours Part-tim
Other Disrupt Christmas break Did not cause time inconvenience t family Interrup
Answered Question Other Skipped cause inconvenience Did not Question
13.0%
Answered Question
Count Response 722 Count 118 722 696 118 1222 696 1037 1222 345 1037 236 345 1819 236 0 1819
0
Question WeSkipped have listened to your concerns and we take them very seriously. The survey results have been presented at various official forums including Academic Council and we the Officers continue to push home the fact that students do not want a recurrence of exams after Christmas next year.
Respondents’ viewpoint on post ChristRespondents’ viewpoint on post Christmas exams next year (2014) mas exams next year (2014) W o uld y o u lik e e xa ms a fte r Chris tmass next e a r? s exam ne xt yyear
t on post Christma
(2014)
90.0%
80.0% 70.0%
ne xt y e a r? ms a fte r Chris tma s W o uld y o u lik e e xa
60.0%
90.0%50.0%
Yes
80.0%40.0%
No
70.0% 30.0%
Don't know
Yes
60.0% 20.0%
No
50.0% 10.0%
Don't know
40.0%0.0% 30.0%
Yes
No
Don't know
20.0% 10.0% 0.0%
Yes
No
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Address
We will keep you updated on this extremely serious issue, and we thank all of you who entered the survey.
Additional 201 Bus
Safety Week
Leaves Mayfield, Lotebeg 8am Ballavolane 8.10am Commons Road Blackpool 8.15am Farranree Church 8.20am Eircom 8.23am Harbourview Road 8.25am Sundays Well 8.30am Vic Corss 8.35am CIT 8.45am
Safety week was a resounding success and we hope you took away something useful from it. Our mantra is that if students take away just one piece of information from our welfare campaigns then it has been successful, because that one piece of information could help save a life.
Response
Percent Yes after Christmas next year? 7.2% Would you like exams Response No 85.7% Options Percent Answer Don't know 7.1% 7.2% Answered Question Yes 85.7% Skipped Question No 7.1% know Don't tion Ques ered Answ
Response Count 125 Response 1482 Count 123 125 1730 1482 89 123 1730 89
Schedule
201 Northside Orbital
Danny, Niamh and Killian Fun… Fun… Fun
Semester II kick started with a bang as CIT Rag Week greeted students on their return. Almost €6,500 was raised for charity through the jam packed programme of events and we thank you for your support. Of course the following week, in a post Rag Event, the ‘Spoonathon’ made a serious impact on campus and we all enjoyed the opportunity to ‘huddle up’. If you noticed what looked like a bunch of ‘very odd’ characters ‘busting a groove’ on the courtyard, then never fear CIT has not turned into a menagerie, it was simply the ‘Harlem Shake CIT Style’. Catch the video online on our facebook and on you tube.
Time to Get Serious
Don't know
Would you like exams after Christmas next year? Answer Options
Of f icers
inconvenience you in any of the Response Response
Travelling to and from home Answer Options Work Placement arrangements
Respondents’ viewpoin
Students’’Union
rewriting your notes or going over them will help you. You have received your results and for some of you they might not have been what you expected or what you know you can achieve - this is time to take stock and get your head in the books. If you are in your final year and hoping to move on to a masters, start applying for them now and if you are in any doubt make an appointment with the careers office and ask as many questions as you can. If you have already decided on your masters program make sure that you are aware of the requirements in terms of grades and learning out comes. At any time if you have any educational problems please do not hesitate to call up to the office and ask to talk to Killian the Education office.
I know you will be sick of hearing this from your lecturers, but it’s time that you put in the extra little bit of work, just one or two hours extra going over you notes or even just tidying them up. You will be surprised at how just
Bus Éireann has agreed to provide an additional 201 service from Monday 4th March to ensure students can make their 9.00 am classes. The service will depart Mayfield at 8.00 am and arrive at CIT at 8.45 am. This service will operate on a two week trial basis to ascertain the demand. If students don’t avail of the service, then it will be lost – so please make sure to spread the word to ensure the this long awaited improvement is maintained. Check out the full timetable just above.
Students’ Union Elections
The Students’ Union general election are coming up this month and full details of how to run for office and how to vote are available in this edition of ExpliCIT. Please come and talk to any of us in the office if you want more information or details on what becoming an officer involves. Exercise your right to vote on polling day (March 14th) and have your say in how you college provides services to you. Best of luck, Danny, Killian and Niamh
S R
Racing
Student Raceday buildup...
Thurs 21st March
JANE MANGAN
Jockey & Student at CIT
N
ot many jockeys have ridden winners on their first rides. To do so on a horse owned by your uncle and trained by your father makes for a brilliant story and it’s one Jane Mangan is understandably happy to tell. Applying for a licence to ride wasn’t even her idea. While Jane had always been around horses, and her brother Paddy was a professional jockey, race-riding hadn’t seemed like an option until her mother, Mary presented her with the forms. Her father is Jimmy Mangan, who trained Monty’s Pass to win the Aintree Grand National in 2003. It was a memorable occasion, celebrated not just by the Mangan household and the people of Conna, but the entire point-to-point community in East Cork and West Waterford. Initially, the idea was that Jane would ride Conna Castle in Open Lightweights at point-to-points and the pair had won two when her uncle, Billy Mangan offered her the mount on Jamie’s Darling in a Cork bumper last April. Not too much was expected of horse or pilot, but the 17-yearold Mangan timed her run to perfection to produce the daughter of Old Vic for a snug enough victory inside the final furlong. Jane is studying at Cork Institute of Technology but doesn’t find it difficult to combine studying and riding. Indeed, it’s a help to unwind from one by kicking into the other. Such an outlook is fairly typical of a remarkably mature teenager, who looks set for a long and successful career in the saddle. One thing is for sure, she is certainly not lacking in role models.
Student Raceday 2013
Cork Racecourse MALLOW
official cit su event
Costs €10 all in!
Tickets on sale from the SU on 25th Feb Ticket includes: • Bus transport to the racecourse • Racecourse admission • Race card • Disco after racing for two hours • Bus back to Cork City
n o i s s i m d A F ree to Before 11.30pm with Raceday WRist BaNd Over 18s. ROaR. Garda age Id/passport must be produced as proof of age.
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Gossip
It looks like Olly Murs’ time on the Xtra Factor has come to an end. Our eye candy is gone ladies. The pop star confirmed his departure from the show by saying “I’ve had two great years on it. To be honest, the way my career is going in term...s of music and internationally it looks unlikely that I’ll be able to do it. It’s an amazing part of my career and working with Caroline has been great” Absolutely Gutted Olly. I wonder who will take his place? Rylan perhaps, he would be fabulous!
originally was meant to release the track - after working on it with Will’s close associate Jean Baptiste - but sure then Will pulled a fast one and nabbed the song for both Britney and himself. The X Factor judge claims she wrote part of the song such as “When you hear this in the club, ...you’d better turn this s*** up.” If Tulisa can prove she did indeed pen parts of the track, then she’ll be named as a co-writer and receive a big payout. Let the court proceedings commence. Fun Fact: the song was originally called ‘I Don’t Give A F***’. Typical Tulisa. Could Brian McFadden be the new X Factor Judge? This is absolutely NOT TRUE.
*
l a r t n e C y t i r b Cele By Megan Virgo
Were you ‘Crazy In Love’ with Beyonce’s Superbowl performance? Her performance was so explosive that she blew the lights! She looked FAB and her dancing was amazing, but parts of her performance were lip-synced - only parts though, in particular the start of ‘Halo’. To be fair she did some amount of dancing, so she needed a chance to catch her breath as the show went on for thirteen minutes. The hitmaker also went back to her roots by re-uniting with Destiny’s Child on stage. The trio performed a few of their hit songs but that part of the show failed to capture my attention. In fact you could hardly hear Michelle or Kelly singing. As a whole Beyonce owned the stage and in my opinion made Madonna look like a thing of the past, even though technically Madonna did pull in more ratings. Good job Bey. Whether you love or loathe Talifornia, it’s been a smash hit on Irish screens and is back for a new series. Kelly Donegan and Dave Behan had a turbulent relationship during the first series - the two were constantly fighting - but are well and truly together and the reality star insists it’s not just another “showmance”. Kelly explains what’s in store for this season of Talifornia “Last year everyone was on TV for the first time, so [they were] on their best behaviour, but this year you’ll really see the drama and the divides” Make sure to catch the new series every Friday night on TV3 at 10 pm. Tulisa is suing Will.i.am over his massive worldwide hit ‘Scream and Shout’. Apparently Tulisa was the one who
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Although the former Westlife star admitted “If it was offered, of course I would do it - but I can’t see that happening any day soon.” To be honest Brian, I can’t see that happening either, especially since he was only axed from ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ last year. He is now attempting to relaunch his career in the UK.
Kim Kardashian is officially the reigning Queen of hypocrisy. The reality starlet posted a picture of a jewel encrusted handgun to her Instagram account. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Kim signed a pledge in an effort to prevent gun violence in the US from happening - following the Sandy Hook massacre that happened in December - which resulted in 26 people losing their lives including school children and teachers. The picture has since been removed, but seriously Kim think twice before you act. Good news for all you ‘Family Guy’ fans. The shows creator Seth McFarlane has another hit show on the way called ‘Dads’. The new Fox show will follow two successful thirty year old men who find their lives have been turned upside down when their terrible fathers are forced to move back in with them. Our favourite Geordie’s are back! The cast of Geordie Shore will be taking their drunken antics overseas, where they’ll be hitting the most popular hen and stag destinations in Europe. Charlotte, Gary, Sophie, Holly, James, Scott, Ricci, Vicky and Dan will be heading to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Tignes and Prague for this season. Be prepared for another explosive series with plenty of tashing on, getting mortal, and bucking. Last
For more go to: https://www.facebook.com/CelebrityCentral
season ended with Gary and Charlotte finally sharing a kiss, despite spending the entire series fighting the urge to “bang” each other. Gary admitted “I do love Charlotte to bits, I do wanna be around her and spend time with her. I just never want to hurt her again so it’s hard to find a happy medium.” So what’s in store for this season of Geordie Shore? Will Gary and Charlotte reunite and give into temptation? What will the ladies of Europe make of the bucking squad? And how on earth will James cope without his ‘worldie’ of a girlfriend? .... (sure Holly will be there so I’m sure she will look after him) Make sure to catch the brand new series of Geordie Shore on the 19th of February at 10pm on MTV. RTE’s smash hit, crime series Love/ Hate was a huge success story at this year’s IFTAs picking up a grand total of six awards. Incredible. The man responsible for the hit show is writer Stuart Carolan. He revealed he enlisted the help of the guards, as a way to conduct his research for the show “There’s a huge amount of people I talk to. Guards, for example, helped me out and I became friends with them. I owe them a huge amount just in terms of getting it right factually.” Fans of the crime show will be delighted to hear production for season four will begin shooting later this month. Of course Stuart kept his lips sealed about what to expect … “I really can’t say anything about Series Four.” Well for now we’ll just have to wait in suspense, until the hit series returns to our screens later this year. Kian Egan was left a bit red faced on ‘The Voice of Ireland’. He got rejected by Stephen Hudson, who was previously a support act for Westlife. The Irish star was adamant about setting Stephen onto his team after hearing him perform at the blind auditions. But Kian was not the only judge who had their eye on the prize, as Jamelia and Sharon Corr also hit their magic buttons, resulting in their chairs being turned around for him. Despite his history with Kian, Stephen opted to go with Sharon instead. Another judge who was left a bit embarrassed was Bressie, who failed to hit his button which meant he didn’t turn his chair around for Danielle Ward - even though he awarded her a prize for a YouTube competition before. A bit awkward. Make sure to tune in to the latest series of the Voice of Ireland on Sundays at 6:30pm on RTE.
European Creative Futures, Oslo 2013.
Trip!
Article by Linda Wright, Photos by Vitaly Makhanov.
An experience of a lifetime! This January instead of taking it easy like most CIT students I got the opportunity to part-take in the European Creative Futures (ECF) programme. The ECF is an intensive programme promoting business acumen and entrepreneurship among students. This year’s programme was hosted by the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and brought together 50 students from Ireland, Finland, Norway, UK and the Netherlands. Ten students were sent to represent CIT, hailing from the Bishopstown campus, the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design and the CIT Cork School of Music, all from a wide range of courses including Music, Multimedia, Business Administration, Public Relations, Business Information Systems, Ceramics, Fine Arts and Graphic Design. I honestly didn’t know what to expect heading to Oslo but the clue was in the title ‘intensive programme.’ From the outset, we worked in multinational groups of six students from various disciplines. Business idea generation and teamwork were two crucial points to the programme. As you can imagine working with a brand new team in a different country with deadlines to meet means you have to find your feet pretty quickly. As part of the programme we had interactive lectures, group discussions and workshops with access to mentors who offered advice and guidance. While there were many early mornings and some late nights it wasn’t all work and no play, there were many social events arranged for us over there, the highlight would have to be the champagne reception at Oslo’s city hall where we were welcomed by the mayor of Oslo Mr. Fabian Stang. We also visited the Norwegian
Broadcasting Centre where we sat in on a live orchestral performance which left the group speechless, a rare occurrence. Some of the business ideas established in Oslo were: a discovery Art Festival for teenagers, new design for audio speakers, an online service for freelance musicians and a wireless backup device for photographers. All the business ideas were a combination of the multi-disciplinary skills of each team, we had to learn by doing, and for me, I was really out of my comfort zone – but it was one of the greatest experiences. During the trip I met such a variation of people, some incredibly talented individuals. I met a Norwegian percussionist who could play anything from the wall to a balloon – yes she made music from a balloon! I met marketing students who were designing new products every day and some of the Finnish students who were amazing performers. So many talents I can’t describe them all but I hope to work with many of them in the future. Three weeks after returning home I still find myself missing all my ECF friends and wishing I could be back there with everyone. In just two weeks I met so many amazing people and picked up a few good skills of my own – it was honestly the biggest learning experience I’ve ever had. New business ideas were generated and many international contacts were made. It was one experience I will never forget and has opened up so many possibilities for the future. More information on the European Creative Futures programme can be found at http:// europeancreativefutures.eu/
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Elections
I can defin i te l y do t h is !
Want To Make a Dream Start to Your Career & Make a Difference?
Would you think about running in the upcoming SU elections? Here’s a taste of what’s involved… Do you think you could be the right person to represent more than 7,000 students at CIT? If so, then you’ve got to throw your hat into the ring for our Students’ Union Officer Elections 2013. The elections will see you campaign across the CIT Campuses to show that you are the right person for the job. Interested? Keep reading to find out how to run and exactly what is involved. You as a Union Officer will take on the responsibility of representing students, ensuring they get the best deal from their college life. Whether you represent their academic or welfare needs or engage with student activities it is your opportunity to make a difference. The Union Executive is elected by the members of the Union and is made of: Three Sabbatical Officers (Full time paid posts) • President • Vice President Welfare • Vice President Education Three Non-Sabbatical Officers (Part time/unpaid posts) • Projects Officer • Communications Officer • Entertainments Officer The Executive is responsible for the initiation of policy of the Union subject to Union Council, General Meeting and Referendum. Becoming a Union Officer involves attending meetings regularly and speaking on behalf of students in areas which will directly affect them.The main role is to defend the rights of students on all fronts, as well as representing students’ views to college management and political figures. The Officers support/organise a number of ongoing Union projects and events including Freshers Week, RAG Week, and Orientations for first years, as well as a number of Welfare Campaigns and also contributes to the Union’s monthly magazine, Explicit.
What’s involved in the Election Campaign?
Each potential candidate must be nominated by forty Union members (two of which are to be members of the Union Council, i.e. Class Representatives or current Officers). Nominations forms will be available from the Union Office and online at www.citsu.ie. It is imperative to get your nomination form in on time. The election campaign will involve promoting yourself, your policies and goals – basically what you wish to achieve and change and what initiatives you wish to begin. You will have a week to make yourself known to as much of the student body, on all campuses as you can. By talking to students face to face you can get your message across, but what is even more important, you can find out what the students of the college, across every department want. Every department, course, class and student is an individual, and if you are elected, you must serve all of these students to the best of your ability – doing what the students want you to do, as
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Competition!
opposed to focusing on your own personal agenda. There will be hustings (public address) in the main canteen on the Bishopstown Campus, this will take place the day before the election, at lunchtime, where you have an opportunity to speak to students and they can ask you questions in a public forum. Be prepared before you start canvassing so that you become familiar with the college workings outside of your course. Anyone interested is strongly encouraged to talk to the current Officers who will be able to give you a run down of the job and its demands.
Could YOU be the next CIT SU President?
The President is the principal spokesperson and executive officer of the Union and co-ordinator of all activities of the Union. This person communicates with local media, political figures and businesses where appropriate. The President is a member of many of the Institute’s boards including the Governing Body and its subcommittees. The main areas of concern for the President will be finance, representation, organisation, supervision and guidance of policy, and will also liaise with other SU Officers from around the country.
Could YOU Be The Next CIT SU Vice President Education?
The role of the Vice President Education is very broad but basically it covers absolutely everything relating to academia, such as course issues, timetabling, lecture problems and exam issues. Responsibilities include Class Representative Training and co-ordination of Union Council and General Meetings. The Vice President Education also meets with students on a daily basis to assist them with their educational problems. The Vice President Education is a member of many of the Institute’s boards including Academic Council, the Appeals Committee and the Student Disciplinary Committee.
Could YOU Be the Next CIT SU Vice President Welfare
The focus of this role is to educate students on non-academic matters which affect students’ personal lives. Campaigns/projects include Sexual Health and Guidance Week (S.H.A.G Week), Positive Mental Health Week, Exam De-Stress days, Safety Week and General Well-Being Week. The Vice President Welfare also acts as a referral point so as to direct students to people who are qualified to help with particular issues. The Vice President Welfare is also a member of a number of the Institute’s committees including the Student Assistance Fund Review Board and Safety Committee, and is also on the board of directors for the Canteen Company.
Could YOU Be the Next CIT SU Communications Officer?
The Communication Officer aids in the development of the Union’s information and communication policy. This Officer must be familiar with all the communication policies and all the communication media available to him/her and use them to their full potential. The Communication Officer will keep the membership of the Union informed through the provision of
Name all 16 well known faces for your chance to WIN €50. FILL THE NAMES OUT ON PAGE 3 AND DELIVER TO THE SU
a regular Union publication “ExpliCIT” in conjunction with the Sabbatical Officers and Union Staff.
Could YOU Be the Next CIT SU Entertainments Officer?
The Entertainments Officer is responsible for the provision of entertainments and other forms of social and cultural activity for the members of the Union in conjunction with the Sabbatical Officers and Union Staff. Could YOU Be the Next CIT SU Projects Officer? This Officer will primarily act as a support for the Sabbatical Officers in the areas of campaigning, Union development and projects.
What qualities are needed to be CIT Students’ Union Officer?
Focused/Dedicated: The Officers’ roles are extremely broad and they need to set out a strategy for the year with realistic and achievable goals. Project management skills are vital. The summer is a great time to learn what they need to know as well as prepare for the year ahead. Responsible: The Officers of the Union must oversee all activities so having a responsible attitude is vital. They must keep themselves informed of issues which affect students in order to adequately represent them. They will also need to sit on boards that deal with sensitive issues Innovative/Creative: New ideas for events, campaigns and promotion will truly benefit the Union as a whole. Confident/Assertive/Influential: The Officers must often stand their ground when it comes to all sorts of initiatives, be it stand firm against Institute management, press or political figures. They will also need to become comfortable speaking in public and be able to influence the opinion of others. Self-Aware: Officers should understand their strengths and weaknesses and by doing so create an opportunity to grow as individuals and as effective Union leaders. It is important to put the needs of the students and the Union as a whole ahead of the needs of the individual Officer. Realistic: The Officers must be able to assess the feasibility of projects, ideas or campaigns in terms of legal, financial and resource limitations.
When dealing with students’ needs, an un-biased approach has to be brought to every specific case. Officers must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. This will avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. Bringing every case to a fight will weaken credibility when a genuine case emerges. Caring/Approachable: The Officers should be approachable, friendly, non-judgemental and welcoming to students. They also need to be able to keep their work with students confidential within reason. They must possess the ability to listen sensitively to people’s problems and be able to deal with them in a sympathetic, mature and non-judgmental way. What’s in it for you? • Develop your management, communication, organisational, negotiation and leadership skills • Differentiate yourself from others on the jobs market • Expand your work experience profile • Join an energised team
What are the terms of employment?
For Sabbatical Officers including the President, Vice President Welfare and Vice President Education, it is a full time job, commencing on the 1st June 2013 and ending 31st May 2014. The pay is set for all Officers and can be found out by enquiry. The hours are generally Monday to Friday nine to five, but due to the nature of the job this can vary considerably from week to week depending on how busy it is along with various campaigns that may be running. You will occasionally have to work at night time events during Fresher’s Week, Rag Week and other projects. For non-sabbatical Officers, including the Projects Officer, Entertainments Officer and Communications Officer, the jobs are non-paid and hours of work will be based around the class time/free time of the non-sabbatical Officers. Should you require information relating to election process and rules, please contact Vicky O’Sullivan, Assistant Returning Officer in the Students’ Union Office or by email at vicky.osullivan@cit.ie
Students’ Union Elections 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...
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 Website, www.citsu.ie Vicky O’Sullivan, Assistant Returning Officer.
“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.
I c a n m a ke a dif fe re n c e h e re !
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.
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A
s most have heard in the news lately, tests were carried out on beef burgers, beef meal and salami products from retail outlets throughout Ireland. The study carried out tests for the presence of horse and pig DNA in these products, why they picked horse DNA to be tested is strange in itself. A total of twenty seven beef burgers were tested with ten of the twenty-seven testing positive for horse DNA (37%) and twenty-three testing positive for pig DNA (85%). Out of thirty-one beef meal products such as cottage pie, beef curry pie, lasagne etc, twenty-one returned positive for pig DNA with none being positive for horse DNA. Most burgers tested had low levels of horse DNA in them with the exception of one sample from a Tesco beef burger. This burger contained 21% horse meet relative to beef content of the burger which is claimed on the pack to be 63% beef. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland at the start advised people that these tests posed no risk to the health of consumers but did admit that the findings do raise some concerns. This statement later changed to consumers being informed not to consume this product in case the horse used for the meat had been treated with a drug called phenylbutazone or bute. Animals that are treated with this drug are not allowed to enter the food stream as they may pose a risk to human health according to the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Customers in the UK and Ireland were advised not to consume contaminated products
land in early January and on testing it showed that it contained 75% horse meat. The managing director of Supermacs has stated that all burgers supplied by Rangeland Foods to them is 100% Irish beef and has full traceability back to the farm and they have DNA tests to show this. Most stores claim to have full traceability on all their meat products and this is true to an extent. Tesco for example have a ‘batch number’ behind all labels on their meat counters which are meant to show where their meat has come from. The truth is these ‘batch numbers’ only show a general location where the meat came from. They do not show the individual farm that the meat comes from but rather a group farms from a certain area. If you go into any local butchers and ask to see their traceability of meat they can tell you where, when and who it came from. They can give you the farmers name, his location, when they were slaughtered and where and how long ago. This to me shows that the butcher has pride in his product, cares for his customer and knows if he has a problem with one of his products he can trace to source. Could Tesco in this example do the same? As this shameful saga continued more reports were released by the UK’s Food Standards Agency who claimed they had found meat contaminated with 60% to 100% horse meat in Findus beef lasagne products. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland made a statement that they had not
a product marked 100% beef was a very serious finding and a serious issue for Findus. He said there is a small food safety risk associated with horse meat because of the drugs used to treat horses. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney stated that any fraudulent activity will be exposed. Minister Coveney went on to add that the management at Silvercrest had “let themselves down, let their company down and they let the Irish food industry down”. In the wake of the contamination controversy all of the management have been replaced at Silvercrests plant. Burger King, Aldi and the Co-op have withdrawn contracts with Silvercrest after it was linked to the horsemeat contamination. We the consumers need to be asking ourselves are the supermarkets where we buy our products doing enough to protect us? Are supermarkets carrying out enough checks on their suppliers and products to ensure that contaminated products never reach their shelves? Why did it take an organisation such as the Food Safety Authority to find that products were contaminated and how long were these items being sold to the public before detection? Is this the end of contaminated food being sold to the public or the beginning of something a lot bigger and what as consumers can we do? Well for one we can make the choice to eat sensibly by shopping local and buying from our friendly butchers, bakers, farmers markets, fishmongers and green grocers. By buying local you are helping support local business and can gain helpful tips and
Horse meat in beef burgers! Pig meat in beef burgers! What next?
By: JJ Sheridan
and destroy or return it to place of purchase. They also went on to say that there was a reasonable explanation as to why the pig DNA was found in the burgers as the meat processing plants process both beef and pig but no clear explanation as to how horse DNA got into these products. Now we as consumers need to take a step back and ask ourselves, what other extras are we getting in the food we purchase that is not shown on the ingredients list. The tests were carried out for two specific items, pig and horse, if they had been tested for other animal DNA what would they have found? This report highlighted that the majority of contaminated food products were from the cheaper end items or so called ‘value’ range items. This lends to a view that the consumer is not the top priority but rather saving cost and making money comes first. The stores which were found stocking these contaminated items were quick to direct the blame onto their suppliers since this was where the contamination took place but are these stores free of blame? Should these stores be doing more to trace and test all their products to ensure the safety of their consumers? The detection of these contaminated meats showed up when the Food Safety Authority of Ireland carried out tests on various products. These contaminated foods were then traced back to two production plants in Ireland, Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods and from there it was then traced back to a Polish supplier. It has also come to light that Rangeland Foods, one of the main beef suppliers of Supermacs has also received a consignment of meat from Po-
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been made aware if this product had been on sale in Ireland but it was later released that this product which was contaminated had in fact been on sale in Ireland. All stores in Ireland removed this product from sale which included Tesco who also removed their Tesco Value Bolognaise from sale because it was made in the same factory as the contaminated Findus product. The FSAI reported that Tesco had not informed them they were withdrawing these products from sale. Tesco followed with a statement saying they withdrew them from sale as a precautionary measure and they were not required to inform the authority under set protocols. This product withdrawal was later followed by Aldi who removed their brand of Lasagne and Bolognaise which was supplied by a French supplier Comigel. Aldi carried random tests and have reported that they found between 30% and 100% horse in their products from Comigel. A spokesman from Aldi said they felt “angry and let down” by Comigel. Findus also removed their product from sale across the UK after its French supplier Comigel raised concerns about the type of meat used in the product. It was later claimed that the horse meat was traced back to Romania where it is believed gangs have been rounding up wild horses and selling them on to meat processing plants. The Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority has claimed that somebody is “drip feeding” horse meat into the burger manufacturing industry in Ireland. He also claims that some level of fraud has been going on and Gardai have become involved in the investigations. He also went on to say that he believes the horse meat controversy is now a Europe-wide problem. He stated that finding 100% horse meat in
recipes on how to cook the products you buy from the years of experience these retailers have gained. If you want to know what’s in your local butcher’s burger recipe then you simply ask them and they will tell you their recipe which normally has less preservatives and additives compared to supermarket bought burgers. If you want to know where the meat sold by your butcher comes from then ask them. Most butchers can normally tell you the exact location of where their meat comes from as they take pride in knowing where everything they sell originates from; after all it’s their good name on the line. Another good reason to shop in your local butchers is that you can often get a better deal by using the long lost art of haggling. Most butchers delight in a bit of friendly haggling and anything that saves you a few cents has to be a good thing. Try this in any of your local supermarkets and you may get some funny looks. We as consumers need to start taking a proactive involvement in the selection and purchasing of our foods. This may involve going a little bit out of the way to visit the local butcher or fishmonger to ensure we are getting the best Irish product which we can trust. We all need to start rebuilding long lost relationships with our butcher, baker, fishmonger and grocer. We all need to be smart and start eating sensibly and take a little more ownership on what we are putting on our plates and into our bodies. Is saving a few cents or saving a little time buying readymade items more important than what you put into your body? The choice is ours.
Mix Your Mode Promoting Sustainable Travel in Cork 4th – 8th March, 2013
This sustainable travel initiative is organised by Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) and supported by Bus Eireann, Cork Chamber of Commerce, Cork City and County Council, UCC, CIT, HSE, Cork Community Bikes and Irish Rail. The aim of the initiative is to encourage travel by more sustainable and healthier methods such as walking, cycling, using public transport (bus, train, park & ride) and trying out new methods such as the Go Cars in the city. This initiative will not only benefit the individual but also the city with less emissions being generated and less traffic congestion.
What is happening at CIT?
• The CIT Gym are organising ‘Lace Up’ which is a fun 5k Walk/Run for CIT staff and students on 6th March. Weekly meet and train group starts 5th February at 5pm at the CIT Track gate. (Call to the Sports Office for more details.) • EV charge point outside the Tourism and Hospitality Building. • GO Car (www.gocar.ie) on trial for six months at CIT (beside the EV point). So we urge you to Mix Your Mode during March and leave the car at home or car pool with someone on your journey to CIT. Not only will you feel healthier but you will save money too (on fuel and parking!)
Why take the bike?
- Convenience – avoid parking hassle, no waiting for the bus! - Save time – especially for short urban journeys. - Save money – no parking fees or fuel used. - Keep fit – six weeks of cycling short distances four times a week should boost fitness. - Improve your mood – Cycling releases feel good hormones, reduces stress and raises your spirits and self esteem. - Long & healthy life – Cycling 20-40 minutes a day may reduce the risk of death from; Diabetes, Cancer, Heart or Digestive diseases by 22%. - For the environment – Cycle instead of driving and save harmful emissions to the environment.
For more information or to register an activity contact Bernadette@cef.ie. More details on http://www.facebook.com/ OperationTransporation. Updates will also be available on the www.greencampuscit.ie website.
Why take the Bus?
- The bus is often cheaper than the car – especially if you have a student card or employee travel pass. - Usually less pollution than car travel, particularly if you drive alone or have a large car. - What busses pass CIT? The numbers 205, 208, 201 (North Orbital), 219 (South Orbital) service CIT.
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Rag Review
CIT Rag Week 28 - 31 Jan 2013
CIT Rag Week Review
R
By Vicky O’Sullivan
ag Week 2013 highlighted the generosity of students and staff alike, and showed together CIT can make a difference. Despite financial challenges faced by all, CIT has rallied round and almost €6,500 has been raised for worthwhile charities predominately through collections and student organised events. The main beneficiary for 2013 is Cork Arc Cancer Support House. The Student Centre in Bishopstown was bustling each day with market stalls catering for an array of tastes and an entertainment line up which showcased world renowned acts including Jack Wise - Illusionist, Barry Sinclair - Hypnotist, and Jarlath Regan - Comedian. The evening events were very well attended from Keep It Local at The Loft, to Shag Tag in the Savoy and of course Tramps Ball at Eclipse. Special thanks must be given to our chief sponsors CIT Students Services Co Ltd (SSC) and the Bank of Ireland - without their support Rag Week could not happen. We also thank our other generous sponsors including Herlihy’s Centra, Parchment Square, Eden Hall CIT Societies, Deans Hall, Subway and Leisure World.
Societies under the guidance of Aoife Kelliher, Societies Officer, came up with some great ideas to raise funds. From a bake sale organised by the Post Grad Society, battle of the DJ’s, a Fashion and Beauty ‘flash mob’, photo fun with the Photography Society, ‘House of Cards’ from the Arch Tech Society to a ‘Joggling’ half marathon by Connor Keena from the Circus Society, there was something on offer for everyone. Societies in the offsite campuses were busy organising events too. The Open Mic Society, based in CIT-CCAD, hosted Snatch Comedy which attracted a packed audience and generated peels of laughter. Meanwhile in CIT-CSM the Trad and the Vocal Chamber Societies put on some tremendous performances in the foyer. These events were made possible through the support of Sarah Morey, Arts Officer and Aoife Kelliher, Societies Officer. The CIT students of NMCI were bouncing around the Gym on a bronkin’ buck and obstacle course, and later took to the pool for a raft race with a difference followed by an evening in a local bar. They were generous in their support of their chosen charity the RNLI. The Arts Officer, Sarah Morey, arranged a Master class in Photography with Roseanne Lynch, Lecturer at the CIT-CCAD and a Ceramic Workshop in the James Barry Exhibition Centre and also arranged for a special Rag showing of Terry O’Neill’s Photographic Exhibition in the Wandesford Quay Gallery. The Registrars Office and Extended Campus sponsored a highly successful coffee morning in the Tourism Building. Residents from Bishopstown were invited in to share a coffee and some treats with students and staff of CIT and all attendees very generously donated to the Rag Week Collection Boxes. Two individual students organised events with resounding successes. Shane Falvey organised a Race Night at McCarthy’s in aid of Mary Mount Hospice and he was delighted with the funds raised and the support of his friends and classmates. Marco Quatrana organised a world record spooning attempt, ‘Spoonathon’, and was triumphant in raising much needed funds for Teen Parent Support Programme. On a sporting front, unfortunately matches had to be postponed due to the terrible weather but a big thanks to Eric Maher, Soccer Officer and Dara Hurley, Rugby Officer for their continued support Also thanks to Keith Ricken, GAA Officer, for arranging collection as some of the GAA matches. The success of CIT Rag Week 2013 can only attributed to the collaborative spirit in which it is organised by the Students’ Union, Societies Office, Sports Office, Arts Office, Chaplaincy Team individual students and through the generous support of the sponsors. We are already planning for and looking forward to CIT Rag Week 2014.
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Rag Review
CIT Rag Week: The Importance of Giving Something Back By Shane Falvey (3rd Year Business) Why make a donation to charity or a good cause? Because, in a nutshell we never know when we ourselves or one close to us may need the assistance; of any of the many worthy causes, funds are collected for during CIT Rag Week. This year in particular, the main cause being cancer, really drummed that point home. Giving money to a worthy organisation, in particular during the tough financial times for many, is a selfless act and one to be highly commended. The Students of CIT really did themselves proud in their willingness to make a contribution small or big this year as always. Every cent people can spare makes a significant difference. The Community Spirit of CIT shone through during CIT Rag Week 2013. I’m delighted to say that we raised a total of €362.50 atn the ‘Race Night’, on the 28th January in The Loft for JA Falvey Fundraiser for Marymount. I’d like to thank from the bottom of my heart, everyone who came along or who made a donation, It means a lot guys. I’d like to especially extend my gratitude to CITSU President Danny O’Donovan who made a substantial contribution. Thanks to everyone for their generosity, it’s much appreciated by me and I know it will be by the patrons, staff and patients (past, present and future) of Marymount. But, most of all my sincere thanks to those who helped me out before and during the event, and without whom I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off, Thank You to Áine Murphy, Emma Walsh, Una Murphy, Lisa Lyons, Ruth O’Leary and Laura O’ Regan. A huge thanks also to Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium, The Oliver Plunkett, Centra (Bishopstown), Spar (Ballyphehane), Welch Sports and Super Valu (Togher) for supporting and sponsoring the event. Last but not least, many thanks to everyone in the Students’ Union and to all the staff at The Loft. Sláinte, Shane
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Rag Week 2013
Highlights
CIT Rag Week 28 - 31 Jan 2013
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Rag Week 2013
Great pics from CIT SU Rag Week nights.
Sincere thanks to Mike Dunne, Vitaly Makhnanov and all the crew from The Photographic Soc
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Media Fast
onto Facebook and check my updates. My 48 hour Media fast proves one thing; I had missed out on absolutely NOTHING. The status updates of others informing me that they were “just going for a cuppa” or “chilling with their baby watching TV.” I realised it made absolutely no difference to my life whatsoever. Notifications such as: Mary “likes” and I was forced to turn a blind eye and mentally your link or, Tom commented on your status (I wait switch off. While I was waiting to see someone, I for this insipid one word comment of “Kewel” to was struck by the immediate boredom that a twenty load) became quite infuriating after a time. But, I minute wait can induce. I would usually resort to am guilty of posting similar status updates myself using my phone, either to check updates, send and I wonder are people really interested at all that emails or play games. But, I was forced to sit in my I am “just eating a sandwich?? “ own company and ruminate on my predicament. Another aspect I realise is how much of a distracAs I trudged home, I decided I would pop in and get tion social media sites are. If one feels like proa paper as my media fast was soon drawing to a crastinating when college work is due, then what close. However, just before six pm, copies of the better way to do it than by spending pointless hours paper I was looking for were sold out in three shops! online interacting with other cyber junkies? The art And they say print media is in decline! As the deadof conversation is dying out as more of us interact line passed, I realised I was not in any hurry to rush through text messaging and emailing. It is now online or grab my phone. I was slowly beginning to commonplace I believe, for the younger generation re-adjust to my old self, to the days when I had no to actually text each other while sitting side by side mobile phone or internet. in the same vicinity! I think in the beginning, it is just a natural reaction I would highly recommend that everyone try a “Meto want something even more, when you know dia Fast” at least once a month, as it clears your you cannot have it. But, as time goes on, you remind and allows you to prioritise things, get things accustom yourself, and when it is available you are done and interact with other beings on a less techjust not bothered, because you know you can acGOBE 4 page DL Revisions.pdf 1 31/01/2013 11:55 nological level. I think this might be more difficult for cess it anytime. Eventually, I decided to get back
By Grushenka Arnold
A
s part of a college assignment, I was instructed to undertake a “Media Fast” for forty eight hours. The purpose of this fast was to forgo all interaction with social media online e.g., Facebook, Twitter, News sites, etc., and abstain from news related bulletins on T.V. I was also instructed to abstain from using a mobile phone, reading newspapers, books or listening to radio etc., and instructed to keep a diary throughout the fast. Before commencing this assignment, I gave little thought to the process, thinking: “How hard can it be?” I simply forgo all media access and usage of modern technological, gadgets and carry on as usual. It is only when you undertake something like this, that you realise how surrounded and exposed you are to social media. I must confess that I underestimated the huge part it plays in our lives today. Commencing my fast, I had to break away from my usual routine; there was no watching of news channels, no bulletins on the hour, no newspaper to read while simultaneously listening to the headlines. There was no internet to use, no emails to check, no Facebook updates, no Twitter updates and no radio to listen to. Two hours in, I was suffering withdrawals, twitching and foot tapping, and rocking back and forward in the chair. And, a la Dusty Springfield, I just didn’t know what to do with myself ... What else do you do when you have no access to media at all? Talk?? With no one within the vicinity ... I contemplated starting a full blown argument with the table, but said table was not amused. Five hours in, psychologically, I felt detached from the world, as if I was missing out on something. That everyone else was privvy to information that I could not obtain. It was more ritualistic and habitual than anything else. The following day, with the distraction of college lectures, the lure of social media was shoved into my subconscious. But again that evening, upon returning home, I was at a loose end. At this stage, I started to contemplate how we ever survived without modern technological advances. I am now pondering on the days of my youth, before modern technological advances changed our lives forever... I grew up in a generation without mobile phones, iPods, internet, social media and instantaneous news reports. If we had to make or receive a phone call, we marched all the way to the end of the housing estate to the nearest pay phone (hoping it wasn’t vandalised!). And, having previously told our prospective caller to ring at six, we’d be there to answer! If we had to reach a friend or family member in another country, we sat down and wrote a good old fashioned letter, which usually took a week or more to find its way to its intended destination. We listened to radio via our “Walkman” which was like carrying a brick around, although the fancy ones had a strap you could throw over your shoulder for convenience! In some cases, families actually sat down together and had a chat. Now, each family member scuttles off to their respective dens to go online, text friends and ruin the English language through abbreviated sentences because writing the full words or phrases would be too time consuming and tedious. Having broken the habitual task of checking in with modern technology, I started to quite enjoy the peace and found it quite relaxing. I finally experienced what alcoholics might call “a moment of clarity”. And, suddenly, I realised that I was missing very little. I went to bed that evening content that I had no direct contact with the technological world. And that was okay. The following morning, I had an appointment to attend at 9.30am, as I arrived at my destination the radio was broadcasting in the foyer of the building. A T.V. was depicting the latest images on SKY News,
Feature
the younger generation that were born into the world with a mobile in one hand and an iPod in the other. They never knew life before the technological explosion. But some of us do know what life was like before all this technology, and we managed quite well, thank you very much! We still kept up to date, and did not have this incessant need to constantly be in a hurry, or text while driving or text while another human being attempts to converse with us. I am old fashioned in that, I still prefer to read an actual newspaper as I abhor reading newspapers online. The same goes for kindles or tablets. As an avid book reader, friends have suggested to me to invest in a kindle so I can carry eleventy million books around with me all at once and have access to them at any time. Why would I want to hypothetically carry a large amount of books at any one time? I can only read one. And reading it on a screen the same size as a jumbo bar of chocolate really does not interest me. Media has its pros and cons and it has developed and enhanced our lives in a way that no one could have anticipated. But, at the same time believe it or not, we once lived a life without it. And, on some level, a part of me misses those simpler times.
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Dear CIT... why
am I so miserable?
The following letters are complaints lodged by the students of CIT and the inadequate and appalling responses they have received. However, these determined souls have not let the matter drop and exercise their rights to reply to the Tyrants.
Dear Ms O’Reilly, The reason I am writing to you today is to outline a problem a lot of students CIT and lecturers seem to be having with computers and overhead displays in to classrooms. While this problem is happening all over the college, it seems be more prevalent within the F block in the mornings. When a lecturer boots the up the computer in order to display their notes and teach their class, often to overhead projector will not display correctly. The computer does not seem recognise that it is connected. This means that the lecturer often has to spend the time at the start of the class trying to make their notes display correctly to students. I have been to classes where the lecturer had to spend 15 minutes trying to get these projectors to work, sometimes to no avail. be We students are losing out on precious class time to what I understand to the a relatively easy problem to sort out. One of our lecturers suggested that problem was that the projector or computers settings may have been changed If this sometime before the class and that this is what was causing the problem. is the case, perhaps it would be possible to make it so that it was not possible to change these settings anymore, thereby solving the problem. Kate Glavin
Dear Ms Glavin, Your expectations are too high. Just because we are an institute of technology doesn’t mean that our technology will be working smoothly! I am glad that you have become aware of the myriad of mysterious reasons for technology malfunctioning. Despite being a science, the world of computers from my experience is illogical and maddening. I sympathise with the situation you describe. Maybe the lecturer did not have their class prepared fully and staged a breakdown to compensate for that? You are receiving valuable information on the functioning of these machines it be which I am certain will stand to you as a student of computing. Never let said that we here in CIT don’t give you ‘real world’ experience. I suggest that you have an ‘unplugged’ session the next time this happens. You’d never know what might happen! Regards, June
Dear Ms O’Reilly, ago. It is good to finally hear a response to the email I sent to you three weeks I appreciate that not all the modern technology in the college will run smoothly I’m but I would assume that the essential technology could at least be fixed. but fashion timely a in fixed be would computer personal your that quite sure to then again perhaps not, which would explain why your email took so long reach me. I would think it would be quite inappropriate for yourself, a lecturer, to ridicule lecone of your peers by suggesting that they tried to get out of one of their tures but I suppose you know best. I would also think that the work experience we receive in third year of our course, along with projects from other te modules would be enough ‘real-world’ experience. I don’t feel it is appropria or necessary to give us more ‘experience’ at the expense of our ever important lectures. just Again, it is good to hear from you. There is no need to reply to this email, one. as judging from your response there was no need for me to send the first Regards, Kate Glavin
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Dear Ms O’Reilly, . I have I am writing to you in relation to a difficulty I am having with my timetable 23 hours of lectures/labs a week, including my elective module. The problem I start is that the class has 14 hours of waiting time between classes. Each day o’clock at 9 o’clock in the morning (Monday to Friday) and do not finish until 6 have a except Fridays when I finish at 1 o’clock. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I same four hour break between classes and another break of two hours on the home days. This means I am up every morning at 7 o’clock and do not return trying until quarter to 7 in the evening. This is a very long day for a student and daily to study at night is very difficult as by Thursday I am exhausted from the commute. I have contacted my class coordinator and the head of the Department in relation to this issue. I have not heard from them to date. I would Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to read this email. nt with Departme the of head the with issue my discuss could you if e appreciat a view to resolving same. Shane Goulding
Dear Mr Goulding, You Your complaint is very revealing. What it reveals is the wrong attitude. as a should convert this ‘waiting’ time into ‘doing’ time. You should see this rk window of opportunity - as an opportunity to do something: be it coursewo employer potential A campus. on activities ricular extra-cur in ent or engagem would be horrified at this glimpse of the innards of your brain. You are bereft of self-sufficiency and clearly lack initiative. may I would advise you to be very careful of what you put in writing, as it come back to haunt you in the future, Regards, June
Dear Ms O’Reilly, Thank you very much for your reply. as I’ve If I did coursework during my time off I would have little to do Wednesday so much time off. You speak of extra-curricular activities which are not appealed ing to me. The hobby’s I enjoy doing are not even in this college. I represent Ireland and Munster in Sea Shore Fishing and there is no club or grub to continue at this in. If I had half days I would be able to fishing. I could head off if I finished to able be would I then Also fishing. go to evening the have would I then and 12 be home early for bed as I am up at 7 each morning. workOr even if I had a day that I started late I could work the night before in my place and make some money to help pay my constant growing college fees. time. Regards the ‘innards’ of my brain, they are fried from all the waiting around least There is only so much work one can do. And a half day should be given at once a week. Regards, Shane Goulding
Clarification: The postulators in this article were in fact students set an assignment to write to their lecturer, June O’Reilly, recounting their discomfiture with the Institute. June in turn adopted a satirical tone in her response, demonstrating the propensity for those who deal with com-
Letters
Dear Ms O’Reilly, I am writing to you in relation to an issue that I currently have with the paid parking on CIT grounds. In my opinion the parking should be free. There are number of reasons behind my thoughts on this. As you more than likely know my fellow students and I must pay fees, which for this semester cost over €1000. I know that €1 per day for parking does not seem much at first but it adds up. If you had to park there every day for the whole of the first semester, which is approximately 12 weeks, it would cost another €60. For some students who may not have a job at the moment this €60 is a lot of money on top of the fees. We as students also might have to buy books, lab manuals and other accessories for class, with some items costing up to and over €70. Another factor in my belief that parking should be free on CIT grounds is that if a student does not arrive early enough for a spot in the tiered parking, which is usually full by around 9am, they have to go looking for a parking spot in local residential areas. With so many people looking for spots in these residential areas, local residents may become frustrated with the fact that there are so many cars around as they could be obstructing entrances to houses. As some students may have to park away from college grounds, depending on how far they parked away their walk could cause them to miss a class. And yes these walks might help students keep fitness levels up, they will not want to walk if it is lashing and they don’t have a coat or umbrella. These are the main reasons why I have brought this issue to your attention. Upon your reading of the above paragraph I would hope that you felt the same way. I would hope that you would bring this to the attention of the President of CIT and his fellow colleagues who deal with these matters. As I believe the college should be taking the best interests of their students into consideration and not trying to get more money out of us. We as students pay enough as it is due fees and material for class. I would like to say thank you for taking time out of your schedule to read my email. I am looking forward in anticipation for your response. Regards, Shane Manley.
Dear Mr Manley, I am glad to see that you are willing to put in writing what many students feel but do not officially record: dissatisfaction with the parking system in CIT. This means that you are exactly the sort of pro-active person that the Students’ Union are looking for. I would advise you to get involved with the campaign re the massive hike in student fees and as such I have copied your email to the Students’ Union President. I would imagine that he will be delighted to hear from such an articulate, reasonablesounding student. Regards, June
Dear Mrs June O Reilly. as of I am writing this email to inform you of a problem that I have been having couple last the over ing experienc been have we weather late. As you know the of getof weeks was fairly brutal to say the least, and it doesn’t show any signs out of ting any better. The main concern that I have with this is that when I get health my risking am I result a as and soaked get always I class to get to my car effect staying in my damp clothes for an entire day. This problem doesn’t only me I was just using a personal example. of the There are two ways in which this problem can be fixed. Firstly the head walk construction department could try and set a plan to build some sort of a long way with a roof to keep all the students as dry as possible, in my opinion extunnel built like the smoking areas would be ideal and wouldn’t be the most install to look could nt departme ion construct the of head the pensive. Secondly a few a machine that when you step into it your clothes would become dry after y seconds. If both of my ideas were to be put into effect I think that everybod wouldn’t have to worry about the weather as much. read Thanks for taking the time to read this email and I am looking forward to what you have to say on this matter. Regards, Conal
Dear Mr Smith, such an I congratulate you on your proposed drying machine invention! It would be would benefit Another days. rainy on buildings the entering on prospect attractive We year. academic the of scourge the colds and flus be that it would reduce should consider a machine that would take two at a time to save time. that they I do not think that the walkways would be feasible, as I would imagine quarters in would be colonised by smokers who are currently housed in draughty shelters that do not live up to their name. a useful With such problem-solving skills as you display, I feel that you would be of addition to the Students’ Union team. I have forwarded your email as evidence your ingenuity. Regards, June
Dear Ms June O Reilly
Dear Ms O’Reilly, Thank you for your reply. Once I have more time in college without having to worry about exams and projects, I will do my utmost to become involved with the campaign. I would also like to thank you for forwarding my email on to the Students’ Union President. Regards, Shane Manley.
plaints to adopt a dismissive and or defensive tone instead of taking steps to resolve issues. Although the exercise is somewhat humorous in its tone, it is vital that important issues are brought to the attention of the Students’ Union, who will address these matters on behalf of the students.
would like I would like to thank you for responding to my email so rapidly and also assignto apologise for taking so long to write back as I have been very busy doing lectures. other ments for a design I decided to make my drying machine become a reality as I have created steal my and have even gone to the extent of getting it patented so nobody can be able I’ll think I but ming overwhel be will it from make will I that idea, the money nt as I to handle it. I would also like to thank you for giving the class this assignme tely I will would remain poor for the rest of my life if you had not given it, unfortuna and I be unable to give you any money as a reward as I a very miserable person as do to have will it then enough not is this If enough. be would believe that thanks Bahamas. I will be dropping out of college to live my life relaxing on a beach in the decided Also Tadhg Foley has taken your advice to drop out of college so I have to survive. that I would take him on board as an assistant manager in order for him was ever For the record I believe you gave him the correct advice as I don’t think he set out to be in the course. there is I would once again like to thank you for taking time to read this email and it up in the no need for you to respond because I won’t respond as I will be living Bahamas. Regards, Conal
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CIT Societies Volunteer Abroad program Eoin Keane – Horticulture – Cork Institute of Technology – Zambia Just two weeks prior to taking part in Habitat for Humanity’s Student Volunteering Program in India, I was informed that our trip had a slight variation from the original plan! Due to logistical reasons within the charity we were told to start preparing for a month in Zambia instead. No one was disappointed as it turned out as Africa/Zambia is one of those places everyone should want to go and experience. Needless to say it lived up to its billing and turned out to be a great three and half week journey. Our first day in Zambia was spent in the capital Lusaka where we were met and were briefed by our Habitat Zambia co-ordinator Paul. Paul went through everything we needed to know about Zambia and our itinerary for the three and half weeks before carting all eleven tired Irish volunteers off for early morning mass. Not being the greatest of mass goers I have to admit I’d go every week if I lived in Lusaka, we were greeted warmly by the large congregation and tried not to ruin their fantastic singing by joining in. It really gave us a glimpse of what to expect throughout our stay, friendly people with amazing faith that love to sing at the drop of a hat. That afternoon we departed for Ndola the second city, seven hours north of Lusaka, where we’d be spending two weeks building in a rural village some 20km from the city. We were over two hours late when we eventually arrived meaning it was supposed to be pitch dark in our host village of Kaniki. This wasn’t the case as the locals had prepared the greatest welcoming party I’ve ever witnessed, bonfires guided the bus into the heart of the village and what seemed like hundreds of kids ran dangerously alongside, singing, chanting and banging the side of the bus. The next question was “Who was brave enough to get out of bus first!?” Seeing how much our arrival meant to the people of Kaniki was so heart -warming and there was an immediate bond between us, that first night was just sheer class. Our accommodation was two previously built habitat homes in the heart of the village, so we lived
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within the community which made the whole experience way more enjoyable. We slept on mats placed on the concrete floors just like the locals, although the seasoned volunteers had brought blow up mattresses. We made our own meals except our dinners, which were made by six local women who really looked after us as if we were there own children. Our working day was 8am-4pm or 8am-5pm. We work alongside numerous community members and a handful of builders to construct two baked block dwellings with a galvanised metal clad roof and concreted floors. The buzz around the building site was infectious. Within hours we were on first name basis with all the locals involved and it was great to see they got the Irish sense of humour and were able to have the craic. While in the evenings they randomly broke out into the most amazing singing better than any trained choir you’re likely to hear in Ireland, a perfect way to bring the working day to a close. Although the days block laying ended an hour or two before sundown, the physical activity didn’t end there. When we walked back from the building site every evening there was always a hoard of children waiting for us to play with them. This was no hassle to us and it turned out to be the highlight of my trip and when I think of Kaniki/Zambia I think of all those evenings playing soccer and games with the kids who were just so contented to be around us. The two weeks flew by and the two houses flew up and it was time for us to leave. It was hard saying goodbye to the community, as we really grew fond of each other, but Raymond, our Zambian foreman, made us promise “To come back to see them again someday and to have the craic”! For our last week and half we returned to the capital Lusaka where we worked in the Habitat for Humanity Zambia office. This was a great insight into
how efficiently run an international charity has to be, where every penny goes and how important all donations are to the organisation. As well as an insight into the running of the organisation, we were brought on several field trips and data gathering missions. These trips were to some of the poorest slums in the capital; it was a big shock to the system to see how hundreds of thousands of people lived in such appalling conditions. Within the slums we visited numerous households and orphanages where Aids, malaria, HIV and chronic malnutrition had ravaged whole families and communities. The biggest surprise to most of us was the warmness and unwavering faith of the people we met despite their desperate predicaments. Everywhere people we met welcomed us into their community and kindly shared their stories with us and thanked us for coming to volunteer in Zambia. In the end the three and half weeks absolutely flew by, the trip I’d looked forward to for so long had come and gone. No sunburn, no mozie bits, no international incident! Just plenty of new friends both Irish and Zambian, tonnes of great stories to tell and memories that will stay with me forever. I would like to thank any of my fellow student body that supported me and encourage anyone that has thoughts of volunteering at home or aboard to go for it. You’ll get much more back than what you put in. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the CIT Societies Office for their extensive support and for granting me a gratefully appreciated scholarship.
For more info on CIT Socs Volunteer Program please go to: www.citsocieties.ie
socs This year CIT Musical Society are putting on INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim. The show ties the struggle of a Baker and his Wife to break the Witch’s curse of infertility on them with favourite fairytale classics - Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel - like you’ve never seen before! The talented cast members are drawn from students of CSM’s BMus, as well as it’s two new BATDS and BAPM courses in addition to students from CIT Bishopstown and Crawford College of Art. This production is directed by Ciaran Bermingham (HBO’s Game of Thrones) and Alan d’Alton, and musical directors Deirdre Long and Michael Young. The show will run from 25th - 27th March in CIT Cork School of Music’s Curtis Auditorium. Stay tuned to CIT Musical Society’s Facebook page for updates. For tickets and more information please email csm.intothewoods@gmail.com CIT Anime and Manga Society meet up every Wednesday. We have an anime and manga library where members can borrow anime and manga. There is a screening of an anime from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm. Anime is Japanese animation; there are TV series and films. We would either watch them in Japanese with English subtitles or in English if available. Manga is Japanese comics, a lot of anime is based on its manga counterpart. Unlike comics, manga is read right to left instead of left to right. The society are planning trips to anime and manga conventions in Ireland, Eirtakon in Dublin and Akumacon in Galway.
International Students Society – Welcoming new Erasmus students
On Friday 1st February the International Students Society welcomed the new Erasmus students to Cork. We organised, during the afternoon, a tour of the city centre. The weather welcomed them as well with a nice shower! We met the students in the heart of Cork, Patrick’s Street. From there we went north of the Lee to Shandon’s Church and explained a bit (or tried to, with our little knowledge!) the history of Cork. We went back to the centre and showed them places to go for a good night out … It was a nice walk and we had a chance to get to know each other better. We ended up in the Old Oak and we finished the night in the famous place for the Erasmus Students, MacCarthy’s Bar. I would like to thank Vickie from the Chaplaincy Student Support Team who was representing Cork people and who was a good guide! We’re looking forward to seeing you guys for our many events and parties of the semester, including a trip to Dublin from the 25th to the 27th March. If you have any questions isscit@gmail.com or like us on Facebook International Students Society CIT.
DJ society Battle, CIT V UCC What a night. The battle of the DJ’s began with a hitch or two but was well worth the effort. there was such a huge interest from inside CIT and the public that we had difficulty narrowing it down to just seven DJ’s ! Richard Murphy, James de Burca, Sean Pedersen, Marek Serwatka, Feral O’Shea, Chris Power and Alan Campbell. Keeping within intervarsity rules, so as to be fair; we had students battle it out for the ultimate student college DJ on Thursday the 31st of January. Judges included Amanda D’arcy, DJ and Producer, and a huge patron of new and upcoming talent in Cork. Billy Mc Galey was also present; whom you may have seen from Eclipse Nightclub at Tramps Ball, at the Savoy to across the waters in Ibiza rocking many a tune . Also judging was Darren Sheehan who many know as Dashka, a very well known name and face in the DJ Cork scene. The evening that followed was a mix of all sorts of music from commercial chart to progressive house to trance to some sound effect tricks. It was a serious close call as to who would win the title. However, around 10pm we had a decision and Chris Power was the named winner, winning a set of Nearfield monitor speakers kindly sponsored by CIT Students’ Union. In second place was Alan and coming in third was Marek. The money raised from the battle went towards RAG week charities. Congratulations to all who attended and took part in this epic battle and don’t forget to catch one of our many workshops around campus with big name artists!
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socs
The CIT Photographic Society
The CIT Photographic Society would like to thank all the students, lecturers, friends and fans supporting us. It has been a great last semester and we are looking forward to this one. We will be holding two more exhibitions of our works in Easter and at the end of semester. So look out for them! Here are the images from the events through out the last semester: If your not already our fan on facebook, this is our page:www.facebook.com/CITPhotographicSociety. Any Societies that would like to capture their events, feel free to contact us! We are always looking for new members to join our crazy family :)
Business & Accounting Society
What a year it has been for the Business & Accounting society! We are one of CITs biggest societies. Each year we organise social and academic events for students all across CIT. We aim to provide events for all students at discount prices. Last year our social events included “The Nightmare Realm” with an after party in The Bailey and “Cork on Ice”. This semester we organised the biggest ball in CIT, the 007 Business Ball in Rochestown Park Hotel which was a sell out with 1500 guests! Pictures will be in the next explicit issue. What a fantastic night! We would like to say a big thanks to everyone who attended and to all those who support our events. Upcoming events Bob Tweedy, owner of The Savoy nightclub will be guest speaker to students on Wednesday 6th of March. Time and Venue are yet to be confirmed but keep an eye out for our posters across campus. Bob is a business man who owned some of the biggest clubs and pubs across Munster. However, large loans and financial debt has resulted with him currently owing €23 million in loans to the banks. Bob will be sharing his story as an entrepreneur/business man and how he lost his clubbing empire as a result of his own conduct and the banks malpractice. He is now developing his business again and intends to publish an autobiography on his life. This will most certainly be an interesting talk. The talk is open to all students and lecturers so all are welcome. To get updates about our events signup to our society on www.citsocieties.ie/join or call to the Societies Office. Also, follow us on Facebook, CIT Business & Accounting Society, where we also give updates and have pictures from our events.
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O
n the 19th of January the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) played host to the Irish Drug Free Powerlifting Association (IDFPA) Single Lift National Championships. The event saw well over one hundred lifters from across the country putting in some massive lifts in the squat, bench press and deadlift. CIT where very well represented with over thirty lifters representing the college along with the three CIT coaches Peter Lucey, Tomas Cuddihy and Sean Canniffe. CIT’s own Barry Piggott took his second national record early on with a huge squat of 190kg in the 82.5kg junior division. David Gagnon also performed well, taking the national record in the 75kg Teenage three division, with a very strong 152.5kg squat. Scott McSweeney narrowly missed out on first in the 75kg junior division with a squat of 172.5kg for second place. The CIT ladies had a great day with Diane Galvin, Lisa Moran and Egle Zyjute all breaking national records. Niamh Hayes, Trish Lange and Laura Kallinen also registered good performances. Many of the CIT lifters also achieved the qualifying totals for the Irish national team and may earn call ups for international competitions later in the year. One of the big highlights of the competition
Sport
CIT Hosts National Powerlifting Championships was James Hickey from Co. Meath pulling a world record deadlift of 335kg on the same day that his brother Austin set a new national record squat of 241kgs.
Munster Rugby
In their latest RaboDirect PRO12 game of the season, Munster were beaten 18-10 in Parc Y Scarlets to the fired up Welch side Scarlets. In the first half, the home side, through the precision of Man of the Match Owen Williams, scored three penalties, while Munster only scored the one when Ronan O’Gara kicked over a penalty just before the whistle. Scarlets led 9-3 at half-time. Williams added a further nine second half points courtesy of two penalties and a drop goal. Munster’s final seven points came in the final seconds of the game after a Denis Hurley try but it was too little too late for the visiting side who’s play off ambitions have now suffered a setback as they sit in sixth place of six sides chasing the four playoff places. There was good news however for Munster’s James Coughlan who is one of eight Munster players called into the national camp for training in preparation for the RBS Six Nations clash with Scotland. Best of luck to all involved.
Upcoming Fixtures
Sat 2 Mar 18:30 – RaboDirect Pro12 – Munster Rugby V Ospreys – Thomond Park Stadium
Sat 23 Mar 17:45 - RaboDirect Pro12 – Munster Rugby V
Next up for the CIT Powerlifting club will be the IDFPA Full Power Nationals on the 23rd of March in Ardee Co. Louth. The World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation (WDFPF) European Championships will be taking place in Ireland this year from 26th to 28th April in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan and a strong Irish team is expected. The CIT Powerlifting club trains every Monday and Wednesday at 6pm in the Tyco gym for more information find CIT Powerlifting on Facebook or email peter.lucey@cit.ie. You can also find more information on Powerlifting in Ireland by visiting the IDFPA Website www.idfpa.net
Connacht Rugby – Musgrave Park
Fri 29 Mar 20:05 – RaboDirect Pro12 – Glasgow Warriors V Munster Rugby – Scotstoun
Sun 7th April 14:00 – Heineken Cup Quarter Final – Harlequins V Munster Rugby – Twickenham Stoop 2012-2013 RaboDirect PRO12 League Table
Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Team Ulster Rugby Glasgow Warriors Leinster Rugby Scarlets Ospreys Munster Rugby Cardiff Blues Benetton Treviso Connacht Rugby Edinburgh Rugby Newp GW Dragons Zebre
Played Won 15 13 15 11 15 11 15 10 15 10 15 9 15 7 15 6 15 5 15 4 15 4 15 0
Drew 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lost 2 4 4 5 5 6 8 9 10 11 11 15
Points 58 51 49 46 43 41 32 27 24 23 18 6
By Niamh Hayes
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S
o you think you s m e l b o r p e v a h
Prob Page
Q
Hi, I’m thinking about running for the Students’ Union elections but I am a little worried. Over the past few years I’ve seen the amount of money people throw into their campaigns. From posters, to flyers, to sweets, to t-shirts, it seems like students are spending a bomb. What about all us cash-strapped students? Those of us who can barely pay for food and rent not to mind pay for something like this. I’m guessing a lot of students are in a similar situation to me so why should we be disadvantaged compared to those who seem to have endless resources available to them?
I completely agree with you. The average student today does not have that sort of funds available to them. I wouldn’t let this dishearten you from running for election though. In fact I would encourage you to use it to your advantage. Make sure you let students know that you are not trying to buy their vote, that you are running for legitimate reasons and you feel that you don’t need to spend money to be a good SU Officer. You need to become creative and imaginative, or if you have problems in this department, find someone who is and make them your campaign manager. Rather than printing a load of t-shirts, buy some plain ones in Penneys and some spray paint and decorate them to your heart’s content. If you know someone in a print shop ask them to get them done for a bargain or print them here at CIT for a fraction of the price you’d pay from an outside company. When it comes to sweets and other freebies, see if you know anyone who owns a shop and would be willing to give you some, even at a discounted price. Otherwise I would advise you that if you were to spend money on anything; do so on the sweets because although you shouldn’t buy votes, free stuff always gets you one! True point, but use this point to your advantage. Show that you don’t need money to prove you are the best. Make black and white posters and flyers they will cost you half the price of full colour ones. Get a few Penny’s t-shirts and a can of spray. Cut out a stencil and BOOM your t-shirts are done for €15. If you are going to spend money, spend it on sweets. Students love sweets. Talk to people; tell them why you’re the one to pick. You don’t need money to tell people you’re good! Cheap and cheerful is what you need.
Highlights
Safety Week 11-14 Feb 2013 th
CIT Students’ Union Award Winning Safety Week took place between the 11th and 14th Feb. The aim of the week was to educate students and staff about safety - personal safety, substance use, road safety and saving lives. The SU organised a full timetable of events and urged you to participate and get involved in as many events as possible. The premise was that if you learn one thing about staying safe throughout CIT SU Safety Week, then the campaign was a success.
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Q
If you have any problems that you want our agony aunt (& uncle) to solve, please email them to: suwelfare@cit.ie. We will do our best to help you!
I thinking of coming out but I don’t know what my friends or family will think. I am one of the lads and I am afraid my friends will treat me different. I don’t fancy any of my friends like that but I don’t think they will see it like that. What should I do? While they are people out there that in this day and age are still old-fashioned about certain types of sexual orientation, I wouldn’t let that put you off coming out. On the other side of the coin people are now more open to the various types of love, whether it is between a man and a woman, two men or two women. Just look at all the talk about same-sex marriage that is going on across the world. You are an incredibly strong person for even thinking about coming out, so look at it that way. If your friends or family are not supportive, that is down to them as people rather than anything against you. It’s like if your folks are old-fashioned there is a chance they won’t be supportive at the start but having said that, if they have always been the type of parents that are there for you when you need them, they will come to realise that you need them at this very vulnerable time and will come around to supporting you. Likewise with your friends, you probably know yourself already which ones will run a mile and which ones will stick by you. Spend your time with the latter; the first ones probably didn’t deserve your friendship in the first place. You are who you are and there is nothing you can do about that. Your friends should not treat you any different if you’re gay or straight or bi-sexual, they are your friends and should not care what sexual orientation you are. You would be surprised at how people will act. As I said they are your friends and I bet you they will not care. They will treat you the exact same. And if they do not accept you for who you are then they are not really your friends. Remember you are who you are and no one can change that!
CIT
&Family
Friends
Some of this year’s participants enjoying the snow on the first adventure of 2013 on the Kerry Way
Rate
Rochestown Park Hotel are delighted to offer friends & family of CIT Students a special rate of just €70 per single room and €80 per twin or double room inclusive of full Irish breakfast.
Most people have heard of ‘Gaisce’ from secondary school but many don’t know what it is. Gaisce - The President’s Award is Ireland’s National Challenge Award for young people, the country’s most prestigious and respected individual Award programme. It is a challenge from the President of Ireland to the young people of Ireland. Gaisce works on the basis of a personal challenge set by the young person. You will set your own challenge and agree it with a President’s Award Leader (PAL). You won’t be competing with other participants, as each challenge is completely individual… so the only person you will compete with is yourself. Here at CIT, Gaisce is a fast growing society (having won the title of ‘most improved society at last year’s CIT Society Awards) bringing all types of students together. Gaisce is an award earned by young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five for participating in several activities for a certain period. The award was first established under the patronage of the President of Ireland in 1985 and since has grown from strength to strength. The award is also part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association. This society is unique; it is a completely individual award where the student has to commit a certain numbers of hours a week to three different aspects of the award, (which can prove to be quite difficult for a full time college student!) yet still come together through the society to lend each other a hand, and share experiences. There are three different awards; Bronze, Silver and Gold with three different aspects in which the student have to complete before receiving the award; Physical Recreation, Community Involvement and Personal Skill. For the Bronze award the student has to commit a total of thirteen hours (one hour a week) for each different aspect. The student has to commit a total of twenty-six hours for the Silver award and fifty-two hours for the Gold award. As this is an individual award it does take a lot of drive and determination to finish out the award and the best thing about joining CIT Gaisce Society is the adventure (a major part of the award) when the society comes together. The society has just finished their first adventure of this college year; it was a great success. A group of nine students partaking in the three awards headed off to Co. Kerry to do up to 110km of the Kerry Way. Just for an added challenge, we did this in the snow! Although the conditions were not ideal, determination and patience got the group through until the end. Another group of students will also head in the Kerry direction this Easter for their adventure. The society would like to thank Christine Nolan, CIT Gaisce PAL and Aoife Kelliher, Societies Officer, for all their help with this adventure! It is never too late to get involved for the first time or to continue onto a different award! For more info, see www.gaisce.ie or email gaisce@citsocieties.ie.
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Crossword zzle #9 by Dave Fisher (puzzles.about.com) sponsored by www.citsocieties.ie
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Name: Verb precederMob: 42. Command on Class: 10. 43. Make a rug Email:11. Merry-go-round lar, abbrev. music
atest
CIT Rag Week 2013 45. Drinks slowly 19. Some kitchen staff Highlights 46. Kind of fall wear them
21. Jewel Spoon ing
24. Santa's helper
es
old of
n or out equally
buy
r more
25. Tell a whopper 26. Polished off 27. El ___ (Spanish hero)
Across 1. Combines 5. Numero uno 9. Classic late night TV 12. Field yield 13. Bow 14. Ornamental pond fish 15. Instrument 16. Uncommon 17. Actor Brynner 18. Water source 20. Pressing 22. It’s brewed 23. Honey maker 24. __ band 28. Unruly crowds 32. Afire 33. Uses shears 36. Boxing great 37. You walk on them 39. Evicts, in a way 41. “And __!” (really) 44. Kind of gun 45. Orb 48. Dynamite units, usually 52. Wrath 53. Computer contents 55. Extinct 56. Average score for Woods 57. Tied 58. Notion 59. Regular, abbrev. 60. Let 61. The latest
Prize: €30. Deliver completed entries to the SU shop. Winner from our last issue is: Mollie O’Riordan, SC2
Brain Teaser If you reverse
47. Rancher's theconcern digits
of my age, you have my son’s age. 49. SecretA message year ago, I was exactly twice his age. 50. Was aware Howofold are we both now? 51. Seven __
Answer:
54. Millimeters in a centimeter? Name:
Class:
30. Kind of sandwich
Prize: €50 cash
31. Bro's counterpart
shment
35. Roasting rod
__ (largest ner Hebrides)
38. Definite article
Raggerz antics!
34. Country dweller
40. Ancestry
Email:
Branches at: Wilton Road and Wilton Shopping Centre www.bishopstowncu.ie Deliver all entries to: Students’ Union Shop, 1st Floor, Student Centre. Winner from last issue is:
Casper Dudarec, EPS4
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Mob:
29. Boat propeller
e for surgery
down 1. Behaves 2. Lose hold of 3. Way in or out 4. Shares equally 5. Good buy 6. Two or more periods 7. Prepare for surgery 8. Cry of accomplishment 9. I sle of __ (largest of the Inner Hebrides) 10. Verb preceder 11. Merry-go-round music 19. Some kitchen staff wear them 21. Jewel 24. Santa’s helper 25. Tell a whopper 26. Polished off 27. El ___ (Spanish hero) 29. Boat propeller 30. Kind of sandwich 31. Bro’s counterpart 34. Country dweller 35. Roasting rod 38. Definite article 40. Ancestry 42. Command 43. Make a rug 45. Drinks slowly 46. Kind of fall 47. Rancher’s concern 49. Secret message 50. Was aware of 51. Seven __ 54. Millimeters in a centimeter?
CIT Students & Staff, Fun 5k walk & run 6th March @ 12.30pm, starting at CIT Track y Dress! izes for Fanc
Pr
Free en
try, just
turn up
!
First 100 people on the day get a cool free t-shirt!
Lace up everybody! Prepare for the event by attending the “Meet & train” walking & jogging groups: Tues 26th Feb & 5th Mar at 5pm, meet at the Track gate (if wet we’ll train indoors).
Relaxed pace, no pressure & get fitter!
Want To Make a Dream Start to Your Career & Make a Difference? The Elections for the following Students’ Union positions will take place on 14th March, 2013 Sabbatical • President • Vice-President Education • Vice-President Welfare
NoN-Sabbatical • Communications Officer • Entertainments Officer • Projects Officer
Nominations close at 5pm on 8th March, 2013
Nomination forms are available online at www.citsu.ie and from the Students’ Union Office. For further information, please contact Vicky O’Sullivan, email: Vicky.OSullivan@cit.ie
e I c a n mak e nc a di f fe re h e re ! E: citsu@cit.ie www.citsu.ie
Your Union Your Voice
Tel: 021 433 5270
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T&C: *At regular menu prices with up to 3 toppings and must be same or smaller size. Please mention offer when ordering. Present voucher at time of purchase. Only available with valid student ID. Not valid with any other offer. Valid for a limited time only and at participating stores. Collection or delivery. €1 delivery charge per order. €2 delivery charge per order after 12 midnight.
** In selected stores only. €2 charge for delivery after midnight.
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