UCC Express Issue 12

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 18 | Issue 12

Students’ Union Election Reactions Pages 2, 6-7, 18-19

WINNING TICKET: Aidan Coffey (President) and Joe Kennedy (Education) combined forces to win their SU races. More Inside.

Image by: Emmet Curtin

Complaints over alleged instances of sexual harassment

Barry Aldworth News Editor A formal complaint has been made to UCCSU after an alleged incident of sexual harassment involving a member of a campaign team occurred at the Students’ Union election results night on Tuesday, March 10th.

While queuing to enter Devere Hall, where the results were being announced, Clodagh Feehely alleges

that three men, one of whom was wearing a t-shirt belonging to a campaign team, “came up behind me and started grinding and thrusting himself on me in the mash of people in the queue.” Despite repeated requests to stop, the men continued, with Feehely stating that she was unable to move away from them as she was stuck in the queue.

Commenting on the incident, Feehely argued that what happened was further proof of the need for UCC to provide better education on consent: “Those three lads never once stopped to think how what they were doing would actually affect and upset the person they were doing it to. However

I think the problem here is that there is no education for students to say that this is not OK and no repercussions for students who act this way to another person.”

Feehely further added that the reason behind the complaint was not to highlight that instances such as this only act to undermine the work done by the current and previous incarnations of the Students’ Union in relation to consent.

A survey of 1,038 students is Trinity College last December found that onequarter of women had been subjected to a non-consensual sexual experience.

USI Vice-President for Equality and

Inaugural UCC Ball announced for April Page 4

Citizenship Annie Hoey highlighted that incidents such as this are why all Irish colleges need to take a more proactive stance in promoting consent: “The USI is working with a number of organisations on developing a programme for consent workshops which we will be rolling out next September. Students need to know that the college they are attending is a college that supports consent, advertises exactly what consent is and treats issues of breaching consent very seriously.

“Creating an environment of consent will be crucial in dealing with issues of harassment in college.”

Investigating Internships Page 10

2|

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

SoundBites

Coffey elected new Students’ Union President

“He was a man of the people who has now become a man of the world. Cork is owning him as a favourite son.”

Gerry Kennedy, a descendant of George Boole, speaking about the university’s celebrations of his 200th anniversary.

“It’s clever marketing for Aldi, and a winwin for us.”

UCCSU President Mark Stanton speaking to the Echo about the free shuttle bus running from campus accommodation to Aldi on Mondays.

Inside Today: Female representation Page 6

HANDS UP: Aidan Coffey celebrates the announcement in Devere Hall. Image by: Emmet Curtin Barry Aldworth News Editor After beating the quota on the second count, Aidan Coffey was elected to the position of UCCSU President for the 2015/16 academic year, becoming the first President from the Department of Medicine in 30 years.

“It was a bit of Mature Student issues Page 9 an outside bet, myself and Joe both getting The J1 Debate Page 15 in.”

Hurling Abroad Page 21 Mission to Moscow Page 22 Gaiman on Pratchett Verge

The Number Cruncher

Coffey, who served as SU Council Chair this year, received a total of 45% first preference votes, before transfers saw him defeat George Gill and Eolann Sheehan in the Presidential race.

Within his manifesto the president elect

had outlined further extending library opening hours and improving the existing supports for students suffering from mental health issues as two of his key aims for the year ahead, as well as an expanded UCC R&G calendar.

Following his election, Coffey used his acceptance speech to thank those who had voted for him and joined his campaign team, while also praising Gill and Sheehan and admitting that his fellow candidates had him worried at several points during the campaign.

Coffey further noted to the Express that the win took him by surprise, stating that he was “Shocked... because Gill and Eolann were very strong candidates and had a load of people out on campus during the two days. They had both run very good campaigns so we knew it was a bit of an outside bet, myself and Joe both getting in.”

The results brought good news all

round for the joint ‘That’s the Ticket’ campaign, as Joe Kennedy was reelected to the position of Education Officer. While candidates rarely ran as part of a ticket in recent years, Kennedy beat fellow candidates Ian Hutchinson and Shane O’Sullivan on the first count, after receiving approximately 53% of first preference votes.

The success of this year’s SU in extending library opening hours and securing a €4 million investment into the current Wi-Fi service was further recognised by students, as sitting Communications & Commercial Officer Barry Nevin was also re-elected for a second 12-month term. Nevin had the widest margin of victory for any of the successful sabbatical candidates, as he polled just under 1,000 votes ahead of Cathal Walsh.

More on the Elections on Pages 6 and 7.

Editorial team

Editor-in-Chief: Stephen Barry

Deputy Features Editor: Laura Flaherty

Deputy & News Editor: Barry Aldworth Sport Editor: Stephen Walsh Deputy News Editor: Brian Conmy

Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin

Fiction Editor: Ruth Lawlor

Photo Editor: Marc Moylan

Humour Editor: Roger O’Sullivan

Designer: Kevin Hosford

Features Editor: Conor Shearman

4,202 10,000 €62,947

The total number of students who voted in the UCC Students’ Union elections, just over one-fifth of the student population.

The amount of miles flown by Kevinder Singh Tan to collect his UCC degree during the Spring Conferrings. The Masters in Management & Marketing graduate was only 44 hours in the city before returning to Malaysia.

The amount of money raised by Jailbreak15, a week after the teams raced to find a mystery location, eventually revealed to be Lake Bled, Slovenia. Hugh Weldon and Ahmad Mu’azzam of Trinity were the winners.

74,424 A record number of students are applying for a third-level place this year through the CAO system, although 6,015 have yet to specify any course choice.

|3

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

UCC team to partake in Canadian Competition

90% of Medical students may Emigrate on Graduation Barry Aldworth News Editor

Almost 90% of medical students in Ireland either plan to emigrate upon graduating or are open to the idea, according to a survey of the six colleges which offer degrees in Medicine.

The study, which was led by researchers in NUI Galway, found that whilst emigration was at the fore of the thinking of the students surveyed pay was not as big an issue as had been expected. Instead 88% of respondents identified batter career opportunities, working conditions and lifestyle as the reasons they were considering migration.

Pishoy Gouda, the principal investigator and a final year medical student at NUIG, stated that this survey filled a gap in the existing knowledge, as previous studies had focused exclusively on graduates. Gouda’s study, however, sought to assess the views towards emigration of students who were varying stages of their college course.

Speaking to the Irish Times Gouda stated “We found the outcome alarming, as it shows that even pre-

Dramat shine bright at

ON THE CASE: The UCC team who will be competing in the weeklong event.

Barry Holland News Writer

DOCTOR ON CALL: One-third of medicine students "definitely" plane to emigrate, according to the NUIG study. med and first year students are thinking about leaving already.” He added that the survey reflected a “widespread culture of intention to migrate” which was prevalent within Ireland’s six training colleges.

In light of the findings Dr. Diarmuid O’Donovan, the study’s supervisor and a senior lecturer in social and preventative medicine, has called for the government to take action to retain Ireland’s medical graduates. This stance was echoed by the Irish Hospital

Consultants’ Association which stated that the survey proved qualified doctors were being driven out of the country.

The study, which also involved staff from UCC, UCD, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Limerick and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was published in the Human Resources for Health journal. In total 34.3% of students stated they would “definitely” emigrate, with a further 53.3% admitting they were contemplating the idea.

In addition to highlighting the views of students towards emigration, the study also noted that many students were ill-prepared for life after college.

Two-thirds of respondents admitted that they did not fully understand what training they would be required to complete after graduating, with one third saying that had a poor to below average understanding of how the Irish healthcare system worked.

Daisy May Pemble News Writer UCC Dramat, LGBT* and International Relations Societies all scooped a large number of accolades as the Societies’ Guild honoured the best societies and their most active members at their annual STARS Awards.

With an impressive array of silver cups to be distributed from the head table in County Hall, the Guild firstly elaborated on the huge number of applications this year: over three days, 10 judges gathered together to process 450 applications, totalling 323,647 words, from UCC’s 103 societies to decide who would win the 24 awards.

As the ceremony began, the cheers and claps were almost non-stop until the end.

Dramat, which has produced many stars on the stage, also proved to be the star of the night, winning four awards: Best Poster and Best Creative Event for Monica, alongside Best Collaborative

The team representing UCC are three students from fourth year Commerce, Laura Murphy, Aoife McCarthy and Darragh O’Drisceol, and Ronan O’Sullivan from BSc Finance.

Sponsorship has been provided by the Commerce Society and KPMG, who have also provided training on presentation skills to the team.

Internationally recognised business schools compete in a weeklong event hosted by the Royal Roads University as students are offered the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills learned through university study and work placement. This competition allows the students the opportunity to interact with internationally renowned business leaders, other students from around the globe and industry professionals.

STARS

The LGBT* Society collected three awards: Best Promotion, Best Social Society and Best Campaign, with the latter recognising the Humans of Homophobia Campaign which gained national and international media attention. Surgeon Noonan won Best Religious and Charitable Society, after raising €100,000 so far in this academic year.

A team of four final year students will represent the College of Business and Law at the Royal Roads International Undergraduate Case Competition (RRIUCC) in British Columbia, Canada from March 18th to 22nd.

24 business schools were chosen to compete from all applying universities.

RRIUCC is an opportunity for UCC to be seen on an international level competing alongside prestigious business schools from North and South America, Canada and Europe.

LUCKY STARS: IR Society members pictured with their awards last Thursday night. Image by: Emmet Curtin Event (Scandal Crisis MUN with International Relations) and Best Creative Society.

In addition to honouring UCC’s societies, many of the individuals who play crucial roles in these successes also received awards. The Society Achievement Awards had ten recipients: Gary Moloney (Law), Michael Stack (Comedy), Jenny Keane (Dramat), Eimer Cadogan (Psychological), Kyle Malone (Pharmacy), Anna Cremin (Engineers without Borders, Philosoph), Kate

Moriarty (Dramat), Eoin Hayes (Capriccio, Choral), Aisling Ivers (International Relations) and Brendan O’Leary (Photographical).

Finally the Bene Merenti Awards recognised the achievements of seven leading society members: James Upton (LGBT*), James Reidy (Law), Pat McCarthy (Macra na Feirme, Economic), Ellen Desmond (Cancer), Garret Mulrain (International Relations), Cliadhna Dineen (Dramat) and Michael Hanrahan (Surgical).

Although the ceremony is over, the awards are not. Best Event, Best Community Engagement, Fresher of the Year, Best New Society, Best Small Society, Society of the Year and Society Person of the Year have all been shortlisted, with the winners announced at the Clubs and Socs Ball next Thursday. As well as Dramat, LGBT* and International Relations, Surgeon Noonan, Law and Pharmacy were nominated for Society of the Year, with Society Person of the Year to be chosen from the Bene Merenti recipients.

RRIUCC is also seen as an opportunity for companies to market themselves to a large international audience, in a case competition between high achieving young business leaders of the future in a fun, international and academic environment.

Preparation for the competition is very much a collaboration between academics from Cork University Business School, the Careers Service and the sponsors. The team is mentored

by Dr. Ed Shinnick, Dr. Noel Woods and Brenda Nestor.

4|

Legal proceedings launched into 2013 campus death

Barry Aldworth News Editor The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has initiated legal proceedings in relation to a workplace accident which occurred in UCC in March 2013 and resulted in one death.

Frank McGrath, of the UCC Estates Department, died as a result of severe trauma to his chest after a freak accident involving a work vehicle. The initiation of legal proceedings was confirmed at a sitting of the Cork City Coroner’s Court on Thursday, March 12th.

At the meeting Gerard McSweeney, of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), informed coroner Dr. Myra Cullinane that the case of McGrath’s death is listed for hearing at the Cork District Court in April. In light of this McSweeney requested that the coroner’s inquest into the event be delayed until after legal action had been completed. The request was subsequently granted.

McGrath, who was 58 at the time of the incident, was hugely popular among staff and had twice been elected to the college’s Governing Body. At the time of the incident he had been working on campus lighting using a cherry picker when he was struck by the machine in the chest and head resulting in serious blunt force trauma. McGrath was transferred to Cork University Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

In a statement following the incident UCC extended its sympathies to McGrath’s family and vowed to cooperate fully with any investigations into his death.

An inquest into his death had previously been adjourned as HSA inspectors detailed that in investigation into the incident was “very complex.”

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Students’ Union announces inaugural UCC Ball for April

MOVE IN: The Riptide Movement head the line-up for the Student Centre event.

Stephen Goulding News Writer As the college year finds itself on the home-stretch of yet another successful ball season, one topic which found itself falling from the lips of ballgoers, elected reps and SU candidates alike, finally became a reality when a Facebook page entitled The UCC Ball was launched Thursday evening.

The demand for such an event was immediately evident, as the page garnered over 1,800 likes within 12 hours of its initial appearance. It has been confirmed that tickets will go on sale on Thursday from the SU Box Office, with The Riptide Movement set to headline the event.

Acts also scheduled to perform in the Student Centre event include Rainy Boy Sleep, Jax Jones and Pat Fitz, the latter an ever present at UCC’s major events.

coming after SU Elections, took students and some candidates by surprise, with many believing that it would likely be another year before such an event could occur.

to be bigger and better than Trinity’s famous end of year ball, which attracts students from all over Ireland and has sold in the region of 7,000 tickets a year in recent times.

The concept of UCC adopting an end of year ball has taken hold despite larger balls like Law Ball, Clubs & Socs and Arts Ball seeming to suffice until now. Yet the recent SU elections saw a discussion on the matter unfold, with some varying viewpoints on what form the ball should take and where and when it should be held.

Current Ents Officer Paidi Brady confirmed that the tickets will be limited to a 1,200 cap – the same as the Freshers’ Ball – as the current venue can only accommodate so many students.

“It will be in the Student Centre, where the whole building will be opened up as one venue with 3 stages.”

UCC Ents’ rebranding became associated with the ‘Cherry On Top’ and Brady has certainly delivered in overseeing the organisation of the first ever ball of its kind here on campus.

Whether or not it will be a hit or a flop remains to be seen but Brady remains confident that “there will be something for everybody at the event and it will be the perfect way to end the college year before summer starts.”

While the event has been promised multiple times by successful and failed SU candidates, the announcement,

Yet Entertainments Officer Elect Adam Finn, who worked closely with Brady in organising the ball, has indicated that he would like to see the ball grow

Operation Transformation changes staff and student health Robbie Byrne Music Editor

UCC’s third Operation Transformation programme came to a close on March 12th, with the final weigh in of its participants after a seven-week diet and exercise regime.

The initiative, based on the hit RTÉ television series, saw hundreds of applicants whittled down to nine leaders – a process that Dr. Michael Byrne claims was the most difficult aspect: “You read over a hundred stories from individuals that just want a little extra help to try and change their lifestyle for the better and have to narrow it down to the few that we feel can benefit most.”

Since January the initiative’s nine leaders worked alongside over 120 participants divided into 11 groups to encourage and develop healthy eating, exercise and positive mental health.

Large-scale events such as the Cancer Society’s 24-hour Relay For Life and UCC Desk to 5k were also incorporated into the participants’ hectic schedule.

The final measurement witnessed all those involved in UCC OpTrans being treated to a full blood pressure and weight assessment. A total of 50kg was lost between the nine leaders, with the biggest loser, UCC98.3FM Station Manager, Kieran Hurley, shedding

TRANSFORMED: The Operation Transformation leaders lost a combined 50kg in 7 weeks.

8.9kg.

and exercise regimes.

Vincent O’Brien, who lost 8.6kg, is already reaping the benefits of his seven-week stint as a student leader: “Operation Transformation has easily been one of my favorite experiences throughout my college career. It encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try new types of food

“It has been an eye opening experience as to how a few weeks of exercise and healthy eating can affect your body. I highly encourage anybody who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle to volunteer for operation transformation next year.”

On the day of the weigh in, Dr. Byrne lauded the participant’s achievements in what proved to be a testing sevenweek period. “Lifestyle change and renewal isn’t easy, but it has been made easier by the mutual support and fun that was had by participants in the various activities and events organized by the UCC Health Matters Team and others.”

|5

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

UCC last stop for USI candidates Barry Aldworth News Editor Following on from this year’s referendum which saw 90% of UCC voters support re-affiliation with the national students’ union, UCCSU Council will host the candidates for positions on the USI officer board tonight after , March 18.

After Trinity College Dublin’s heated USI hustings, where TCDSU Entertainments Officer Finn Murphy was criticised for publically advocating one presidential candidate to class representatives, UCC will be the last stop for the nominees before USI Congress. UCC has a total of 20 votes at congress, with a candidate requiring approximately 120 votes to be successfully elected.

Presidential candidates Kevin Donoghue, the USI Deputy President and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Quality Assurance, and Glenn Fitzpatrick, the USI Vice President for Campaigns, both identified the scheduled general election as a key factor in their decision to run.

Donoghue, who identified the upcoming debate on Higher Education

Funding as one of the key issues facing the USI, stated; “I ran for President of USI because I feel I am the best person for the job. There will be a General Election and a decision on Higher Education funding next year in addition to the budget.

“The decisions made in these areas will affect each and every UCC student. I want to be the President who advocates on a national level, for quality education and university experience on your behalf.”

For Fitzpatrick, however, one of the central issues facing the USI is the need for reform, as he argued that; “There’s something fundamentally wrong if USI has to continuously justify itself.”

On the decision to run for President, he added, “I’m running because I don’t believe that we will ever get what we deserve, we will only get what we strategise for. I believe in the collective power and potential of students and Students’ Unions across the island to make a real positive impact.”

Competing for Donoghue’s current position are Jack Leahy of Trinity College Dublin and Martin Lynch, the

current USI Southern Area Rep. Despite working closely with UCC this year, Lynch did not receive a nomination to run from UCCSU, as SU President Mark Stanton stated that while “Martin did an excellent job as Southern Area Officer this year, was very visible around UCC, was very contactable all year and a really great asset to our SU,” the SU exec chose to only nominate one candidate per position and the vote narrowly favoured Leahy.

Meanwhile the race for Fizpatrick’s current position as VP for Campaigns is uncontested, with UCC graduate Dan Waugh the only candidate. UCC is likely to be well represented on next year’s USI Officer Board as Annie Hoey, current USI Vice President for Equality and Citizenship, is also uncontested in her re-election bid, with UCCSU Welfare Officer Cian Power also unopposed in his effort to be elected Southern Area Rep. After her college re-affiliated with the USI in 2013, CITSU Welfare Officer Cíara O’Connor is seeking election to the same position for the national body, with NUIG’s Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin also competing for the Vice President for Welfare position.

WAUGH IN: UCC graduate Dan Waugh is uncontested for the position of national Campaigns Officer.

USI Calls for Publicly Funded UCC seeks to bring Mental Health out of Higher Education the shadows

SEMINAR WORK: Contributors to the USI discussion on Education pictured with USI President Laura Harmon. Image by: Conor McCabe Photography Brian Conmy Deputy News Editor The Union of Students Ireland (USI) on the 12th of March held a seminar on the topic of publicly funded higher education. The event held at the Department of Education and Skills involved both second- and third-level students, economic and social policy researchers and an international expert on the funding of higher education.

The event follows the continued increase in recent years of the expense of third-level education, coupled with cuts to external funds, such as grants through SUSI. USI President Laura Harmon noted, “The USI has a long standing policy advocating for public investment in higher education.

Education is a public good and the bedrock for the development of a sustainable economy and a vibrant society. Students in Ireland and their families are already paying through the nose for higher education, and pay the

second highest fees in Europe. Student supports have been savagely cut over the last decade.”

Ireland currently has over 165,000 full-time students in higher education, an increase of 40% since 2002. Ms Harmon further noted her lack of belief in the feasibility of loan schemes and graduate taxes as implemented in other countries, while pointing out the growing affordability and attractiveness of doing a degree in countries like Denmark of Germany.

The event featured talks from the Chair of the Higher Education Future Funding group, Peter Cassells, Tom Healy of the Nevin Economic Research Institute and Dr Adam Wright from the UK’s National Union of Students on funding options and opportunities, and contained a panel discussion, featuring IFUT, SIPTU and the Irish Second Level Students’ Union.

LINCHPIN: Minister Kathleen Lynch speaking at the launch of the course.

Barry Aldworth News Editor UCC and Mental Health Ireland have come together to officially launch a new part-time Certificate in Mental Health in the Community, after the programme was trailed in January of this year.

The course, which is to be run through the Adult Continuing Education (ACE) initiative, will offer a forum for discussion on key issues involving mental health. In addition, the certificate seeks to promote knowledge and awareness of both emotional wellbeing and the recovery path.

At the launch of the programme Labour’s Kathleen Lynch, Minister

of State for Primary Care, Mental Health and Disability, praised UCC for its efforts to promote discussion about mental health: “Nowadays most people expect to recover from mental health difficulties. That wasn’t the case not too long ago. We need to continue talking about mental health and to do it loudly.

“This Certificate in Mental Health in the Community brings mental health out of the shadows and starts the conversation at a community level.

Each and every one of us should be able to change someone’s world and this is my hope for the people who complete this programme. I’d like to congratulate Mental Health Ireland and the team at ACE in UCC on a fabulous

course,” concluded the Cork City TD. One of the lecturers on the course, Rory Doody, detailed his own history with mental health at the launch, informing the crowd that he once believed having a mental health issue to be a life sentence. Doody stated, “I’ve had an amazing journey of lifelong learnings which have impacted greatly on my recovery. My hope for this programme is

to

educate

people

about

the

importance of good mental health and in creating community led resources to support people to recovery.”

6|

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Quinlan chosen as first female Welfare Officer in six years Barry Aldworth News Editor

Whilst the issue of inadequate female representation within the SU will continue to prove a challenge for the incoming officers, Katie Quinlan became the first woman to be elected to the position of UCCSU Welfare Officer since Rebecca Murphy in 2009.

The Welfare race proved to the one of the closest results on the night, as Quinlan led fellow candidate Denis Savage by just 71 votes before transfers from Hannah Eames, the first candidate eliminated, saw her elected despite falling four votes shy of the quota. On the result Quinlan stated, “I suppose there are actually no words that aptly describe how it feels. To know that the students of UCC believe in me and want me to be their Welfare Officer is amazing. And to stand with a group of people who absolutely worked their asses off to get me elected and hear my name called was the icing on the cake.”

After falling short in his election bid last year, James Upton was successful in his efforts to become the Deputy President and Campaigns Officer this

year, beating Cormac Molloy and Siobhán Callaghan in the process.

Upton, who received 1,848 first preference votes, exceeded the quota on the second count, following the elimination of Callaghan.

Whilst the Entertainments Officer position has been treated as a fulltime role for the last two years, the officer elected, Adam Finn, will seek to carry out the job while also attending lectures, as he feels this will help him stay better informed of what students want. Finn, who was opposed by Dane Moriarty and Sophie Olsthoorn, won the position on the second count after the elimination of Moriarty.

Female representation at SU Executive meetings will, however, be slightly improved next year after Lorraine Donovan was elected the new UCCSU Equality Officer, at the expense of Daniel Pierse. In addition to Quinlan and Donovan, Maria O’Sullivan will also sit at Exec meetings, after being elected to the position of Business & Law College Representative, beating Sarah Dunphy in the process.

LEADING LADY: Katie Quinlan celebrates her election as Welfare Officer in Devere Hall. Image by: Emmet Curtin.

In the election’s other contested position, Billy McCarthy was successful in his bid to become the new Science, Engineering and Food Sciences College Rep, polling

245 votes ahead of Alan Draddy.

Meanwhile, Sean Ó Riabhaigh, Art Kelleher and Xander Cosgrave, who were all unopposed in their election campaigns, were voted in as Irish

Officer, Medicine and Health College Rep and Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences College Rep respectively.

Coffey: incoming SU “most skilled and experienced” in years Conor Shearman Features Editor Relief is the overwhelming sensation which seems to grip Aidan Coffey following his election as UCC Students’ Union President. With strong campaigns run by both George Gill and Eolann Sheehan, it was a race which many had predicted would be closer than the final result; Coffey was relatively comfortable in winning with 46% of the first preference votes.

His past experience in the SU as both Council Chair and Medicine and Health College Rep was the key advantage he held over his opposing candidates and something which he points to as indicative of the strength of next year’s sabbatical team – with all of the incoming full time officers previously holding positions on the SU: “It’s of one the most skilled and experienced teams in a long time. There’s a huge amount of union experience and I think it’s a great thing.”

It is a period when experience will be key to the SU: the development of the Student Hub building which will cater as the central student focused area on campus for decades to come is in the planning process and it is not a time when information can afford to go astray. Coffey points to the re-election of Commerical and Communications Officer Barry Nevin, who has been significantly involved in the planning process, as key to ensuring the success of the project. “I think this year, more so than other years it’s brilliant that there is such continuity.”

Tackling library issues such as the plugs

shortage and introducing his headline populist policy of a R&G year are two of the immediate priorities which Coffey wants to focus on upon entering office on July 1st, the latter of which will require considerable organisation if it is to be a consistent staple of the college calendar. He is keen to stress, though, that formulating a plan for the year which addresses compromise between different officers’ agendas will be his initial step: “there needs to be a plan in place so we’ve something to work off for the year. I think that’ll be the first thing because all of the officers have different priorities, so we’ll all come together and make them fit together.”

The lack of female candidates running for election – an issue which has made little progress since last year (with three running for sabbatical positions as opposed to one last year) – is one which Coffey plans to offer a comprehensive strategy to address: “I think there’s a bottom-up approach and a top-down approach, and I think you need to do the two. The bottom-up approach is from the very first day we speak to the Freshers coming in, and I think you’ve to make the Students’ Union an inclusive place for all genders: males, females and everyone in between. And secondly, the sabbatical team and all of the Exec have to demonstrate that in their dealings with everyone, and show that we do want to be representing everyone.”

Campaigns to encourage women to get involved in student politics, such as the Women in Leadership Summit, have shown promising signs he believes,

TOP PAIR: Aidan Coffey pictured with Joe Kennedy, who was also elected from their two-man ticket.

Image by: Emmet Curtin although further work is still required.

“It was a great success,” he says, “and I’ve heard from some of the candidates running that’s why they had run; they kind of questioned why aren’t there more women running. I think these kind of things take a while to shift and you have to keep working away at it, but hopefully we’ll see more positive

changes next year.”

The first SU President to come from the College of Medicine and Health for three decades, Coffey feels his appointment will not only create a better connection between students in Brookfield and the Union, but benefit the wider satellite campuses:

“I’ve probably more of an intimate understanding of the dynamics down there [Brookfield] than most people would have. I think I know what it feels like to be isolated or to feel like you’re isolated and the SU doesn’t care... if you’re a UCC student it doesn’t matter where you are, we’ll be looking after you.”

|7

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Surprise amiss from election results

Planning underway for new Deputy

Conor Shearman analyses the election in which experience proved to be a decisive factor.

With results finally announced on Tuesday the 10th, the chaos of the Students’ Union election campaigns have drawn to a close for another year.

It was a race which brought little shock in terms of the candidates elected; each of the full time officers elected could be considered the most experienced of the candidates running for their position, with all of the incoming sabbatical team having previously served on the SU in various forms.

The value which the electorate placed on experience this year is significant in that it is a factor which does not usually play such a decisive role among UCC voters. The unusual circumstance of having two of the current sabbatical team standing for re-election may have contributed towards putting an emphasis on the experience voters believed was required.

The perceived strength of this year’s sabbatical team undoubtedly played a major role in the re-election of two of its officers. Joe Kennedy’s success as Education Officer in extending the Boole Library hours via library sit-ins provided him an instantly recognisable platform to demonstrate his capabilities to students. Although perhaps lacking

the same public association with an issue as Kennedy, Comms Officer Barry Nevin nonetheless had a strong position to run his campaign on; his involvement in the planning of the student hub something, he convinced voters, that required continuity.

The fact that both returning candidates were elected on the first count (Kennedy with 53% of first preference votes and Nevin with 62%) demonstrated significant confidence in the competencies of the officers this year. It was also to be second time lucky for James Upton in his election as Deputy and Campaigns Officer, following a failure to win the same post last year. He follows a trend, including that of current President Mark Stanton, who have built on a loss to be elected the following year.

Aidan Coffey proved his critics wrong by successfully running on a ticket; the linking of his name with that of the success of Kennedy proving a winning formula, in spite of comprehensive campaigns ran by both George Gill and Eolann Sheehan.

Female candidates continue to remain a conspicuous absence from the ballot

Brian Conmy Deputy News Editor Following his recent win in the Students’ Union UPTON FUNK: James Upton and his campaign team react to his election as Deputy President and Campaigns Officer. Image by: Emmet Curtin paper; an increase of two additional female officers; only 22% of 27 female female candidates from last year not candidates running for sabbatical demonstrating significant progress, in positions in the past decade have been spite of concerted efforts to address voted in by the electorate (versus a the shortfall. Although the shortfall male success rate of 54%). of women running for UCCSU is undoubtedly a national issue as much as it is a local one (only 16% of TDs in the A critical mass theory has been Dáil are female), UCC still lags behind proposed by some as a factor which a number of other Irish universities in might break the gender uniformity. A SU gender diversity. Trinity notably year of a majority female SU might had a 50/50 split of male-female create the impetus needed to encourage candidates running in their recent other female candidates to step elections and elected women to four forward and break the stereotype that out of five of their sabbatical positions. politics is a man’s game. Such change Unfortunately the problem may lie will not happen by accident; active beyond a female reticence to run for campaigning will need to take place on election, but a general reluctance the behalf of both the SU and the USI on the part of UCC students to elect in order to make progress.

The Election in Numbers

elections,

James

Upton was reflective on how his turn as a repeat candidate made him want the job even more: “I think I appreciated it ten times more than the first time I ran.

When I heard I won I was in complete shock; I went outside and fell up against a wall. Deputy was second last announced and there was a big gap; we got to the hall at 8 o clock and having to wait until half 11 was nerve-wracking.

I don’t know how to describe how grateful I am so many people voted.”

Having been the auditor of the LGBT* Society this year, Upton is no stranger to campaigning. When asked what his plans were for his first campaign in his official capacity as Deputy, he had a hard time choosing, “I don’t know, there’s just so many plans in the manifesto. I printed it out on A3 pages and must go through it now and see.

“I’ve had a few meetings now with the candidate at the moment running for Guild President, if any more announce I’ll meet with them. I want to get the Unions

interaction

with

Societies

stronger, work together with them more to make sure we keep students involved with SU goings on.

“The first campaign myself and Katie [Quinlan] were thinking of running together was on drink awareness. I’d do a drink driving aspect and she’d do a mental health side of it… I think drink awareness in the first two weeks would be very good, with the first years coming in” In

addition

to

introducing

new

campaigns, Upton wants to further develop

previously

established

campaigns including the ‘Consent is Sexy’ and ‘Don’t be that Guy’ campaigns. Jovially, he concludes: “I’m looking forward to working with everyone. It’s a really solid year filled with society heads. I have all these campaign ideas, it’s getting them all locked down now.”

8|

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Student binge drinking culture unacceptable The trend of pre-drinking is just one sign of students’ damaging relationship with alcohol, writes Christine Lee. Alcohol, the substance on the lips of almost every student, but does our culture have the wrong attitude towards the drug? One-in-four deaths among young men, aged between 15 and 39, are caused by alcohol according to Alcohol Action Ireland. That means 88 deaths every month are attributed to alcohol. Alcohol is responsible every night for 2,000 hospital beds being occupied, while other drugs such as marijuana are responsible for little to none. Clearly some revaluation of our attitudes towards alcohol consumption are required.

Alcohol is harmful. Not just to your own body but to those around you. Harmful drinking in Ireland has terrorised the country, the parents of our nation shield their children from drinkers in fear that they will shout or scream at them, or worse violently terrorise them. We are taught from a young age that the city is dangerous when it’s dark, not because there is a collection of murderers and rapists in the city at night like we might have originally believed, but because drinkers are on the prowl, vomiting on the streets and behaving violently.

Alcohol has been identified as a contributory factor in 97% of public

order offenses as recorded under the Garda PULSE system, and according to Alcohol Action Ireland this kind of harmful drinking in Ireland is highest among the 18-24 year old age group at 75%.

“Alcohol has been identified as a contributory factor in 97% of public order offenses as recorded under the Garda PULSE system.”

But what about personally? What is it doing to you? No statistics or scientists need to explain that when you’ve been out drinking for the night you come into college hungover, miserable and exhausted, with inexplicable bruised

covering your body, whether they were from your high heels or from the wrestling match you had with your “bro”. Student nights Tuesday and Thursdays are ridiculous; you can’t “cope with life” the following day, and are virtually writing off two days of college every week.

Your wallet isn’t much better off either.

A student I was speaking to at work who earns the same amount as I do, reported that of the €120 he would earn in that particular week, he would be spending €5 on pasta for the week and the remaining €115 on a night out in

college. It is this sort of prioritising that creates the stigma that college students are completely irresponsible and broke.

Prioritising food should surely be higher than the priority of alcohol. You can still put money towards a night out, but perhaps have a responsible amount put aside for your grocery shopping first?

The notion of ‘pre-drinking’ is also something bizarre. The sole purpose is to get as drunk as possible before going out so that getting drunk doesn’t cost as much. It takes away from the idea of going out. The purpose of going

out should not be to get intoxicated beyond the point of sense and even memory, which seems to be the idea of the general student population, but to have some fun with your friends and to work away the stress and pressures of college life.

Attitudes towards drinking in Ireland needs to be changed and it needs to start with us. We need to be the change, not the inflation of a tradition that is damaging our population and our lives.

Change starts with us.

The sorry state of multiculturalism

Diarmaid Twomey claims that cultural integration requires compromise from both immigrants and the local population.

Recent events have ignited debates around the state of multiculturalism in Europe. What typically happens when debates take place around this issue is that the media polarises opinion into two bases of support.

“Creating societies where citizens identify more with their religion than their nationality is a recipe for disaster.”

It creates a huge problem for the open conversation that needs to take place around this issue; those who express concern for the success of multiculturalism are branded racists, and those who express support for multiculturalism are pejoratively branded as lefty liberals; hardly

constructive bases from which to attempt open, adult-led dialogue.

I have reservations about the success of multiculturalism in its current format: reservations which stem from the issues it has created for our neighbour states. One of the cornerstones upon which a truly successful multicultural society must be based is well structured integration, integration that is promoted and embraced, integration that encourages identification with Ireland, or a particular country of residence, as part of them. This is where multiculturalism has failed in contemporary western society.

Creating societies where citizens identify more with their religion than their nationality is a recipe for disaster.

It is only a matter of time, in my opinion, before this recipe starts producing extremely unpalatable societal issues; a look at some of the barbaric events that have taken place in Europe recently provide us with an appetiser of things to come if we continue to ignore the need for change. An ideology where citizens value foreign lands and religion more than their country of birth or residence is a toxic one. It is giving rise to a contingent of youth who not only lack patriotism for their nation of birth, but actively hate it.

But whose fault is this? Do western

societies not welcome immigrants and embrace other cultures enough?

Do we push vast swathes of youth to the point of disenfranchisement with their own nationality because of a lack of acceptance, as they see it? Or do minority cultures use their religions and cultural identities to isolate themselves and actively set themselves apart from the rest of the society? The reality is most likely a combination of both scenarios.

But how do we counteract this? First of all, Irish society needs to accept that multiculturalism is here to stay.

The Irish have been experts at seeking

opportunities in foreign lands for well over a century now, so it should come as no surprise that other cultures and races do the same. Secondly, we need to start educating children about the damaging effects of intolerance and instil an open and accepting attitude in all our youth. As a society we must offer better support to minorities and immigrants so that they are assisted in integration; however, this must be met with a reciprocal desire on the part of the migrant or cultural minority to fully integrate also. Respect for culture is a two way street and with rights come responsibilities.

There’s no getting away from the complexity of the challenge that faces us. Multiculturalism can enrich all our lives and provide us with the beauty of diversity, however, this diversity and enrichment is not a natural by-product of liberalised immigration. Irish society needs to have an honest and frank discussion about the increase in ethnic and cultural diversity and how best to ensure all our citizens are respected.

Multiculturalism is here to stay: let’s not ignore the need for well thoughtout integration and immigration policy, and sleepwalk into a societal crisis.

|9

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Maturely speaking Louise Clancy questions mature students to find out what a group so often forgotten about on campus have to offer college life and why they feel discriminated against.

Although the majority of students enter UCC in their late teens and graduate before the age of 23, a considerable amount of students opt to complete their undergraduate degree at an older age, for professional and personal reasons. A person is qualified as a mature student if they are least 23 year olds on January 1st of the year they enter the course of their choice, with a limited number of places are available, and reserved, for mature students in each course.

There are several services in place at UCC to ensure that college life is a happy and productive experience for both prospective and current mature students. Established in 2004, the Mature Student Office has been supporting mature students throughout their time in UCC with workshops, advice and examination preparation.

The Mature Student Society organises events and socials as a chance for mature students to successfully integrate into college life. According to the society constitution, they are “formed with the purpose of making both the social and academic aspects of the experience of returning to education for the Mature Students at UCC easier and more pleasurable.”

James McCleane-Fay is a 25-year-old, first year Applied Psychology student.

His central reason for choosing to study at UCC was in order to make a career change: “I had worked in nine to five office jobs for about six years and decided I wanted to return and do something more meaningful. I knew I wanted a career to be proud of, work hard in and enjoy. The job to me was just money and the promise of the weekend off.”

He claims there are a number of benefits to being a mature student, including “already having some working knowledge of different concepts in the subjects we’ve chosen to study. Generally we study things we’re passionate about and this helps motivate us too, so that’s a plus.

We tend to study what we’d like to, without pressures from peers or parents typically.”

McCleane-Fay adds that being a mature student offers academic difficulties specific to their age group, such as “balancing a demanding work, home and study life, the assumption of knowledge that we should have from Leaving Cert and having to unlearn a particular way of thinking that you’ve held for a very long time.” He also believes that some mature students struggle to adapt socially in college life.

He claims that stereotypes about mature students such as “the guy who never shuts up about Woodstock in the middle of a lecture” are made up.

Although he believes that there are no real stereotypes, he states several differences between school leavers and mature students: “we’re less concerned about fitting in than many of the school

leavers.” However McCleane-Fay does encourages mature students to integrate with the school leavers more: “Getting past your own bias towards them being younger is the best way for them to get past any trepidation they might have about being friends with someone older.”

“The first year summer exam fail rate is 25% for mature students. Much of this can be attributed to very little resources allocated for us, life pressures and discrimination.

Ageism is a very real thing in UCC, though it is rarely overt.”

Crystal Leiker is a 33-year-old first year Masters student of Planning and Sustainable Development. She also turned to further study as a means of changing career direction: “I was working in a legal office in the middle of 2009 in America. My job was to call mortgage holders who were about to be foreclosed upon and inform them of the date they were to leave their home, and how much they must pay to remain in it... The work was soul destroying.

I never felt the need to return to education as I had always managed to get decent employment without it.

“Sometimes we just need someone we can talk to, who actually understands what it’s like to be older and in third-level education.”

“The Great Recession changed all that.

But I remember coming home every day from that firm: depressed, sad from the stories I heard, scouring the job listings and seeing none. I knew then

that I wanted to do something better with my life and to help others. It just so happened that I had this opportunity in front of me to come here. I didn’t think twice once it presented itself.”

Leiker states the best thing about being a mature student is “having a second chance to finish the education that I laughed off in my late teens. I love the integration with everyone, being able to relate to my peers both older and younger than I am. Best of all, I love learning and UCC has the facilities in place to let me do that.”

Being a mature student is not without its difficulties too, she explains; “It is never easy to come back into education when you are older. In addition to loss of income and juggling my normal responsibilities with the new ones that come from university, I have the added pressure of studying in another country.

I have a family. They recognise the sacrifice I made to come back and, while they may not always agree with me about doing it, I have their respect for doing so.”

As well as the personal sacrifices,

Leiker faces other challenges; “I have never been able to sit an exam comfortably and suffer from a great deal of exam anxiety. It’s a struggle to convince myself that I didn’t fail.

Sometimes we just need someone we can talk to, who actually understands what it’s like to be older and in thirdlevel education. It’s why the mature students here at UCC are a tightly-knit but welcoming community.”

Leiker believes prejudice towards mature students is prevalent throughout UCC: “Over the last four years I have heard some interesting stereotypes about how the old people are hogging the resources of the lecturers and tying up the lecture because we are asking questions. Maybe it’s just easier for those with a bit of life experience to ask questions.”

She even explains that mature students struggle more in university in comparison to their younger counterparts – “Retention rates of mature students are 15% lower than their younger peers. The first year summer exam fail rate is 25% for mature students. Much of this can

be attributed to very little resources allocated for us, life pressures and discrimination. Ageism is a very real thing in UCC, though it is rarely overt.”

She also believes there is a lack of communication between mature students and school leavers: “There is exclusion that happens in many courses because the perception is we don’t want to engage with our younger peers. That can’t be further from the truth – we love integrating.

What some younger students don’t really consider is that we have children, significant others, ageing parents, bills and mortgages, and that is going on simultaneously. If we can come out for a class night out, we will – but if we can’t, we can’t. We as mature students have a load of life experiences that can add to the richness of this campus and we do.”

10 |

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Working for Free: Internship system shows no sign of changing Conor Shearman examines whether the lack of clarity surrounding internships is having far reaching consequences in society.

Work experience today plays a crucial role for graduates attempting to secure employment. Internships, increasingly viewed as the bridge between study and employment which provide this key experience, remain far from a perfect means of offering such benefits.

Heavy criticism has fallen on a system which has evolved significantly from a traditional narrow distinction, to become considerably more ambiguous in recent years.

Although not a new phenomenon an increased proliferation of internships across a wider spectrum of sectors, along with a greater fluctuation in the conditions attached to such roles, has created confusion as to their definition in Ireland. There is no formal definition of the concept in law, leaving it open to individual interpretation and exploitation.

The goals of internships are of course, to provide work experience, and ultimately enable employment.

There is evidence to support the success of internships in this regard.

Figures provided by High Fliers, a UK market research company specialising in graduates, show that work experience does broadly translate into employment: 37% of UK graduates in 2014 were recruited by employers after completing a work experience programme. Yet this is not where the

central problem lies.

The issue is in distinguishing genuinely useful internships – those which offer valuable experience and teach new skills – from glorified slave labour positions in which over qualified graduates perform roles which offer little benefit to themselves; the much criticised Job Bridge scheme a prime example of such exploitation by employers.

Noreen Moloney, a research assistant for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on a pilot project studying youth engagement in areas such as employment, claims that internships must meet particular requirements: “The experience should include enhancing their learning, employability and future prospects without risk of their being exploited, abused or expected to perform an actual job for free. It should never be used as an obligatory ‘rite of passage’ to the labour force but have real benefits to students’ prospects.”

Payment – or the lack thereof – remains the central criticism levelled at internships in Ireland. Legally an intern is entitled to at least minimum wage if they are performing a role which requires the same level of responsibility and supervision as the

Irish Internships operate in legal vacuum

rest of the workforce; a significant number of those in low paid or unpaid internships may therefore be employed illegally. Yet a lack of case law on the issue means that it is a grey area which remains relatively untested.

A legal challenge against unfair payment for work is a step too far for most of those in internships, the majority keenly aware that speaking out against a potential employer would irreparably damage the chance of gaining a permanent position.

“An inherent danger of low or unpaid internships is that they block those from a working class background from entering particular professions.”

An inherent danger of low or unpaid internships is that they block those from a working class background from entering particular professions; essentially turning desirable careers in media, politics and elsewhere, into areas in which only those from middle class privilege can afford to enter.

such internships are the norm, and therefore acceptable, is worrying; the lack of public protest from students’ movements is indicative of a pervasive belief that unpaid internships are a necessary evil. Graduates choose to see certain employers as unable to afford to pay interns.

A

Although

culture

among

students

that

acknowledgement

that

internships under the umbrella of the Job Bridge scheme require reform has recently emerged in the form of a report from the National Youth Council of Ireland, no such discourse has occurred on unpaid internships at large.

It may be some time before a convincing movement for change emerges.

to pay. While this was not pursued by the government, Labour has pledged to introduce these measures if elected in May.

“Half of

Legislation is urgently required to combat the potential exploitation of interns by employers, internships in Europe are writes Morgane Conaty.

As students we are all familiar, for better or for worse, with the concept of internships. An intern is defined, as per my dictionary, as “a student or recent graduate receiving practical training in a working environment” – nothing groundbreaking there. However if you try to search for the law surrounding internships you will inevitably come up short. In Ireland there is no legal definition of an intern, nor is there any legal framework regulating unpaid internships. So long as a lacuna in the law exists, the benefits of internships will be overshadowed by problems and controversies associated with the lack of a legal framework.

The benefits of internships cannot be understated. They provide valuable experience for students in their chosen field, are highly regarded by prospective employers, and they may lead to future employment within the business or organisation. A European Commission study on traineeships found that studyrelated work experience increases the chance of obtaining employment after graduation by 44%. Internships are now considered an essential when looking for employment. Many employers require, or would prefer, a

candidate with previous experience.

Yet, without regulation, exploitation is quite common. While the purpose of internships is to allow the student to gain practical experience, some employers use unpaid interns to help out in the office or to fill in for other paid employees.

Unfortunately, the lack of clarity regarding the position of interns is not limited to Ireland. According to a European Youth Forum survey, around half of internships in Europe are unpaid. Of those that are paid, 45% pay too little to cover day-to-day living costs. In the UK, there are an estimated 21,000 people in unpaid internships at any one time.

A student doing a placement as part of their education is not entitled to a wage; however, if you are performing as a worker for your employer, you are entitled to be paid. In practice this is very hard to implement and regulate.

In 2014, British MPs voted in a large majority in favour of a motion to end unpaid internships. They voted for unpaid work experience to be capped at four weeks after which an intern would become a worker and would be entitled

unpaid. Of those that are paid, 45% pay too little to cover day-to-day living costs.”

France, on the other hand, recently implemented legislation to tackle the problems of unpaid internships. A person can only partake in an internship as part of their studies and cannot be used to replace an absent or retired employee. Neither can they do work that would be completed by a regular employee on a day-to-day basis. And if the internship duration is longer than two months–or 44 days at seven hours a day–the intern is entitled to minimum remuneration valued at €3.30 an hour.

The focus in France is entirely on the student and the benefits they obtain from the internship.

The common theme emerging is that if the intern is doing work for the business or organisation they are entitled to be paid. This has been

echoed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions who state on their website that, as an intern, provided you are doing work of value to the employer, have a similar level of supervision and responsibility as the rest of the workforce, you are entitled to be paid at least the national minimum wage regardless of what title your employer has put on you. Unfortunately for

students, this is mere opinion and not dictum. The potential for exploitation in Ireland is likely to remain unless the Government implements legislation to tackle the issue.

| 11

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Waltzing among the Clouds

Jack O’Doherty The sun reluctantly begins to rise over the horizon, as if afraid to disturb the night. The infinite blackness is quickly defeated, eventually giving way to the cobalt blanket which encircles us. A seemingly impenetrable cloud layer stands beneath us, as if a barrier to the world below. Despite the profoundly beautiful nature of my surroundings, I find myself struggling to keep up with my partner, who seems faster and more experienced. Darting left and right, we float gracefully through the celestial expanse.

The perpetual tranquillity experienced is an illusion; for although we are waltzing amongst the clouds, my partner has deadly intentions. One wrong move and I will not only have lost – I will be dead. In this sense it is merely a game, perhaps comparable to fencing, and yet it has attached to it the romanticism of a dance. It is a deadly dance, a delicate waltz where even the slightest misstep can be fatal.

Suddenly I have lost sight of my opponent and, in that moment, I am on the defensive once again. Glancing out of the reinforced canopy, I spot the distinctive silhouette of my adversary and, for a second, I optimistically conclude that he has abandoned the dance and retreated. An alarm confirms that I’m mistaken, informing me of my opponent’s attempt to eliminate me – again.

My countermeasures prove useless, necessitating immediate evasive action. Spinning and weaving, I briefly catch a glimpse of my partner in this deadly dance, before a shining silver

pod rushes by trailing a bright yellow flame. Having defeated the missile, I pull another high-G manoeuvre in an attempt to shake my pursuer; but it proves unsuccessful. Successive aileron rolls and pitchback manoeuvres do little to alter the geometry of the engagement and seem to not faze my adversary. To an observer, this majestic display of aerobatics may resemble a delicate, carefully choreographed dance, but is in reality a blind pursuit where swift and unexpected manoeuvres win the day.

“We stare across at each other, perhaps hoping to fatally distract one another.”

Out of desperation, I perform a lag displacement roll, which fails to deter my opponent, but forces him into a high-angle-of-attack position. Without thinking, I take advantage of this and commit to a flat scissors manoeuvre, carefully weaving around my enemy and securing the offensive position.

My relief contrasts with my partner’s consternation, though my fears have yet to be alleviated. I am in the advantageous position but the game has increased in pace. For a brief moment, I am in a position to end it –

my partner has made a fatal error and is vulnerable. Continual audio alerts and visual prompts demand I shoot.

Squeezing the trigger, I realise that I’ve hesitated too long and missed the opportunity.

The dance continues, characterised by constant unpredictable jolts in any and all directions, making target acquisition for cannon fire impossible. This closein, intimate, high-G manoeuvring has resulted in my partner losing the necessary kinetic energy to maintain effective evasion and so they embark on a defensive spiral to regain airspeed.

In a moment of overconfidence, I follow him, switching to sidewinders, and await a solid lock. I realise my mistake as I sail past him doing Mach 2 in a vertical dive. He had deployed his speed-breaks and forced an overshoot.

Once again, our roles have been reversed and I am on the defensive once more.

Tracer rounds dart past my starboard wing, as I descend to treetop level and endeavour to lose my pursuer in a canyon. Despite my efforts, missile tracking warnings continue to blare, compounded by ground proximity alerts. Desperate, I opt to abandon that strategy and ascend out of the labyrinth of canyons, pointing the nose straight up and releasing a cascade of magnesium flares, before rolling over and diving straight down again.

The on-board synthetic aperture radar suddenly reveals a number of contacts approaching from the northeast which, to my dismay, immediately begin to track my position. Two of them break formation and commit to an intercept course. My partner’s friends have

complicated what was a speedy tango, certainly to bring about a swift and fiery end to myself. Indeed, irrespective of my dogfighting proficiency, I am outnumbered, the waltz has been abandoned, and I am to be vanquished.

My flares have been exhausted and the electronic counter measures will be unable to dissuade the looming execution.

I briefly consider ejecting but hastily remove my hand from the lever when I realise I’m doing twice the speed of sound in a vertical dive, with half a dozen jets trailing less than a hundred metres behind. Deafened by warnings, I look back just in time to actually see the missile slide off the rail of the closest aircraft. My subsequent evasive manoeuvres defeat the missile, although I feel like I’m merely delaying the inevitable.

I brake left just in time to dodge a burst of cannon from one of my pursuers.

In doing so, I inadvertently pull alongside my original opponent, his jet unmistakable, with ‘Akula’ inscribed along the sleek airframe. For a brief moment, the chaos of the pursuit is forgotten and we are both embroiled in a suicidal embrace, diving straight down. We are too close to effectively manoeuvre or break away without risking a collision, and so we stare across at each other, perhaps hoping to fatally distract one another. I roll the aircraft along its centreline axis and slowly pull out of the dive, just to be momentarily blinded by multiple flashes of orange light. At this speed they resemble fireworks, and the surrounding void quickly lights up

with a cascading confetti of flames and thick white trails of smoke. In a panic, I begin weaving randomly through the cloud layer, spotting the smouldering wreckage of one of my pursuers as it falls by.

Puzzled, but nonetheless fearful of anyone on my tail, I continue executing evasive manoeuvres, until the radio unexpectedly crackles into life. “Echo four, angel six, tally on target, fox two – Two off your nose, two three zero, fox from second - Three, splash one.” The voices are an overwhelming relief and, before I can even respond, three Raptors, flanked by a flight of Eagles and Falcons, swoop overhead and break formation. Suddenly, the airspace becomes a frenzy of close-in dogfighting, as missiles scream past and tracer rounds light up the sky. The delicate waltz, which had degenerated into a pursuit, has now become a brawl, and one where we have the advantage.

In less than a minute, the only remaining tango is my original adversary, who has disengaged and is retreating to the south. My fellow pilots have conclusively eliminated the remainder of the opposing aircraft and begin to exit the airspace, heading home. I take a moment to shuffle in my seat and absorb my majestic surroundings, comforted by the warm glow of the sun and the blanket of clouds which stretches before me. Idealistic aspirations of escaping this theatre alive are fading, but I am not concerned with reflecting on the transience of life or the futility of human existence. I do not burden myself with such thoughts. I merely look forward to the next dance.

12 |

News Headlines

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

NUIG Student Elections end on a High Emily Smalling

RESEARCH: Curly Wurlys discovered to be calorie neutral due to strenuous chewing.

COURTS: Homicidal pedestrian claims “the little green man told me to do it.”

HEALTH: Schizophrenic psychiatrist asked to give second opinion.

WORLD: Lána Bus voted number one girl’s name among Irish-Americans.

EUROPE: Top Gear cancelled by the BBC, meanwhile top gear legalised by the Irish government.

BUSINESS: Kerry man Rick Shaw given enterprise grant to open Rick Shaw’s Rickshaws.

CULTURE: Hipster dies in ironic way.

NORTH: Unionists beginning to look like sounder bunch of lads.

CRIME: Irish shopkeeper tricked by a toy €100 note – Gardaí looking for a man in a plastic fireman’s hat driving a Fischer-Price push-car in relation to the incident.

WEB: Hotel-comparison-websitecomparison-website.com finally launched.

INDUSTRY: The unifying of 3 and O2 heralded as this generation’s equivalent of South African apartheid.

We’ve all endured the woes of student campaigning. Masses of irritating students enlisted to hand out the usual unrealistic propagandistic garbage for their friends. They bombard passing students with stickers, badges, budget candies and soon to be crumbled leaflets, asking themselves why they ever looked at that mass Facebook message pleading for their help.

Ultimately coming down to either who happens to have the most attractive canvassers or most attractive candidate, it’s a rather dull affair replicated in colleges all over Ireland, with little to differentiate one campus election from another. That is except for NUI Galway’s 2015 student elections.

It seemed a foregone conclusion that the presidency would go to one John Tiernan. The two-time Student of the Year and Auditor of a number of charitable societies on campus was miles ahead in the polls. Not only did his impeccable student record spell success but his name’s passing phonetic similarity to the much loved comedian Tommy Tiernan (a factor which formed the basis of his campaign) was found humorous by all and never became tedious. That was until one Eamon O’Hagan joined the race.

O’Hagan hadn’t been the most likely of candidates, having not attended a single lecture of his course (save for a 15-minute orientation class) and spending the vast majority of his time providing students with all the yokes they could handle. In fact, prior to early Tuesday morning, he had never shown any interest nor apparent aptitude for student politics. That was until the Irish Government accidentally legalised a number of illicit substances. “I figured I’d just give out some samplers, ya know, get some new customers.” Yet, by the end of the day, he had completely eclipsed Tiernan in the polls.

TV3 Wednesday @ 9pm: Tonight with Vincent Browne. This week Vincent discusses the state of Irish politics and what it was like getting absolutely smashed off his tits last week.

TG4 Thursday @ 11pm: Homo-Gnéasach istigh sa Ghaeltacht. Bhí an seó a choimisiúnú den chuid is mó mar gheall ar an imeartas focal.

“O’Hagan hadn’t been the most likely of candidates, having not attended a single lecture of his course (save for a 15-minute orientation class)”

“The whole day was buzzing!” attested one student voter while suspiciously grinding his teeth, while others chose to simply show their support by collapsing outside of the Student Centre.

Ultimately it was a comfortable victory for the young Limerick native. When asked what he would do in his new position, he stated; “I’ll spend the whole budget on yokes and speed!” He went on to say he was so encouraged by the whole event, he may consider running as an Independent in the next nation election closing with, “sure how hard can it be lad!?” Meanwhile John Tiernan has been hospitalised with a severely bruised ego.

In place of the classic canvassing

TV LISTINGS Post-Graduate Stress Disorder BBC 2 Tuesday @ 7pm: The Hairy Bikers. In this moving finale to the current series, the Blonde hairy biker tragically dies in a motorcycle accident, while the other one bakes him into a delicious pie as part of the grieving process.

candies, O’Hagan’s representatives carried around a random cocktail of the newly decriminalised drugs: “I think what they really liked was the lucky dip element; like would you get an upper or a downer or just a stray love heart.

Stephen Carroll Have you recently come to the end of your final year? Have you noticed an ever growing lethargy within your soul? Do you just feel like giving up?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to the above questions, then chances are you’ve got a new emotional affliction which specialists are calling ‘Post-Graduate Stress Disorder’.

The phrase was coined by one Ian McFaken, a leading psychiatrist based in Danville, Virginia and is used to denote severe cases of post academic apathy. “I just noticed a big trend of 20-somethings coming into my practice with no will to live and few to no prospects in life,” the specialist stated during an interview with USA Today.

“When I looked at the pathology of the individual cases, I discovered that they had all recently left college with fairly useless degrees,” he continued.

The Princeton-educated Doctor believes that the lack of self-agency required by undergraduate programs leaves certain individuals without any real drive or direction in life.

They ultimately crave a womb-like space in which they can continue the liminal state of their man-child existence. These assertions seem to be corroborated by individuals such as John O’Leary a recently conferred Arts graduate from UCD: “When I was still in college everything was fine, I would just spend my free time waiting to not go to lectures,” the Celtic Civilisation major stated. “Now that I’m done, I don’t have anything to do... I just wait.

My family were so disappointed when I managed to pass; at least if I had failed I could have had one more year of it.”

Similarly Law graduate Nora Sullivan expressed near-identical feelings: “They don’t tell you when you’re going into Law that it’s actually a useless degree – you think ‘at least it’s not Arts’. But no, it’s actually worse because you don’t even get to do all the partying.” This new trend seems to be a difficult and pervasive threat, and not just extant within the traditional

humanities subjects either. A number of cases have even been noted among lower achieving Medical and Pharmacy students – the former worried that they will be stuck manning the morgue, while the latter may be relegated to a Boots beauty counter.

We urge all those out there who have experienced any of the above

mentioned symptoms to be aware of the potency of PGSD. While not an immediately fatal disorder, it can, over time, greatly damage one’s social life.

If you feel you may be exhibiting signs of Post-Graduate Stress Disorder, you are advised to visit your GP as soon as possible and to avoid all JobBridge programs as they have been linked to several of the more severe cases.

| 13

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Why I hate GPs Langdon Alger So that may be a very provocative title but, in truth, I’m really starting to think the medical profession has it out for me. After regaling a housemate with my most recent STI test escapade, I realised this is not the first time I’ve come away from one of these tests with a weird, horrifying story. So as a form of therapy, I’m going to open up about my first, most negative experience in a GP’s office.

The story of my first STI test is arguably a positive one – if you’re not me, that is. I would argue that it was terrible.

I’m originally a country boy from a bad area outside an equally bad little village in Limerick. You can imagine how enticing living in the big bad city of Cork was. While the novelty of college house parties and going to the Savoy for another wild night has worn off by now, at the time it was all new to me and, as such, I revelled in it. Meeting new people from new places with completely unintelligible accents (especially considering I had a housemate from Donegal) and bonding over the shared trauma that was the Leaving Cert occupied a lot of my time outside of class. Then, one night, I got a late invite to Freakscene.

So I gathered up my ID and wallet, downed a drink and gatted into town for a wild night. As I made it to the club, the song ‘In for the Kill’ by La Roux had just started – yes, this appears an

Who am I?

innocuous detail, but I’m saying it for a reason (other than to remind you that La Roux existed). So I look around for my friends and instead spot someone

“To

me my choices are to either die from some kind of hideous spine rotting syphilis that I surely have or just blurt it out and man up.”

I tangentially know. Going to ask if they’d seen my friends, I shout in their ear, they shrug their shoulders and grab my hand to dance. The shift comes soon after and, seizing the opportunity, we walk out to grab a taxi home. ‘In for the Kill’ is 4 minutes and 16 seconds in

case you were wondering how smooth all that just was.

So we talk in the taxi and realise we’re originally from about five minutes away from each other in Limerick, because only when you move to a big city can you meet eligible sexual partners who’ve lived within walking distance from you your entire life.

We get home. We do the deed. It lasts mildly longer than ‘In for the Kill’.

We part ways the next morning, never to talk again I suspect until I get a text from them on the weekend bus home:

“Have you ever had an STI test?” they ask. “No reason,” they assure me. Naturally I freak out and tell my parents I’m feeling sick when I get home, so they can take me to a GP later that day. My dad takes me to the local GP and, as was usual, walked in with me to the office. Only when we sit down do I realise that I need to ask for an STI test… in front of my dad.

I panic, naturally, as the doctor checks out my imaginary illness before asking if there’s anything else. My brain gives itself an ‘either or’ option – to me my choices are to either die from some

kind of hideous spine rotting syphilis that I surely have or just blurt it out and man up. I choose the second option and, in that instant, realise that not only does my dad know I’m having sex – risky sex at that – but also that that sex is with dudes. So that is how I came out to my father.

Either the GP saw the terror in my eye or finally read the room but either way he asked my dad to leave. STI test conducted. Results eventually clear.

The car ride home was silent. We’ve never talked about it since. I still hate that GP.

Trevor Drinkwater

I buy a lot of things on Amazon (or rather I hope to someday when I’m not a feckless unemployed idiot failing to do anything productive with my life) and I’ve noticed that if you ever want to signed out of your account, you must click a link labelled “not Trevor? Sign out.” Now what I find uncomfortable about this is that in order to sign out of my own account, I must falsely admit that I am in fact not myself. I don’t know about you but I think that is quite a crappy thing to do to a 20-somethingyear-old man-child who already has anxiety pertaining to his selfhood. To break me down further by cajoling me into lying about who I know I am seems a bit cruel.

Outside of the rather insensitive existential queries which are churned up within my soul each and every time I come into contact with this question, I think we can all agree that it isn’t the most effective of security measures.

While I thankfully have never had my Amazon account maliciously hacked or tampered with in any way, I dare say that an individual, technically gifted enough to guess the 12-part alphanumeric code which guards my account would perhaps be savvy enough to not answer Amazon truthfully when asked about their identity. I doubt the chances

of this surprise question foisting them into a state of existential guilt and, in turn, convincing them to sign out are all that high.

Regardless this bizarre little idiosyncrasy did do something rather strange to me. It somehow managed to force me to query who I really was as a person. Most individuals in their twenties have outgrown their awkward teenage phase of constructed self-conscious identity – a period normally marked by overidentification and classification based entirely on prescribing to a random

social subgroup; whether it be Emo, Mosher, hip-hop, etc. I believed that I had long transcended this emotionally stunted period of life and instead had become some unique example of the ever diversification of media and information. At least that is what I thought.

But while perusing Amazon’s many wears in an attempt to expunge any existential angst from my mind, I found myself looking through their automatic recommendations. I wanted everything they had to selected for me, and I mean everything! At first I merely saw

this as a testament to the ingenuity of Amazon’s underlying recommendation algorithm. However, by the time I was on their 18th page of bang on proposed purchases, something dawned on me: while Amazon’s algorithm is likely an impressive piece of computer science, in order for it to have such an incredibly low margin of error, I must also be decidedly predictable.

I’m not a diverse hodge-podge of mixed interests, coming together to form an interesting individual.

Tragically, I apparently fit into a box as broad as they come. Who would

have thought that within Amazon’s suggested Hunter S. Thompson book, Echo & the Bunnymen Greatest Hits, Beard trimming kit and flannel shirt, I would no longer see myself. Instead I’d see a legion of try-hard, wannabe, antihipster-turned-accidental-real-hipster douches, among which I didn’t even stand out as a particularly notable one.

So I signed out of my account, for once agreeing with Amazon’s assertion. No I’m not Trevor. I’m just a generic loser dude.

14 |

1

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Crossword

2

3

7

4

5

8

Sudoku

6

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.66)

9

1 10

12

5

11

6

9

4

8

5 5

13 14

15

Hard

16

6

20

2

24

25

9 4

5

9

7

8

26

2

3 Across

Down

7 Route or direction followed in college (6)

1 To discern beliefs accepted by a group (9)

8 Happening without warning (8)

2 Oil-rich, war-torn country (4)

10 Mexican liquor (7)

3 Nosier with higher rank or years (6)

11 Hemingway or Shackleton (6)

4 Nightclub sounds like it belongs in Cuba (7)

12 Instead I sort my PhD thesis (12) 15 Temperature nearest the sun (7) 17 Earn dual tip for enthusiastic approval (7) 19 Castlewhite assisted me (12) 22 Coaches at Kent Station (6) 23 Animal biology department (7) 25 :-) for example (8) 26 Think logically (6)

1

7

21 23

6

3

3

18

22

2

7

17

19

1

1

5

8

7

Medium

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.59) Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Mar 16 13:07:10 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

8

1

4

1

2 2

2

5 We refill of our own accord (8)

9 Strip of land jutting into water (9)

3

3

5

6 Have elegance in lectures (5)

5

4

1

2

13 Political society solicits a left-wing view (9)

9

3

14 Infamous ex-heavyweight boxer (4,5)

4

16 Bag used for books and laptops (8)

4 2

5 9

18 Awe-inspiring (7)

6

20 Smells (6) 21 2, 5, 7, 11… (5)

7

24 Face-to-face exam (4)

3

4

1

8 9

7 3

February 17th Answers

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Mar 16 13:07:05 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

S H C O A L F I N E D O D N O W C T U R E E T E I S O B W E V E R A B L S K E T B I C A T A T T L E S L

S A C E A D L E E G A R E G E N A L A I N D

S S L G

HARD

C I O M S M S

E R N D L E G B U E S O M O C H I T E U R N E D Y C A H O T B B A N A B A C A O K E S E

MEDIUM

Ireland’s most frequently published college paper now availible on all your devices! uccexpress.ie

L W I B G R A A R I H A N

| 15

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Good Morning, America: Debating the J1 Experience

A life changing experience

Karen O’Sullivan Features Writer On June 1st last summer my best friend Niamh and I went on a J1 to Cape Cod. Initially, we were supposed to go home on the July 31st but because we loved it so much out there, we even went so far as to pay to change our flights to the 19th of August.

There are a few reasons why our experience in America was so absolutely amazing we had to change our flights, first off: the place. America is one of the craziest places in the world. Their food is so terribly good that you can’t stop eating it, the people are as nice as they are gullible and they’re willing to help you out with anything.

Niamh and I were lucky enough to have a house sorted before we went to America so that was a weight off our shoulders. Our only worry going out into the big bad world was getting a job. Simple – we arrived in the beautiful Cape Cod and moved into our new home in Hyannis along with ten others. The first day we went

around with our ‘résumés’ hoping for the best. Niamh, got a job in one hour (60 minutes!), and I got a job in a week; a cushy job too, making smoothies for which the tips were unbelievable simply because I was Irish (‘Do you know the O’Callaghans from Galway?’

‘Oh Jesus, I think I do!’ ‘Here, take 5 dollars!’). It was the best job ever: I loved the people I was working with and had an absolute laugh with them.

I was a bit apprehensive at first moving in with housemates who I had never met before and who I had to live with for an entire summer. Yet now, after spending a few months with them, I have friends for life. We’re still in contact and I live three doors away from two of them in Cork. The travel at the end was absolutely fabulous too. From Washington D.C. to Niagara Falls, the whole journey was an adventure and I have absolutely no regrets. America changes you, it opens your eyes to a world full of opportunities, it shows you that there is so much out there to see in the world and that there’s always something new to discover.

Job trouble makes for an unhappy holiday

Lauren Foley Features Writer My experience of the so-called ‘once in a lifetime’ J1 adventure wasn’t so much a great trip away but more like a trip and fall. My three friends and I set off to Santa Barbara, California on May 27th last year – of course, so did about 500 other eager Irish students.

After a week I began to realise that the prospect of actually securing a job in this tiny beach town was bleak. Endless amounts of job applications were filled in because hardly anywhere would take résumés. Copious amounts of money was spent obtaining a working visa and for what? To compete with 500 other Irish students for a place in one of forty, give or take a few, jobs.

Though I tried, I ended up not

acquiring a job. So, what now? I could go home and spend the same amount of money on new flights as I would on living costs for the next two months or I could stay and try and make the best of it. After spending a month in a motel due to the serious lack of houses in the area, we finally found one – so at least I could bask in my unemployment in the comfort of my own ‘home’.

For anyone that enjoyed their sixth year holiday to the extremely clean Magaluf (please sense the sarcasm), apparently the university town of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara was the place to come to repeat said holiday for three months straight. On the other hand, for anyone that doesn’t like drinking copious amounts of alcohol every day, this wasn’t the place to come. The pressure

to go out, party and ‘be cool’ was on and I resented every last Irish person who crossed my path. I thought I was going on a trip where I would earn a dollar and experience what it was like to be an American – apparently not.

This summer taught me about the Irish nation’s serious infatuation with alcohol. It taught me that I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing just because it’s the ‘thing to do’. It taught me about the kind of people I want to go travelling with in the future. More importantly, it taught me about the value of money. As a person who paid for their J1 entirely by themselves and is still paying it off, I would think carefully before jumping on the J1 bandwagon.

16 |

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

| 17

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Virtual reality poised to revolutionise

History Expressed: UCC’s ‘Nuclear Reactor’

Emmett Flynn writes that virtual reality could have a profound impact on areas such as education, medicine and leisure.

Recent media announcements signal that the war for the virtual reality platform begins in only a few months, quarter four of 2015 to be exact. So far it’s been said that virtual reality (VR) doesn’t work as one might expect; driving and flying simulations work because you’re sitting down and you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat or cockpit, but software in which you walk or run around doesn’t work unless you actually do walk around in a safe, padded room--which I assume very few desire for home entertainment at least.

This problem will undoubtedly have an effect on the type of software that will be developed for education or healthcare, for example. Speaking of which, both could be improved with VR experiences, among a variety of other areas including pharmaceutical testing, architectural design, social networking, leisure activities and product design.

VR could be utilised creatively in education to foster greater empathy for others: simulating what it’s

Graduate Profile: Aidan Synnott Aidan Synnott is a partner in the Litigation Department and co-chair of the Antitrust Practice Group, in the legal firm Paul, Weiss, based in New York. His work focuses on antitrust litigation and compliance, intellectual property litigation and other complex commercial litigation. He graduated from UCC with a bachelor of law degree in 1985.

What’s the most important thing you learned about yourself while in UCC? The most important thing I learned was the intellectual confidence to question every proposition and to look at issues from as many sides and perspectives as possible. A law degree is a great intellectual education. It teaches you to think independently, to analyse deeply, to research thoroughly and to have a healthy dose of scepticism.

What’s your best memory of college?

Sitting in the College Bar or the Rest enjoying endless coffee and chat. The intellectual (and heckling) challenge of speaking at the Philosoph. Small, intimate company law tutorials with Professor Brian Murphy, during which he would break the filter off his Silk Cut and casually light up while discussing the finer points of company law.

like to receive racist abuse or have schizophrenia when sitting on a bus, sitting in a chair of a house of people from a different culture to ours to observe how they live and witness the universal social values we all share, simulation of specific surgery cases for training and practice; the possibilities are incredibly diverse.

Possibilities for medicine and science are also significant. It could function as a powerful replacement for costly anaesthetic medication, trials have already shown that children receiving VR intensive burn treatment are just as distracted from the pain as kids using said medication. Access to detailed and immersive worlds may also allow scientists and historians to have a more thorough view of worlds – everything from the inside of the human body, to human life in the past.

Like any technology it will have a bad side, in this case addiction being the sizeable elephant in the room, but in time society, companies and governments will take preventative and direct action to help people in distress

Over the years UCC has collected quite an assortment of varied and often bizarre items in the pursuit of knowledge. One item that has raised a lot of speculation and rumour is the presence of a so-called ‘nuclear reactor’ in the Kane Building. and prevent abuse of this technology.

The opening shot in the war between companies offering VR technology will be fired by Facebook via the Samsung Gear VR collaboration; Samsung have designed the hardware and Facebook the software and App Store. The full kit will cost the price of the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy Edge or Galaxy Note 4, coupled with the €185 pricetag of the headset. The main competitor

right now is Valve and HTC’s as yet unpriced Vive headset which uses a computer to run the VR experience.

But it’s only when Facebook release a streaming device to replace a computer or console, along with great content, that their proprietary hardware will see the real potential of VR. For me, it will be more interesting to see what Apple and the Chinese smartphone makers release in a few years.

Resources. The amount and range available today dwarf what we had then.

Post-college careers were something of a black box. Law firms were closed and secretive. The Bar was even more mysterious. The internet and changing views of student maturity have led to a vast wealth of resources on almost any topic and on any job opportunity.

Due to problems with space, the machine was eventually disassembled in 1985 and fell into disuse thereafter. 2.5 tonnes of uranium remained in UCC in the ensuing decades, as UCC lacked a way of disposing of the radioactive material.

What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to someone looking to begin a career in law?

Judge Rifkind, a founder of my firm, once said, “If you are not having fun practicing law, you are not doing it right.” Another way to say it is, don’t do it unless you love it.

Due to the nature of the material it was kept securely in the basement of the Kane behind both electronic and physical security methods. This became a recurring news story in the noughties, although the exotic nature of the headlines was felt to exaggerate the more mundane reality of the material.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your work?

Time. The hours can be very long and you do not have full control over your schedule. Clients expect assistance when they ask for it and they acknowledge no problem more important than their own.

What traits do you least like in others?

Arrogance, self-importance, dishonesty, self-promotion.

What’s your worst vice?

What would you do differently if you had your time in UCC again?

If I had to do it all over again, I would work harder and play harder.

How did you decide to specialise in antitrust law and litigation?

Firstly the rumors are indeed true, UCC did indeed possess a store of uranium, in the form of a subcritical assembly – a teaching device rather than a ‘critical’ reactor. The assembly was given as a gift from the United States government to UCC in 1975 as part of its ‘Atoms for Peace’ program. The program was originally developed by the US in order to make nuclear power more widely available.

One of only two in Europe, with the other one being located in Greece, the assembly is not a true nuclear reactor but could be used to demonstrate the principles of a nuclear reactor. It is commonly referred to as a nuclear training reactor and does not generate any heat or power.

difference for this year’s graduates compared to yours?

I asked an old friend. She tells me I don’t suffer fools gladly. She would know.

What do you think is the main

Emmet Curtin

I always knew I wanted to be a litigator.

I went to college expecting to become a barrister. I came to Paul, Weiss expecting to try cases. I enjoy the theatre and drama of the courtroom. I was drawn to antitrust (the American word for competition law) because antitrust analysis demands a thorough knowledge of the business at issue.

Every time I get a new antitrust matter, I have to learn a new industry.

How does practising law in New York differ to that of Ireland?

Sheer size. The cases are bigger. The law is more voluminous. The Bar in New York is huge; I rarely see the same adversary in a second case. Juries still decide civil cases. And you are less likely to be forever remembered for – and reminded of—something you did when you were in junior infants and in short pants.

However as well as a space burden, it was also an administrative issue, with regular EU inspections necessary. Thus in summers of 2012 and 2013 the nuclear material was repatriated and absorbed into to the US store, with UCC being of�icially decommissioned by the International Atomic Energy Agency as a store for nuclear materials.

18 |

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

| 19

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Photos from SU Election Campaigns and Results Night.

Images by: Emmet Curtin

20 |

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

City’s Sporting Student Stephen Walsh Sport Editor John Kavanagh is one of two UCC students who face the challenge of balancing college studies with togging out for Cork City. Alongside Rob Lehane, the full-back has now been playing first-team football with City since summer 2013 and has progressed over the two years to an established member of the match day squad.

Being the league’s runners-up last year, Kavanagh is hoping for the squad to go one step further, while additionally hoping to increase on his 22 competitive appearances last season.

“The whole team wants to build on last year. We have a strong, experienced squad who want success. I haven’t been involved in the last few games but it’s important for me to stay focused and keep training hard as it’s a long season ahead and over the season there is bound to be opportunities, so it’s important for me to make the most of them.

“We’re just going to have to go one step further as a team for this season and hopefully, at the end of the season, we’ll have something to show for it.”

years since we were last there so it will be a new thing, a new experience and it is something that I’m really looking forward to playing in.”

“The whole team wants to build on last year. We have a strong, experienced squad who want success.”

It was under current Galway United manager Tommy Dunne that Kavanagh made his breakthrough with the team in July 2013 in a 2-1 defeat away to Shelbourne. The opportunity arose due to an injury and suspension crisis in the squad and, as a result, Kavanagh is grateful to Dunne for giving him the chance in the first team.

This year Cork City will be playing in Europe and it is something that excites Kavanagh:

“Tommy Dunne gave me my chance up in Tolka for my debut when we’d a few injuries and suspensions so he was a positive influence on my career in the short spell I played under him.”

“I can’t wait for it – like it’s been seven

This coming Tuesday, the pair will

Aoife Crotty: Horsing for Ireland Stephen Walsh Sport Editor Aoife Crotty is a 20-year-old, second year Geography and French student from Kilsheelan, Co. Tipperary, who, in her spare time, represented Ireland last November in the European Student Rider Championships in Pompadour, France.

She only joined up with the team as a result of another individual dropping out, as she puts it: “I sent in a CV of my riding last October for the Irish team as a girl had dropped out so the space became available. I have a good bit of experience when it comes to horses having worked in yards for many years now, with Ian Walsh and ex-UCC student Christopher Hunt in Tipperary, so I got parachuted in the week before.

“It was all a bit manic with lots of instructions such as book a flight here, there, etc. but I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and I found it a good way to build up contacts.”

While over there the Irish team of girls acquitted themselves well, finishing second overall of the 20 teams that took part, winning team dressage and coming fourth in the show jumping.

Aoife herself finished seventh overall in the individual event, with Tori Dixon from UUJ winning the category.

down to the local school before she could stop me. I found it very enjoyable and since then I’ve never looked back.”

It’s a sport where you can’t “treat yourself like cotton wool” and just have to go for it.

Before attending UCC she did a year in Kildalton College, where she got her teaching qualification.

“I find it a good way to expand your knowledge base, even if you pick up on something that you didn’t know beforehand, and it helps improve your own riding,” she adds. “I teach advanced teenagers and kids so I get a good mix of people and it definitely helps with the learning side of the job.”

This summer I hope to go working in a racing yard where I’ll get to experience a different side of the sport and possibly get away from home.

Aoife is very involved in the Equestrian Club and Horse Racing Society, noting before the interview ends that: “This year the equestrian club is really strong. We’ve a good committee who put lots of effort into organising pony club trials and trips away, along with many training nights.

The student from Tipperary wanted to ride horses from an early age and, as a youngster, begged her mother to let her ride them but she was always refused:

“We trained twice a week for Tetrathlon in the Mardyke from October to December. In January we started preparation for the Intervarsities and this resulted in over 60 members taking part in the activities.

“I began horse riding at 10 when I begged my mum to let me take part but she wouldn’t let me. But I was given the money by somebody else and I was

“It’s not an elitist society and we are open for everybody. We’re not a society full of people going away for weekends in green tweed jackets.”

reunite as Cork City entertain Galway United at Turners Cross in the clubs 1,000th League of Ireland game and the full-back is well aware of the hurdle facing his team: “Every team is a tough challenge. They might be in the bottom half but you can’t take anything for granted in this league. They have some quality players in Colm Horgan, Andy O’Connell and Dave O’Leary, who I’ve played with or against over the years. They are a newly promoted team so people might expect them to struggle but we know that they will give us a tough challenge on Tuesday night and we’ll have to be at our best to get a result.”

The UCC Darts Club will be selling tickets on match day and Kavanagh is anxious to see another big crowd turn out after Friday’s 5-0 win over Limerick: “It’s is often said it’s the best night out in Cork and I’d agree with them!”

Last year Kavanagh did the FAI/FÁS soccer academy course in Carrigaline before progressing into UCC this year.

And now the 20-year-old, first year student of Sports Studies and Physical Education is currently enjoying the course, saying, “It’s going well so far.

Some areas are a bit hard but it’s a case of just putting the head down and getting through it.”

As for his future, the UCC student’s main aim is to try and live every footballer’s dream by going crosschannel but is content to play at City for the coming years and hopefully win a few medals.

“Well the big ambition is to go to England and see how I’d do but obviously that opportunity has to arise and it will only happen through hard work. If I didn’t get England I’d hope to still be playing with Cork City, having won a few medals over the years.”

| 21

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Students abroad carry hurling tradition to new territory

UCC capture Ultimate success in Limerick

Eoghan Lordan Sport Writer

Following on from a huge 11-point win at the Mixed Outdoor Intervarsities, UCC’s Ultimate Frisbee Club experienced another victory at the Siege of Limerick tournament, with the ladies side beating off international competition.

Spring is here and for all UCC’s diehard hurling fans, this means one very important thing: the beginning of another season of iománaíocht. The National Hurling League has already thrown up some quality fixtures this season and, after a number of really entertaining games in the Fitzgibbon Cup this year, it looks like we’re going to be treated to another brilliant season of hurling this year.

“The majority of players are new to the game, however, with players coming from Washington to Wisconsin, California to Louisiana, and even Australia” Good news though – Ireland isn’t the only place fans of hurling can expect

Shane Doyle Sport Writer

to see some quality displays this year!

This weekend, the Montana Grizzlies Hurling team will get their season going with an exhibition hurling game in the Washington Grizzlies Stadium, Missoula. The team will play an 11-a-side game, with one side wearing the white version of the team’s jerseys and the other wearing a green St. Patrick’s Day kit, especially designed for the occasion. The game is the first of many that will take place in Missoula in the next couple of weeks and marks the beginning of what will hopefully be another brilliant season of hurling in the North West of America.

The Montana Grizzlies Hurling team was founded in 2013 by UCC student Naoise Waldron. The team has strong connections with UCC, with a lot of players on exchange in the University of Montana playing a part in the team.

The majority of players are new to the

game, however, with players coming from Washington to Wisconsin, California to Louisiana, and even Australia!

Chad Ireland, a Montana man, took up the sport just over a year ago and said that: “the speed of the game” as well as the “really high skill levels” were what enthralled him the most about hurling.

Last May, in their first year as a team, the Grizzlies went to the National Collegiate Hurling Championships in New York, defeating teams from California and New York amongst others to claim the title of National Collegiate Hurling Champions.

This year, the Grizzlies will host the Championships on May23rd and 24th, hoping to become the first ever side to win back to Championships.

But first, this weekend the Grizzlies will be looking to start building excitement for that National Tournament with this exhibition game in front of home fans in the famous Montana-Grizzlies Football Stadium, where the University of Montana’s football team play their home games.

The team has already taken part in a tournament in Palo Alto California this year and there’s going to be plenty of more hurling going on in Montana over the next couple of months. The McEneaney Cup will be held in the Grizzlies’ stadium, before tournaments in Tacoma, Washington and Portland, as well as more exhibition games around Montana which will combine to set the stage for the main event, the National Championships.

Griz abú!

Trampoline Club prepare for national ISTO competition Oliwier Melon Sport Writer ISTO is a year round non-profit event, run voluntarily by eight student and former student trampolinists from five Irish Universities which culminates in a three-day competition. This year ISTO is being held in the Mardyke Arena on March 27th to 29th, with entry free for spectators.

At last year’s competition, ISTO celebrated a record of over 600 competitors, not including the numerous volunteer judges, score keepers, marshals and competition organisers involved in the competition.

Traditionally ISTO has been attended by 40 different Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English clubs, however, in recent years it has attracted international attention from French, Dutch and German trampoline clubs.

ISTO 2014 had competitions in individual trampolining, synchronised trampolining, double mini trampolining and tumbling, which aims to include all ability-levels, from beginners to elite competitors.

ISTO 2015 is aiming to be bigger than ever, introducing some changes to the competition, including more disciplines and levels of gymnastics.

All the while the aim will be to

The men’s team didn’t fare as well as the girls, however, as they lost two very tough games, one against the eventual winners, a stacked Great British Under 23 team, and the other against last year’s intervarsity champions UCD. However they had done enough to secure a sixth place finish, beating their initial seeding by three places.

continue raising money and donating a portion of sponsorship to new charity partners, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. Last year saw over €900 go to Pieta House and this year more money is hoped to go to charity.

Trampolining’s popularity has greatly increased in Ireland, since being introduced as an Olympic event at the Sydney Games in 2000, with increased sales of garden trampolines and the emergence of new clubs. Indeed it is only set to increase with Kieran Behan having qualified for the Olympics in trampolining’s sister discipline of artistic gymnastics.

Since London 2012, we have seen both men’s and women’s teams competing in artistic gymnastics at world championship level and have also had several competitors represent us at world championship level in Daytona Beach, Florida in the disciplines of trampolining, DMT and tumbling.

ISTO provides a means for promoting competitive trampolining and gymnastics amongst students.

Competitors prepare and train hard all year round for this event in the hope of proving themselves on the international arena at a competition with such a high reputation. The competition is also vital as these students make up a large

The weekend of the March 7th saw UCC send two teams, a men’s and a women’s squad, to UL for the annual Siege, the biggest tournament held on Irish soil. Both teams had a fantastic Saturday, winning all of their games and guaranteeing that they would beat their seedings.

Sunday saw the ladies team continue this winning streak, eventually winning the tournament outright, an amazing accomplishment for a varsity team.

proportion of the country’s judges, coaches and have a huge influence on the future of the sport. In addition, in this period of recession, events like

ISTO attract huge numbers of tourists whose business is a welcome injection of money to the local economies of cities such as Cork.

Both teams now look forward to their respective intervarsity tournaments which will take place over the next four weeks. The ladies team look to retain their title as champions while the men’s squad look to regain the trophy after being denied five-in-a-row last year. With both teams gunning for victory, there is little doubt that the next month will see even more silverware brought back to UCC.

22 |

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Cork students aim to become ice queens Stephen Walsh Sport Editor

Three UCC Students will be part of an Irish ice-hockey contingent going to Moscow in early May to compete in the Victory Cup in the famous Legends Arena against nine Russian hockey teams. This will be a ground breaking event as it will be the first time a nonRussian team has taken part in this competition.

The three girls from UCC in the Irish team are Kilkenny duo Emma Hogan and Verginiya Hristova, along with Sonya McEneney from Dundalk, who will be travelling to the tournament along with their coach Vytautas Lukosevicius to compete in the tournament that the organisers invited them to take part in, despite numerous requests from teams all over the world.

Ex-Lithuanian international player Lukosevicius has been the UCC Inline Hockey Club coach for the past three years, while before that he played icehockey for Dundalk Bulls before they folded in 2010. Recently he took part in the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in Stormont last month but had to retire in the second round of competition with an injury.

The majority of the girls who will be on the Irish team currently play inline hockey, a non-contact sport which is hockey played on roller blades in a 60x30 metre hall with two halves of 20 minutes. As a result they have had very little time on ice, with the only permanent ice rink in Ireland in Belfast, although they used the winter rink up in Dublin during January and February.

This has been the most pressing issue for the girls, suffering from a lack of practice on ice, with its huge differences to the wooden surface where they normally train.

This problem is acknowledged by Lukosevicius, admitting, “The biggest problem so far is the different approach required for the game with both the mental and physical skills, while the lack of ice time is something that we’ve had to deal with. Hopefully we’ll be able to get some extra ice time before travelling away.”

A lack of a permanent facility for both inline and ice hockey in Ireland is detrimental to the development of the sport when, according to Inline Hockey Club secretary Hogan, “The numbers have doubled taking part in our team from 15 last year to now over

On the crest of a wave

MISSION TO MOSCOW: The UCC representatives who are heading to Russia for the Victory Cup. 40 members on a weekly basis. We’re seeing new teams pop up all over the country on a yearly basis but, as it stands, we are the only college inline team.”

It’s a sport that can be picked up easily too: “There have been people here who

haven’t been able to skate in September yet by December they have been flying around the hall,” Hogan adds.

They had a training weekend in London last week, where they played Kings College in match that ended 8-5 in favour of the hosts.

Inline Hockey now has a national league with 17 teams spread over two divisions and is hoping to gain Irish Sports Council recognition in the near future with an increase of over 250 members per year.

Stephen Walsh talks to members of one of the college’s most adventurous clubs.

UCC Surf Club is one of the most prominent clubs on campus and not a month goes by where you don’t hear of a location or a plan of where the Club hope to go to or have been in recent times.

The year began with a big trip to Lahinch, with over 70 members attending, including many first-timers.

However Mother Nature hasn’t been on the club’s side in recent months due to huge swells and conditions that haven’t been favourable to surfing for beginners.

Many of the clubs more advanced members took advantage of the conditions and were going all over the country to experience the big waves as Club Captain Tom Roche explains: “Most of the recent weather wasn’t suitable for beginners but for many of us more experienced members, we made use of the weather to try new waves. We have done many 5am road trips up to places in Clare especially and we have enjoyed the experience.

“Recent years in the club weren’t great with us only trying Inch beach as membership levels fell but this has all changed in the past year with members trying waves in Crab Island, Bundoran and Blacksod.” In fact the surf club were busily preparing for a long weekend trip up to Bundoran the next day after speaking to the Express.

One of the guys in the club has

purchased a jet ski so, as a result, their ambitions for the year have been increased and one of the waves the club hopes to surf in the near future is ‘Aileen’ off the Cliffs of Moher.

The stickers on the boards represent the club and the university around the world and at the best locations in Ireland. In the past year the stickers have been viewed across the world from Portugal to Nicaragua, as Surf Club alumni chase waves far and wide.

While current first year rep Afraic O’Riordan only joined the club at the beginning of the year, she enjoys the friendly atmosphere in the club: “At the start I only knew one guy in the club but I went away on the trip and I’ve made friends since then that I will probably keep for the rest of my life.

Plus I had only surfed a little before college but I’ve improved a lot already in the time I’ve been with the Club.”

Surfing is still a peripheral sport in Ireland, especially in UCC, but it’s something that they want to change.

There is already evidence of this change with increasing membership numbers. As Tom Roche notes; “Even look at any spell of bad weather, what sport is featured on the front page of the papers?”

although that is funding dependent.

The club will be going to Peniche, Portugal in the aftermath of the exams for a few days, while the big plan is to go Indonesia for surfing next year,

The Intervarsity will be in Tramore this year and the Club are hoping to go one step further on their fourth place finish last year. UCC are at a little

disadvantage compared to colleges on the west coast, such as NUIG and IT Sligo, as they are further from the beaches and big Atlantic waves but the club won’t leave that stop them succeeding in the coming months.

They are always open to more people joining them and, as O’Riordan says, “It’s great fun to go out surfing for the day and I would recommend everybody to give it a go – go out as a group and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.”

| 23

UCC EXPRESS | Wednesday, March 18th 2015

UCC hold on for first ladies Cross Country title in 20 years Stephen Barry Editor-in-Chief

The UCC ladies Cross Country team won the Intervarsity title in Clongowes Wood College in nail-biting fashion.

The title eventually went to the Leesiders on a tiebreaker, after DCU and UCC had finished tied on 30 points apiece.

It was the first time a tiebreaker had to be used to decide a victor in the 50-year history of the race and gave UCC their first title since 1995, and 8th overall.

In the end it was Jessica Coyne, UCC’s final scoring and fourth placed athlete who swung the tie towards UCC, as she finished six seconds and two places above DCU’s fourth placed athlete, Harriette Robinson. Coyne’s 12th place finish overall was, thus, enough for the narrowest of UCC victories.

Maria O’Sullivan one-two but UCC had a strong spread of runners, with Sinead O’Connor fourth, Orna Murray fifth and Niamh Allen 9th. Niamh Moore and Lucie Moreac rounded off the line-up, both finishing inside the top-25 of a 66-person field.

Eric Curran was the best UCC finisher in the men’s race, coming home in 9th as UCC finished sixth of 15 colleges who sent athletes.

DCU, a hotbed of Irish runners, won the men’s title ahead of UCD, although Athlone IT’s Liam Brady won individual honours.

Next up on the Irish Universities Athletics Association calendar is the Track & Field Championships, which will be held in the University of Ulster on April 10th and 11th.

DCU took the individual honours through an Mary Anne O’Sullivan and

TIEBREAKER: Jessica Coyne is picked up by Orna Murray after the team won a narrow victory in Clongowes Wood College.

Image by: Kevin Clancy

Racquetball Club wins Intervarsities

UCC receive silver at Queen’s

Aisling Hickey Sport Writer

out on a place in the final.

The UCC Racquetball Team became the overall All-Ireland Intervarsities Champions for the second year in a row, defeating their nearest rivals CIT by 96 points to 64.

The Men’s Division 2 final was an all UCC affair, with Sean O’Sullivan defeating Tony Fitzpatrick in the final to decide first and second place.

With a team of 16 Racquetball players competing on Monday, March 9th in Galway, they were not only successful as a team but were also successful on an individual level too. Aisling Hickey was runner-up in the Open Division, while Donal Horgan and Jamie Torphy placed joint third in the Division 1 grade, with both just narrowly losing

Digest Basketball

Men’s Premier League: UL Eagles 81 C&S UCC Demons 106 (Lehmon Colbert 38, Kyle Hosford 21, Colin O’Reilly 11); C&S UCC Demons 116 Dublin Inter 65 (Colin O’Reilly 24, Kyle Hosford 18, Lehmon Colbert 16).

Hockey (Mens) Munster League Division 1: UCC 1 Church of Ireland 5 (Shrew Power); UCC 2 Harlequins 2 (Jack Cherry, Fionn O’Leary). Irish Hockey League Pool A: Sat 21st Mar: Cookstown vs UCC @ 2pm in Steelweld Park.

Hockey (Ladies) Munster League Division 1:

UCC Ladies had a clean sweep in the Ladies Division 1 grade as Amina Flynn came in first, with Noreen O’Sullivan in 2nd place and Teresa Bourke and Constance Young in joint third. In Ladies Division 2 Eimear Grace defeated a CIT opponent to become the Ladies Division 2 champion, with Meritxell Gil coming in 3rd place.

Catholic Institute 1 UCC 2 (Clodagh Moloney, Amy-Kate Trevor); Wed 18th Mar: UCC vs Church of Ireland @ 8.30pm in the Mardyke; Wed 25th Mar: Harlequins vs UCC in Farmers Cross.

Munster Senior Plate Final: Sat 28th Mar: UCC vs Bandon in Garryduff Sports Centre.

Stephen Walsh Sport Editor UCC had some success in the Irish Table Tennis Intervarsity which took place in Queen’s University, Belfast on March 6th and 7th as the Men’s Table Tennis team emerged as runner-up, bringing back a silver medal to Leeside.

The competition was tougher this year

O’Brien

in comparison to previous years as six

advantage ahead of the final, winning

universities participated. Although the

with a straight sets win against Kris

UCC team could not beat the reigning

Foster. O’Brien, who is currently a

champions, UCD, coach Conn Higgins

second year Accountancy student is

was satisfied with the tremendous show

looking forward for another challenge

from all players.

next year, as he plots a pathway

In the Men’s Singles event, Declan

a

competitive

towards a third title in a row.

O’Brien retained his title as the Irish Intervarsity champion. Facing a tough opponent from UCD, Max Frick, in the semi-final stage with a 3-1 comeback,

Hurling

Ladies Football

Fresher Division 1 Championship Final: UCC 1-18 UL 1-24 AET (Patrick Curran 1-7, 1-4fs, 0-1 pen; Dara Walsh, Kevin Kenny 0-3 each; Cathal Cormack, Conor Galvin, Conor Gleeson, Mark Dolan, Donal Hannon 0-1 each).

O’Connor Cup Group A: UCC 1-18 NUIG 4-7; Semifinal: Fri 20th Mar: UCC vs UCD @ 12pm in Cork IT.

SOCCER: Munster Senior League Premier Division P W D L F A GD Pts College Corinthians 15 8 3 4 27 17 10 27 St Mary's 12 8 2 2 27 13 14 26 Rockmount 10 5 5 0 16 7 9 20 Douglas Hall 11 5 3 3 19 13 6 18 Carrigaline United 14 5 2 7 16 20 -4 17 UCC 9 3 5 1 12 7 5 14 Midleton 13 4 1 8 15 25 -10 13 Avondale United 8 3 3 2 11 8 3 12 Castleview 14 3 3 8 11 23 -12 12 Everton 14 2 1 11 12 31 -19 7

gained

Rugby (Mens) Ulster Bank League Division 2A: UCC 36 Seapoint 13 (Brendan Monahan 2 tries; Dean Nolan, Eddie Earle, Paul Kiernan, Cillian Ansboro try each; Kevin Kidney 3 cons);

Sat 28th Mar: City of Derry vs UCC @ 2.30pm in Judge’s Rd.

Soccer (Mens) FAI Intermediate Cup Quarter-final: UCC 0 St Mochta’s 0; Replay: Sun 22nd Mar: St Mochta’s vs UCC @ 2pm in Porterstown Road.

EA Sports Cup 1st round: Wexford Youths 1 UCC 2 (Ian Mylod 2). Munster Senior League Premier Division: UCC 0 Douglas Hall 0.

BASKETBALL: Men's Premier League P W L F A C&S UCC Demons 18 18 0 1767 1337 Travelodge Swords Thunder 18 13 5 1412 1327 Templeogue 18 11 7 1399 1387 Killester 18 11 7 1309 1295 UCD Marian 18 9 9 1327 1331 Belfast Star 18 7 11 1383 1393 BFG Neptune 18 7 11 1419 1482 DCU Saints 18 6 12 1380 1516 UL Eagles 18 5 13 1299 1433 Dublin Inter 18 3 15 1261 1455

BP 0 0 1 1 4 6 1 2 4 3

Pts 54 39 34 34 31 27 22 20 19 12

UCC

SPORT

Wednesday, March 18th 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 18 | Issue 12

Soccer Seniors join big names in League Cup draw

FULL STRETCH: UCC’s Mark Murphy adjusts to get a tackle in on James Dearmod as the college pulled off a shock 2-1 victory.

UCC 2 Brendan Furlong Sport Writer Winger Ian Mylod kept UCC on a roll as his two first half goals saw his side shock Division 1 side Wexford Youths in their EA Sports Cup opening round game at Ferrycarrig Park on Tuesday, March 10th.

It was a brilliant result for the college side who, having soaked up the initial pressure of the home side, sprung the offside trap with two lightning breaks that ended with Mylod getting on the end to clinically finish on each occasion, making it an uphill battle for Wexford for the remainder of the game.

Wexford Youths dominated the opening ten minutes as they piled the pressure on the visiting side. Inside four minutes Craig Wall got in a rightfooted shot from the edge of the area but his effort flew the wrong side of the left-hand post, while two minutes later Aidan Keenan saw his header from a Conor English free-kick rebound back off the crossbar, with Keenan blazing the rebound wide.

Having soaked up the initial pressure, UCC began to operate with more

Inside Sport

Wexford Youths 1 confidence as Cathal Lordan and Andy Gannon began to impose themselves on midfield. However their opening goal came about from the direct route to goal, as keeper Charlie Bourneman lofted a high free-kick down the centre.

The ball caught the home side’s backfour square, leaving Mylod to race on to the ball and take it through the centre to neatly finish beyond advancing home keeper Seamus Houghton to the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Following this breakthrough it was UCC who were in the ascendancy as Andy Gannon, in particular, began to dictate in midfield. After 23 minutes it was a Gannon pass that sent Calvin O’Callaghan down the right and from his excellent pass across the face of the goal it was Mylod who once again applied a clinical finish from ten metres, leaving the home side shell shocked – trailing by two goals, which was how it remained to the interval.

This was a game that now needed a Youths goal to lift the home support but their lack of creativity up front, saw their best attacking efforts easily snuffed out by the college sides backfour in which Cian Hill and Jeremy

Bridgeman were outstanding, with the result that keeper Bourneman was only tested by an Aidan Keenan free-kick from which he affected an excellent 66th minute save.

At the opposite end Conor Barry unleashed an effort that was just wide, while Mylod sent a curling shot from out on the right just over the crossbar.

The home side manager Shane Keegan introduced three substitutes in an effort to lift his side. They were given a boost three minutes from the end of normal time when Peter Higgins unleashed a superb 30-metre right-footed shot high into the top left hand corner of the net to make it 1-2, setting up a tense finish; but in the end the college side held out comfortably to take a deserved victory.

They will join Cork City, Cobh Ramblers and Waterford United in Pool 1 for the last-16 draw.

Meanwhile the draw for the semifinals of the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup took place last Friday afternoon at the Aviva Stadium which will host the final, for the first time, on Sunday, May 17th.

Tolka Rovers, who are looking to win a semi-final for the first time in five attempts, face the winners of the outstanding quarter-final between St Mochta’s and UCC. The sides, which have already played out a scoreless draw in Cork last Saturday week in the Farm, will face each other again in Dublin this Sunday.

Page 20

Wexford Youths: Seamus Houghton; Craig McCabe, Lee Grace, Ryan Delaney, James Dermody; Peter Higgins, Craig Wall, Aidan Keenan, Craig Comerford; Philip Drohan, Conor English.

Subs: Danny Furlong for Drohan (80), Gary Delaney for R Delaney (80), Conor Whittle for English (80).

UCC: Charlie Borneman; Mark McManus, Cian Hill, Jeremy Bridgeman, Darragh Corcoran; Andy Gannon, Cathal Lordan, Conor Barry, Ian Mylod; Mark Murphy, Calvin Callaghan.

Subs: Jason Abbott for Lordan (58), Sean O’Callaghan for Murphy (75).

PREMIER OPPOSITION: John Kavanagh talks about life as a sporting student, Cork City and cross-channel ambitions.