25 Septemmber, 2012. Volume 20, Issue 02.
“Scale difference” causing UCC President Salary “stress” Stephen Goulding and Heather Steele examine the recent controversy over UCC President Michael Murphy’s recent comments regarding his salary.
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he President of UCC, Dr Michael Murphy, came under scrutiny in the media last week when it emerged that he is under “stress” with regards to his salary. Quoted in the Sunday Independent, Dr Murphy insisted that he and his counterparts at other Irish universities “are as challenged at paying their bills as anyone else.” He also added that the general populace might not comprehend the difficulty he is under due to the “scale difference”. Students’ Union President Eoghan Healy stated that “The SU were extremely disappointed by the comments made by the President regarding his salary.” He continued that “We feel it shows how disconnected the President is with the financial hardships facing students on the ground” but stressed “However I believe that Dr. Murphy was misquoted based on an informal conversation with a journalist.” The comments emerged at Dublin Castle earlier this month where Dr Murphy and eight other University heads gathered to present philanthropist Charles Feeney, with an honorary law degree.
This is not the first time that the President’s salary of €232,000 a year has been the topic of debate in national media: in a list of the top one hundred earners of the Irish education sector, published in The Irish Independent in November 2010, Dr Murphy was ranked third. In a more recent list published by the Irish Times in December 2011, it emerged that 45 members of UCC staff earned more than 150, 000 a year with the majority of the list topping the 200,000 mark. Dr Murphy, former Dean of Medicine of UCC and Consultant Clinical Pharmacologist and Physician at The Mercy University Hospital, Cork, was quick to add that he had taken a “15pc pay-cut”. He questioned the depth of the cuts the government made to his salary-after they imposed public sector cuts in 2010- stating that it has made a huge impact on his salary: “On top of that [15pc paycut] then came the public sector
pay cuts and levies. So when I say I’m down 40pc in my cash flow, how far do you want people to go? I think everybody in the country has been making
enormous sacrifices.” He furthered this by dismissing any rumours that his house and car were provided for him by UCC: “Contrary to popular opinion, I do not have a house or a car provided by the University.” However, his expenses—which covered his travel costs and accommodation— totalled €75,000 in the year 2008-2009 alone, when UCC’s debt had accumulated to the amount of €13 million. Dr Murphy was defen-
sive of his position, implying that his salary (30, 000 over that of An Taoiseach) was not superfluous. Going on to say that were he to work outside Ireland, he, and most University heads in Ireland, would earn a greater amount of money and substantial benefits: “Most of the people who are working as heads of Irish universities could be doing the same thing in universities anywhere around the globe at twice the pay.” In closing he added that the reduction in pay at senior level positions could lead to a drop in quality of the individuals who hold these roles: “I would be seriously concerned that this continuing campaign to force further and further reductions in the quality of life of people who are working 60- and 70-hour weeks will drive people out of the country. It is already happening” Conversely the President of NUI Galway also spoke after the conferral and was in favour of the govern-
ment cutting high earning public sector worker’s pay. “If the Government decides what I should be paid, I’ll live with that. They already cut us back 20pc -- and rightly so.” Following on from his comments he said that University Presidents should be accountable for their earnings. “I would also be very strongly in favour of everybody being asked to justify their salary -- to make sure that the people who have those salaries are earning them. The issue of the President’s salary is further contrasted against the back-drop of UCC’s decline in the QS ratings (dropping from 181st place to 190th, its lowest rating in the past two years). The Students’ Union was eager to state that “We feel that the drop in QS rankings is in no way connected to Dr. Murphy’s performance.” Blaming instead “The continual cut-backs being enforced by the government [which] are making Higher Education and the Quality of the Irish education system unsustainable.” The President’s Office failed to comment when contacted by the UCC Express. (continued on page 3)
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02 | Editorials
September 25, 2012
Strange fascination, fascinating me…
Kevin O’Neill Editor-in-Chief
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he road thus far has been a tricky one to navigate, and it’s not going to get much easier any time soon. The difference in this university between when I started here three years ago and now is palpable. We have seen registration fees surge upwards, grants and assistance funds slashed. The stakes have been raised and the hurdles between the incoming students (new and old alike) and their end goal of that coveted degree are becoming all the more difficult to traverse. As such, it is unsurpris-
ing that the atmosphere around campus often slinks into a worrying low. Money worries, exam stress and the looming threat of deadlines do not make for a nice cocktail and, as such, we should be rather grateful for the plethora of distractions provided to us throughout our spell here. Much of this issue is devoted to the ideas of change and new experiences. Throughout the sections, you will see numerous mentions of both Clubs Day and Societies Day. These two offer the first of many opportunities to get involved in everything from Mountaineering and Ultimate Frisbee to the plethora of political, musical and otherwise inclined societies. Disappointingly, Cow Punchers is not as fun as it sounds… The opportunity to meet like minded people to help
traverse the tricky waters of third level education is not one to be missed and I would urge you to take advantage of it. Should you miss out this week, fear not as most are just an email away. The same applies to this very publication. As you can see, we are undergoing a transitional period. The vast majority of the editorial staff are new to their roles and are adjusting at an impressive rate, though it’s far from plain sailing for us. Implementing new ideas (such as the establishment of Verge, our dedicated Entertainment section) is something that can take considerable time and energy to get right. The notion of a section in this manner was first pitched over a year ago, and it has been down to the work of last year’s editorial staff and those few of us that are still here that we can finally see the fruits of that
labour in print. It is not perfect yet, but with continuing work from our staff and your input, we can adjust it in a manner that satisfies everyone involved. Over the next few weeks, we will also be extending our online presence beyond that of our existing Facebook and Twitter pages and relaunching the Express’ own website. Keep an eye out for this – it’s something we’ve been working on for some time. Bear with us, and if you feel that we could use your input, we’ll be glad to have you on board. As is always the case, I’m available on editor@uccexpress.ie for any of your Express-related needs. Change: it’s not always easy, but it sure is exciting.
for plans to become unfurled. Take a year out, volunteer, take time to figure out what all of that Plato and Descartes and Spinoza translates to in the real word. Or don’t. There’s always a Masters... For those of you who, like me, are plunging into the mysterious world of graduate studies- I’ll be the one in the post grad common room cramming the work “Neo-Liberalism” into as many conversations as possible. So to the News! It was with some trepidation that I began to put this issue’s News Section together. I was worried that with College only starting back there would be nothing to talk about. I was also scared that no-one would want to
write for me. Fortunately I was proven wrong on both counts. As you will see on the front page, our University President Dr Michael Murphy made national news again this month with some illjudged comments about his wages. While his office declined to comment, the Express was out on campus to gather your views on the matter. We have 6 new societies on campus, one of whom at least will be making their way to Dublin next Saturday for the March for Choice. Another protest this month was the demonstration outside the Clare County Council offices in Ennis against a new policy demanding proof of payment of the Household
Charge in order for Maintenance Grant applications to be processes. USI President John Logue has promised that more protests will take place if other Councils take the same approach. Our SU have organised a jam packed Freshers’ Week and for those of you planning to head out this you should take a look at what the new Student Community Support can do to make your evening safer and more enjoyable. And so I hope you enjoy your week and this issue of The Express.
Play it Safe
Audrey Ellard Walsh Deputy and News Editor
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elcome back, one and all! First years, I hope that you are settling in and to everyone else, and that you are taking the time to enjoy your first or maybe last Freshers’ Week. Final years, it’s not so bad. Yes, you will develop caffeine dependency and you may well have a crisis or too along the way. That’s normal. It’s ok to not know exactly what you want to do when you are finished and it is ok
Be safe, Audrey
University College Cork Express Editor: Kevin O’Neill editor@uccexpress.ie Deputy Editor & News Editor: Audrey Ellard Walsh news@uccexpress.ie Design Editor: Niamh Gunning layout@uccexpress.ie Photo Editor: Siobhan O’Connell photo@uccexpress.ie Features Editor: Annie Hoey features@uccexpress.ie Deputy Features Editor: Úna Farrell deputyfeatures@uccexpress.ie Entertainment Editor: Tracy Nyhan entertainment@uccexpress.ie Deputy Entertainment Editor: Jack Broughan deputyentertainment@uccexpress.ie Film & TV Editor: Kellie Morrissey screen@uccexpress.ie Music Editor: Mike McGrath-Bryan music@uccexpress.ie Arts & Literature Editor: Julie Daunt arts@uccexpress.ie Gaming Editor: Fergal Carroll gaming@uccexpress.ie Fashion Editor: Kieran Murphy fashion@uccexpress.ie Fiction Editor: Stephen Goulding newcorker@uccexpress.ie Sports Editor: Stephen Barry sports@uccexpress.ie Contributors: Brian Barry, Robert Joseph Barton, Emmet Curtin, Cathal Dennehy, Lorna Gardiner, Ryan Gallagher, Kenneth Hickey, Steve Hunt, Ruth Lawlor, Gavin Lynch-Frahill, Eoghan Lyng, Padraig Martin, Gary Moloney, Karen O’Neill, Susan O’Sullivan, Micháel Phelan, Heather Steele
September 25, 2012
News | 03
Students’ Union Condemns actions of Clare COCO Audrey Ellard Walsh
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CCSU have joined others in coming out against the recent actions of Clare County Council. It was revealed last week that Clare County Council have taken the decision to require proof of payment of the Household Charge with all Maintenance Grant applications. Speaking on the matter, Students’ Union President Eoghan Healy stated that “It is completely unacceptable for the grant to be withheld from students if their parents haven’t paid the household charge.” He added that the action, which has been blasted by student representatives nationally “is essentially withholding financial assistance from the most financially vulnerable.” The move, which has sparked national debate has been further condemned by the Union of Students in Ireland. After the announcement, the USI in released a statement likening the new policy with “holding student grants to ransom” USI President John Logue stated “students will not accept this”. “Never have I heard of a grant being refused until proof of payment is offered for a completely unrelated tax owed by another person. Students are being punished for the decisions of their parents and their education is being put at risk.” President Logue, has written to members of Clare County Council encouraging them to come out against the measure. He warns that if they do not, “then USI will mobilise its membership and we will protest until the Council backs down.” A protest out-
side the County Council offices in Ennis attracted students from NUIG and LIT. Logue promises that “If other Councils follow the example of Clare, then they too will see protests.” The decision has been leapt upon nationally and has proven divisive. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has called the charge “unfair and possibly illegal”. While maintaining that the decision made by Clare County Council had nothing to do with his department, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, he has stated that the Council’s actions are reasonable. His Cabinet leader An Taoiseach Enda Kenny however stated in the Dáil that the withholding of grants by Clare County Council based on Household Charge payment would be illegal “but as a matter of course, they are entitled to have as much information about the numbers who have paid the household charge as is a requirement in law.” The Students’ Union who have also sought legal advice on the issue have been lobbying all Cork City Councillors. Mr. Healy says that the SU have “received support” from the City Councillors in ensuring that a similar stance is not taken in Cork. A motion was also brought forward to Cork City Council on Monday in an attempt to ensure that such a policy will not be adopted here. At the time of publication, South Tipperary and Cavan County Councils were considering requiring proof of payment before grant applications were approved.
The Students’ Say I’m not really sure what to make of it. I’m aware that he’s the highest paid university official in Ireland--so if none of the others are complaining, I can’t really see why he is. I’ve no doubt that the man has the qualifications and expertise to do the job, but certainly I feel it’s whole-heartily out of line that people are on that kind of salary when there’s more influential people in terms of the university are on nowhere near that amount. -Joe Lynch I think it’s a disgrace, there are people coming to this college, like me, who don’t get a grant and have to figure out how to get 2 grand. I think it’s a disgrace, it shows that he has no compassion for people who are struggling. If he’s gonna have that kind of attitude toward people with such different financial backgrounds then I don’t think he’s entitled to be president. --Danielle Williamson. I mean if you think about he work he does, there’s a lot of stress. If he was still working as a consultant in CUH (Mercy) he’d be on 300- 400- grand a year..so giving up that to become a university president, it’s fair enough like. He isn’t a great face for the college, in the end this issue will look bad for the college. --Darragh Conlan I think it’s an absolute disgrace..and with increasing college fees, as well? I don’t think he’s fit to be President of UCC--I think you want someone who’ll lead by example. University serves a really important purpose in society, and he needs to act and lead by example. The only way you can truly educate someone, is to practise what you preach...and he’s really not doing that. It represents a whole mentality of Ireland that is just based on greed. Also it indicates that he’s completely disconnected with his students. --Laura Kinsella It’s outrageous, it looks really bad nationally as well. Even if he cut his salary in half, how many registration fees would that pay off? He was talking about if he goes to England, I’d get a Jaguar and a house--well fine! Let him go to England. I guess he’s doing a good job, if he was paid less I wouldn’t mind him...he’s not doing a job that justifies that much. --Cormac Manning I think he deserves it, being the president of a big university like this. If we were to look at it overall, it’s probably the best in the country. So yeah, he deserves a big-paycheque. --Dylan White He’s a very good politician. In class council he spends 10 minutes deflecting questions and answering the question without ever actually answering it. I don’t know if he’s fit to be president or not...I’m undecided. You don’t want a cheap president..the other side of that is you don’t want someone who’s just there for the money. --Anonymous. Maybe he should look at his own personal expenses. I mean my mother’s a community nurse and she knows a lot of families that just aren’t able to send their kids to college now-they couldn’t get the grant because they were a mile or so out of the radius. it seems like he’s always complaining--he’s not fit to be president, he’s setting a bad example for his students. --Eimear Mulcahy He should see how the people on the dole queue are struggling. What a load of b*******. For a person who seems to advocate education, he’s turning more people away by making these comments and by wanting to bring back these heinous fees. I’ve mixed feelings about him. -Eoghan Lyng
It’s pretty hypocritical. But I’m still on the fence. I think if you consider this is the best university in Ireland, then he’s doing an adequate job. -Martha Ewence.
04 | News
September 25, 2012
Cholera’s Coming to UCC Audrey Ellard Walsh News Editor
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CC Friends of MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders) Society are hosting an interactive cholera tent exhibition to campus this Tuesday, the 25th of September. The event, which takes place as part of MSF Ireland Week, aims to provide UCC’s students with more awareness about the work of the NGO by affording them an insight into everyday life in the field. The tent is a replica of MSF’s Cholera Treatment Centres as used in recent re-
al-life cholera outbreaks in Haiti, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. It will be staffed for the day by doctors, nurses and logisticians who have recently returned from work in the field with MSF, and they will be on hand to answer any questions one may have, while sharing their own first-hand experience of MSF’s lifesaving work. Michael Creed, Campaigns officer with Friends of MSF explained why the issue of cholera is being highlighted in particular. “There have been a number of significant outbreaks recently, most notably in Haiti 18 months after earthquake. It is something which hap-
pens on regular basis and is one of the infectious diseases that MSF would deal with the most.” The event will be an opportunity for students to learn about the work of MSF and the Friends of MSF society which is the student wing of the organization. The society works to promote the work of MSF through fundraising and raising awareness, and aims to inform and interest students in the activities and potential of the organization. Recruitment for the coming year will be an important part of the day. The society are keen to
stress that it is not a society exclusively for medical students and that will be an important area that they focus on in the coming recruitment drive. “This is something that we have trouble convincing students of- that you don’t have to be a doctor to get involved. Worldwide for every doctor in the organisation, there are 10 staff members who are not” Michael particularly encourages students who are interested in gaining an insight into the organisation to come along on the day. He states that the society committee “have obviously never worked in the field
and so only have so much knowledge. It should be an interesting day.” This national exhibition will travel to other venues during the week, including Trinity College Dublin (24th), NUI Galway (27th), and Blanchardstown Shopping Centre (29th & 30th). This cholera tent is the first event of many for the society in the year ahead, which promises to host more on-campus campaigns, concerts and gigs, table quizzes and guest speakers. To sign up email dwb@uccsocieties. ie
Clubs Day
Gaming Editor Fergal Carroll previews the upcoming UCC Clubs Day
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uesday the 25th of September sees the return of the bi-annual UCC clubs day. Taking place in Devere Hall, from 10am to 5pm, Clubs Day, is aimed at new students to UCC and current students that want to get more involved. It offers student a chance to engage with current club members and learn about what each club offers. Clubs Day, as the name implies, is dedicated to the sixty plus clubs of UCC as set out their stalls encouraging people to sign up. The clubs range from traditional Irish sports like Gaelic football, hurling and handball to the more niche sports such as juggling and acrobalance, trampolining and ultimate frisbee. Over five thousand students actively participate in clubs each year, almost a third of the UCC’s student body.
Brian Phelan, the current that clubs offer a wide range are a unique experience to polining among many othpresident of the UCC Clubs of benefit, “[participating] college”. ers. UCC also boasts notable Executive, encourages all keeps you fit and healthy, UCC has a proud sport- sporting alumni including names such as Declan Kidney, Luke ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick, Ronan O’Gara, Seamus Moynihan and Donncha Ryan. There will be a variety of clubs showcased on Tuesday and there is something for everyone’s tastes. If you want to broaden your horizons, learn new skills, make new friends or just go along for the laugh, make sure to call into Devere Hall from 10am to 5pm. If you miss out on Clubs Day or are unable to attend, you can still join. Check www. students to get involved with [acts as a] great stress relief, ing history. 2011 saw the collegeroad.ie/clubs/index clubs. Deeply involved with sport and physical activity senior footballers win the or contact the UCC Clubs clubs himself, Mr. Phelan has been proven to enhance Sigerson Cup. 2012 was a Executive Facebook page to plays with the UCC soccer performance in the class- successful year in a handful find more information. club and coached the ladies room, the friends memories of sporting disciples as UCC soccer club for three years, and trips away that you won’t triumphed at intervarsities noted that clubs play an intri- get anywhere else.” He also such as squash, ladies rugby, cate role student life. He said stated that “Inter varsities ultimate frisbee and tram-
September 25, 2012.
News | 05
New Societies Prepare to Recruit
In advance of Societies Day this Wednesday, Karen O’Neill discusses the wave of new society approvals.
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ocieties’ Day 2012 will take place on the 26th of September in Devere Hall. The event will be awash with fresh faces as UCC welcomes nine new societies to campus. However, the addition of such a large number of societies this term has raised questions as to whether the Guild Executive have changed the policy regarding society approval. The Guild Executive’s Development and Engagement Officer, Pádraig Rice, explains that that the approval process is unchanged and as demanding as ever. “The reason we approved six applications during our term is that the applications were of a high standard. We also rejected some applications. At the end of the last term some societies were also made dormant and others were deleted.” In short, this year the
number of active societies has dropped from 92 to 87. The Guild Exec is delighted with the new additions, adding that “Each will provide a social outlet, contribute to debate, hold great events and overall enhance the student experience.” The Societies Guild Executive consists of six part-time officers and the full-time Sabbatical President, Jamie Hooper. Jamie believes that we have “one of the most student-lead, democratic and accountable systems in the country” and that it is something UCC should be “immensely proud” to have. The Guild Executive intend to “provide a forum for discussion, collaboration and appeal and act as the representative body in the college to ensure societies’ needs are met at high levels.” They will provide training to and foster the new societies throughout
the coming year. The new societies for this year are as follows: Cancer, Voxsoc, Chinese, Animal Welfare, Hope, Drugs Awareness and Reform (DARS), Musical, Disability and Feminist. Having been approved, each of these will remain “provisional” for one year. At the end of this year their performance and activity are subject to review by the Societies Guild Exec who will provide a recommendation on the granting (or withholding) of full status. With this in mind these societies will be working hard to impress in the next few months. Here’s a sample of what’s in store: The Chinese Society will host cultural nights, tea nights, dumpling parties and more. Students can join them in celebrating the Chinese National Day and the Chinese New Year. There will also be language nights who
want to learn the language or practice what they know! Voxsoc is described as “the voice of social science”. This year, they hope to provide a platform for discussion and opposition of pressing issues such as the planned increase in the student contribution. The Voxsoc hopes to provide both an educative and informative space for students, encouraging them to participate in public debate and discourse in the social sciences. They hope to host panel discussions, host guest speakers and support campaigns which affect the lives of students. The UCC Cancer Society has a wide range of events planned, from diverse campus fundraisers to academic talks and debates on the science of cancer. One of their main events will be the Irish Cancer Society initiative “Relay for Life”, a unique 24-hour
fundraiser that will take place in 2013. UCC Feminist Society wish to provide a social space for the development of feminist ideas and strategies as well as responding to sexism with effective protest. They believe men and women have an equal part to play in working together towards gender equality and men are of more than welcome to join the society. The Musical Society aims to involve people of all standards and aspects that run alongside musical theatre by providing workshops and running fun events for like-minded people to pursue their passions. If you would like to check out any society, Societies Day will take place in Devere Hall on the 26th of September from 10am to 5pm.
EU Commission Representation to host seminar in UCC Lorna Gardiner
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n cooperation with the European Movement Ireland, the European Commission Representation in Ireland plans to host a seminar on ‘European Economic Policy – What’s in it for Ireland?’ during the coming weeks in UCC. The seminar is one of a series of public events being hosted nationwide this year. Featuring presentations from local and national economic and political figures, the event will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear from experts on European eco-
nomic affairs, voice opinions and ask any questions they may have about the current economic situation. The public seminar series is timely given the current state of the economy. Recent figures released by the Central Statistics Office reveal that employment in Ireland is down by 1.8% in the second quarter of the year, despite up to 40,000 young Irish people emigrating during this year alone. Such figures fuel debate and discussion on EU membership which usually boils down to one of two solutions; leave the European Union and rebuild
ourselves independently or sit tight with our European counterparts and weather the storm. In such a climate, seminars and conferences such as the one planned to take place in UCC are more relevant. Having been involved in several successful conferences on European issues, Dr. Emmanuelle Schön – Quinlivan of the Government Department in UCC believes that people who attend such events ‘Are grateful to be given a voice and exchange or challenge experts. The overwhelming majority of participants would confess that they learnt something
new at the conference and that it has changed their approach in some way.’ Congruently, the newly founded UCC Europa society believes that, ‘The benefits of such conferences are that they help to create more informed citizens which as a result helps us to have more effective debates on European issues, which is especially relevant in a country that regularly holds referendums on European issues.’ In brief, events like this can provide the public with the sense of possessing a vital voice, purpose and knowledge regarding these uncertain times, through an
exchange of thoughts and ideas. ‘European economic policy – What’s in it for Ireland?’ takes place in UCC on 2nd October 2012, at 6.30 to 8.30 in Boole 4. Speakers will include John Mullins, Group Chief Executive, Bord Gáis, Seamus Coffey, lecturer in Economics, UCC and Nigel Nagarajan, Resident Advisor, Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission. To reserve a place at this free seminar, email events@europeanmovement.ie or call 01 662 5815.
06 | News
September 25, 2012
Student Community Support replaces Student Patrol Audrey Ellard Walsh News Editor
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his Fresher’s Week will see the launch of the Student Community Support scheme which is replacing an older scheme known as “Student Patrol”. Student Patrol, which was launched in 2009, was set up as part of a wider effort to rebrand RAG Week and increase student safety during times when alcohol consumption and anti-social behaviour are at their highest, namely Fresher’s and R&G Weeks. Student Community Support has three main objectives- to support the welfare of students, to help maintain the cleanliness of the area surrounding College and to represent a positive image of UCC Students to the local community.
Students’ Union Deputy President Sam Ryan, who will be co-ordinating the scheme states that “Student Community Support is an incredibly important scheme for the SU for one main reason, looking out for our students’ welfare.” UCC’s student population has seen a relatively high number of alcohol related fatalities- 8 in the past 5 years. Ryan states that “This is just not acceptable.” and “SCS are going to be on the streets during Fresher’s Week doing their best to make sure students are getting home safe.” SCS will differ from Student Patrol in a number of ways. The duties of SCS will no longer include interacting directly with the Gardai, responding to noise complaints from residents or confiscating alcohol from students drinking in public. They will no longer approach house parties in
response to complaints and will also no longer wear high-visibility jackets but will rather be provided with a branded jacket. As in previous years, a large part of the role will be informing students of the laws regarding alcohol consumption in public and offering to dispose of used drink bottles or cans. Drinking alcohol in the street is an offence that currently holds a €75 fine and risk of a criminal record. The Student Community Support team will be recruited by the Students’ Union and paid the set student help rate of €9.11 per hour. The office of the Vice President for the Student Experience will cover half of this cost. All SCS members will complete compulsory training including basic first aid, communicational and situational skills to enable them to carry out their duties. The Students’ Union wants to con-
vey to students this Fresher’s Week “to have an absolute blast and do your best to make as many friends as you can, a great Fresher’s Week sets you up for a great year.” The SCS will also have condoms available for students who require them. The SU are keen to stress that Student Community Support is there to aid the safety and welfare of students. “We want people to remember that while they’re having fun it’s important to do two things. To look after yourselves and your friends by making sure everyone gets home safe and sound and to remember that not only students live in the area around campus so, treat the residents of the area with respect.”
UCC Graduates launch unique business venture Kevin O’Neill Editor-in-Chief
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aunched by two UCC graduates, new venture UrYearBook. com provides students with a unique facility to commemorate their time in third level education, both in terms of academic and social pursuits. Graduates of Government and BIS, respectively, Jayne Ronayne and David Murray developed the website to allow students to document the “class parties, nights out, faculty balls and meeting new friends for life” that is indicative of time spent in college. Their reasoning for doing this is simply that they wanted to remember the time they spent in UCC. Eleven months in development, much of which was spent under the guidance of Anne O’Leary (Kinematic), Billy O’Connor (Discovery Partners), David Ronayne (Mainport), Paul Kenny (Cobone.com) and others who the two refer to as “some of the greatest people”, the website takes its cues from established social media sites by asking users to upload profile photos and the pictures they want
commemorated, as well as personal information that can be edited at any time prior to the printing process. As yet, not all courses in UCC are catered for, though the two pledge to extend their reach beyond those that are currently available. To date, only courses that come under the College of Business & Law (BIS, Commerce, Finance, Law, etc.) are covered, with even first year students in these courses able to register their interest in printing a commemorative book in four years time. In terms of cost, the finalised product will set students back €40 which Murray maintains is “a small price to pay when you compare it to how long you will hopefully keep it and compare it to the price of the renting of the graduation robe for the day.” The personal cost is minimal, the primary outlay for Murray and Ronayne is the time that they have spent to date establishing the idea, pitching it to mentors and sponsors and, now, to students. They acknowledge, however, that their involvement is far from over if they are to extend its presence beyond the College of Business & Law in UCC to the remainder of the student body and, potentially,
to other universities in Ireland and beyond. “The reason was that we wanted to test the product and service with a small group of classes before offering it to the University as a whole. We have great plans to target other schools, universities and sports clubs and maybe even going international. We are delighted to have gotten such a positive response and we are very lucky to have had a number of different schools, IT’s and universities contact us already.” Both Jayne and David have been offered a place in the Ignite Programme, starting this coming October with nine other companies. Described as an “incubation process” for
the enterprise, it will allow the means testing and development of the idea in the weeks leading up to its launch for the conferring ceremonies at the end of the month. Further information can be found on http://www.uryearbook.com/ or by searching for Ur Year Book on Facebook or by following @ur_YearBook on Twitter.
September 25, 2012
Weird Wide World
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Belgian prostitutes told to “cover up!”
rostitutes in the Belgian town of Ghent have been told to wear less revealing clothes and stop gyrating in a suggestive manner from next month onwards or face a €120 fine. The new decree, enacted by Mayor Daniel Termont, has come on the back of a spate of violence and complaints from both citizens of Ghent and the prostitutes themselves. Claims have been made that certain ‘working girls’ have been appearing in seethrough clothes or, oftentimes, naked in the windows and have taken to miming sexual acts to draw in customers. Mayor Termont claims he is not anti-prostitute and, in fact, argues that “a city like Ghent needs prostitutes”, but that they need to abide by certain rules to ensure their own safety, as well as that of others. Local Ghent newspaper, Di Morgen, have reproduced quotes from a number of the city’s veteran prostitutes who imply that a host of arrivals from Eastern Europe have resulted in a more competitive and aggressive atmosphere among both the prostitutes and the customers.
Slovak government reject call to name bridge after Chuck Norris
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overnment officials in Slovakia have rejected the results of an Internet campaign to rename a bridge in honour of Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris. The Bratislava regional assembly sought to rename the bridge that crosses that Morava River, Slovakia’s natural border with Austria, and opted to run an online campaign to find a new title. However, they have rejected the overwhelming winner of the poll, ‘Chuck Norris Bridge’, despite it attaining over 12,000 votes. In contrast, the assembly’s final choice, the ‘Freedom Cycling Bridge’, received just 457 votes, falling behind ‘Maria Theresa’ (in honour of a Hungarian Empress) and ‘Devinska Cycling Bridge’ (in honour of a nearby town) “We have voted unanimously for the Freedom Cycling Bridge”, Bratislava regional chairman Pavel Freso told reporters. “It truly is a place where people were running for freedom through barbed wire, it is a place where many have died, so this is a dignified way how to honour these people.” The bridge was the avenue through which many people attempted to flee the Communist regime in Slovakia to neighbouring Austria prior to its collapse in 1989. As noted by Freso, many died doing this. Disappointingly, Chuck Norris, star of Lone Wolf McQuade and The Delta Force, could not be reached for comment.
Woman yelling “I’m Jack Sparrow!” hijacks ferry
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lison Whelan, 51, achieved new heights by seeing her two day bender culminate in the hijacking of a ferry in Dartmouth, Devon. Whelan admitted to “drinking lambrini and eating poisonous hallucinogenic plants” prior to boarding the ferry. Upon boarding the moored ferry, she could be heard shouting “I’m a pirate!” and “I’m Jack Sparrow”, in reference to Johnny Depp’s iconic Pirates of the Caribbean character. She then proceeded to unmoor the boat from the dock and head over a mile upstream, hitting other boats “like a pinball machine.” Such was the extent of Whelan’s drunkenness that she called the police and promptly spent the duration of the hour she had control of the boat taunting them, claiming that she was “out of [their] jurisdiction” and, upon her eventual arrest, suggested that she would have ended up in St. Tropez had they not caught her. Among the damaged vehicles was a £70,000 catamaran. Whelan was sentenced to 122 days in prison, convicted of “aggravated vehicle stealing” and well as wasting the time of ambulance, fire, coastguard and police crews vehicles. Sadly, the judge did not provide the alternative of walking the plank.
News | 07
“Pro-choice and proud”: March for choice calls for change “Regardless of contraception, there will always be women who need an abortion.”
Ruth Lawlor
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he March for Choice in Ireland takes place on Saturday September 29th at 2pm. Participants will gather at the Spire and march to Merrion Square. Confirmed speakers thus far include Ivana Bacik and Colette Browne. The March for Choice in Ireland is, according to the website, “a celebration of being pro-choice” or, in organiser Sinead Redmond’s words, a celebration of being “pro-choice and proud”. In particular, the March organisers take offence to the recent Youth Defence Ad Campaign, summing up their disgust with the slogan: “Unlike Youth Defence, I trust women to decide their lives for themselves”. Cork Feminista is just one organisation around the country supporting the March. Linda Kelly, cofounder of Cork Feminista, explains the frustration that has resulted from almost twenty years of stalling by the Irish government: “The X-case ruling allowed abortions in cases where the woman’s life was in danger, including the risk of suicide, and that’s the discussion that’s mainly taking place at the moment. But abortion is necessary in other circumstances too, and we would like to hear more talk about access to safe and legal abortion for all women.” Abortion, according to some ethicists like Peter Singer, is an issue that has dominated politics over the last forty years, resulting in a bitter struggle where neither side makes any major progress. He argues that the woman’s life supersedes that of the foetus: after all, it is her body,
and therefore her decision. The foetus has no self-awareness and no concept of the future, unlike the woman, and so its right to life is subordinate. Is abortion inexcusable in today’s society because of the ready availability of contraception? Both Linda and the organisers of the March for Choice in Ireland are vehement in their responses. “Our stance on that contraception comment is that it demonstrates a really basic and widespread ignorance of exactly how contraception functions,” says Sinead Redmond. “Contraception is absolutely not a failsafe. Even in perfect laboratory use conditions, no form of contraception is 100% effective.” Linda and Sinead both also agree on the fact that arguing contraception as a barrier to abortion also wholly ignores those women who are raped and fall pregnant that way. Sinead Redmond is keen to quash the public perception that new abortion legislation will result in an opening of floodgates and an unprecedented number of abortions. “This is simply not true,” she argues. “Everyone knows that 150,000 women have travelled to England for ‘secret’ abortions since the 1980s. That’s not going to change now. Women who seek abortions are the women who need them.” Anyone interested in discussing this issue can attend UCC Philosophical Society’s debate - “Is Abortion a Feminist Issue?” - taking place in Boole 1 on Monday October 8th at 7pm.
September 25, 2012
08 | Features
The best laid plans of mice and men… Annie Hoey
Features Editor
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ell, here we are. Back to the old slog. The daily grind of getting up mid afternoon, eating cereal from the box, strolling into our lecture twenty minutes late, and spending the allocated study hour in the Student Centre creeping on newbies. Y’know, the usual stuff I have been getting up to since I began in UCC. Or will it be different this year? Will I get up at 8 o’clock, chipper as the dawn? Maybe I will be so bold as to go for a brisk morning walk with the dogs. I will have a healthy breakfast of fruit and some slow release porridge to stave off those mid morning cravings. Then I will go to ALL my lectures. And I will revise my notes
Blusher Úna Farrell
Deputy Features Editor
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elcome to Fresher’s Week and the official beginning of your college year. With the amount of first introductions, alcohol consumed and new experiences happening around the place this is the perfect time for all those embarrassing moments to take advantage and shine. If those ice breakers in orientation weren’t embarrassing enough you have plenty time here to make a fool of yourself. Embarrassment is one of the universe’s little ways of reminding us that we are but mere pawns in life. We are no better than anyone else. We are all human and we all do our fair share of embar-
immediately after the lecture so that I am not left with mid April panic wondering what the hell “Plath cat 3v +” means (is it a code? Shorthand of some description? Is it the secret formula to a first class honours??) I will bring a healthy packed lunch, so that I don’t have to eat the mystery soup in the Main. I will spend plenty of time in the library and submit my assignments three days before the deadline. I might even take up yoga in the Mardyke! Yes. This year I will be a whole new me. Who am I kidding? Every year, around this time, I get the same surge of excitement that this year will be different. I will be that dedicated, organised, fit and healthy student I have always wanted to be. I buy a week-to-view student diary to keep track of my days.
Unfortunately, I find it difficult to keep track of the actual diary, and I end up losing it about three weeks in. Inevitably, I give up. But maybe this year will be a little bit different. I am older now. I have been in UCC a long, long time. So this year I won’t set myself such unrealistic goals. Firstly, I am a post-grad and I don’t have any class until 4 o’clock on Tuesday. So there goes that plan of getting up at the crack of dawn. However, the downside to this is that I really don’t have any excuse not to go to class considering how late they are in the evening. Healthy home-packed lunch? Considering my previous point about my late starts, I guess I could just have my lunch at home. Great that is those two down! Ok, now what about
taking notes? The one good thing about being in UCC for so long is that I am pretty hot at taking notes. All those years of practise and frantically trying to decipher what my scrawls mean has taught me how to take notes properly. And if not properly, at least in a way that I can understand! So if my notes are legible, then I really don’t have an excuse for not handing in my assignments on time… Hmmm, that one might be a bit harder. As a friend once said, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they whizz past me.” I must admit, I have heard the deadline whoosh too many times. So this year I will get all my assignments done on time. I really have no excuse. I have abandoned the getting up early, home-
packed plans. So all I have left really is the assignment one. Plus, as I discovered recently, it actually feels pretty good to hand in something on time. That smug satisfied feeling you get when walking up to the department, and the secretary looks at you expecting you to blurt out some excuse as to why you need yet another extension and instead you hand over your (two!!) neatly printed and stapled copies of your assignment. A whole hour before the deadline too!! Yes, that feeling is definitely worth it! So we will see how my plans go. I really have no excuse this time round- it is time to get serious! And as for my plans of going to yoga in the Mardyke… Well you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men….
rassing acts. The feelings of shame and embarrassment always manage to bring us down a peg or two. Being in college will guarantee your fair amount of embarrassing situations. They are unavoidable. Life will aim to humiliate shame, embarrass, mortify and humble us by pushing us into situations with no possible good outcome. I have had my sum of embarrassing moments. Some I would rather forget. Some I can laugh about know. Some I will never ever reveal to anyone. Some that make me blush thinking about them. Some I constantly reminded of by others who find great entertainment in their hilarity. They say if you can laugh at yourself its half the battle. But sometimes there’s nothing to do but hang your head in shame, while your
scarlet cheeks burn the feeling into memory. While some have the unfortunate luck to have a long repertoire of embarrassing moments, others have but a few moments where we look back and cringe. I think as you get older there are fewer things you find embarrassing. Think back to your teenage years. Everything embarrassed you. Your parent’s existence was enough to mortify you. Talking to a member of the opposite sex caused a crimson flushed face. Sex scenes on the TV made you cringe uncontrollably. Growing up I find myself less embarrassed by certain things. Don’t get me wrong, I am still mortified on a regular basis. But there has been a shift in what causes the embarrassment. It’s my own actions which are the cause
these days. Fuelled by alcohol I find myself increasingly doing stupid things which come back to bite me in the ass the next morning. It has come to the point where I dread looking at my phone the morning after a night under the influence. In dealing with embarrassment I take one of two approaches. Being the mature adult I am I can address the situation head on and bite the bullet. Apologise for my actions. Or, I completely bury my head in the sand. Ignore the fact that I have done something stupid and hope no one ever brings it up again. It sounds childish but ignorance is bliss as they say! I still think I’ve been lucky though. You know those moments when you see something happen to someone and you actual-
ly blush for them? Cringey, awkward moments where the ground needs to open up and swallow people whole. Then the little moments which happen to everyone nearly. Girls whose skirts are tucked into their underwear. People with toilet tissue stuck to their shoes. Walk of Shamers. People with something stuck in their teeth. Embarrassment is something we all have to deal with. But they’re fleeting moments. Someone else will do something soon after you have and laughter will turn to them. Life is too short to be embarrassed all the time. Blush. Laugh. Move on. Life would be boring without embarrassment.
VERGE Entertainment // Film & TV // Music // Gaming // Arts & Lit // Fashion // Fiction
A sneak peak of what’s inside...
02 | Entertainment
September 25, 2012
Time for change Tracy Nyhan
Entertainment Editor
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ride is a matter of judgement and opinion; it can mean many different things to many different people. Some feel it by stepping through the gates of UCC for the first time as a registered student, others might define it by personal achievements in everyday life, or perhaps others feel a sense of pride by seeing others who they care about excel in their own rights. Pride can be a difficult emotion to pin down without disillusioning or exaggerating the very definition of the word.
I can say, without an inch of a shadow of a doubt, that I feel an irrevocable sense of pride by introducing the very first issue of Verge to you. Not only is Verge testament to the enduring and relentless hard work on behalf of every student that has had a hand within this publication – be it contributors, photographers, designers or editors – it is a firm shift in the right direction for the UCC Express as a whole. Verge is another edge to UCC’s official student newspaper, the Express; a tangent to the main newspaper that will provide bi-weekly entertainment
updates in the fields of Music, Gaming, Arts and Literature, TV and Film, Fashion, as well as providing original prose and poetry, as well as illustrations by students, under the heading of The New Corker. Suggestions and new ideas are what separate a good publication from a great one, so get in touch if you have any suggestions for the future of Verge or the Express as a whole. Don’t forget you can join the team by contacting anyone involved. You never know, it could be your name printed here this time next year. Continuing with the “new and exciting” theme, the other major thing happening this week is the elephant in the room – Fresher’s Week! Clubs and Societies
Days, as well as countless other events, are upon us, as you really should know already. Head up to Devere Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday and meet new people, explore new hobbies and most importantly, indulge yourself and grab a year’s worth of stationary and penny sweets. Whether or not you realise this at the time, these days open more doors than you may care to imagine at the moment. Rewind back to two years ago and I hadn’t even contemplated writing for a college publication - until I met the staff at Societies Day. Through hard work and thousands of words later, I’m unveiling a brand new part of college media which will hopefully survive and continue for
years to come. Despite only ever having previously written material for the purpose of remaining buried and unfound by anyone, and secondary school media projects, I find myself partaking precisely in the sort of handson experience that employers look for. The benefits of getting involved in something you enjoy and excel at are countless and should never be underestimated. If you see something at Clubs Day or Societies Day that appeals to your interests, get involved. Give yourself the opportunity to make changes and impacts to be proud of during the time you spend here in UCC.
Editor Picks Deputy entertainments editor Jack Broughan looks at LCD Soundsystem’s swan song: Shut up and Play the hits and the newest offering from The XX
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hut Up and Play the Hits, the film surrounding the break-up of LCD Soundsystem is a curious beast. One part funeral, one part celebration, it bears similarities to the Last Waltz. Divided into two sections, the film depicts the last concert in Madison Square Garden and, the morning after, James Murphy plodding about his apartment, post gig and, presumably, terribly hungover. The sequence depicting Murphy at home is initially quite interesting. The viewer gets a rather personal insight into James Murphy’s home, his habits such as obsessing over the quality of his coffee, walking his dog and attempting to goad it into eating. This is heightened by the overlying audio of an interview in which Murphy is experiencing somewhat of an existential crisis. His band which had taken up the majority of his life for the past few years has now ended. Essentially Murphy has walked away from a full time job and life style of sorts. This point however is somewhat laboured throughout the film. Constantly revisited during the course of the interview Murphy’s inductiveness about whether or not LCD should have called it quits is clearly being made
out to be much more than it is. While laboured, the sentiment is no doubt genuine. In one scene in particular, Murphy meets with the band’s manager to decide what is to be done with the band’s equipment. Whether it should be sold, or kept in the lock up where it had been stored after the gig. After a conversation about the events of the after party the night before there is a quick cut to Murphy standing in the lockup. In front of him arrayed across the back wall are numerous analogue synths, guitars and monitors. After a slight pause Murphy begins to cry. Not dramatically or in a forced manor but seemingly genuinely upset that his band had just broken up. In fact for a few seconds I thought Murphy was loudly trying to clear his throat or was having some sort of asthmatic attack. Needless to say it was not the kind of emotional breakdown usually depicted in film, but rather something much more human. The concert sequence is unsurprisingly impressive. Well shot, presented and completely engaging, the concert is probably as good as it gets without actually being at Madison Square Garden. Interestingly shots of
the audience are featured heavily throughout with overhead angles underlining just how huge the venue is. Again some of the more touching moments of the film comes from crowd shots, audience members in floods of tears and couples embracing. LCD Soundsystem are a band who have always openly worn their influences on their sleeve, their own presence now replicated through the likes of Liquid Liquid, the lineage continuing back beyond New Order and Chic. Regardless of how heavily LCD borrowed the snippets of sound that made up what the band is, Shut up and Play the Hits demonstrates the sincerity behind the band. Simply that Murphy is playing music that he loves derived from a longstanding love affair with the records he has grown up with and obsessed over for most of his adult life. Without doubt, LCD Soundsystem is also one of those bands close to many people’s hearts. *** Coexist sees The XX step into unknown territory. Not only because of the old cliché has concerning difficult second albums but also because of the undeniable quality of the band first self-titled release. The XX it
seems have changes drastically since the band’s inception. Baria Qureshi, the bands second guitarist, was “divorced” from the band in late 2009, allegedly due to a decision from the remaining three members, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith and Romy Madely Croft. More importantly The XX have stood up to the dizzying hype that was heaped upon them by the British music press. Frequently an early stumbling block, it seems The XX’s self-titled debut was a measured and concise first volley. One that dispelled any flavour of the month accusations and bitter put downs that seem to be a frequent feature of opinion on music media. Considering just how well received the band’s first record was Coexist is thrust into a very interesting light. While still hyped by the music press and timed at what some would say a crucial moment in the band’s career, Coexist is perhaps more important than the group’s first. This is compounded by interviews before the release of the record in which Jamie Smith mentioned that the record was influenced “club music” and catching up on the partying that members had missed out on in their youth, perhaps due to being bitter so-
cial recluses. Initially the statement sets off alarm bells in most XX fans minds. The key to the band’s sound was its subtlety and sparse instrumentation. The notion of a club influence conjures images of Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. While still an outright classic, the temperament of The XX’s characters would mix well with the ecstasy and amphetamine fuelled sonic experiments of Primal Scream. With Coexist the XX have managed to push their sound into a territory that would probably not have been thought possible by many. Undoubtedly due to the influence of Jamie Smith as his side projects in DJing and remix albums have gathered considerable pace in the past year. Coexist melds the stripped down but heartbreakingly sincere sound of the band’s first release with sounds more akin to English DJ and Club culture seamlessly without sounding gaudy or in the least bit forced. Coexist is measured and treads new ground.
September 25, 2012
Entertainment | 03
Giving it socs!
It isn’t always an easy task when it comes to choosing the right society for you, so Entertainment Editor Tracy Nyhan does the hard work so you don’t have to.
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o here comes Societies Day. The best part? Despite common public belief, it’s not the pens or penny sweets, but the societies themselves. Sweets will be quickly consumed and pens will run out in due time but the societies work relentlessly all through the year to keep you entertained. I’ve picked out the crème de la crème of entertainment societies to give you a head start in your quest for the ultimate entertainment society. First off is the music category – simply because it’s so vast and plentiful in its choice. You won’t be short for choice and there is undeniably something there for everyone’s tastes. Unless you don’t like music. In which case, why are you still reading this? If you notice a void within the music societies and feel a particular genre isn’t being represented, why not start a whole new society next year? Everyone else is doing it… Music Society - One of UCC Society Guild’s new babies, Music Soc was established just this year and is eager to impress and get off to a great start. They have an impressive mix of events planned already, including a make-up workshop with award-winning make-up artist, Ali Murphy, a musical theatre workshop with top class choreographer/ stage school director, Philip McTaggart Walsh and lots more workshops during the year to be announced soon. They want you to get involved and emphasize the importance of fresher participation. Intrigued? Suss out the society at their Welcome Night on October 4th, or the AGM on October 11. Alternatively, why not sign up on Societies Day? As a new soci-
ety, everyone is a new member whether you’ve been in college three years or this is your first year so there is absolutely no need for freshers to feel nervous! Live Music Society - The LMS aim to promote live music in UCC by bringing bands to students for free or affordable prices and support musicians from UCC & Cork. Interested in music and want to make valuable contacts in the industry? LMS run meet & greet events, aimed specifically at first years, where you can meet other musicians and others involved in the Cork music industry. Gigs are organised throughout the year, with emphasis on the talent that UCC students have to offer, as well as local bands. LMS also hold talks & workshops featuring musicians and industry experts. The best way to keep up to date with events is through Facebook (www.facebook. com/ucclms). Trad Soc - UCC TradSoc is where you need to be if you’re interested in Irish music, song or dance. So you think you know a flute from a fiddle, or a banjo from a bouzouki? It doesn’t even matter – Trad Soc are accommodating to all students and welcome everyone to each of their events. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming workshops, weekly sessions, lunchtime concerts and special guests. In the past, these have included such acts as The Mulcahy Family, Matt Crannitch, and many more renowned Munster based musicians. Other highlights to look out for are the annual UCC’s Cork TradFest which takes place over the first weekend of February (1st-3rd Feb) and UCC TradWeek (19th-23rd November), a TradFest exclusively for UCC students! Check out
www.ucctradsoc.com. Choral - UCC Choral Society is one of the largest and most successful societies on campus. They meet every Tuesday at 7pm in the Geography building and new members are always more than welcome at any point during the year. They insist that you don’t need to have any musical experience to join, just a love for singing. Choral events during the year include regular rehearsals, concerts, sing-along cinemas and more! DJ – Another music-focused society, DJ Soc are ready for action and will be holding gigs all week. Note especially the upcoming event at Suas on Wednesday night and finishing Fresher’s Week with a bang with the UV/Laser party in the Student Centre for Fresher’s Ball on Thursday night. As for the rest of the year, the emphasis will be to provide great nights out for students throughout the year in various high profiled venues in Cork. Meet the committee in Devere Hall and join the fun! Next up – drama! Think you have what it takes to get involved in drama at UCC? Yes? No? Maybe? It doesn’t matter! These societies are talented, fun and welcoming throughout the entire year and have something appealing for everyone’s interests. An Cumann Drámaíochta – Do you have a cupla focail? Interested in aisteoireacht agus etc? This society welcomes new members throughout the year to take part in producing theatrical performances as Gaeilge. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fluent or you can barely string a few words together, any level of Irish is accepted so don’t think you have to be a Gaelgoir to get involved!
Dramat – Their aim is to promote the dramatic and theatrical arts in UCC and to provide a forum where students may come together and interact on a creative and social level. UCC Dramat is one of the college’s oldest societies, founded all the way back in 1905. Membership to Dramat is open to both Students and Staff of UCC. If joining a successful society with an impressive CV is on your agenda, you could a lot worse than joining Dramat. They have excelled at represented UCC Drama on a local and a national level, winning awards for their theatrical productions at the ISDAS and here at the UCC Society Awards. Fancy yourself as a director, actor or producer? Meet the gang at their stand tomorrow or check out their Facebook page for more information. And others of general interest… English Literature - The English Lit Society in UCC is a society for those of you interested in any aspect of literature and text-based arts, be it poetry, drama/theatre, short stories, performance texts, or classic novels and contemporary fiction or non-fiction. The aims of the society are to encourage wider reading for all our members in all of these areas and also to encourage those who write themselves to bring in their work to receive constructive criticism in a friendly and open atmosphere. We also encourage discussions on the varying aspects of the wide world of literature in all its forms and languages. You don’t need to be majoring in English to join this society. In fact, you don’t need to have studied English at UCC at all to participate. Meet them tomorrow or pop in and say ‘hello!’ at one of the society
meetings on Thursdays at 7pm in UCC in West Wing 3. Fashion & Style - Our society aims to promote the fashion and design industry in Ireland through events and workshops. We also support and encourage young bloggers, photographers and stylists as well as working with model agencies and local retailers in Cork city. Events planned for this year include the annual UCC’s Next Top Model, “Think Pink” day in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation, charity fashion shows, guest speakers (speakers have included the former editor of Marie Claire UK Marie O’Riordan), workshops on campus and themed nights. An exciting new “Swap-Shop” event may be of interest to those wanting to stay savvy and stylish without splashing out! Film - UCC Film Soc has grown from being a small society to being one of the most prominent on campus in the last two years, winning numerous awards at last year’s Society Awards. We host a diverse range of events throughout the year, but most importantly - they make films. Email them at film@ uccsocieties.ie or check out their Facebook page or YouTube channel (UCCFilmSoc) to find out more! Comedy - You sit down, they stand up! The UCC Comedy Society is committed to holding comedy gigs on the campus of UCC. We promote stand up, improv and sketch comedy to the student population of Cork. Up for a laugh? Meet the committee at Devere Hall on Societies Day and sign up!
04 | Film & TV
I thought I walked
Cathal Dennehy finds Lawless ultimately disappointing.
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ustralian director John Hillcoat returns with Lawless, the story of the Bondurant brothers who ran a successful bootlegging racket in 1930s Virginia. Coming on the wave of considerable hype (including calls for Tom Hardy to be given an Oscar for this performance on the part of Entertainment.ie), Lawless retains the dread and desolation that Hillcoat has come so accustomed
to in the critically acclaimed The Road and The Proposition. It is the latter that it bears the most resemblence too, acting as an unofficial sister piece to the film, both of which were written by Nick Cave and starred Guy Pearce in prominent roles. The brutal and bloody outback setting is a welcome return, though has Hillcoat delivered as powerful or effective a film this time around?
The law won Film and TV Editor Kellie Morrissey welcomes back the newest incarnation of the Judge.
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omparisons to the 1995 Sly Stallone version are trite and irrelevant – Dredd impresses and does so without the need for a twoand-a-half hour long plot whose third act consists of crashing skyscrapers and big explosions. It does so without the need for a wisecracking sidekick, a beautiful-but-useless love interest and a stirring theme tune. It does so without Dredd even taking off his helmet. This is action as it should be – dirty and ultraviolent as hell. Its plot is as tight and lean as it could be – the setting is the US sometime in the future (Dredd’s gritty voiceover informs us that the country is now an “irradiated wasteland”). The country is divided into vast metropolises: here we find ourselves in Mega-City One, home of 800 million residents and rife with violent crime and drug use. One drug that is particular widespread is Slo-Mo: a liq-
uid which, when inhaled, slows time down to a fraction of its real speed for the user. Judges Dredd (Karl Urban) and rookie psychic Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) respond to a crisis call at the 200 storey slum tower block, Peach Trees, where Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), an ex-prostitute turned gang leader and Slo-Mo distributor, holds sway. I must admit, I was awaiting this movie with, uh, dread. As comic book adaptations go (and this year has been a good one for them), Judge Dredd and 2000AD never seemed to be adaptable without running into a host of issues. One is Dredd himself – not a hero, not a villain, not an antihero – just there. His is no great character arc, nothing changes for him: he has no real friends, no love interests - no interests in general - and is so single-minded in his pursuit of what is lawful that he often sacrifices innocents to catch perps. His is a great char-
September 25, 2012 Ultimately the answer is no. From the very start, Lawless seems a little unsure of itself. In fact, the film doesn’t really start until around the forty-minute mark. Up to then, the story and the characters themselves simply amble along with no real plot bringing the whole thing together. When it finally does start, everything begins to take shape and a more confident, cohesive film starts to manifest itself. However, in that first forty minutes there are quite a few problems to be seen. One of these problems comes in the form of Guy Pearce. He plays Charlie Rakes, a police sheriff who sets out to cut off the three brothers profits. While the rest of the film is grounded quite firmly in reality (it is, after all, based on a true story), Pearce plays a straight-up pantomime villain. Never for a single second does the audience ever believe that he is a real character and, because of this, whenever Pearce appears on screen the film threatens to keel over and
die.
films, manages to give a decent performance as runt of the litter-come-wannabe gangster Jack. The film also looks fantastic and there are some wonderful shots of the American countryside. However instead of the bright browns and oranges usually accosiated with Virginia, the film’s main colour pallete is one of dark greys and muddy browns. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (of Bad Seeds fame) scores as well as scripts. While his script may be a little ropey in places, the music is most certainly not. A heady mixture of folk, Missippi delta blues and even a little bluegrass help to capture the atmosphere of a redneck backwater in the 1930s. All in all, Lawless is an uneven mixture of confident performances, confused characters and throat-ripping violence. The whole film never comes together in an entirely satisfying way but there still is a lot to like.
acter (or lack thereof) and Urban inhabits this void uncannily well - although he does abandon the robotic, Batman-esque growl occasionally for a pithy quip or a cheesy action-movie line that here allows us to revel in the satire of it all before getting back to flinching at all the (marvellously executed) blood and gore. Thirlby, too, is impressive as the borderline-failing rookie Judge Anderson, for whom this drug bust-gone-bad is an assessment which will have Dredd hand her a pass or a fail at the end of the day. Without her, the movie wouldn’t be much – with Dredd as empty as he is, Anderson is therefore the emotional centre of the film and Thirlby pulls it off wonderfully. Her arc is one we can follow. Lena Headey as Ma-Ma is also very good – her shorn hair, scarred face and dead eyes are all somehow very scary, and if anything the
film could have done with more of her. Of course, it’s rated 18s for a reason – I have rarely seen a film as violent as this. The scenes that make use of slow motion effects (from Slo-Mo users’ perspective) are particularly memorable (and nauseating) – bullets rip through cheeks, limbs, eyes, shredding flesh as they go. A trachea is destroyed in a particularly memorable way, skinned bodies hit the floor with sickening thuds, and you’d better believe we see all the trimmings. There’s a strange beauty to the
violence, however – comic book readers will recognise such gore from the panels of some particularly darker series, and combined with the slow motion effects, the gore is forgivable – nay, justifiable. Overall, it’s an excellent movie; so lean and so tight-plotted that it barely outruns the traditional 90 minutes. This is no bloated Watchmen or 300, no cheesy Captain America, no melodramatic Batman. This is stripped-down, focused, pure entertainment. With a lot of blood.
Another major hiccup is the handling of Jack’s (Shia LaBeouf) and Forrest’s (Tom Hardy) relationships with Bertha (Mia Wasikowska) and Maggie (Jessica Chastain), respectively. It’s not that they are clumsily handled but rather that they ultimately come to nothing. If these relationships never have any real effect on the story then why bother including them? Due to this, the audience never has the chance to get emotionally invested with the characters and their lives and it all seems somewhat inconsequential. Finally, Hillcoat comits a cardinal sin in that he takes the excellent Gary Oldman and chooses to do absolutely nothing with him. That’s the real crime of this film. That said, there is a lot to like about the film. Tom Hardy, still looking like a walking, talking mountain, gives an enjoyably menacing and atmospheric performance as leading brother Forrest. Even Shia LaBoeuf, usually the worst thing in his
September 25, 2012
Film & TV | 05
Duvet day fodder
one of the more entertaining sitcoms that you’ll find. The Critic: If you’re looking for some good animated shows to watch but are sick of Family Guy, American Dad and The Simpsons then you should really check out The Critic and Futurama. The Critic was a shortlived show created by the show-runner of The Simpsons, Al Jean. It follows the life of Jay Sherman, a New York based film critic and his life as his strong opinions and overbearing boss often lead him into trouble. The show parodies many films of the eighties and nineties and is frequently regarded as one of the best animated prime time TV shows. It is a must watch for anyone who likes the sitcom and animated
genres. Arrested Development: You have probably heard of Arrested Development already, but in case you missed it the first time around; it is definitely
like cutaways and self-referencing. Despite being cancelled after failing to find a large audience, the series is due to be resurrected next year for a short fourth season, followed by a fea-
worth checking out. Arrested Development is one of the best comedies of the last ten years, focusing on Michael Bluth, the centre of the Bluth family - a dysfunctional, formerly wealthy family. The series is filmed in a documentary/reality television setting, using comedy devices
ture length movie. You should be able to find Arrested Development on Netflix if you want to watch it. If you’re only going to watch one show from this article then I would recommend this above all others - you won’t regret it any time soon.
block. He is living in a debilitating rut, where not even his cute dog can cheer him up. His
Calvin first dreams of Ruby, an ethereal hipster goddess he meets in a park who inspires the conscience Calvin to write again. She embodies that redundant “manic pixie dream girl” that has been fetishised so often in cinema of late (see Almost
therapist poses him a writing challenge in an attempt to help him out of this writing funk. Thus comes the unusual arrival of Ruby Sparks.
Famous, Garden State, (500) Days of Summer, or any Zooey Deschanel film for that matter). The Ruby on page eventually manifests in life. All, of course,
is not as rosy as it seems. The ensuing honeymoon period is euphoric, balmy, and romantic, filled with pretty montages, one of which is accompanied by Plastic Bertrand’s “Ça Plane Pour Moi,” because a little French punk-pop is, after all, what enduring love is made of. This portion of events appears as though it has been filtered through an Instagram-style sepia filter, the retro mesh turned up to eleven. It captures all that passion and silliness that idyllic love can be identified with. The next chapter of the film deconstructs their inexplicable contentment, and with the help of various peripheral characters, launches into an analysis of our two love birds: what is the purpose of their relationship; what is their individual purpose? What are the consequences for the pair when Ruby’s existence is dependent on the whims of Calvin? Ruby and Kazan attempt to shatter
the oppressions of the manic pixie dream girl syndrome. Kazan managed to allow the film to transition fluidly from its genial beginnings as a blissful fantasy romance, where Calvin and his brother bumble about trying to understand the extraordinary power at Calvin’s disposal (control over a woman). It then continues on to descend into a more intriguing second act. The lives of our protagonist and heroine become a little more chaotic and relatable, resisting traditional resolution as their insecurities surface. Calvin’s Frankenstein-inspired experiment spirals out of control when Ruby attempts to define herself outside of the writer’s page. It is unfair to equate this film to Little Miss Sunshine, for it belongs in a league of its own. Where Sunshine examines family, Ruby Sparks tackles the dynamics of couples, the hierarchy of power with a keen, playful eye. It is a hilarious, quirky little satire on modern love and most definitely worth a trip to the cinema.
While the start of term isn’t the best time to hit the couch with a DVD boxset, Emmet Curtin explores the best options available – without having to revert to Home & Away. Frasier: Psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane leaves Boston after his divorce from his wife Lilith, and returns to his hometown of Seattle. He is reunited with his brother (Niles) and father (Martin), the latter of who is forced to live with him after being shot some time before the series. Frasier begins working at KACL, working closely with his producer, Roz, and an assortment of colourful radio personalities at the station. The cast is rounded off with Daphne Moon, his father’s live-in physical therapist and caretaker. Frasier was originally conceived as a spin-off to the show Cheers (another great sitcom) and is one of the most successful spinoffs in television history. Watching the pretentious Frasier settle into his return to Seattle and his new-found celebrity status, as
well as watching Niles pine after Daphne for the majority of the show’s lifetime are amongst some of the funniest moments in the show. Pretty much every episode works as a stand-alone, so just pick it up and watch it. Spin City: Another oldie but a goodie, Spin City was co-created by Scrubs and Cougar Town creator Bill Lawrence. It follows the life of Michael J. Fox, Deputy Mayor of New York, who is in charge of the staff who run the city. The group run the city from City Hall - in charge of improving the Mayor’s image and covering up his frequent goofs and mistakes, all while trying to deal with their own personal lives. The series takes an interesting look at the American government and political issues ranging from political image to women’s rights, while still being
Sparking up a romance There’s some charm left in the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ stereotype, writes Susan O’Sullivan.
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his feature presentation has been brought to us by the directors of the stunning Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. While Ruby Sparks is not quite as invigorating as their 2006 classic, it is anchored by the same humour and intensity found at the heart of their debut. Think of it as food for the soul. Ruby Sparks herself, Zoe Kazan, wrote the film and her real-life boyfriend Paul Dano plays her neurotic creator, Calvin. It’s a Hollywood love-in, you guys, with appearances by Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, and Steve Coogan to help seal the deal. Calvin is a former precocious-teen-author. At age 19, he had one glorious moment: released a critically acclaimed novel and garnered a legion of cultish fans. In the decade since, success has been followed by the deafening silence of writer’s
September 25, 2012
06 | Music
Keep calm and yera, ‘twas a busy night in town anyway: the pros and cons of rebel music In the latest in a series of formulaic ramblings about local music, Music Editor Mike McGrath-Bryan takes a look both at what we have to be proud of in our city’s independent music community, and the challenges that face it in the immediate future.
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nvolvement in the local music scene has permitted then opportunity to access local acts prior to release. Not that that should be one’s prime motivator to partake, but over the summer, getting listens to new releases from the likes of Lamp and Terriers gave them time to sink in, and hammer home the fact that, boy howdy, we have a hell of a local music scene. Now, to a man, that music is on your doorstep alone, people around you, in your city, getting out there and making noise, warrants at least giving it a passing lash. But with apathy beginning to set in to the local scene beyond its core audience, coinciding with an astronomical rise in talent in and around the city, an investigation into the factors behind the current local scene is more than due. Why, for all the talent we have, aren’t more people copping on?
been cultivated without the pressure of label expectations. No matter what you’re into, it’s here, and it’s likely better than what you’ve been spoonfed. Get out into it, explore it, enjoy it, go up the bands after, shake hands, talk. You’d be surprised at the friends you might make!
challenge facing promoters and champions of local music is to convince the casual crowd that music is worth more than a stupid dance, hands aloft, beer in hand. That this is the real deal, and in an age of ignorance and mass-produced Saturday night telly freakshows and cover crooners, the antidote to their inertia lies down the road from them, live and spilling its guts on stage. Or worse, that we’re not some horrible clique out to laugh at people for not stocking ten years of American post-hardcore on their iPods. You don’t have to like certain artists or certain genres, but there’s very definitely a need for respect for bands that bust their arses to fulfill their vision. Surely that’s a better use of time than pre-drinking, playing Metal Gear Naggins with security personnel and then shitting on about drink until last call? The challenge is creating the atmosphere and momentum, giving Cork music its due importance and attention. And no, unpaid support slots for spoiled major-label talent on “Arthur’s Day” (not buying it) in front of an audience singularly engaged in the pursuit of free beer are not going to do it.
your writer has had his enjoyment of an otherwise fine show shat on by some drunken twat in his confirmation jumper and jeans calling for “something we all know”, the Penney’s Ramones/fake-gigposter T-shirt (double-value fashion/music tip: no music shirts unless you physically own some of their albums, no fake poster shirts, you look like you wouldn’t read a real one) brigade or cackling groups of girlies more intent on indulging in ear-meltingly personal gossip within people’s earshot than watching a gig. Even at last year’s LMS gigs, the Battle of the Bands format proved to be a massive hindrance for the same old reasons: bands bring their mates, who have no idea how to conduct themselves, hooting and shouting obnoxiously for their buddy in particular rather than his band, and wind up reflecting badly on the band in particular, and the whole exercise in general, before voting early for their mates and pissing off again before the next band plays. Striking a balance between accessibility for new heads and the integrity of Cork music is an even greater challenge than maintaining current attendances.
THE QUESTION: The Crane Lane, for example, does a great job of integrating live music into nights out, and indeed, the venue attracts many casual regulars. But casual revellers, especially after a few scoops and ready to cut loose, are hardly a respectThe ful proposition. Many a time
THE METHOD: The record industry is dying a death because it couldn’t adapt early enough to changes in listening patterns, formats, etc. The fact that EMI tried suing our government over lost CD sales in 2012 should tell you all you need to know. Likewise, perhaps the medium of
THE CULTURE: A major shift has occurred in the last five or six years, however. Beginning with the young bands and artists of the time, some stupidly intriguing line-ups opened a lot of people’s minds and created the atmosphere that gave rise to a fertile scene that caught on beyond the core audience and regularly packed the town’s music-head hangouts. That culture doesn’t exist anymore. Time was, people would bate on into town to catch that week’s local gig, whatever venue it was and wherever, knowing they’d get a good night’s show. The last five years have seen a change, seeing the gig and related experience become part of a bigger night out, if at all, which in turn, largely restricts it to city-central pubs, which restricts options seriously. Meanwhile, as that core audience dwindles, so too does the amount of new blood coming in and keeping things fresh and exciting, which in turn breeds further apathy, especially with recent waves of young students skipping over gigs in their nightlife routine in favour of pre-drinking...
THE MUSIC: The level, range and depth of talent we have Leeside is unparalleled, and your writer will see anyone that disagrees (after seeing the evidence) outside for a frank exchange of opinions. Across the genre spectrum, from indie-pop, to hardcore & screamo, folk to electronics, there can be no doubt of the artistic merit and innovation of the majority of bands in this town. Look at our history. The Sultans. The Franks. Rory. UCC post-punk at the Downtown Kampus. Away from music industry machinations for the most part, a thriving culture of independent bands and artists has THE
CHALLENGE:
presenting a live band needs to change. It’s pretty obvious that beyond the core music crowd, paying in to gigs out of curiosity is largely by the wayside, save for big names. The guarantee model is a great success when done correctly, and is something more city-central pubs and clubs should be doing, facilitating and helping making local music sustainable and therefore stronger, rather than dropping four figures on identikit cover bands and pop/Eurotrance DJs. In-store gigs are an absolute joy, witnessing bands in intimate performances, but obviously are only really effective when held in local businesses, helping foster relations between small businesses and their customers. All-dayers like the Siege of Limerick and Nancy’s Shnare provide that destination element for people, bringing groups to stay the day and enjoy the festivities. A Camden Crawl/Hard Working Class Heroes trawl through the city would, if organised correctly, showcase bands, the venues and pubs hosting them and the city in a positive light around the country, and to potential regular gig-goers. The possibilities, like the talent, are endless.
September 25, 2012
Music | 07
Black Sabbath – Vol. 4 It’s also been forty years since the release of perhaps the defining moment in the defining metal band’s discography. Long the subject of debate among Black Sabbath fans, Volume Four has lasted the test of time, and is an important milestone in the genre’s evolution. Eoghan Lyng takes a look at why it matters.
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or an album that is forty years old, Vol.4 has a resonance and quality to it that still makes it a brilliant album to listen to. Although it may not have the killer dynamics of Paranoid or the lush production of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Vol.4 is still one of the best records Black Sabbath ever made. Not only does it contain some of the best guitar riffs that Tony Iommi ever came up with (and considering his standard of guitar playing, this is high praise indeed), but it also showed the band expanding their musical horizons outside of heavy metal for the first time.
From the opening to closing track, it was obvious that the band had matured in a lyrical sense in comparison to their first three albums. Their eponymous debut dealt with lyrics that revolved around satanic themes, and the two succeeding albums had not deviated too far from that topic. This album, however, showed that Geezer Butler (who not only played bass guitar, but also wrote the lion’s share of the lyrics at the request of frontman Ozzy Osbourne) was capable of writing about topics that the ordinary listener could relate to. Superfast and Snowblind both dealt
with the band`s addictive habits while the lyrics of Changes dealt with the imminent break up of drummer Bill Ward’s marriage (Osbourne himself would rate Changes as one of his favourite songs and would subsequently re-record a far inferior version with his daughter Kelly in 2003). Musically, the album also proved that the band had improved in both a musical and production sense. Largely produced by bandleader Iommi (although Sabbath’s manager Martin Sharp also received a production credit, a credit in which Iommi bemoaned in his autobiography), this was the first album in which the four members experimented with different instruments and effects that lay outside of the realm of electric guitars, bass and drums. The melody of Changes was played on illustrious piano, that proved that the band were capable of playing beautiful music.
SODB - DON SEANTALAMH A CHUID FEIN Mike McGrath-Bryan looks at Irish metal’s latest offering
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rish metal is brilliant. You know this. Oftentimes, however, it can get lost in its obsession with tradition and orthodoxy, and every so often a release comes along that takes that oeuvre and gives it a good shake. Dublin black-metal outfit (don’t call them punks!) Sodb (pronounced Sod-uv) have given us such an effort, with a debut demo that takes the existing wisdom of the kvlt mire and bends it to their will, and on solid-black cassette through metal record shop Into the Void’s new in-house label for that matter too. Eschewing the genre’s penchant for thin production with buoyantly thick tones on all instruments, it resonates unlike anything of its kind, the antithesis to an oftentimes stifling precedent. Deep, dub-like bass runs underneath the serpentine title track, shifting from fierce, dissonant necro to psychedelia to metal bombast and back, with lyrical flourishes as Gaeilge. Aigre Re creeps and stalks at its own pace, a marathon against the temptation to kick into higher gear that tests the listener’s patience before setting off into an old-fashioned galloping metal tempo. Tethered builds from a sorrowful opening noodling to a clatterslap trundle that keeps the affair in lower gear, opting for the slow build before bursting into blastbeats that miraculously sit wonderfully low in the mix, doing their job while not going of their way to keep the listener’s attention away from the song. Respectful kowtows to black metal’s past are made with Old and Withered Form’s intro, a tape-thin wall of sound giving way to frantic blasts and inestimably bleak riffs. This is fresh. Genuinely original, bringing to mind a more sedate and pragmatic companion to Liturgy’s sun-worshipping heroics. This is defiant of genre limitations and the ridiculous conventions of metal’s multifarious factions and subgenres, and is it ever better off for it. RATING: 9/10
Laguna Sunrise features Iommi playing a nylon string guitar in a style that was almost certainly intended to be reminiscent of baroque music. FX is an absolute oddity of a track. Iommi and Osbourne both recounted about undressing themselves and attacking Iommi`s guitar with sticks. This unusual method must have impressed them sufficiently as they felt it was worthy of a place on the album. There are those who will consider this to be an outrageous hyperbole but personally I feel that this track should be mentioned in the same breath as John Cage’s 3’44” and Serge Gainsbourg’s Je t’Aime... Moi Non Plus in terms of studio experimentation and for eclectic composition technique. It is an awful shame that it is far more frequent of critics to lambast Iommi for what they consider to be the indignity of creating the heavy metal riff, instead of
praising him for his brilliance as a producer. Since its release in 1972, it has proven to be a very popular album. Avant-Garde songwriter Frank Zappa frequently praised the album and claimed that Snowblind was perhaps the finest song ever written to deal with cocaine addiction. It was, however, it`s inclusion within 1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE that was perhaps the greatest accolade that it could have received, if you consider that it was placed alongside the works of many of Black Sabbath’s influences, such as Led Zeppelin, Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. As Sabbath reunite to record their first album with Osbourne in over thirty years, we can only hope that they can recreate the magic that they produced on this album.
Wound Upon Wound – S/T Steve Hunt
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rom the opening feedback through to the final jagged notes, Wound Upon Wound’s crushing debut clocks in at just over 50 minutes of uncompromising bleakness and brutality. All the necessary ingredients are on hand for a solid dose of black/doom metal: guttural vocals with a range from the near subsonic to a harrowing wail, a solid deep low end that rarely shows off but is never guilty of being tied to the rudiments and a duelling guitar force that ably blends intricacy with brutality. Opening track “I Become” sets the template for what is to follow, a work that is unafraid to explore the textures and corners of the compositions recorded therein with no track except for the interlude “Eulogy” clocking in at less than 5 and a half minutes yet none overstay their welcome. As a debut it is not without its faults, with the second track’s latter half segwaying into a tempo change that suits neither the mood of the song or the album overall, a sign perhaps, of not quite knowing where to go with the sound on display here. This however, appears to have been remedied since the album’s recoding as their live show offers up no such signs of weakness and absolutely no digression from the punishing onslaught that Wound Upon Wound are honing in so clinically upon. A perfect headphones album or one for a drive taken alone (although preferably not after having had a serious argument with someone) but what sets this apart from other works within a genre that while albeit extreme, is certainly not without its disciples? Simply put, it’s believable. Although most of the lyrics are indecipherable or inaudible like many precursors, the mood at hand in this debut speaks to something steeped in genuine emotion and not mere adolescent rage. Furthermore, the guitar work here is superb, it never shows off but never regresses to boneheaded powerchord posturing. Overall it is a work that unashamedly displays influences beyond the realm of black/doom metal, at once referencing contemporaries like Deafheaven and Cult of Luna and forebears like Mayhem and Burzum while also seemingly calling to mind acts like ASIWYFA, Mogwai and Refused in the way the guitars harmonise beautifully while still maintaining a crushing heaviness especially on “Awakening” and “Every Tongue Shall Confess”. Wound Upon Wound’s self-titled debut is available for free download (http://wounduponwound.bandcamp.com/) on their bandcamp right now so any self-respecting fan of music ranging within the heavy and extreme to experimental has no excuse not to check this out. Crushingly bleak, unmissable. RATING: 8/10.
08 | Fresher’s Week
September 25, 2012
September 25, 2012
Fresher’s Week | 09
- Shag Tag
3pm -6:30pm Arthurs Day celebrations
Devere Hall
10 | Gaming
September 25, 2012
Wii U or Won’t You? Gaming editor Fergal Carroll takes a look at Nintendo’s next gen console.
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he date has been set. November 30th is the day that Nintendo, the first of the big three, launch their next gen console - the Wii U. All was revealed in a Nintendo event in mid-September. Price points were set, bundles announced, launch titles unveiled and that magical date set. The question is though, will you be taking a step in to the next generation alongside Ninty? Or will you let that date slide by almost unnoticed as you mark the days off until Sony or Microsoft make their big announcements? If you have been living under a gaming rock for the last few months here is the Wii U rundown. This time around Nintendo’s big innovation, aside from finally bringing HD gaming to their home console, is their self-named ‘Gamepad’, a controller which houses a 6.2” resistive touchscreen, camera, accelerometer and gyroscope alongside the familiar controller layout of two analog sticks, a d-pad plus their traditional button design (A, B, Y, X). Having a screen in your hands offers a variety of new gameplay mechanics from simply having extra HUD elements displayed there (think maps, inventory etc.) to using the touchscreen to affect the main screen (creating platforms on the touchscreen in New Super Mario Bros U). Some games even offer to the ability to switch the focus from the big screen to the small mid game. The controller also provides some nice bonuses such as being able to play games on the controller similar to a Vita/3DS if the big screen is occupied (by your Ma watching Fair City) or being able to have two players playing simultaneously, one on the big screen and one on the small, like you can in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer. The console will come in two different versions, ‘Basic’ and ‘Deluxe’. The ‘Basic’ model will net you a white, 8GB
Wii U console, a gamepad, AC adapters, a sensor bar, and an HDMI Cable for €299.99 while the ‘Deluxe’ version costs €349.99 and comes with those same basics in a black, 32GB console, charging cradle and a free copy of NintendoLand, the Wii Sports of the Wii U. In Europe there is a special ZombiU edition which is the ‘Deluxe’ version with ZombiU, a FPS survival horror, replacing NintendoLand. All this innovation is good but it only really matters if it was utilised well. The Wii offered a whole new gaming experience but only Nintendo were really able to make it work. There was a plethora of casual games on the Wii which was the systems biggest problem. It had only one demographic in mind - the casual gamer. Everyone’s auntie, uncle and grandmother had one. Sure they might have only bought the system to play Wii Sports (it was just ‘so’ much fun that one time they played it at the family Christmas gathering) and each and every one of those systems sold put money in Nintendo’s already cash laden pockets. So Nintendo were happy but what about their hard-core gamers? I have several friends that if you cut them, they would bleed Nintendo and even they had to purchase a second console this generation in order to fulfil their gaming needs. These are people that believe, to this day, that the Gamecube was a better console than the PS2. Sure it had its titles but nothing even comes to the vast library the PS2 had to offer, never mind the market share it reached. So even the most diehard of Nintendo fans had to move to greener gaming pastures. I feel that in order for the Wii U to be a success, Nintendo has to reach out to those forgotten hard-core Nintendo gamers of the previous generations. Sure, the Wii had games which catered for this audience
but I could almost name them on one hand. Compared to the line-up of their rivals Nintendo’s offering was paltry. It seemed that besides Nintendo’s set of first party titles that the Wii was only capable of playing shovel ware. At the press conference, Nintendo did offer some solutions to this problem. The capture of big titles like Bayonetta 2 and Rayman Legends as a Wii U exclusives alongside interesting Wii U only games such as The Wonderful 101 and ZombiU will bode well with the hardcore. Combined with the a major increase in 3rd party support which includes the likes of Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City and Assassin’s Creed 3 you could almost imagine owning a Wii U alone and being completely sat-
isfied. Most of these titles didn’t make it to the Wii and if they did they didn’t stand up beside the PS3 and 360 versions. Nintendo will certainly have to continue this with most major releases to keep the hard-core market pleased. One of the biggest questions is will they be able to repeat the Wii’s success? Surely if one was to apply some simple logic to the system you would say no. Why would a casual gamer buy the successor to a games system they barely used? Their mind doesn’t work as simply as that though. I still can’t believe that the Wii sold almost 100m units around the world (95.65m to be precise). It is a staggering figure considering both the PS3 and 360 have sold roughly 30m units less. Personally, the Wii U feels
more like a stop gap in the fact that it will only tide people over until Sony and Microsoft unveil their next generation consoles. Nintendo aren’t doing well financially at the moment. They posted their first annual financial loss in 30 years back in April. They had to cut the price of the 3DS by €80 only 6 months after its release. So basically the Wii U can’t fail for them. If there is one company that you can always trust when it comes to gaming it is Nintendo. They blew the competition away last time but will consumers have learned or will Nintendo change it up enough to capture all market segments? The Wii wasn’t for me and I have an inkling that the Wii U won’t be either but what about you? The big question is - Wii U? Or won’t you?
You See Me? You Play Me Gaming editor Fergal Carroll serves up men in shorts, pandas and indie darlings for this week’s gaming menu. The Biggie(s): The biggest game that is being released this side of the pond this week is the one and only FIFA 13. If you listened to me last time and brushed up on your mad FIFA skills you should have no problem calling up to the Common Room and challenging to ‘da bois’ to a few games. You might even win a few euro out of it. The game hits on the 28th. For all you PC gamers out there, there is no point even telling you what to check out. You probably aren’t even reading this as the latest World of Warcraft expansion pack, Mists of Pandaria, comes out on the 25th. It’s been a long time since I ventured into the world of Azeroth but this expansion allows you to play as a panda and you can’t really get any better than that, can you? I’d say the game will peak with this release, nothing will ever top that. The Cheapie: From the developer of the incredibly frustrating but brilliant VVVVVV is Super Hexagon. Its currently out on iOS only but is being ported to PC, Mac and Android as we speak. In its simplest form you rotate a dot around a circle but don’t let that fool you, this one will have you rage quitting in no time. It will make bus trips shorter and when you break your high score, tears will be shed! The Freebie: For all you gamers who don’t even have a budget, I’d suggest that you check out Hexagon on the PC. It’s the flash game which Super Hexagon was built on and if you can’t shell out the 79c for the enhanced edition or want a taste of what you’ll be getting head over to www.distractionware.com to see what all the fuss is about. The Favour: It’s an honourable favour this week. Buy Fart Cat for your iOS device. I know what you’re thinking. It sounds terrible but it’s not. It’s the first game from the newly formed Summer Camp studios which is composed of former employees of the now shut down 38 Studios. It only costs 79c and it you will get all the laughs from it, just watch the promo video on YouTube if you don’t believe me. Besides, everyone loves cats, right?
September 25, 2012
Arts & Literature | 11
Motion Capture
Arts and Literature Editor Julie Daunt reviews the current Lewis Glucksman exhibition, which traces the relationship between drawing and the moving image.
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hat is drawing? Is it the lines made by a pen on paper, or is it the act of creating those lines? What about photography, which is Greek for “drawing with light”? This current Glucksman show explores these questions through a mix of videos, photographs and drawings from old, new, Irish and international artists. It also investigates the concept of drawing, introducing new ways of thinking about it, approaching the method from different perspectives and, in particular, drawing’s ability to capture movement and gesture. The exhibition is curated by Ed Krčma and Matt Packer. I asked Ed how he would define drawing and its relationship with the moving image: “Drawing is to be defined relationally
(by its relationships of alignment and difference with other objects, practices and technologies). Once that is admitted, we might also say that drawing is to be defined historically, as the field of relations into which it enters is constantly shifting, as technologies of representation and image-making advance. So, drawing will be thought about differently after the arrival of the printing presses, after the invention of photography, of film, video and digital media, for example. Drawing’s relationship with film (the moving image) is complex. Film combines movement and stasis: the filmstrip moves through the projector at 24 frames per second, but each frame is in fact a still image. A drawing also involves the com-
bination of many discrete imprints to make up an image. While that image is still (in works on paper), the act of viewing it always involves motion. The eye moves across and along and between marks, it does not see them all at once. This relationship between movement and stasis is at the heart of this exhibition.” There are a few artists and works in this exhibition that are definitely worth taking note of. One such artist is British Tacita Dean who is renowned for her work in 16mm. This exhibition is her Irish premiere, with the show featuring her video work of Giorgio Morandi’s studio. Another interesting piece is Pierre Bismuth with his film still of Gretta Garbo, where he followed the movement of her right hand with a black marker, to create an unusual meeting of cinema and drawing. Susan Morris’ works are also worth a see, which were created using data collected in a motion capture studio. The artist wore reflectors in the studio and her repetitive movements were converted into a series of fine lines, which appear against a black background. Here, Morris’ movements have created a work that is both digital and a drawing, providing another approach and perspective to the practise. The Sisk gallery shows screenings of William Kentridge’s ani-
mated film entitled Other Faces and my personal favourite. The film is made from a process of erasure and re-drawing in charcoal on a single page. The artist photographed every single change he made to the drawing so the page shows the traces and changes he made to the picture. It is part of series of poignant representations of apartheid in South Africa featuring the artist’s alter egos Soho and Felix. For more traditional concepts of drawing, you should take at look at the works of French artists Henri Matisse and Henri Michaux. These feature alongside the geometric designs of Tom Hackney, which were made from the chess moves played by influential artist Marcel Duchamp during his chess games (Duchamp famously gave up art for chess). For something a bit eerie and quirky, Alice Maher’s Flora is
screened in a partitioned room. Maher adopts a method similar to Kentridge for her animation, which draws on the themes of metamorphosis, mythology and heritage. Finally, Dennis Oppenheim’s video installation is worth a look. This work explores the tactile feeling of drawing, with his video showing his son drawing on his back, while he traces his son’s design onto a wall. Overall, this exhibition traces the relationship between drawing and the rise of technology. It displays new approaches and perspectives to the debate on the definition of drawing. It shows some interesting and innovative works. So whether you like film, photography or just want to see something new, this exhibition is well worth seeing. Ed Krčma is a lecturer in UCC. Motion Capture runs until November 4.
This coming March, UCC will host the Irish Student Drama Association Festival where amateur student drama societies from all universities and ITs throughout Ireland send their best productions of the year to go and compete in the ISDA Festival. It is definitely a great way to meet students from other drama societies in other colleges. Last year, UCC Dramat took home three awards including ‘Best Set’, ‘Best Ensemble’ and a discretionary award as well as being nominated in other categories at the ISDA Festival 2012 in UCD. They’ll be hoping to emulate the same
success with their productions this year. If all that still hasn’t taken your fancy, or if you want to find out more information about the society and the aspects of Dramat life, the society will be holding their Information Night on Monday 1 October in the Connolly Building Complex. For those who are new to UCC and want a taste of Dramat, there will be a Fresher’s Fest Variety Show in the Drama Lab in the Connolly Building for the annual Societies Day.
Curtain up and light the lights With UCC’s Dramatic Society kicking off another year of productions and theatrical events, Micheál Phelan tells us what’s in store.
T
he UCC Dramatic Society is one of the oldest societies on campus and has an exciting year of theatre and events planned for students and staff. For those who don’t know much about the society, Dramat allows you to explore all areas of theatre including acting, directing, lighting design, costumer design, make-up and hair design and stage management. Even if you are just interested in being a full time audience member, there’s something there for you! They also hold a variety of workshops that are beneficial on both a theatrical and personal level. Dramat’s
aim is to provide their members with a society where they can come together and interact creatively and socially. This college year is packed with new productions and events which are open to new and old members. This semester alone, Dramat will be producing four main stage productions, a Panto, as well as holding workshops and society nights out. There will also be a Short Play Festival of original writing or other which will run from 30 October to 3 November. The majority of their productions are produced in the UCC Granary Theatre, which is located
in the Connolly Building Complex along Western Road. Their four mainstage productions for semester 1 include Stop Kiss directed by Carine Natin, The Disappearing Dogs directed by Rory McConville, The Seafarer directed by Barry Whelan and The Big Boy directed by Jack Holland. Auditions for these first semester productions will take place on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 October in the Connolly Building complex on Western Road and are open to all students. Even if you don’t have the confidence to perform, you can take part in all the action backstage.
September 25, 2012
12 | Fashion
Nailed it! Sport the nail designs of everyone’s envy with a little help from Fashion Editor Kieran Murphy.
Geometric Patterns
The first method here is probably the easiest one and all you need for this one is some sell-o-tape. Apply a base coat of nail varnish on your nails and leave it to dry for about 20 minutes. When your base coat is dry, cut the sellotape into thin strips and stick them on your nails creating geometrical shapes such as triangles or squares. Cover the entire nail with nail varnish and leave it to dry. When it’s all dry gently remove the tape from your nails. This second method is quite easy as well. All you need for this one is a sheet of paper, hair spray and a thin paint brush. Apply a base coat onto your nails and leave it to dry. Spray the hair of your paint brush with a tiny bit of hairspray to make it rock solid and very precise. Apply a few drops of nail varnish on the sheet of paper, dip the brush in, and create some crazy shapes on your nails. Remember, the more original and creative the shape and colours, the better! See Margaret Urbanowicz of 4ng2.com for more information and guidelines.
Leopard Print Nails
Leopard print nails are actually much easier to do than you might think! Start with a clear base coat on your nails to prevent staining. Leave them to dry before applying two coats of your preferred base colour. When dry, use a black nail pen (I got mine in Topshop) to draw small ‘c’ shapes and circles randomly on each nail. Don’t worry about not getting them perfect as they actually look better if they’re a bit uneven. After these have dried, use a different coloured nail pen to dot circles around the ‘c’ shapes and circles. White is generally the best colour to use for this part but you can experiment and try whatever colours you like! I used a neon pink shade for a more subtle look. To finish off, apply a clear top coat to prevent chipping. Check out Kelly McGrath of BlinkAndYoullMiss.com for more helpful tips and tricks!
Galaxy Nails
To achieve galaxy nails you will be need a navy-coloured polish, white polish, three or four coloured polishes of your choice, a top coat and a sponge. Galaxy nails are really easy to do. It’s completely random and doesn’t have to be neat which is why it’s a great nail art design for beginners. Paint your nails navy for the base of your galaxy nails. Apply two or three coats and wait until the base is completely dry before you start the next step. Then sponge on white polish around the middle of the nail. When the white is dry, start to sponge on the colour you have chosen in small areas around the nail. I normally use green, lilac, gold and silver. You can keep repeating the process until you are happy with how the colours look. Add more white polish lightly over some areas. After this is dry, add a glitter polish to create stars. To complete the look, add a topcoat and seal the design. Have a peak at the tips at Chantelle Thomas of DollyNails.blogspot.ie.
September 25, 2012
Fashion | 13
To gel or not to gel? That is the question
A Question of Experience
While those spikes may have been cool for your Confirmation, Fashion Editor Kieran Murphy explains there’s more to life than hair gel.
Fashion Editor Kieran Murphy examines whether the new Condé Nast College is worth a student’s time.
H
air gel is the staple styling item for any young Irish lad - and even a TD or two - but it’s a new dawn for male grooming and it is high time that you retire your two year old tub to the compost bin. Many men view hair gel as a one-for-all fixer for any type of hairstyle for every occasion, but now there’s far more style inspirations for men other than Westlife and Justin Timberlake. The likes of David Beckham, Andrew Garfield and Robert Pattinson have shown men that there is more to hair than 3-2-1 spike formation, or a head of hair so hard that it could be used as a ramp.
Andrew Garfield Andrew Garfield’s hair looks like he just walked out of the house, but it’s perfect form betrays his laissez-faire image. Andrew’s hair is actually the result of a blow dry and hair wax, or, alternatively, three days of greasiness but the first method is easier and significantly more hygienic. To achieve this look it’s about layering the hair wax gradually while blow drying the hair. To start it off, dry your hair gradually with the fringe pointing upwards. Then apply a small amount of wax onto your hands and work it through your hair, spreading it evenly down to the roots or else it’ll get too top heavy and flop over. Then repeat the blow drying process and apply one more small layer of wax. The wax will give the hair texture but won’t harden it in the same way that gel would.
David Beckham David Beckham is no stranger to breaking barriers, but recently he’s been sporting what has been generally called a neo-quiff. To achieve this look it’s all about the blow-dry. You need to start with a wet head of hair and find your side parting. Then, cover one side and blow dry with the straightening nozzle attached. Once finished, begin on the other and repeat the step to start your parting. To maximise your quiff, blow dry the front of your hair to one side. To finish the look, rub hair cream (cream - not gel) onto your hand, run your fingers through the quiff and rake it back, then use any remaining cream to define your side parting. Ensure that you don’t use too much product or else your hair will be sticky to the touch.
T
his year, The Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design announced that they would offer a ground-breaking opportunity in all aspects of the fashion industry for potential students, starting in January 2013. Based in London, the college will offer two courses in its inaugural year; a 10-week long Vogue Fashion Certificate and a year-long Vogue Fashion Foundation Diploma to improve students’ creative, business and communication skills within a fashion based context. Condé Nast Publications is, of course, responsible for the powerhouse in fashion that is Vogue, but also in their stable is GQ, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker - so any future graduates will be in good company. According to its principal, former Easy Living editor Susie Forbes, the college will “arm a whole new generation of students with the skill and capability to pursue a successful career in the fashion industry”. However, for any student who wants to gain these skills, it does not come cheap. The 10 week Certificate will cost £6,600 excluding VAT, which comes in at just over €8,000, the same cost of fees for an MA in Journalism in DCU. The year-long Diploma clocks in at an eye-watering £19,560, again excluding VAT (€24,000), which would support an average student in Ireland for a three year course. Many Irish people have a belief that to work in a certain industry - especially the fashion industry - you must study for that particular industry in college. If you want to study journalism, go do a journalism degree. If you want to get into fashion, well you better do a fashion orientated course and the Condé Nast College only furthers
this belief. Experience is key when it comes to any industry and especially in the fashion industry. While you may have been taught how to format an article in the classroom, you may never have experienced typing out an article frantically - due to go live in thirty minutes - about a runway show that is happening right in front of you. There are many opportunities for people to get involved with and learn about the fashion industry, such as lending their services to Cork Fashion Week, getting involved with the UCC Fashion Society and even if you’re unable to do these there have been many people who have been hired off the back of a fashion blog they have made. There is no doubt that any of the college’s alumni will be more than equipped to write for Vogue or any other publication but can there be any justification for paying over €20,000 for what you can arguably learn better through experience? With the inaugural class not graduating until October 2014, only time will tell.
14 | New Corker
September 25, 2012
The Hunt Gary Moloney
H Burning Kenneth Hickey
I
n the greyness before, when I’m alone with the greyness, and this burning inside, and the time, the time till I see her again, I wait. I wait. Strange images dancing around me my head broken, I can taste her still, and I wait. I wait until that appointed hour, that shitty little second, till I see her. Alone, the two of us in the little room, the heavy curtains blocking out the air, just our panting, and we move closer, fumbling, fumbling, pulling buttons open, losing control of hand and mouth and tongues, and the heavy air, and the heavy air between us. I’m no longer there in that moment, my head is gone, my body moves with it’s own precision. I’m in her eyes, all of me in her eyes, as I stare brightly back through tight curls of a blond head. And then the underneath, drawn from her, no longer looking in her, looking upon her, the soft tenderness where fingers run, looking for an opening, looking for the chance, and it’s slippery, and it’s wet. Well I can taste her, taste every piece of her, soft sheet beneath me, as I move closer still. The worth-
less pieces thrown aside, the garment I no longer want, the robe I have no use for. I am with her, and closer, and closer, forgotten those lost grey moments when we were apart, and the burning between me even harsher, and she asks, and I refuse. She asks again and I refuse, simply to play with her, and then asked again I give in, and crumble, entering and we are joined, one, moving against each other, slowly. Slowly. And again I’m in her eyes, no thought, no thinking, no words, no phrases, no sounds, just us, and what we have become. I rub my hand around her soft breast, push my hand against her hard thigh, and move, just us, and we build, create, construct higher and higher, until the tallest building, and then there perched on the highest vantage, the waves come rolling in around me, pulling brick from brick until nothing remains, except crashing hot running sound, and the passing destruction, and in those seconds, it is all gone, all gone, nothing remains but desolation, sweet oblivion, complete abandon, no more touch, no more sight, no more sound, no more taste, nothing left to hear. I no longer exist, and then she comes rushing in again around me, heavy breaths in my ear, and we lie exhausted, softly touching, until bringing each other back to the real world, the world of drinks, and cheese on crackers, small children crying outside the window, I listen to the passing traffic, and listen to her small breaths, and wait for the greyness and burning to return.
is head is still displayed proudly above my mantelpiece. His deep brown eyes are as bright and full of life as the day we played our little of cat and mouse all those years ago. They are dead, but yet somehow still alive and while they place me under constant surveillance, I suppose it would be rude to blame the taxidermist for being good at his job. I’ll never forget that day: the day that I first went hunting with my father, the day that I split my first blood. He lay still in the forest’s clearing as he panted heavily and drank from a running stream. Through the scope I could see his body rising
and falling in time with his breathing. My father had always told me that overnight rainfall was a blessing and I couldn’t help but agree. It had made the long, arduous task of tracking the beast so much easier, however the entire days work stil cane down to this one moment. “Do it” my father whispered as I aligned the sight, aiming with my left eye as I did so. My heart was racing, ready to explode, ready to escape from the confines of my chest. Sweat drenched my face, stinging my eyes and covering the handle of my rifle. You’re a big boy, I reminded myself. You can do this. I took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. As the sound rang throughout the
forest, in sweet, sweet harmony with the squawking of birds, I sighed. It was done. As we approached the body, I noticed the ever-growing pool of blood that poured out of the dying creature. Its rich, almost wine-like colour, stained the beauty around it, a perversion. I knelt down and touched the gaping wound on his side, the man’s eyes dilated and he winced as I felt the blood’s gooey, ooze like texture. My fathers smiled, another day’s work was done. Dipping his hand in the bloody, he marked my forehead with the sign of the wolf, the most ancient of our tribal traditions. I had been blooded. I had become Death’s journeyman. In my father’s eyes, I had become a man. It was to be the first of many hunts.
Flying the nest Amy Kelliher
I watch the tiny bird, One moment safe and sound, I watch mother make her move And send him towards the ground And then I watch him falling Barely three months old He tumbles, spins and somersaults Until his wings unfold I look back to see him soaring Unaccustomed to first flight In what I must assume Is the bird form of delight I cast my eyes back up to mum That bravely took the chance She must have known the time had come To push him from the branch Happy and sad she looks To have put him to the test For this moment dreamed and dreaded Her baby boy has flown the nest
September 25, 2012
ExpressIt
Colour | 15
The people are real. The problems are real. The advice is questionable…
Dear ExpressIt, I have a huge problem on my hands. My ex won’t leave me alone, she keeps telling me how much she misses me and magically ends up where ever I am on a night out. She’s ruining my first Fresher’s Week. Please help me get rid of her for good. - ExStalked
Dear ExpressIt, To put it simply I have been madly in love with one of my closest friends for about a year now. I love everything about her and the time we spend together. I just don’t know what to do; I am terrified about losing her. What should I do? Friendzoned
He says: Wow that is some serious problem you have there buddy. Sounds like your ex has a full blown case of the crazies. It’s time to pull out the big guns. We are going to fight crazy with crazy. Okay so the goal is to be as pathetic and annoying as possible. You have to text her constantly. Ask her what she’s doing, where she is, what she’s thinking about, ask her what god damn socks she’s wearing, I don’t care just keep this message based barrage going. If she takes more than 2 minutes to reply text her to remind her (that’s guaranteed to drive those fingernails down the blackboard). You should also write poetry- LOADS of it!!! The next being even more pathetic than the last. Get matching t-shirts printed declaring how head over heals ye are for each other and insist she wears it. Whatever agonizingly sappy actions you can think of: do them. By the end of it all you will have destroyed the image of the strong reliant stallion of a man you are in her eyes and replaced it with this absolute disgrace of a human being. She will be so sick of you that she will end it in no time at all and you will be stalker free. Enjoy being the most annoying boyfriend on the face of the planet.
He says: Man you got friendzoned so hard! It’s got to suck to be you right now but don’t worry I’ve got your back. Basically if you really want to change things from where your love life consists of you being locked in your room with a box of man-sized and a tub of Vaseline with your Brazzers HD account and hating yourself for the situation you are in, then you have to man up and go balls to the wall my friend. You have to tell her straight up how you feel about her. It may not seem like it but it’s a win win situation. She will either declare her love for you and ye will be disgustingly happy with each other or she will crush you and tell you she doesn’t feel the same way. If it is the latter then don’t worry, this is simply a lesson learned. You can move on and start having fun again instead of worrying about what she is doing and if she is getting with someone else. These experiences will insure that next time you fall for someone you won’t let yourself be friendzoned ever again. Go for it my man, you can’t lose.
She says: Dear Guys everywhere, when will ye begin to understand that, unlike ye, women have feelings. We have emotions. We don’t just ignore things and move on. Your ex, who is not crazy by the way, obviously is not over your breakup. It’s the start of college, my guess is that she’s still getting used to the whole college experience and the fact that ye have broken up has left her with just one more new thing to try and comprehend. Give her a break and don’t throw out the “crazy ex” label so soon. I’m not going to tell her to get back together with you because honestly you sound like an immature little pr**k. I would bet money that the break up was messy and completely out of the blue. The fact that she is still contacting you as often as you say clearly points to unresolved issues with your relationship. You my friend have to man up and be mature about this situation. There is no quick fix to your relationship problems. You need to speak to her once and for all telling her exactly how it is, in the nicest way possible of course. Stop silly game playing. I hope she finds someone else in the near future more emotionally mature than you.
She says: On behalf of every woman, everywhere, listen to me when I say, Give up! There is nothing worse than a friend who will not let up when trying to romantically pursue you. Why do some guys find it impossible to just be friends with a female? I mean, I’m bringing out the real tough love here mate. Let her go. If anything was ever going to happen it would have by now. If there were any reciprocated feelings of love they would be blatantly obvious. Don’t try and convince yourself that deep down she probably loves you too. Don’t tell yourself that she is just too shy to make the first move. Don’t fool yourself into thinking she’s too scared to jeopardize your friendship. Trust me when I tell you that she is probably fully aware of your feelings and is completely ignoring them hoping you don’t express your love for her and therefore ruin the friendship by making things too unbearably awkward and embarrassing. Your love story will not end like Monica and Chandler. It will end with you broken hearted and her feeling like an utter bitch. Keep your feelings in a fantasy, move on and find someone else. You either remain content with your friendship or loose her completely.
16 | Advertising
With Paint party featuring 300 litres of UV to be paint sprayed on the crowd!!
September 25, 2012
September 25, 2012
Features | 09
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge: A Closer look at the scandal Robert Joseph Bolton reflects on the debate that has surrounded Closer magazine’s decision to publish Kate’s topless photos.
R
eactions to Closer’s publication of Kate Middleton’s topless photos take roughly two sides. One of them protests “it’s a disgrace” and “it’s disgusting”, shunting the French edition of the magazine. The other side, perhaps representing those who believe being a celebrity means expecting invasions like these, regard the photos in a carefree “so what” way. They either believe Kate should have expected it or they adopt liberal “big deal, it’s only breasts” attitudes. A fair amount of comments brush away the shock that British people rightly display. The “she’s a celebrity now it’s expected” viewpoint which I have come across over many forums dismiss any notion of a right to privacy. Apparently being a celebrity strips you of certain rights. This apparent fact is new to me. Not once was I ever told that certain groups of people are below the law. So must I engage in the mind numbing process of reading the statute books to verify this deduction? I’d rather blush with embarrassment if someone proved me wrong, that being a celebrity does in fact entail a penalty of being below the law. But I would like to remain adamant in the face of these assumptions, as I believe they are just plain ignorant. So allow me to be equally ignorant. I will not check this fact, but I think that being a celebrity does not in fact mean bearing a loss of the right to privacy. The publications of the Kate “topless” photos are indeed a breach of privacy. Those who believe otherwise must not realise that the public and the private realm are completely separate entities. A dangerous belief to adopt. Kate is not the sort of attention seeking celebrity like Britney Spears. She does not relish the perverse world of the pop celebrity persona. Her marriage to William was not out of attainment. She did not grow up fixated on the idea of becoming a royal. Instead her dreams and aspirations were probably like any other girl. She simply wanted to marry. These photographs carry divided opinion. “Breasts... yawn”, is one comment I came across that portrays the irony of this divide. On the one hand those on the more liberal side carry a “so
what?” attitude. They don’t see how others could be shocked at such a publication. On the other side people display feelings of disgust, probably prompted more by the fact they are pictures of Kate rather than disgust at the breach of privacy. I cannot see how anyone could not call this a big deal. Maybe they just don’t care, but something being a big deal is a different matter. Those who question the significance and the “big deal” don’t see that the fact they were published in a French Magazine, topless photos are still a big deal, so much so the attention they gain carries a potential for extra sales. But for France this is strange, in a liberal country where nudity on some beaches is optional, how could any liberal French person want to even see these photos? Why the photos would be in the public interest is beyond me. The French should be used to breasts. Closer magazine in France has insulted not only the royal family but also the conservative public. Kate has the freedom to go topless on a private resort, a freedom that echo’s France’s liberal attitudes towards nudity. But I believe she also has the freedom from invasion of privacy. In the publication of these photographs, the magazine has not only illegally invaded the private realm, but has attempted to strip away the dignity of Kate. Any claim that Kate is “now a celebrity” and “they’re just breasts” are excuses to shield the media from responsibility. They also reflect a more worrying worldview, that we should accept invasion of privacy, that we should expect the public entering the private realm. The general public are indeed more liberal towards the exposure of the breasts (let’s get real here, it is all about the breasts), whether on film, photos or nude beaches. So it is not the attention grabbing of the breasts themselves, but solely because it is the breasts of Kate the duchess of Cambridge. I believe the public and the private realm are two very distinct entities. Kate knew her marriage to William would mean her entering the chaotic world of the public realm, with an agreement to fulfil royal duties. She would be deluded in thinking she has an absolute right not to be photographed in
public. But she would be right to expect a freedom from the press when in private realm mode. This scandal is not a royal scandal. It is a scandal of the media, an institution currently being investigated by the Leveson inquiry in England. It is not Kate’s fault. She may be a celebrity, but in no way does being a celebrity mean a devoid of privacy. A person can enter the public realm, but the public cannot enter the private realm. In context, I doubt the photos will have any real effect on the Duchess simply because they shouldn’t. Kate’s fresh persona in the public life is one of beauty and elegance. She carries a modest but strong feminine expression. Her fulfilment of royal duty is buttressed by her natural, content poise. We have seen from the Olympics and Wimbledon her capacity for laughter, fun and appreciation of sport. Kate is dynamic. Strong willed and stubborn, open and happy, she is what I believe a role model should be. These photographs are an at-
tempt to undermine all this. It is a desperate money racketeering attempt by Closer to demean her. The photos poke fun at the highness of royalty, juxtaposing its traditional conservative nature with the modern liberal world that has grown around it. Royals are not meant to be exposed in this way. This juxtaposition highlights that no matter how high a place we have in society, we are all vulnerable. In essence they are an attempt to bring Kate, a duchess down to our level. Kate however, does not glory in the traditional snobbery and poshness of royalty. She is neither a snob nor an attention seeker. The photographer and Closer magazine are. By publishing the photos, Closer has showed that there is a vulnerably body behind all that clean royal clothing and elegance. But it has showed that behind the doors of the editorial office, there is also greed. And that greed stinks. In terms of showing that Kate is just as vulnerable as we are, because we are human, no matter
how much royalty she commands, Closer magazine have won. But in attempting to demean Kate, it has failed. Kate is not on the same moral level as Closer’s editors or the photographer. She is much higher, for she is a role model in classy and proud womanhood. She has a dress sense girls can aspire to, where being attractive but not cheap can merge. Her smile at royal events is genuine, not faked. In this light Kate displays a freedom. She is not trapped by the duty of royalty. In fact she seems empowered by it, enjoying what is brings. What more could a woman want when she can do these things with the love of her life by her side. Despite a possible lawsuit, Kate continues to tour the world her husband, smiling not for the cameras to hide any anger of resentment, but for the real enjoyment of meeting new people and exploring new countries. She’s far too empowered to feel demeaned. Indeed she shouldn’t.
An advertisement from the Education Officer of the UCC Students’ Union:
UCC Students’ Union will be holding elections for the positions of class reps in as many of UCCs classes as possible. We will be making every effort to elect a rep in every class however if we fail to reach your class by October 12th please email education@uccsu.ie and we will do our best to make it to your class to elect a rep. Class Reps are a vital part of our students union and everyone is strongly encouraged to engage and get involved with the SU. Reps will be elected for the position of Academic rep and Entertainments rep.
Class & Year Computer Science 1 Biochem 1 Biochem 2 Pharmacy 1 Pharmacy 2 Medicine 1 Medicine 2 Dentistry 1 Nursing 1 Nursing 2 Nursing 4 Social Science 1 History 1 Irish 1 Politics 2 English 1 Geography 1 Religion 1 BIS 1
Location WGB 107 Boole 3 Boole 4 BHSC G01 WGB G05 WGB G05 BHSC G02 BHSC G01 BHSC G06 BHSC G02 BHSC G05 Boole 4 Boole 4 Kane G19 Kane G1 Boole 4 GGLT Kane G19 Kane G01
Time Monday, 1pm Thursday, 9am Wednesday, 12pm Tuesday, 2nd Oct. 3pm Friday 5th Oct. 9am Monday 1st Oct. 12pm Monday 1st Oct. 10am Tuesday 2nd Oct. 3pm Friday 5th Oct. 12pm Thursday 4th Oct. 9-11 Thursday 4th Oct. 9-11 Monday, 1pm Mon/Wed/Fri, 9am Tuesday, 2pm Thursday, 12pm Monday, 2pm Monday, 11am Monday, 2pm Monday 1st Oct, 11am
10 | Features
September 25, 2012
Talking to a thief Ryan Gallagher interviews a man who makes his living stealing from others.
W
e all know that there are thieves around us. In fact we have all stolen something in our lives probably more than once, be it chocolate out of the cupboard or a few euro here and there. Nothing that warrants jail or severe punishment, however. It’s a part of growing up and we usually learn from our crimes. And as we get older the crimes get more serious. But what about the people who steal for a living? Two days ago in town I met up with a ‘professional thief ’ in a café. I got the interview by asking around and promising not to mention any personal details that could lead to the person’s identification. I interviewed Jake*. This was my first interview with someone who knowingly breaks the law. When meeting Jake I’m surprised at how normal he looks. Just a typical person. He’s clearly in his mid 20s, has no tattoos, doesn’t smell or even look remotely shifty. I begin by questioning whether he’s afraid our meeting
will lead me to contact the guards. He casually says “everything I’m about to tell you is a lie.” Understandably, I’m curious as to why he even agreed to this interview. “In my line of work, you don’t get the opportunity to brag and we like nothing more than to boast about our winnings.” The logic makes sense. Jake is Irish, born and bred. He comes from a small family with just himself and his younger brother and two parents. His parents he says lived off the dole and other benefits for life, though they fed, clothed and put their children through primary and secondary schooling. Despite this, however, Jake and his younger brother were often hungry and resorted to stealing food from the fridge whenever necessary. On days that they needed money, he and his brother would take to the supermarkets and steal whatever would fit underneath their jackets. The trick is, Jake says, to look respectable. “So we dressed in our Sunday best and stole toys, mu-
sic, games, food. We would rotate large supermarkets to steal from to avoid suspicion. And it worked for years. Our parents weren’t any wiser or didn’t want to know.” It was clear as day that not only was Jake street smart but also educated. “How far did your education take you?” “Well I finished the leaving cert. We simply didn’t have the money for college so I got a job in the construction industry. I had moved out from home by now and that same year my dad died. He was a heavy drinker and was killed driving behind the wheel. I felt it was my responsibility to support my family and working honestly didn’t earn enough. So I started boosting cars. A fella from work would give me a list of cars he wanted and I would steal them for him. Fords were the most common ones I stole.” “But weren’t you worried about getting caught?” “All the time. The first couple of jobs, I was a bag of nerves. My hands kept shaking as I drove off and hot wiring the car I couldn’t stop sweating. But the money was always good and that’s what I needed. Bills and family needed to be paid for. I stole cars for four years, in fact I still do. I’ve
never been caught. It’s not the movies, stealing cars isn’t exciting or glamorous. Preparation is key and thinking the plan through. There are a lot of stupid people out there who think they can be a master thief. In the real world that doesn’t happen.” I’m curious to know how much the cars were worth to Jake after stealing. “On average three grand but they’d have to be new and in good condition. It’s getting more and more difficult to boost cars nowadays. Technology is a bitch for people like us.” “What about drugs?” “No. Absolutely not. I’m a car thief not a drug dealer. The gardaí are constantly watching drug dealers and that line of work is more messier. You need tough skin to be able to shift drugs. I’m strictly cars and the occasional house.” “Houses?” Sometimes when money is tight I would go into a house and take TV’s, jewellery, anything electronically. But how do you get away with it? Surely a house is a tougher rob? It is but if you ask around, Facebook is handy too. You’ll soon find out who’s on holidays or whatever. “But insurance might not cover
Popping Pills Ryan Gallagher examines Ireland’s reliance on over the counter medication.
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pen up your bag or your purse. Empty out the contents. Take away everything bar the over-the-counter and prescription pills. Count how many different types you have. 3? 4? 5? On average, women tend to have more than men, but it is a phenomenon that affects both sexes. I’m sure you can justify them all. We pop pills like there is no tomorrow. We, children of the 21st Century, have a problem. Feeling under the weather? Pop a fast acting cold’n’flu pill. Feeling a bit tired? Pop a quick energy boost pill. Want to get your vitamins? Pop a vitamin with fortified iron pill. You see where I’m going with this. Pills are the ultimate form of simplicity. Pop ‘em in your mouth and swallow. There are even smiley faces on pills these days, as if to say everything will be alrightbe happy! People who use pills on a medical basis are exempt,
having a legitimate reason for doing so. But the rest of us haven’t that excuse to fall back on. How much paracetamol, Rennies and vitamins do we have in our cupboards? I’ve counted four packets in my house with probably another packet or two tucked away somewhere. We are all guilty of it. When we go to the supermarket and are looking to purchase something for a mineral and vitamin boost, we go to the medicine aisle when there is a huge range of vitamins and minerals for us locked inside those tiny shells. Often the fruit and veg aisle isn’t even considered. It’s simply too much hassle having your five a day when you can simply pop a pill. Job done. Look at contraception. There is obviously the female birth pill (which is definitely one of the better pills out there). A male contraceptive pill is already in the works and by 2020 it’ll definitely be in chemists.
Weight loss pills are on the markets in their droves. The media leads us to believe that everyone is battling with their weight. So why exercise when we can pop a pill? Psychologists and doctors are warning us that that our bad habits with pills are becoming a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. We are using pills to an extent that we are not just over using but becoming more dependent on them. I’m not talking about drug users here (although there has been a significant increase in drug addicts who take to pills and tablets. Cheaper, less contamina-
tion, harder to tell if you’re a user and easier to distribute). I am talking about everyday regular Joes. Any sort of pain or irritation we encounter and we are straight off to the chemist looking for a quick fix. And if there isn’t one we demand one be made Despite our economic woes the majority of pharmaceutical companies continue to thrive because of our bad habits. Companies are constantly looking for new ways to pack as many vitamins and heavens know what else into those tiny pills. It’s become a race to create the new super pill. Ads on television are swamped
them this time?” Jake shrugs his shoulders, the repercussions of a break-in obviously not a concern of his. I push it. “Breaking into someone’s home can cause serious damage both financially and psychologically, a person might not feel safe in their own home after a break in.” “If they can afford a holiday then they have money. Besides I don’t do it often.” Such a lifestyle is hardly sustainable, however. Upon asking, Jake is unclear on the longevity of this walk of life. “I dunno, another two years anyways. It’s the thrill of it more than anything nowadays. This rush you get when driving off with a stolen car and getting a few bob for it too.” “Aren’t you afraid of jail? And what about your family now?” “Not as much as when I first started no. It’s a necessary risk. My brother and mother still live together but they have food and are doing ok. That’s the main thing.” *Names have been changed to protect the identity of the persons in question.
by companies marketing their drugs in the USA. While we Irish aren’t as bad as our American counterparts, our daily use of pills is staggeringly high. Recent reports indicate that vitamin pills aren’t as good as they claim: fruit and vegetables are much better for you. But being college students getting our five a day isn’t always possible. There have also been several suggestions that some pills are responsible for an imbalance in our digestive systems, causing stomach upsets, acne and a long myriad of other complaints. But thankfully there are other pills that can counter these nasty side-effects! Ireland has recently received a huge monetary injection into the pharmaceutical business. In Cork alone, Stryker have opened a new neurovascular division. So pills and pharmaceuticals are here to stay. It is just a matter of time and patience to see what the real side effects of becoming such a pill-reliant nation are.
September 25, 2012
Features | 11
A Box of Chocolates Una Farrell
Deputy Features Editor
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oving into college accommodation, whether it be a house or apartment, there is always the huge gamble in relation to housemates. Even if you know the person/people, living with them is still a risk. You may think you know them well enough but they say you never really know someone until you live with them. I know people who may be best friends but will refuse to live with each other. Living with strangers then poses an even bigger risk. We’ve all had our encounters with awkward housemates who we just don’t get along with. Whether they are smelly, messy, loud or just plain annoying there’s usually not much that can be done about them, seeing as deposits and rent have been paid. These faults may not come into view for another few weeks while people settle into their new abodes and become more comfortable, or they might be present from the onset. For those among you who think “Hey, I’ve never had a bad housemate! Lucky me!” Stop and think for a second: maybe it’s you? Maybe you’re the one room mate who the others can’t stand to
be around for more than 10 regardless of other people in minutes because the smell the house. is so bad. Maybe the reason - Robbing food that isn’t yours and not replacing it. - Not washing dishes for days on end. - Climbing the stairs like a herd of elephants. - Leaving cups of tea around the house which eventually go mouldy. - Constantly having overnight guests staying for very loud activities. - Stealing your clothes. - Refusing to clean any part of the house.
- Waking everyone up early. empathise. If you don’t have - Leaving the heating on to an annoying housemate, ensure the house is a sauna. it’s you. But panic not, for not all housemates are bad. If you do find yourself I’ve made friends for life with a housemate who dis- from living with strangers. plays any or all of the qual- It’s just pot luck who you’re ities above, I feel your pain. stuck with sometimes. Take There’s not much to do but the good with the bad. New bear what you can while sub- housemates are like a box of tly trying to hint at certain chocolates, you never know habits which disgust you. who you’re going to get. When you have to pluck ginger hair from your shower drain or leave the room because of the smell of someone’s feet, know that I can
you always end up hanging out in other’s rooms is because no one comes into yours because of the mess? Now that I have you worried, here are some of the top offenders in a bad housemate. Tick even one and you can count yourself as an annoying housemate. Unfortunately I am pulling from personal experience in some of these cases, and many of you will probably be able to recall a past or present housemate who may well embody many of these traits. - Leaving hair (all kinds) in the shower drain. - Leaving tea bags in the sink. - Playing bad music really loudly at all times. - Using someone else’s razor in the shower. - Picking at your feet in common areas of the house. - Leaving gone off food in the fridge. - Insisting on eating the smelliest of foods. - Refusing to shower more than once a week. - Leaving dirty clothes in the washing machine. - Slamming the front door, or any door for that matter. - Hogging the remote to watch Ear to the Ground or something equally boring. - Constantly having sessions
Need help with managing your money? Contact Evan Healy, Budgetary Advisor: www.ucc.ie/en/studentbudget studentbudgetingadvice@ucc.ie First floor, 1-2 Brighton Villas (located in Castlewhite apartment complex, Gaol Cross), UCC.
September 25, 2012
12 | Features
A Weekend in the City
end are friendly, yet frank. They are more concerned with hurrying through their own business than assisting us with ours, requests for directions to restaurants, hostels and even the Old Town are met with little more than brief instruction. Suggestions of losing ourselves in the translation are refuted with almost the entire population of the country possessing fluent English, as well as their own domestic language. Caught for time, Ljubljana is a brief pitstop on our stut-
Having made the difficult trek to the top of the hills surrounding the castle, and accepting that paying the €4 entrance fee is easier than waiting for the woman manning the desk to look away, the views are a sight to behold. Stretching from the confused mess of dusty red rooftops in the narrow medieval streets to the wide open motorways and administrative buildings on the outskirts of a developing city, the sights that await are worth getting completely and entirely lost in. Beyond this, the region is enclosed by a series of mountains, a stark and beautiful frame to a city of surprises. On the face of it, Ljubljana offers little to attract weary
tering run from Amsterdam to Nice, via some of SouthEast Europe’s most notable cities in Bratislava, the Croatian coast and a ten minute bus journey into Bosnia and back, we spend most of our time exploring the Old Town and the stretch of administrative buildings that occupy the stretch of town that stands between our hostel and the castle. While certainly an interesting town, Ljubljana offers little in the way of standout memories. It does not possess the charm of Bratislava or Prague, nor the bustling and impressive architecture of Berlin or Vienna. Its quaint medieval region is pretty and a joy to navigate, though its finest moments are when viewed from above.
travellers who have already taken in a number of Europe’s iconic cities. Bled, about an hour and a half north of the Slovenian capital, has proven a far greater hit with tourists due to its fairytale like beauty, water sports and busy tourist culture. Much like this, Ljubljana’s hilltop castle looks little more than a tiresome distraction at the top of a steep hill. The walk itself offers some unique insights to the city’s peculiar architecture, while the grounds of the castle itself provide little in the way of new memories. With a little digging thereafter, or in this case a little more climbing, the true nature and riches of an oft-overlooked gem are revealed in an unforgettable fashion.
Editor-in-Chief Kevin O’Neill remembers his brief sojourn to one of Eastern Europe’s hidden gems.
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phenomenon that never fails to amaze me is that of the ability of one building or landmark to encapsulate the image of an entire city. Paris’ sleek style is symbolize in the Eiffel Tower, the expansive and impressive city of Berlin represented in the towering and intimidating Brandenburg Gate, while the Red Light District of Amsterdam sums up the city’s quirky, eccentric and undeniably pragmatic undertone, as well as serving as a welcome nod to its less than wholesome underbelly. In a similar fashion, Ljubljana’s iconic hilltop castle serves as a vivid and enduring representation of both the city and, indeed, the country as a whole. A juxtaposition of old and new, the castle and its grounds are home to a clash of cultures from all angles of the continent. Its vibrant and busy centre is offset by a rich, lush forest that clambers the vast, steep hills that allow its lofty position overlooking the medieval old town of the Slovenian capital city. Much of the city is occupied by students, the homely, informal feel reminiscent somewhat of Cork as the university and its grounds overlap with much of the city centre. Arriving in early August, a large portion of the city’s residents have departed for countryside and the stunning lakes that occupy the northern parts of the country, and we are met with a sticky, dense heat, and open, empty streets. The few locals that do cross our paths, those not lucky enough to have taken off to Lake Bled for the week-
Collegedinners One Deal, Four Meals - €10
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o here we are, back again for academic year 2012/13 – the first for some, the last for others and every possible scenario in between. Hope everyone had a great summer, whether you were sunning it up Stateside or enjoying our own Indian Summer Leeside… All 14 days of it. Well, we at Collegedinners are delighted to be back again for more! And we’ve just launched our revamped website www.collegedinners.ie – check it out and have a look at some of the new features! If you are familiar with (and better still use) our service already then you’ll know what we’re all about….for those of you who don’t, our mission is to help you create some mouth-watering meals with minimum effort…. We bring you the main ingredients and feature student friendly recipes, guaranteed to be yum! Last year, we served up just over 15,000 meals to our happy (well fed) campers and were delighted to contribute €783.31 to the student hardship fund here in the college….this year, we hope to do even better!! Getting started then, if you’re new to the idea of cooking (or even if you’re a bit of an expert) may we suggest you buy (or borrow –thanks Mam) some basic store cupboard items which will make your cooking endeavours easier in the long run…things like pasta, rice, cooking oil, mixed herbs and curry powder… This works out cheaper and so much easier in the long run and let’s be honest, when the budget is tight, saving money is always top of the priority…have a look at our suggested items and always be prepared…you never know when you might have a special guest… It’s also a great idea to take turns cooking with your flatmates (hopefully everyone is still talking ….you know you’re in trouble if there’s a chalk line down the middle of the house) - but seriously it’s a great way to get to know people (nothing like bonding over a bubbling pot…) and saves you cooking everynight if each person does a bit –“Mick you’re on the Spag Bol this week….Liz –? (Does Liz know where the oven is?) – Claire, you can do your curry special...” So remember, cooking is all about finding out what you like and trying it out (a bit like dating), have a look at our suggested menus each week (www.collegedinners.ie) and make them your own by adding a personal touch… - if it doesn’t work, next time add something different just don’t be afraid to give it a go!! Over the coming months we will be looking for willing volunteers to try out some new recipes - we’ll provide the ingredients –you tell us how you got on. We will also be running a “Win dinner for Month for Free” which will be featuring with every issue. So happy cooking and welcome back! Collegedinners www.collegedinners.ie
Advertising | 13
September 25, 2012
All New Show
Halloween Scare House A new nightmare has descended on Cork‌ from Friday 5th October, Albert Quay, Cork Open Tuesday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm Extended hours at the weekend Tickets online or at the door Warning: this event is strictly over 13s
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14 | Sports
September 25, 2012
Chicks with sticks finally grabbing the limelight Stephen Barry Sports Editor
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hree-quarters of the way through the All-Ireland camogie final, the incumbent champions Wexford had just goaled to catapult themselves out of sight of a tiring Cork side. The game seemed to be getting away from the Rebelettes as Aoife Murray returned the ball to play, her puck out bouncing high towards an onrushing Wexford defender. Then Katrina Mackey flicked the ball from its course and into her own path. Gathering the ball in her left hand, it was immediately placed in cold storage on her bobbing camóg as she pumped her legs up and down akin to a 100 metre sprinter to leave her marker in her slipstream. She swerved to the left to give her time and space to shoot. Mackey shot early and from distance, on her weaker side, across the renowned Wexford keeper, Mags D’Arcy. The sliotar flew high and right of D’Arcy’s camóg and bulged the far corner of the net. In one inspired moment of camogie, Cork were back in contention. Probably a more iconic moment followed in the next play as Una Lacey revived the dying art of the ground stroke to end the Cork women’s challenge but it was nonetheless fitting that a UCC student would provide one of the iconic moments of what will go down as the best All-Ireland camogie final for skill, technique and fitness. From soon after the foundation of An Cumann Camógaíochta, camogie was sustained within the walls of the island’s third-level instutions, starting with UCC in 1913. There it found more support to help withstand the tides of opposition from the Catholic church. 17 years after the first Ashbourne Cup, the initial All-Ireland took place. In 1942 the Mardyke hosted an All-Ireland final, however it was a UCC lecturer of Irish and Cork County chairperson, Íde Bean Uí Shé who almost brought the association to collapse in 1944. She withdrew Cork from the championship in a feministic protest
at the presence of the opposite sex in the Munster Council and would switch to speaking Irish if her decisions were challenged by board members. An unofficial All-Ireland held in the Mardyke against Dublin (protesting at the association’s ban of hockey amongst its members), got significantly more attention than the legitimate decider. The Ashbourne continued with 4 colleges for almost 4 decades, but it was the unveiling of free education in the 60s which helped spread the game further. However in spite of consistent progress camogie has never truly caught the public’s imagination. Perhaps this point is best illustrated by a few quick YouTube searches. Of the previous All-Irelands only the 2009 and 2011 editions have highlights online. The game’s greatest practitioner Angela Downey, who played as recently as the nineties, has no online record of her genius. Even a legend of the last decade Mary O’Connor, who was bestowed with an honorary doctorate of Arts from UCC this month, is invisible on YouTube. YouTube is of course the definitive user-generated content video site, proving the existence of a certain indifference to the game, which is backed up by the relatively few views that the videos that are online have received. The two camogie All-Irelands that I’ve attended suffered from the comparison of being held after an All-Ireland U21 hurling final. Hurling is the fastest game on grass, so camogie as the fastest female sport on grass shouldn’t lag as far behind as it has. Before 1996, only once did a camogie All-Ireland attract a 5-figure crowd. It took until 1985 for a team to score a double-figure of points in a final. To be fair, camogie rectified a lot of the perceptions of its inferiority with the move to 15-a-side on a full-sized field in 1999. The game has come on in leaps and bounds at the top level; but why not take it a step further? Why not 70 minutes at the Senior level? Why continue to allow handpassed scores? Why allow puck outs from the 13 metre line after a score? Why not 65s instead of 45s – after all I have seen women score from
that distance. Mackey and Lacey have now provided the YouTube moments and their general play has shown that camogie can be in the same ballpark as hurling in terms of entertainment and skill. The ‘chicks with sticks’ ad-
vertising campaign of the past decade proved highly successful in promoting the game and it’s players, but it sounded like something out of Sepp Blatter’s filing cabinet of suggested ways of promoting women’s soccer. And as the long-range accura-
cy, sharp first touch and general skills of the women of Wexford and Cork have shown us, they’re not just chicks with sticks, they can play a bit too.
Fixtures, Results, Standings Basketball
Men’s SuperLeague Fixtures: Fri 28th Sep: Moycullen – UCC Demons @ 3.45pm in NUIG Kingfisher Sun 7th Sep: UCC Demons – Dublin Inter @ 3.30pm in The Mardyke
Hockey
Munster Men’s Division 1 Fixture: Sat 29th Sep: UCC – Harlequins @ TBC in The Mardyke Munster Ladies Division 1 Result: UCC 3 – 0 Ashton (Sarah Sullivan 2, Rachel O’Hanlon) Fixtures: Sat 29th Sep: Fermoy – UCC @ TBC in Loreto School Sat 6th Oct: Limerick – UCC @ TBC in Villiers School
Catholic Institute Harlequins UCC Limerick Church of Ireland UL Ashton Fermoy Bandon Rugby
P
W
L
0-0
F
A
Pts
0 0 0 0 0
Score D 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 0
1 1 1 1 0
0 0 0 0 0
11 8 3 3 0
0 0 0 1 0
3 3 3 3 0
1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0
3 3 8 11
0 0 0 0
Munster Senior Cup first round Result: Young Munster 37 – 3 UCC (Seán Óg Murphy pen) All-Ireland League Division 2A Fixtures: Sat 29th Sep: City of Derry – UCC @ 2.30pm in Judge’s Road Fri 5th Oct: UCC – Midleton @ 7.30pm in The Mardyke
Soccer
FAI Intermediate Cup first round Fixture: Sat 29th Sept: UCC – Wilton United @3pm in The Farm Munster Senior League Premier Division Fixture: Sat 6th Oct: College Corinthians – UCC @ TBC in Corinthians Park
College Corinthians Midleton Rockmount Douglas Hall Avondale United Mayfield United St. Marys UCC Everton Fermoy
P 2
W 2
D 0
L 0
F 9
A 3
GD 6
Pts 6
2 2 2 2 2 2 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
4 4 3 4 2 4 0 1 1
1 2 5 4 5 7 0 2 3
3 2 -2 0 -3 -3 0 -1 -2
4 4 3 2 1 1 0 0 0
September 25, 2012
Trap Out? Brian Barry
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esults are what managers are defined and remembered by. The cream always rises as the cliche goes. Take Chelsea for example; Mourinho produced banal, mundane performances on a weekly basis, and for this reason was sacked by Roman Abromovich. Ever since, the Russian billionaire has failed to find a replacement to combine his dream style of football with the concrete consistency of results obtained under ‘The Special One.’ Now take Trapattoni. Yes, he did what Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton failed to do and brought us to a major championships, having pre-
Sports | 15 viously been hindered by an unprecedented amount of bad luck in his bid to qualify for South Africa. But with a slide in fortunes since qualification was achieved last November, there are calls for his head. Giovani Trapattoni is a man on a mission; having essentially failed as international manager of his native Italy, he set about restoring his reputation with the boys in green, before ultimately being embarrassed on the big stage. He has taken the reigns for one more campaign to prove his doubters wrong, a contract which there are suspicions that he had not expected to be willing to sign. Perhaps this school of thought provides some answers when we attempt to interpret some of the more ir-
rational decisions made since he took over. First of all, he believed that he was there until Euro 2012 and no longer. He could make a huge ‘told-you-so’ statement to his doubters at home in Italy before his retirement. This did not go strictly to plan of course, and he is back for some unfinished business. In any sport, it is not the manager who has laid the foundations for a great team who is remembered, but the manager who guides them to greatness. The Italian does not care for the fortunes of the Republic of Ireland after he is gone and has not been blooding young talent as a result. This has led to the likes of Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy and Marc Wilson being left out in the cold. He is all about the present, one last hurrah, and
it was no surprise that Ireland brought the oldest squad to Poland and Ukraine. In our recent qualifier against Kazakhstan our failure to break down the poor opposition for the majority of the game raised many eyebrows. It can be argued that it is only the result that matters and we have been clinical against such opposition under Trap’s reign, but had Kevin Doyle not managed to smash home that late winner; would he still be in the job? The friendly win against Oman did offer some hope for the future, with young talents like Robbie Brady given a chance to shine, but can we really expect the 71 year-old to throw them in the deep end by handing them a start against Germany next month? He appears to have a natural distrust in young
players to deliver on the big stage, as we have seen time and time again, the most recent example being the retirement of Damien Duff. Tardelli announced that they would do their utmost to bring the Fulham captain out of retirement, clearly not trusting his natural successor, James McClean, and instead attempting to drag out of position his tried and trusted to paper up the crack. Winning this qualification group is more optimistic than any of our wildest dreams, but with a real push, second is achievable. Trapattoni must embrace the younger players, with the inclusion of James McCarthy and James McClean essential. If he goes down this road, Trap is still the man for the job to squeeze us past Sweden and Austria into second place in Group C.
Irwin was brought over to England in his teens and didn’t stop playing until he had extracted every last honour from his ability. His total major silverware with Manchester United was 13 and then he gave his final two good years to getting Wolves promoted and maintaining their top-flight status. It was a similar story for Mary O’Connor, a ladies Gaelic dual star, who totalled 12 All-Irelands in her time. O’Connor initially retired in 2007 but was soon back despite a severe knee injury to achieve back to back doubles in 2008 and 2009. Her career was a promotion for la-
dies games, something she continues in her work as Acting Ard Struthoir of An Cumann Camógaíochta. Having honoured some of the South’s greatest sportspeople, it was only fitting that the UCC Sport 100 celebrations also focused on creating the next generation of elite athletes. Over the summer a new pair of elite scholarships sponsored by Roy Keane and Michael Dowling were announced. The celebrations will conclude with the re-opening and dedication of the Mardyke running track.
UCC toasts greatest sports stars Stephen Barry
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n a bright and sunny Friday, the same day as the first batch of next year’s Freshers were setting foot on campus, five of Ireland’s top sportspeople were honoured as a part of the college’s continuing UCC Sport 100 celebrations. They may all have been initiated in different codes but what linked them was far more significant - a history of consistent success which will be remembered long after their retirement. Indeed both Denis Irwin and Mary O’Connor have called it a day from their professional soccer and inter-county GAA careers, but not before they had reaped the maximum amount of silverware that their abundant talents merited. Meanwhile for Brian Cody, Aidan O’Brien and Ronan O’Gara the hunt for further trophies and records endures. Hours after receiving his honorary doctorate of Arts, Cody had announced the
Kilkenny starting XV which would march onto the Croke Park field for a tilt at the county’s ninth All-Ireland under his reign. Throughout Cody’s reign, he has shown an insatiable demand for more trophies, undoubtedly characterised by his apoplectic reaction to the final free which put Liam McCarthy in cold storage for a few more weeks. While his fellow luminary peers, Messrs. O’Grady and Sheehy, have quit the minute their objective was achieved, Cody has always taken the lows with a steely determination to return to the top table. Aidan O’Brien is a man who has seen a fair amount of stars pass through his hands at his Ballydoyle base. However that’s not only the horses as O’Brien has seen an incredible number of top jockeys come and go in his time. As each exited little fuss was made as the one cog in the operation was replaced time after time. O’Brien certainly seems to share many of the managerial values and virtues of Cody, who has let plenty of talented hurlers slip away
when they became dissatisfied with what the boss considered the greater good. And in the end both manager and trainer just keep on winning, albeit with the rare exception of the triple-crown chasing Camelot in recent weeks. Ronan O’Gara also strikes you as the sort of character who would make an excellent coach; his recent bewildering failure to exploit a potentially game-winning situation against Ulster, an aberration from his usual ability to scent blood in the championship minutes. A decisive leader and organiser on the field in the game’s most demanding position, O’Gara’s broken records sprout from his ability to lead by being a talisman on the scoreboard. Whatever about O’Gara, a UCC graduate, Denis Irwin would hardly have contemplated parading along the Quad, to receive an honorary doctorate.
16 | Sports
September 25, 2012
Green shoots for UCC rowing in Kazan Stephen Barry
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ast Thursday, the first of the new recruits to UCC’s rowing development programme were presented with the challenge that will face them for the coming year. They spent the day with sports performance support experts in strength and conditioning or “lifting metal up and down” as the college’s Rowing Development Officer, Ed Green says. Each athlete underwent a functional screening to assess their body’s strengths and weaknesses and Green will soon present them with individualised and periodised programmes which will be geared towards July’s National Championships. In effect the guidelines for the next ten months of their lives will be finalised in the coming weeks. That is the first of two tiers of rowers which will be welcomed to the club for the new term. The second tier will be dominated by complete novices and even though the objective for that group is learning and enjoying the sport, Green still demands a certain level of devotion: “The main thing is that you’re willing to push yourself as hard as you can and people’s perceptions of how hard they can push themselves vary a lot. That’s the really big challenge for the first year of rowing because ultimately if you’re not willing to mentally and physically bury yourself, then you’re just going to get beat by the other people who are, so you have to be willing to do that in training.” So one of the main challenges now is “to find peo-
ple who would have no idea, because the sport is tiny, obscure and a sport which is done by toffee-nosed English people on the river Themes, and it still is,” says the man who himself grew up rowing on the Themes, “but it is accessible here to anyone who wants to give it a try.” Green makes no bones about his ambitions and was
High Performance centre and coaches.” And financially his recent graduation “will have a significant impact. UCC were very helpful in covering the expenses for International competition.” Even then, Kenny had to rely on Green to secure funding for the trip to Kazan: “If he hadn’t done so, it may not have been possible for me to go.”
unsurprised to be asked to be Irish team manager at the recent Would University Rowing Championships: “It’s a next step, a natural step, in the work I’ve been doing outside of my job for UCC.” Ireland returned from Kazan with a silver medal, for Claire Lambe, and a further pair of A finalists, including UCC’s Niall Kenny in the single schull. Kenny, who took up a postgrad course here last year admits that furthering his rowing career was a primary consideration in that decision: “Part of the motivation to begin an MA in Film Studies, in addition to furthering my education, was to remain in Cork to be close to the
Kenny, a World U23 silver medallist, had hoped to leave Russia with a medal however he hadn’t anticipated the quality of the field; the eventual winner being the silver medallist from this year’s World Seniors. Still, in the semi-final, his best race of the regatta, Kenny took the scalp of beating the eventual silver medallist into third. The final took place with a challenging “bouncy tail wind” which made it “difficult to empty the tank for that race because any compromise in technique could have meant getting your blades caught in a wave. For most of the races the aim was to try and row long because I have a tendency to get a bit
achieved by rowers still wearing a UCC singlet – an obvious target being to rectify the fact that a full UCC crew has never won a senior championship for the college. However with all of the college’s international athletes after graduating, the probability of achieving such goals is up in the air, “We’ll just have to see what we’ve got now and where we get to… If someone comes through, I mean there are people who are physically capable of doing it, it just depends how they progress during the year.” However, for graduates too, the future is uncertain. Kenny may look at the Henley Royal Regatta as a main target for the year ahead, and take a well-earned break from International competition, having had a stab at Olympic qualification. Nevertheless he will also need to find a job in the absence of a college scholarship. Rowing is a late development sport, so Green will be eyeing Wood, where Kenny trains. with interest the talent that Since 1973 the question of comes through the door with moving to these better facil- the novices in the coming ities on the Iniscarra reser- weeks. Indeed he’s working voir has been debated by the with other colleges to organstudent-run club but with the ise more Inter-varsity begininstallation of Green as direc- ners’ races for them. There’s been a heightened tor, the decision was taken to move out of the city’s marina. interest this year and next A five-year development year he will “continue looking plan to transform UCC into around, but the priority at the a centre of excellence was in moment is to make the proplace before Green’s arriv- gramme good enough.” That al, something which he de- means securing support serscribes as “an evolving thing” vices such as physio, injury but “essentially the underly- prevention and rehabilitation ing principle is that UCC is services for potential rowers working on becoming a place after all it is a competition to that produces crews that win have the programme which at the senior level and ath- will capture the best rowers. And Green knows that if letes that row for their country.” However, he wants to you build it, they will come. see more of these feats being short and ‘stabby’ at the front of the stroke.” However Kenny lost some of the rhythm of his long stroke in the third 500 metres, “possibly saving a bit too much for the last 500,” and lost significant time, finishing fifth. UCC has the substantial advantage of being only 20km from the National Rowing Centre at Farran