University Volume 22 | Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018
Express UCCExpress.ie
by Solidarity TD, Ruth Coppinger, in the Dáil on the 12th of November. In front of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, Coppinger slammed the comments made by Elizabeth O’Connell as she simultaneously held up a pair of thongs in the chamber. In response to this, Varadkar said “it doesn't matter what you wear. It doesn't matter where you went, who you went with or what you took, whether it was drugs or alcohol.” The proceedings, which took place in the Cork courthouse, was just one in a long list of incidents where the alleged victim’s clothing has been used against them. However, in light of this most recent case, a socialist feminist movement known as ROSA, decided to organise a rally in Cork City to show that Ireland should no longer continue to facilitate ‘victim blaming’ in Irish courts. Approximately 400 people joined in the protest, which began outside Brown Thomas on St Patrick’s Street. While those attending O’Connell SC, which drew outrage and being with someone? You have were predominantly female, there from the public. In her closing to look at the way she was dressed. were also a good number of male remarks to the court and to the jury, She was wearing a thong with a lace participants. O’Connell suggested that the clothing front.” UCC’s feminist society were worn by the alleged victim should be The remarks made caused a influential in the event and their taken into account when coming to a backlash from not only the feminist finance officer, Ellen Byrne was the deliberation. The counsel said, “does community but from large sections first to speak to the crowd. Byrne the evidence out-rule the possibility of the public in general. In particular said in her speech, “the toxic and that she was attracted to the defendant the scandal reached across all media dangerous culture of victim blaming and was open to meeting someone platforms following the actions taken Continued on page 5
Cork Marches for Judicial Reform
Following Rape Trial Comments Ciaran Dineen, News Editor
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undreds of people joined a protest in Cork City on Wednesday 14th November to demonstrate their anger in response to a recent rape trial in which a 27 year-old man was found not guilty of raping a 17 year-old girl. It was comments, however, made by counsel for the defendant, Elizabeth
Affirmative Action for Irish Female Academics
Page 4 News
The Food For Thought Initiative
Page 10 Features
An Interview with Kojaque
Page 22 Byline
Green is the New Black: Irish Rugby on Top
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Page 36 Sport
Editorial
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In This Issue....
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
Credit Where Credits Due
Cork Rape Case: International News Sunday League Football: an Interview Diverstiy in and by Design Free Speech: Where we draw the line? Six Students and a Rat Opinion:May and the Vultures Christmas Shopping Special Christmas Film and TV guide Music for Study Gaming: PewDiePie’s rise, fall, and rise Humor: RTE Licence Squad on the up Arts & Lit: Going Wilde Sexpress: Getting in the (Festive) Mood Gaeilge: Beatha teanga í a labhairt
5 6 8 9 11 13 17 18 20 25 26 28 30 33
McCarthy For Now & Kenny For later
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Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief Cailean Coffey (Editor@UCCExpress.ie) News Editor Ciaran Dineen(News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer Holly McGrath (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor Fergal Smiddy (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor Declan Gleeson (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor Samantha Calthrop (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie) Eagarthóir Gaeilge James McAuliffe (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie) Online Editor Fiona Keeley (Online@UCCExpress.ie) Marketing Executive Robert O’Sullivan (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Webmaster Michael Forde (Webmaster@UCCExpress.ie) Photographers Célem Deegan, Eve Harrington, James Kells, Ben Kavanagh (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Staff Writers: Sinead O’Sullivan; Tara Leigh-Matthews James MacSweeney; Lauren McDonnell Byline Editor Ciara Dinneen (Byline@UCCExpress.ie) Fiction Editor Laura Riordan (Fiction@UCCExpress.ie) Humour Editor Callum Casey (Humour@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor Éadaoin Regan (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor Cian McGrath (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor Caoimhe Coleman (Music@UCCExpress.ie) Film & Television Editor Joesph Cunningham (Screen@UCCExpress.ie ) Sexpress Editor Rían Browne (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie)
Cailean Coffey, Editor-in-Chief
I’ve been looking forward to this issue for a long time. The reason? It’s when we finally get to publish our fantastic interview with Dublin MC Kevin Smith, better known as Kojaque. I’ve been working on getting an interview with Kojaque for nearly two years now. I’ve sent e-mails to his label, tweeted at him in the hopes that the Express would get the opportunity and chat to one of the most exciting and intriguing acts Ireland has produced in quite a long time. However, it would be rude of me to take any credit really for organising it. Thanks to the fantastic efforts of Ciara, the ever-brilliant Byline Editor, and our friends at Cyprus Avenue, contact was made and everything came together. I really hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it. I believe it offers an insight into the mind of an artist, a visionary that knows his craft, both musically and visually, the limitations set upon us by society and the importance of mystique. Kojaque rarely does interviews (at least any I’ve been able to find) and it was a pleasure for me and, I hope, The University Express, to be given the opportunity. You’re certain to see his name everywhere once talk turns to albums of the year, and anyone with a ticket to his show in Cyprus Avenue on December 5th is in for a treat. In my previous editorial, I take a moment to discuss the Boole library new ‘Space Hog’ initiative. At the time, the library was advertising that if belongings were left unattended for 45 minutes that they would be moved. I criticised the move, noting that 45 minutes was too short, especially for students who will still have lectures to go to and that it would be better to have it at an hour and fifteen minutes, giving people adequate time to walk from various lectures across campus. I stand by this, but shortly after the publication of our previous issue the Students’ Union and the library announced that they had extended the time to an hour. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and am delighted to see the library change for the betterment of the students and thank them for the slight alteration. I understand that this initiative was long in development, and there had been countless discussions about the length of time allowed to students. I, as much as anyone can, understand that it is impossible to make everyone happy and that a certain degree of backlash was inevitable, as it is with any large-scale change, and I thank them for their continuing dedication to helping students in any way they can. Enough about me however. We have a fantastic issue for you today. We look into the recent ‘End Victim Blaming’ rallies that took place in Cork and caught international attention. We also have an analysis of potential candidates for the inevitably soon-to-be vacant role of Prime Minister in the UK. There’s pieces on Food For Thought, Christmas Movies and whether Mick McCarthy is the right man as Ireland’s new manager. Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read the latest issue of the Express. Good luck with both exams and assignments and I shall see you in editor@uccexpress.ie January! Enjoy the break, we all badly need it!
Nearly New Year, Nearly New Me Ciaran Dineen, News Editor
Well here we are, the last edition of 2018. Many of you will be finishing assignments and preparing for exams but hopefully you can spare a few minutes during your break to hear me ‘shite’ on for the last time this year. So what’s in the news? Well unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll know that Ireland beat the All Blacks for just the second time in history, and the very first time in Dublin recently (apologies to our fantastic designer Holly, who herself is a ‘Kiwi’). That was a wonderful highlight on the back of another tumultuous week of Brexit negotiations. In the Republic of Ireland, Theresa May’s tenacity and doggedness has been commended. The proposed deal signs the death warrant for her personal political career, but she has arguably put her country before her party and before herself…….well in my eyes anyway! Closer to home, we have seen that Cork has hit the headlines on an international level, but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. As you will see later in this edition, we have discussed the events surrounding the rape trial in Cork. Being from the ‘Rebel County’ myself, I wish that we could make headlines in the New York Times and Le Figaro for much more positive actions. However we must face the facts and realise the truth that is in front of us and it is time that we address these scandals today so that others are not affected tomorrow. I must admit that the thought of Christmas being less than a month away is causing me to have minor panic attacks. I have all my shopping to do so if anyone out there is a present/gift ‘guru’ then please let me hire you for a day. For the next week or so I think I might bring a sleeping bag to the Mardyke in order to make some space for all the food that’s inevitably coming my way in the near future. Having said that I’m probably far more likely to end up curling into a ball crying at John Lewis Christmas adverts while ploughing through a packet of jaffa cakes. I wish everyone reading this the best of luck over the next three weeks with all your exams and assignments. Thank you all for your continued support and for picking up the University Express over the last few months. Enjoy your time off and I hope you all news@uccexpress.ie #uccexpress have a wonderful Christmas and I’ll see you and all your New Year resolutions very soon!
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
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Principal Investigator at the INFANT Centre, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at University College Cork, Jonathan Hourihane with a new oral immunotherapy which successfully reduces sensitivity to peanuts. Photo: Diane Cusack
Medical Breakthrough Sends UCC ‘Nuts’ Ciaran Dineen, News Editor
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ast week, the world’s largest peanut allergy treatment trial revealed results that have been described as a “game-changer” for those who are allergic to peanuts. Through his work as Principal Investigator at the INFANT Centre, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at University College Cork, Jonathan Hourihane has been leading the revolutionary immunotherapy trial in Ireland, which has shown that more than two thirds (67%) of those on the treatment could tolerate peanuts after the trial. This tolerance gives peanut allergy sufferers real safety, and the ability to cope with accidental exposure in the community. Speaking Professor to now, available, children
in wake of the results, Hourihane said “up without any treatment peanut allergy has put and adults at risk of
unpredictable and occasionally life-threatening reactions. The AR101 immunotherapy is a real breakthrough for those affected by peanut allergy. It works by introducing initially minute controlled amounts of peanut protein, with escalation over a sustained period of 6 to 12 months, building up a patient’s tolerance to peanut. We have seen patients go from being highly allergic to very small doses, like one tenth of a peanut, to being able to manage to eat the equivalent of 2 or 3 peanuts without a significant reaction. This is a game changer for anyone living with this allergy.” The AR101 trial has been ongoing over the past two years, involving a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. The participants, aged between 4-17 years old, went from having allergic reactions in the form of vomiting, swelling of the
throat and stomach pain (amongst other reactions) following the ingestion of 1 mg of peanut protein, to being able to safely ingest up to 600 mg of peanut protein.
The importance of the study has resulted in it being published in the world’s leading medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine. The efforts of the UCC Professor have been highlighted and praised by UCC President Patrick O’Shea, who said, “We applaud the development of a new immuno-therapy for peanut allergy by Professor Jonathan Hourihane. This research has the potential to have a positive effect on patients globally and is a wonderful example of the hugely relevant research being carried out at the INFANT research centre. University College Cork’s College of Medicine and Health (CoMH) is committed to the development of excellent and impactful clinical research and, in
that regard, INFANT is of strategic importance to the CoMHand to UCC”.
The ground-breaking study is yet another example which emphasises the quality of research which is being undertaken in UCC. These results could not only help people in Ireland but throughout the globe. Speaking along these lines, INFANT Director Geraldine Boylan said, “This is an example of the excellent, world leading clinical research ongoing at the INFANT centre at UCC, which is making a huge difference to lives of children and their families, not just in Ireland but all over the world. We are delighted to be a significant player in bringing this new therapy to fruition and acknowledge the incredible work of our INFANT allergy research team, and particularly the incredible work of our colleague, Prof. Jonathan Hourihane”.
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News
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express by Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington against NUI Galway, it can come down to hidden gender biases against women within the university sector. The judgement in that case clearly highlighted this.” Critics of the initiative include Professor of Psychiatry at UCD, Patricia Casey. Speaking in her opinion piece for the Irish Independent, Casey argues that the evidence suggesting that there is an unconscious bias against women is “flimsy at best”. The professor also went on to suggest that forcing women into STEM will do nothing to change the social difference between men and women. Casey said, “the ideological rush to egalitarianism in the Mitchell O'Connor report is based on the belief that there are no sex differences between men and women except those imposed by society.” This statement came from Casey in the light of an academic report suggesting that women in general have traits which cause them to have greater empathetic skills, while men are more fact and rule based.
Affirmative Action Set for Irish Female Academics Ciaran Dineen, News Editor
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t was announced in early November that the Government is set to tackle the under-representation of female professors in Irish third-level institutions. Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connell announced the proposals at the launch of the Gender Equality Action Plan for Higher Education Institutions 2018-2020. The plans will see the formation of female-only candidate lists for professorships over the next three years. 15 women will be elevated to the status of professor for each of these three years, meaning that a total of 45 female academics will be promoted. The initiative comes in light of findings from the Action Plan, which stated that on current trends it could take a further 20 years to have 40% of female representation in professorships. The positive discrimination outlined will see this percentage achieved by 2024.
Speaking at the launch the Minister said, “excellent women in our Higher Education sector are not filling sufficient senior academic roles, not because they are not talented, able and expert or committed enough. Rather the Taskforce has found that women face a number of serious barriers to progression that are not experienced to the same degree by their male colleagues”. The areas which will look to be addressed in particular are that of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, otherwise referred to commonly as the STEM field. The representation of females at professorship level is at its lowest in these areas and the initiative will look to target STEM in particular. Overall in Ireland just 24% of all professors are women, despite the fact that they make up 50% of the working staff, i.e. lecturers. The number of female professors ranges drastically from one institution
to the other. In one university, 1 in every 9 female lecturers are professors, while in NUIG this figure is 1 in 31. A lecturer from the Department of Government in UCC, Dr Fiona Buckley, has welcomed the decision by saying, “I think the proposals are reasonable and necessary to address the structural gender inequality in Higher Education Institutes in Ireland. While we have equal proportions of women and men at lecturer level in Ireland, women consist of less than 25% of professors.” A key message in explaining the Government’s agenda, according to the Minister, was that talent is no longer enough for women who want to progress to the upper echelons of third-level education. This was reaffirmed by Dr Buckley who said, “this difference is not down to lack of ability or talent on behalf of women. Unfortunately, as demonstrated in a successful discrimination case taken
Dr Buckley offers an alternative opinion by arguing that “targeted recruitment of ‘women only professorships’ is in place in Australia and the Netherlands, and this model has proven to be a success in increasing the number of women at professorial level. People may not like gender targets or quotas, but the evidence shows that they work to redress gender imbalance.” This Island is well used to the controversy that quotas bring, having adopted them for the last General Election. In that case, female representation in the Irish legislature rose from about 15% to 23%, following a party candidate selection quota, which meant that a minimum of 30% of women would feature on party lists for the election and if not, the offending party would lose 50% of its state funding. The real results from the initiative will probably be only understood post-2024. When the 40% target is met with positive discrimination the most important question lies at whether this number will then fall or remain constant for the foreseeable future.
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
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Cork Rape Case Draws International Condemnation and The Irish Judicial System Into Disrepute Matthew Moynihan, News Writer
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he recent Cork rape case has brought the Irish judicial system into disrepute and drawn condemnation internationally, after defence counsel for a 27-year-old man accused of rape, Elizabeth O’Connell SC, requested the jury court to consider that the 17-yearold female claimant was wearing a “thong with a lace front” when considering their verdict. The case highlighted the kind of victimblaming tactics employed by barristers in cases of sexual assault and the need for more stringent legal guidelines for barristers when dealing with matters so sensitive. The comments sparked “End Victim Blaming” rallies around the country, attended by thousands, and drew international media attention as far and wide as the USA, with the New York Times reporting on the case and its subsequent fallout. Speaking to the University Express, Mary Crilly, the Director of the Sexual Violence Centre called on the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan TD, to implement simple guidelines for judges and barristers regarding what they can or cannot say in a court of law, adding that “using the argument that somebody brought an assault on themselves by what they are wearing is like blaming somebody wearing a nice
Cover Story Continued is a betrayal against our fellow humans and the weight of the responsibility does not rest solely on the judge’s gavel.” Also taking part in the protest was Mary Crilly, who works with the Cork Sexual Violence Centre. She continues to fight for the corner of women's rights and during the rally she said, “what do they want young girls to go back to, wear chastity belts or something? I’m just furious about this because young girls have a right to go out and wear what they want…..I’ve met 80 year olds who have been raped and I’ve met 14 year olds who have been raped and they’ve worn jeans and long johns, it really doesn’t matter what they wear. We need to
suit for being mugged.” “If a young man or a young girl wants to go out and be sexually active, that’s their business, but we’re talking about rape.To excuse this kind of behaviour by what somebody is wearing is appalling and dangerous. Victim blaming must end.” A fervent response has been evident here on the UCC campus also, with signs being placed around the college with underwear attached in solidarity with the young girl involved in the case. The matter was made all the more poignant with the launch of SEXPRESS, edited by Rían Browne, which among other things contained articles and discourse on sexual consent as well information on where to get help in the case of a sexual assault. At the launch, the social media manager of the Sexual Violence Centre, Dola Twomey spoke to the University Express. “I don’t feel that consent classes will stop one assault, one rape. Talking about consent when it comes to sexual assault is like living on another planet, the people who perpetrate these crimes don’t want consent. There is value in the discussion in that it will chip away at the blame-game culture that exists in Ireland.” Twomey went on to say she believes we can shift attitudes, and as a result the culture over time. reform the courts and get guidelines in place”. Another key organiser of the remonstration was Cork City Councillor, Fiona Ryan. The Solidarity representative led the protestors in several chants and also spearheaded the unexpected and unplanned march to the courthouse opposite Cork City Hall. Walking down Oliver Plunkett Street and down South Mall, traffic was halted by the marchers as bystanders looked on with interest. When Councillor Ryan reached the steps of the courthouse she encouraged those who brought thongs and underwear with them to place them down on the ground or on the railings for
everyone to see. The final image of this was a powerful one and has circulated the nation and beyond over the last two weeks. Councillor Ryan spoke to the University Express during the protest and when asked what the protest was to show she replied, “today was to demand action on judicial reform, the reality is this is standard and what happened last week is the average. We hope this is the catalyst but certainly we have to organise ourselves to bring this movement forward in order to put pressure on the political establishment.” Earlier in the year the Express reported that the FemSoc society had managed to put together consent
classes during orientation week this year. Their hope is that these classes will become mandatory in the future for incoming students. However, there remains doubt over the effectiveness of this at such a late stage of development in a person’s life. Responding to this and whether consent needs to be taught in secondary school Ryan said, “absolutely it should be a part of a program of sexual education in our school system, absolutely. We in Solidarity are putting together a sex-education bill which will have consent at its foundation. Fine Gael are currently battling that because it really takes on the church control of our education system”.
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Features
Making a career out of Sunday League football:
An Interview with Smiv Rory James Craig, Features Writer
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or most people, Sunday League football pales in comparison to the grandeur and spectacle of the Premier League, or even Leagues 1 and 2 for that matter. This, however, is not the case for YouTuber, Tottenham Hotspur season-ticketholder and video-editing talent Smiv. He runs two channels: one simply called Smiv where he hosts weekly vlogs, the other, Palmers FC, which acts as an official channel for his local Sunday League club of the same name. Smiv, real name Matt Smith, documents the exploits of, as he calls them, “the boys”, and uploads highlights of their weekly fixtures to an ever expanding fanbase (at the time of writing, the Palmers FC channel has just over 217,000 subscribers). Another series, called
“On the Road” features Smiv himself attending a Football League game at a different stadium every week, where he avoids a typical report on the match but gives, instead, a summary of the history of the stadium and the all-round experience there. It’s obvious from his videos that he finds entertainment in the most everyday scenarios, with the kind of turn of phrase typical of a workaday “footy” supporter. Speaking to Smiv, it quickly becomes clear that he has the right kind of mind for content-creation in such a competitive environment as YouTube. He didn’t originally see himself becoming involved to the extent he has, however. When quizzed about his first ever upload (a video of him miming to a Frank Sinatra number) he’s quite frank: “I was scared, and I was embarrassed
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
as well. I thought it was only for my mum.” YouTube at that time (2006) was nothing like the force it would become, and Smiv didn’t so much foresee the development of the platform as end up in the right place at the right time: “They didn’t have likes or dislikes back then, they had ratings out of five stars. I had four-and-a-half. There were loads of comments like ‘do more, do more’ and I didn’t want to do more… I was literally just building a small platform for myself, which I wanted to take to TV. YouTube’s grown so much, though, and it’s kept me on there, instead of going off to production houses and talking to important TV people. If anything, they’re the ones that are talking to us.” He also acknowledges the newfound importance of the platform today: “We grew up in a time where the media was owned by newspapers, radio and the TV. This is a new thing for us, and it’s still getting started. I know it’s just over ten years old but it’s still in its infancy and the numbers of [views] already rival if not beat TV. So it’s crazy, crazy.” When Smiv went along to Upstaged, a BBC Three talent show hosted in Bristol’s Millennium Square in 2008, he saw one of the first public exhibitions of YouTube’s ability to captivate audiences. The YouStage section of the competition had entrants attempting to entertain a crowd for six hours at a time, with the daily winner coming back for more the next day: “It was streamed online on their website but you could go down to Bristol if you wanted and watch it live. You had to have a lot of material behind you. There were magicians, singers, songwriters and all that”. The most popular act, however, came from an unlikely source: “There was a guy on YouTube called Alex Day at the time and he was in a similar situation to me. He wanted to write songs and get it out there in the open but he was always being shut down by the mainstream media. So now the mainstream media had a show on, he wanted to prove that the internet
was a bit of a force. He got who he thought were the biggest YouTubers in the UK together to just sit in the box and have a chat. It was crap, I left after three days ‘cause I didn’t like being there”. Despite Smiv’s reservations, Day’s idea proved fortuitous for those involved, at least in the short-term: “They went on and actually won the show off the back of having viewers and fans. It did prove a point, but there was no talent there. It was just people having a chat and interacting with their viewers. There were about 8 of those YouTubers but I don’t think any of them broke out and became big. They got five grand from that competition and they put that into the first ever YouTube gathering so it went to a good cause.” In spite of his initial rejection of YouTube as a valid option incomewise, Smiv came around to the idea of content creation in 2015, with the upload of his first Sunday League video entitled ‘How to Score From a Corner’. The idea initially came from his fledgling entrepreneurial interests, “I was trying to push this video production company and I thought ‘Well I’ve got seventhousand people out there, why don’t I print the logo on the team’s shirts and start filming the boys on a Sunday?’. I hoped people would see the logo, and I had ‘Video Production’ plastered all over the description box. It was the content, though, that took off more than the company - so I’ve shut that down, stripped back the equipment and focused on editing football videos, which is what I love.” Interest in the channel boomed after a hilariously appropriate incident, “It was about half a season in, and a video got taken by the Sun’s DreamTeam and SportBible. The content of the video? Basically… one of the lads kicked one of our players in the head”. Good grief. Smiv seems unruffled by the idea: “People really enjoyed it. If any of our videos hits a million views it’ll be that one”. The inherent humour of Sunday League football is paramount to keeping the viewers entertained.
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Silly mistakes made during an average game are transformed into moments of comedy on video, which are expertly narrated by Smiv himself, playing the commentator. As well as calling the events of the game, his commentary is embellished with the kind of witty and cynical humour one would expect from the average Sunday League fan. One video, where Palmers take on SE Dons, features some excellent oneliners, such as this beauty: ‘the ball’s gone over Charlie’s head, like most things’. When some strong words are exchanged between Palmers’ recently acquired defender, “New-Signing Nick” and a Dons forward, Smiv pauses the tape and superimposes a handbag on the Dons’ players waist, green to match their kit: ‘it does come in navy as well, if you’re interested.’ This frenetic tongue-in-cheek editing keeps viewers hooked on the videos, even if they’re more than twenty minutes long.
could get behind filming the Sunday League teams. It progressed to the point where these guys, as dumb, idiotic and, most importantly, normal as they are, they’ve become role models. It’s got to meeting people in the street and taking photos, kit deals with Nike and Kitlocker, playing at Premier League grounds”. He and the team keep it in perspective though: “We’re still just a Sunday League team and that’s what I remind the lads and the management behind it. We want to enjoy it, and we want to win things as well. The videos come second, and it’s the videos that give the lads the opportunity for extra little perks; going out and experiencing the things that Sunday League teams normally wouldn’t”. He also understands the effect of having ordinary people in such an alien situation: “The fact that it’s just me behind the camera makes them feel a bit better. We’ve set up “get-to-know” videos and Q&As Smiv elaborates on the changes that and they’ve absolutely crapped have come about for the team from themselves because there’s a camera the success of the channel: “People there, but it helps that I’m with them.
Features If somebody from outside comes in with a camera they’re not going to be too happy with it, and that comes across. It’s real, it’s unscripted”.
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referee fees on a Sunday and paying for the pitches for the season. Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite expensive and it adds up. I’m paying for that The monetisation of videos on as my thank you to them. If I was YouTube is an important aspect of just taking all the money and still Smiv’s work, especially in his role charging them for it I don’t think as the team’s videographer of sorts: they’d be too well pleased!”. “You don’t earn as much as you Any advice for aspiring YouTubers? used to. To be able to add mid-roll “Just do it. I know quite a few people ads [ads that pop up sporadically who have seen what I’ve done and throughout the videos, and earn assumed it’s quite easy - it’s a tenmore per view than the usual five- minute video, how hard can it be? seconds-then-skip variety] the video but it takes a lot of effort to put these has to be over ten minutes and you things together. Don’t expect the have to have a certain number of numbers that you see on the internet subscribers as well. I wouldn’t put straight away because it’s not going an ad up every thirty seconds or a to happen. The hardest part is finding minute ‘cause that’s just taking the an audience in the beginning, and my piss and people won’t come back. best advice is to just post locally, on Three-to-four ads for thirty seconds your Facebook page, your Twitter, is reasonable enough, and it’s not just share it out to your friends. long-form ads either”. The money That’s the best way, word of mouth”. gained from these ads allows Smiv And finally, a word on Spurs’ to help the team out with the more upcoming season: ‘“I don’t know, mundane aspects of amateur football: I’m a little bit worried”. “It’s really important to me to give back. If I’m earning money, the From a Liverpool fan, that’s a good first thing I’ll be doing is paying the thing to hear.
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Features
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
Diversity: Its importance in developing creative and innovative designs Niamh Hurley, Features Writer starts with a team of two (minimum). I recently attended a lecture by Montiel noted that the children used
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echnology has linked together the world in ways which previous centuries did not. As a result, we have become more diverse in our thinking and approach to design.
Then there are the engineers, with whom you work with to ensure your building functions properly. The builders, who construct the building. The quantity surveyors who cost up the materials, labour and contingencies. The specialists in detailed work and their suppliers. The councillors to ensure your project complies with building regulations. The list is endless. All bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the project which you cannot get from an individual.
When it comes to design, it is essential to communicate with not only the majorities but also the minorities in society. More often than not, this is best implemented through representation. A team cannot be represented by one person, as this limits the levels of innovation and creativity. By But how does this lead to innovation expanding the team to include a and creativity? By having more diverse range of talents, the result leads people with different skills on a team, to a multifaceted way of thinking. you allow for a wider range of ideas to Designing for accessibility, for be voiced. You listen to the locals, you example, requires you to include allow for representation on their part people of varying abilities. The only so that your design does not take away way to approach this design is to be from their community. Instead you all inclusive. aim to improve it for their benefit. We As an architect, you are given a brief by take from our own experiences new a client, the end user. The conversation concepts which lead to more diverse and exciting methods or creations.
Mexican female architect, Rozana Montiel, head of Estudio de Arquitectura. Her lecture discussed extensively about past projects and exhibitions she had presented at, such as the Venice Biennale 2018. The one idea that stuck with me the most, was the inclusion of the community in her designs. One of her specialities is project work for low income areas. Renewal of these areas does not require consultation with locals, but Montiel aims to include the community in her design. After all, these are her true clients. These will be the people who will benefit from her work, so why should she exclude them? The diverse representation of the community and her design team, work in collaboration to bring about creative solutions to local problems.
these sewerage pipes as slides and included this concept in her design. The walkway was redesigned to be more accessible with its underside being used as a sheltered place. The surrounding area was refashioned with slides and steps, acting as a play area for the children. This innovation improved the community spirit as it provided more than just a walkway but also a gathering and play space. Would these innovative ideas have been thought of and developed before? Possibly, but how would we think of these solutions, when we do not consider the problem?
In conclusion, when choosing a team, to achieve maximum innovation and creativity, it is vital to consider a range of team members with varying skills, backgrounds, ages, In one of her projects, she redesigned genders, social classes and abilities. an unused steep walkway with Only when this is considered can sewerage pipes to become a the end result become exciting and gathering place for people of the area. revolutionary for all involved.ď ¸
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Features
All Speech or Which Speech:
Where do we draw the line on freedom of expression? Remi Donnchadh O'Connell, Features Writer The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the University Express.
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hould you be able to say whatever you want? Today, this is a controversial topic - with “hate speech” being a term tossed around the place like a ping-pong ball at a house party. Freedom of speech is a right which is under threat at the moment, as its cost-to-benefit ratio is currently being challenged by certain groups. This debate all boils down to either imposing laws on peoples’ freedom to express themselves non-violently in any form, or maintaining freedom of expression as a basic human right. Freedom of speech ends at a direct call to illegal action and protects all else. However, if we want to take it a step further and make it illegal to express hateful and offensive ideas, then where do we draw the line? And more importantly: who gets this ultimate power to draw the line on whether certain speech is legal or illegal? Don’t people have the right
to not feel discriminated and hated we have no consensus on what upon by others? speech should or should not be said. People do not have the right to be The line is different for everyone, in public and not hear ideas they so how can we create concrete don’t like; but they do, however, laws around completely subjective have the right to reply to those and extremely varying opinions? ideas with any and every word in We cannot; unless we want to start the dictionary (and any not in it, legislating laws for minorities or, for that matter). This might sound even worse, give that power to the disagreeable, and I do agree that government; which we should all hateful speech is a terrible thing agree would create an imbalance of - most of us do. I don’t agree with power between the people and its anyone who participates in hateful state. For example: if I could control speech; in fact, I would condemn what you could and couldn’t say, them to the social backfire they would I have the right amount of bring upon themselves. However, power in that relationship, or would I don’t believe that anyone should I have too much? have the power to impose legal action on someone because what that person said offended them. I hold this opinion primarily because what’s offensive is subjective and different for everyone. As a people, we have a moral duty to create the least hateful society we can by being good to one another (expecting reasonable reciprocation that is). However, creating this harmonious society cannot and should not be the duty of the legal system; for the simple reason that
“But doesn’t hate speech incite hateful action?”
It can and does; and these actions are illegal. Does suppressing a group’s or individual’s ability to express hateful ideas cause these ideas to go away? I don’t think it would be a far cry to say that it doesn’t. In fact, I would say that it adds fuel to the fire; because now the individual or group can feel victimised and discriminated against, only giving them more reason to hold on to that bad idea. On top of that, disallowing
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someone to express their bad idea closes the possibility of open discourse in which someone else may persuade them with a better idea, and to let go of their bad idea. As a species, we evolve our intellect by replacing bad ideas with better ones. The open marketplace of ideas, where every idea can be expressed and criticized provides us all with a means to discount as many bad ideas as possible. If we start outlawing bad ideas from this marketplace, then how will we ever get rid of them and replace them with better ones? I would also like to propose the idea that the same statement can vary in offensiveness depending on the context. Comedy is a perfect example of this. When we watch a comedy show, we are willing to suspend offense for humour (we’ve all laughed at jokes we don’t think we should have - I won’t give examples, for the purpose of you being able to read this piece). If some of the jokes our favourite comedians made were taken out of context and repeated in a serious way, it would cause outrage to say the least. This proves that what we can and can’t say stretches and contracts depending on the setting. What’s okay between you and your friends at 2am, scuttered with curry stains on your shirt, might not fly on the breakfast show. So, if offense is contextual, how could we implement that into speech laws? The answer is: with great difficulty, and perhaps much error. This is precisely why we shouldn’t try to outlaw even the most hurtful words, hurtful as they are. It is a part of society and we shouldn’t try to hide it, lest we forget what it looks like. Not to sound too pretentious, but I myself would prefer to keep my eye on the ugliness and combat it from there, rather than having it outcast to the shadows where it can sneak up on us all. If our goal is an accepting society, then we should start by accepting everyone’s ideas and then work from there to create a society with the best ideas we can conjure. For if they truly are the best ideas, they should have no problem stomping out the feeble ideas of “hate speech”.
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Features
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express stigma is still there in Irish society unfortunately. Since then, our events have gone from strength to strength”. “Since the groups formation, their reception has been remarkably positive and supportive, and Events Officer Matthew O’Connor is quick to point out that the reason why is right before our eyes: “When talking about mental health, everyone knows that it’s such an important part of our lives. We have all been affected by mental health in one way or another and this has been reflected in the reception we have experienced. With the support we’ve received, it makes me happy to think that we’re really helping people and making a difference”.
Taking Stock: The Rise of the Food For Thought Initiative Cailean Coffey, Editor-In-Chief
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s the deadlines draws closer, the nights grow longer and the days get colder, it’s little wonder students often find this time of year the most difficult in the academic calendar. As the stress levels across campus rise, it’s never been more important to look after yourself both mentally and physically. Over the past three years, an initiative has been running in UCC to get students together to cook, and in doing so, offer the chance to tell their story, and talk out any issues or problems that they may be having away from the chopping board. This practice feeds both the mind and the body. This UCC-born initiative is known as Food For Thought. Food For Thought began its journey in September of 2016 as a simple idea: offering students all over campus who may be struggling with their mental health, or simply college in general, an environment where they can go to relax and enjoy themselves through the medium of food. Upon first developing the concept, Founder Kieran Cunnane pitched the idea as a ‘stigma-killing project’ at a UCC Enactus meeting. There was a group of students at that meeting who saw
Kieran’s vision, and who wanted to help in bringing it to life. In the coming weeks, more people heard of the idea and joined the team, and the group haven’t looked back since. “Kieran is a fantastic motivator and was really well able to share his dream of Food For Thought with all those who would listen.” Food For Thought’s Vice Project Leader, Dave Curtin, explained, “There was an infectious enthusiasm at every meeting, from day one, that carries on today, which is a testament to the work and effort that every one of our committee members has given the project over the two and a half years”. As the group was beginning to grow, one of its major difficulties was finding a venue to host their cooking events. However, they finally found the perfect fit in Cork’s Penny Dinners. Project Leader Orla Berry notes that, “When we eventually found our venue in Cork Penny Dinners, the events began slowly. I think the hesitation of people to engage in the events was because of how new and unknown the project was and that there was a bit more stigma around mental health. The
More than two years since its creation, the future is bright for the Food For Thought initiative, and it has already caught some attention nationally. As 2019 approaches, the goal is clear: bring Food For Thought to secondary schools across the country, with cooking and mental health going hand-in-hand. As for more personal goals, Orla Berry has huge hopes for the initiative’s future, “I believe that Food For Thought could be an important mental health resource in UCC if we develop it right! One of the goals has always been to stretch into other Universities and Higher Education faculties. It was something Kieran had always mentioned in the first year of our project, so I really do hope that we can make that happen. At the end of the day, this project
isn’t about just the mental health of UCC’s students, it’s about all students in all levels of education. It would be amazing to see Food For Thought help students of all ages across Ireland”. Food For Thought’s current secretary, Aisling O’Shea, mirrors her colleague’s ambition, and truly treasures her time working on the initiative “From one little idea to what it is today is unbelievable to say the least. Watching the growth of Food For Thought over the past three years has been such an incredible journey”. For now, Food For Thought remains one of the most important and most respected student-run initiatives not only in UCC, but in universities across Ireland. As the stigma around mental health slowly begins to erode, initiatives such as this only grow in importance. It offers students an opportunity to get together with friends, share in the craft of cooking and talk about their struggles in a comfortable and safe environment. After all, there really is no better way to talk than over a plate of food. You can find out more about Food For Thought by checking out their Facebook Page, @ FoodForThoughtUCC. They can also be found on Instagram (@ FoodForThoughtUCC). Food For Thought would like to take this opportunity to welcome anyone and everyone to join them at any of their weekly meetings, which take place every Monday at 6pm in the Creative Zone in the Boole library.
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Features
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situation somehow worse, we regrouped, regained our composure and tried once again to deal with with our unwanted guest. This time we decided to take a more humane approach, simply scare him out the front door. We opened the front door, and put Oisín and Dan in the hallway with open umbrellas to block him from getting any further into the house. Our plan to get him going was the same: shake the fridge. Beth was in charge of that, while Roisin remained on the table and Jack (another housemate who had arrived home to this whole ordeal) and I were beside the fridge ready to send him into the hall.
Kicking and Screaming: Six Students and a Rat David Brennan, Features Writer
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hile there are many ups and downs to student life, I find myself today believing that, at least for this semester I hope, things cannot get as bad as they were last night for me and my housemates. This event had nothing to do with exams, rent, assignments or any other typical student problems believe me, I wish it did. It was about 12:30 in the morning in our close-knit little home on Western road. Two of my housemates, Dan and Roisin, were going to bed. My two other housemates, Beth and Oisín, and I were staying up to watch something on Netflix. We were wrapping up for a nice night in. We all settled in to where we were. But what’s a bit of Netflix without a cup of tea? Oisín certainly thought it wasn’t much - because he went in to make one. He wasn’t even past the bathroom when we heard him. He yelled something along the lines of “Oh fuck off, I fucking knew it!” and ran back into the sitting room. He was loud enough to coax Roisin and Dan back up from the basement, who wanted to know what had him so disturbed. He told us that he had seen a rat. At first, we didn’t believe him. We
thought, or rather hoped, that he was just having us on. But, not taking any chances, we began to investigate. Oisín said that he had seen it run into the kitchen, so that’s where we started. A reluctant Oisín and I were the only ones to head in, as the rest debated the truthfulness of his claims. All doubt was cast aside when I moved the small fridge in the corner of the room. Behind it I found a worrying amount of rat droppings. I had two thoughts. First; thank God I've no food in that fridge and second; Oisín wasn’t bullshitting. The game was on now, all five of us were going to have to fix this. We began to arm ourselves. Mops, hurls, umbrellas, whatever - anything that looked like it could be used to bash a rat. We then began to plan. What the hell were we going to do? Simple: make him come out, and then do everything in our power to either kill him or kick him out the door. So, we all found positions in the kitchen and got ready. I was across from the fridge with a hurl, Beth on the window sill, Roisin on the island ready to shake the fridge, and Dan with an umbrella on the other side of the island, across from our other fridge. Oisín decided to duck out for nicotine-related reasons; but we
ploughed on without him, and we all gave the nod for Roisin to start shaking the fridge. It worked. The rat was big, even for Cork, and he made a move straight for me. He scurried close to the base of the island, putting the chairs between me and him. The room had erupted in screams and yells the second he made a run for it. I was focused on him, though, following, waiting to take a shot at him. Eventually, he ran out of chairs and I had an opening. I took a swing and it connected. I launched the little bastard half-way across the kitchen, making a projectile of that rodent. He hit the cabinet and fell to the floor, where he immediately got to scurrying again. The little prick was bullet proof. I looked to Dan, armed with his umbrella, in the hopes that he would be more successful than myself. Unfortunately, in the confusion, he had opened the umbrella and was aiming it at the rat, shielding himself with it as our unwanted guest found refuge under the second fridge. When asked why he had done this, he replied “sure, I was busy looking after Roisin, she was fair scared like.” A true gentleman, our Dan. With that plan having made the
If I was to blame anything for this plan backfiring, it would be the bad luck brought on by opening those umbrellas in doors. The first part of the plan went ok. He ran out from under the fridge and went for the hall. However, what we thought was an impregnable line of umbrellas was useless. He got through with ease while I rushed after him, again missing each swing. He made it to the sitting room where he went behind the couch, across the room and into the fireplace. We had been outsmarted by a rodent. After this, we were done. It was 3AM now and all we wanted to do was sleep. The adrenalin from the first encounter had completely worn off and we were left with the fact that we had to sleep knowing he was there, waiting for when he could come out of hiding to do God knows what in our house. Needless to say, none of us slept that night. The only one who did was Anna Maria, who was lucky enough to stay blissfully ignorant to the fact that all of our screaming, crying and yelling wasn’t a horror movie. Today though, pest control paid us a visit, and the house is now a death trap for him. Anywhere a rat would think of being was baited and poisoned. So next time Nigel (yes, we named him Nigel, so what?) decides to hop back behind the fridge or into the fireplace, our problem will be sorted, and we can get back to worrying about exams and deadlines.
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Opinion
Dire Straights
Samantha Calthrop, Opinion Editor
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hen I was asked out by my first boyfriend, an older, married friend took me aside. Most people's reactions had been either congratulatory or involved sex jokes, or both. But my friend had a somber expression, and she was not discouraging but earnest in what she told me. “Be careful,” she said, “No matter what they say about equality, men will always be men.” A year or two later, I recall getting the same sentiment from an acquaintance, who'd been broken up with and gotten back with again within the space of a week. The same boyfriend had a chronic habit of cancelling plans and standing her up. She laughed bitterly. “You know how lads are,” she said. A male friend of mine had a girlfriend who worked, while he was in college and unemployed. She was well-off, quite generous, and loved treating him; to my knowledge, every time he came into money he'd treat her back. He admitted to me that he'd never told his parents that she paid for things; they'd have been mortified. The ideal man is kind and sensitive, but never more so than the woman;
he knows where his duty is to step up as a man, such as looking after you, paying for your coffee, wanting more sex than you, getting angry when you talk to other men, and caring about his problems less than you care about yours. He may be cold or emotionally clumsy, but he's a man, and they're less good at these things. The ideal woman is nice and easy to talk to, definitely beautiful; it is to be expected she will be a little moody and clingy, but that's just how it is! Learn to predict when her outbursts will be; asking her about her feelings will be mutually painful. Her expectations will be confusing and sometimes overwhelming. It is expected that both of you will want to keep each other on your toes, because a little bit of jealousy and desirability is healthy. You will fight, sometimes you will scream, and sometimes you will just never agree and be left crying alone until someone says sorry and you decide to drop the issue for fear of starting the argument again. But don't worry! That's romance, and it worked great for your parents, so take it as a sign you're thriving. Heterosexual relationships are absolutely unavoidable. A movie without a straight romantic subplot is a beautiful rarity, many of your friends are together with the opposite gender, and it's the first question
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express you're asked by your intrusive older aunt. Much the way there are heavy expectations in gender roles, so too are there certain dynamics expected-or not expected-- from men and women who do, as they often do, get together (Non-heterosexual relationships feel this less, I imagine, because society doesn't push those people together in the first place). The first expectation that hangs over pretty much everyone is the fact you will get into a relationship, you must want to get into a relationship; this starts in secondary school and continues until you are either married or dead. It's expected, by your early twenties, that you'll have been in at least one relationship. It's expected that if you're not in one, you ought to be lonely. You don't even have to be romantic or unsatisfied. They just have to feel empty and like a failure, for the heinous crime of not being attractive enough to the opposite sex. The average lifespan of the man is increased once he gets married; the average lifespan of the woman decreases. Statistically, women's salaries and mental health both drop upon marriage. Women are usually expected to be more emotionally intelligent and domestically contribute more, i.e. do most of the relationship legwork. Men don't necessarily get off that easily; masculinity places a high, high emphasis on how attractive you are to a woman, and if you can't find one, you sure as hell better not be seen turning to your friends or family for emotional support. Do too much for your girlfriend and you're a pansy; if you fail to be protective or controlling enough, you're a wimp. Women are told to gear up to teach men how to look after themselves, look after their partners, help them through their issues and take the occasional temper outburst; men are encouraged to make their girlfriends their entire support system; is it such a wonder that so many people end up unhappy and unsatisfied? It's funny how, in the bombardment of information and expectations about relationships, there are little guidelines on how to treat them. If you're not being slapped or cheated on, everything's perfect - after all, a few fights is what proves
the relationship is strong, right? After eighteen years of ceaseless reminders about relationships I was surprised to learn that you can, in fact, be friends with your boyfriend. I was surprised by the fact some couples never yell at or insult one another; that older married couples sometimes still love each other; that getting sick of each other is, in fact, not an inevitable factor. The evidence for this is surprisingly sparse. Even fictional couples rarely go past the initial stage of infatuation and courtship, and if they bother to depict any mutual support afterwards usually do so so that one or both of the partners can be killed off to drive the motivation of the rest of the characters. A lack of communication is encouraged, and an acceptance of the underlying problems is endorsed. No relationship is perfect by virtue of the sexual orientation of its members, but in this society we encourage a toxic kind of hetereosexuality that accepts that relationships are, at best, tenuous; that inequality, anger and resentment are just the realities of adult life. One of the the hardest lessons learned in love, I think, is that finding someone who will love you and keep you company is actually ridiculously easy. Anyone- including the abusive, the toxic, and the generally horriblecan make you feel loved. Anyone who's tried to talk a friend into breaking up with an awful partner will have heard the, ‘But I love them!’/’But they love me!’ line. Falling and staying in love is easy as hell and not even that special. It won't fulfil you; it won't meet any needs for emotional support or resolve any of your trust issues, it won't get you through any hard times, and once it fades you'll realise what you actually had all along. Respect, kindness, and conflict resolution will carry you further than any sparks or daydreams well: common buzzwords to throw around, yet viewing your partner as a mysterious but sexy adversary is still a strange majority view. Needing to be desirable, begging for dates, hating yourself for being single… All of these are symptoms of a disease, but the disease isn't being single. They're signs of a broken society that expects a broken form of romance.
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Opinion
May, and the Vultures That Circle Above Charles Power, Opinion Writer
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heresa May reminds me of a wounded antelope that is just after surviving yet another savage attack from hyenas and lions. The poor antelope is haemorrhaging blood, she is tired from running from the chasing pack, and just wants to find some clean, nutritious water in the shape of an acceptable deal for all parties involved. Nobody can doubt the antelope’s tenacity and bravery in surviving this long, but the vultures are circling now. Waiting to feast on the exhausted animal. The race to replace is on. There are several contenders hoping to take on the Conservative leadership, none of which fill me with great hope. Dominic Raab has successfully catapulted himself to the front of the queue with shrewd, measured and subtle tactics. When May established her first cabinet to deal with Brexit, the ambitious MP for GHDJS was furious to miss out on a post, so when the opportunity presented itself to be the Brexit Minister, he probably felt it was long overdue. And to his credit, he has walked the political tightrope very well. Many Eurosceptics now see him as their “Golden Boy” whilst the moderates
of the party see him as the least worst of the Brexiteers, so to speak. But, the Rt Hon. gentleman is an entirely self-serving individual, and that makes him very dangerous. I imagine he sees himself as the heir to David Cameron and I don’t doubt he thinks he would be the greatest Prime Minister the United Kingdom has ever seen. However, his lack of experience in senior government is extremely alarming. A couple of months in a big job and he jumped ship. At least we know with May that she has Public Office and Public Service coursing through her veins. A man who has been under public scrutiny for years and needs no introduction when we come to discuss the Tory leadership, is, of course, Boris Johnson. If I have described Raab as a self-serving individual, then I honestly don’t know what adjective to describe BoJo with. His leadership bid has lasted longer than a Leonard Cohen song and shows no signs of waning anytime soon. But even he is keeping his head down for now. Instead, Jacob Rees-Mogg has broken cover. Setting the pace for a leadership bid that he knows will fall short. But Boris is on his wheel. Tucked in
and slipstreaming off Rees-Mogg’s support for all it’s worth. At the right time, I imagine Rees-Mogg will give way for Johnson, and in turn will be rewarded with a lucrative cabinet position should Johnson prove successful. Then we have Michael Gove: a man who has crept back into the shadows following his escapades in the previous leadership election. It is conceivable that should he fail, his supporters will back Johnson and vice versa. Even with the backstabbing Gove carried out, himself and Johnson are the true Blood Brothers of Brexit, and their supporters will remember that when the day of reckoning comes. But for now, Gove remains quiet and concealed. He was offered the job of Brexit Secretary following Raab’s resignation, but it was no great surprise when he turned it down. Attempting to be a strong Brexiteer and work with May on getting the best possible deal from within cabinet is no mean feat, but if anyone can do it, Gove can. He still commands a great deal of respect within the Tory Party, and even if he doesn’t win the leadership, whoever he endorses will be all the better for it.
13 The remainder of potential candidates are made up of two Tories who seems to have been about forever, and a woman on the rise in the party. Jeremy Hunt has always been a divisive figure, but he is very good at weathering a storm. He has managed to walk away relatively unscathed from many NHS crises and remains a very prominent member of the cabinet. He has always held leadership ambitions but isn’t likely to gain a great deal of support from within his own party. The Tory top brass will recognise that the public still can’t stand the man, and thus, he will not ne a serious leadership contender. Sajid Javid could be. The MP for Bromsgrove and current home secretary is another with great ambition to be leader. He always had his reservations about the EU but backed remain as he thought that side would win, and he’d be in a better position because of it. After the loss, he has slowly changed his tune, much like Jeremy Hunt and wants a Brexiteer’s Brexit. It is thought that he voiced huge opposition to May’s current New Deal but has decided that it’s better to be inside the tent. He is a potential leader, but not one at the top of anyone’s lists. Finally, we have Penny Mourdant. She could prove very popular with a Conservative party looking for change and the public who would recognise her as not part of any Eton boy clique. She’s held in high esteem by her party and Labour party somewhat fear her. She has a wealth of experience despite her relatively young age and has the backing of several Brexiteers. Currently, she is doing the hokeycokey within cabinet in an attempt to gain a free vote on May’s deal. It won’t convince the PM, but it could be a manoeuvre to impress the rest of the party that could very well work. In any case, Mourdant, like many mentioned above will surely secure a senior cabinet position should she not make an attempt on the leadership. So that’s our contenders…for now. In the coming weeks ahead, we will see if the 48 letters are met and if any other ambitious Tories want to throw their hat in the ring for leadership. Or maybe, the antelope will find a water source, recover and run free again.
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BYLINE
Editorial Editorial #6
Ciara Dinneen Byline Editor
Fiction Red, White and Blue Anonymous America, the powerful America, the strong America, the beautiful America, the wrong. America, the creative America, the intelligent America, the inventive America, the fraudulent. America, the leader America, the culture America, the speaker America, the vulture. America, the revolutionary America, the inspiration America, the sanctuary America, the corrupt nation. America, the escape America, the free America, the brave America, a killing spree. A country of toy soldiers.
Who is excited for Christmas? I am. I can second Joe Cunningham’s reflection, expressed in his fantastic article about all the must-re-watch Christmas movies, that as we get older Christmas becomes less about the presents and more about other inarguably better and far more important things: the quality time we spend with family and friends, the fluffy PJ’s and movie nights in front of the fire, the Christmas songs, and the food of course. I love the weather, I love the cosydark evenings (when I get to spend them at home in front of the fire), the refreshingly cool, biting air (nothing cures a winter-celebration-induced hangover like the cold, fresh air of a winter’s day), but most of all I love getting my friends and family the best presents I possibly can. Christmas shopping, the getting of the gifts and presents, can often add unwanted stress to the festive season for many that struggle to think of what to get, but also for those that are stuck (as students we feel this struggle acutely) for funds. But not to worry; you need not break the
16 bank with gifts, and I have done up a little Christmas Shopping Special piece especially for this issue that I hope will inspire those struggling to think of what to get their family, friends and Secret Santas this year. Not to mind the Christmas shopping, as college students we’ve also got Christmas exams and assignments to get through. Caoimhe Coleman advises how best to use music to accompany our study, a great piece which you will find in the music section. My personal favourite tip is the one about a playlist that is exactly 40 or 50 minutes long so that you know when it’s time to take a study break, to get up and stretch your legs. Be clever with the use of your time over the next few weeks so that you’re not left cramming and doubly stresses when it comes to the week/night before your exams – a little bit every day goes a long way. Make sure also to feed and nourish yourself properly, and to stay well hydrated and reasonably caffeinated. You’ve got this, we’ll all get there; we’ll be hitting the 12 pubs in our Christmas jumpers and enjoying the festivities more thoroughly and guilt-
freely come December 21st when all exams are officially over. (Enjoy your festive and celebratory drinks responsibly, and respect all those in pubs and restaurants that work through the Christmas – it’s rough enough having to work at Christmas without dealing with drunken, rude and ignorant people that show no patience or consideration for others around this time.) Remember that this time of the year, as wonderful and all as it feels for the most part, can be a really lonely and particularly hard time for a lot of people. Look out for friends that you know have recently lost a loved one, perhaps have recently gone through a break-up, or are just going through their own struggles and may not be feeling the greatest this Christmas. Rían, our Sexpress editor, offers some great self-care advice if you’re feeling like you’re in need of a bit of TLC yourself. Do take care, of yourself and your loved ones, this Christmas. Wishing you all a lovely one. Yours, Ciara D. xo Byline cover Image: Julian Hayes
byline@uccexpress.ie
Style
17 jewelry, accessories and artwork. If you’re thinking of checking out some of the Christmas markets around the city, be sure to call to the following: Although mostly food stalls, you might find some foodie-treats in the Food & Craft Market for GLOW Christmas Celebration on Grand Parade which takes place every weekend (Friday – Sunday) from now until Saturday 22nd December. Not actually a market, but the Glucksman Art Gallery, on our very own beautiful UCC campus, has a great selection of cool gifts and great cards (who doesn’t love a good punny card?) for all occasions, including Christmas There is a Vegan Christmas Market taking place in The Kino on Sunday 16th December (you need to register for this one through Eventbrite!)
Secret Santa: Christmas Shopping Special Ciara Dinneen, Byline Editor Black Friday has been and gone but you still haven’t got everyone of your Secret Santa’s covered. You’re panicked that you’ll forget about the most obvious ones, like your parents’ gifts, until the last minute, like last year. It happens, but don’t fret – Christmas shopping need not be a hair-pulling, head-wreckingly stressful ordeal. I’m here to offer what little bit of, hopefully, helpful advice I have, and to assure you that there’s still plenty of time. I love preparing presents and getting gifts for my family and friends. It can be really tough though, trying to come up with the perfect gift, especially when the person whose name you pulled out of the Kris Kringle this year is particularly difficult to buy for. There are two ways to do gift buying: getting the perfectly unique and speciallypicked-out-for-that-person-only gift based on their interests and the niche things they’re into, or you can go for what I call the Medley Pressie, which is basically a selection of littler gifts presented together in a sort of hamper style. The Medley Pressie, is, in my experience, always a crowd pleaser.
All you need do is get a few little bits and pieces; a vague description, I know, so here’s a few ideas for the kinds of knick-knacks you could include:
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Candles & incense holders and/or sticks for the family and friends you know cherish their me-time, or those you feel could do with some – encourage self-care!
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A book – perhaps a beautiful fiction you’ve read and think they’ll love to, or some cool nonfiction science or psychology book – a notebook, or 2019 diary. You know the main places (Easons & Waterstones), but check out Vibes & Scribes on Lavitt’s Quay for a great selection of new and second-hand books.
A framed picture of yourself and the family member or friend you’re getting the present for, or a picture that you know they like (that selfie you took with them that they posted on their Instagram, cause if it’s on the ‘gram you know they’re cool with it)
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A nice, big, Christmassy mug because whoever says Christmas mugs are only for Christmas time is lying
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Chocolate – you can’t go wrong with this (if you know they don’t like chocolate, poor creatures, you can opt for their favourite treat-snack, or at least one you’re aware of and know they eat)
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Jewelry; a cute necklace or ring for the gals, and a nice leather bracelet or ring for the lads.
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A purse or wallet, because it’s apparently bad luck to buy one’s own? Save them the howevermany years of bad luck that buying their own would bring
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A CD or, funnily enough more popular now, a record – there are some great record stores in the city where you can pick up some old classics for real cheap. Check out Records & Relics on Lancaster Quay, plugd records on the upstairs floor of The Roundy bar (shop hours Wednesday Saturday 11am to 6pm), and Bunker Vinyl and Studio on Camden Quay.
Christmas markets, another aspect of the holiday I love so much, are always a great place to find cool gifts that you wouldn’t be able to get in most stores. Often handmade, you can find the most beautiful and unique
St. Peter’s on North Main Street host a great craft Christmas market every year, the dates this year are Saturday 1st, 15th and 22nd December from 10am – 6pm. Every day this week (from Monday 26th November to Friday 30th November) there will be a Christmas Craft Market in Café Oasis in the Student Centre from 10am to 3pm. Why not pop over during your study break to see if there’s anything that catches your eye for someone? There will also be a Farmers Market in Honan Plaza every day that week also. Get creative with the presentation of your assortment of gifts; a nice gift bag, or even better a box that can be reused by whoever you give the gift to, to keep hairclips or jewelry in, whatever; boxes are so handy for keeping one’s room decluttered (or rather, for hiding the clutter in a pretty little box). Places like Tiger and Søstrene Grene, St Patrick’s Street, are great for nice gift bags and storage boxes. These stores also have lovely, and very reasonably priced, photo frames, candles, little notebooks and other cute knickknacks you can add to your Medley Pressie to bulk it up. I hope this helps anyone that’s dreading Christmas shopping and has at least sparked an idea or two. Wishing everyone fun shopping, and of course, a wonderful and happy Christmas.
Film & T.V.
18 blockbuster antagonists. I cannot genuinely believe that there exists a person who hasn’t watched it already, so I’ll just recommend strongly that you watch it again or risk missing out on what Christmas is all about: guns, explosions and Bruce Willis pushing people off buildings.
It’s A Wonderful Life:
Festive Film: A Comprehensive and Totally Unbiased Guide to Having a Wonderful Christmas: I used to look forward to Christmas for the presents and the presents alone. Nothing brought me more excitement than to wake up at about 4am on Christmas morning and irritate my parents until they agreed to get up and humour my festive abandon. Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for my parents, as I’ve gotten older the acquisition of a new bike, a new videogame, a new whatever has receded into somewhat of a secondary consideration. Personally, I’d rather stay in bed on most Christmas mornings, but if I must get up it is more likely to be the promise of above-standard food and some distracting TV than the acquisition of toys that arouses me from my slumber. Once upon a snow-sprinkled Christmas of yesteryear, the festive TV listings were something to behold. RTE afforded the rare opportunity to see a movie you might not have seen a hundred times before with the extraordinary phenomenon of back to back feature-length movies, each of a slightly aboveaverage quality than the usual Whatever-Hollywood-Flop-RTE-Could-Afford fare available on a normal Saturday evening. Reading back over some of my articles this year, I have noticed a general trend towards bemoaning the loss of some mystical age where film and tv was perpetually excellent. Although this is completely unintentional, it does apply rather aptly in the case of Christmas tv. Christmas time was one of the only opportunities to see bigger and better movies on tv and buying the RTE Guide to eagerly rummage through the pages was a family institution in many households. Although we still do all that, the rise of Netflix and other streaming sites means that much of what we might ever want to watch is available at the click of a couple of buttons for whenever you’ve got a couple of hours to spare. The Christmas schedule stops being so special if you’ve already seen all the films that are showing or, more significantly, if you have the knowledge that you could easily watch them whenever you want, whether you actually end up doing so or not being irrelevant. Nothing destroys the excitement of a can’t-be-missed Christmas special if you know you can catch up on it on BBC iPlayer a few days later. Still, Christmas television isn’t a complete and utter waste of time, especially if you ignore everything I’ve just said, like I probably will, and embrace the joyous wonder that is online streaming. Or, alternatively, you might just turn on that ol’ box by the fire and watch some old-fashioned television. Whatever you decide to do, I have compiled an incredibly opinionated list of things to do, enjoy and not enjoy this Christmas.
Must Watch Christmas Movies:
Seeing as this is the last issue of the Express before Christmas, it’d probably make sense to start off by recommending some traditional Christmas movies so that’s what I’ll do:
Die Hard: I’m going to end the debate right now. Die Hard is a Christmas movie. It’s set at Christmas, there’s snow, there’s some Christmas music and it’s
incredibly fun. I think that just about sums up Christmas in its entirety. In all seriousness, Die Hard is a brilliant movie and is referenced in multiple other tv shows (Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as being one of the best cop movies ever, which it is. Bruce Willis really cemented his image as the tough but charming hero in the first instalment and Alan Rickman’s legendary bad-guy (in what was, amazingly, his first movie role) set the tempo for a hundred future
Probably the only movie my mom ever insisted I watch. It was somewhat of a Christmas institution in my house until the old VCR stopped working. First released in 1946, Frank Capra’s sweet and nostalgic Christmas story about a husband and father (played by James Stewart, the sort of fella your grandad would consider a “real man”), who wishes he had never been born, only to be shown by an adorable angel called Clarence quite how bad things would be without him, has been much copied and adapted over the years. The original remains the best, however, and is one of the few black and white movies I can truly claim to love unconditionally. If you’re the weepy sort, this movie will definitely get your tear ducts going: the scene where Stewart finds out that none of his family and friends know him is particularly heart-wrenching. But, in the tradition of a good Christmas movie, all is well at the end and many a moral lesson is learned.
The Santa Clause: Tim Allen’s first outing as the unwilling successor to the Santa he accidentally knocks off a roof is a brilliant, heart-warming movie in traditional Christmas spirit. Featuring elves, reindeer, family comedy (as well as several adult oriented jokes of genuine wit) and a lead performance from Allen at his lovable best, it’s the movie I watch when I finally accept that Christmas is here again. The protagonist’s dramatic change, both physically and mentally, from runof-the-mill salesman to Papa Nöel is unmissable, as is his heart beating to the tune of Jingle Bells when he goes for a check-up. If you don’t want the goodwill feeling to be shattered into pieces, then please, for the love of God, do not watch the two sequels. They are truly awful and remind me why I stopped getting out of bed on Christmas Day.
Christmas With the Kranks: Tim Allen again, this time aided ably by Jamie-Lee Curtis as the neurotic wife to his grumpy and disenfranchised husband, whose plans to give Christmas a miss in favour of a Caribbean cruise are thrown into disarray, first by their Christmas-obsessed neighbours (led with patriarchal gusto by Dan Aykroyd) and then by the return of their equally Christmas-obsessed
daughter from Peru. This movie is unashamedly silly, full of slapstick humour and Allen falling off things, but there is enough stupidly quirky humour to keep you giggling (hats off to a possessed snowman, botox injections and some particularly predatory carol singers). While it may not carry quite the same seasonal clout as It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street, it’ll certainly keep you distracted while you wait for something better to start on the next channel over.
Christmas Netflix,
Extended Edition: If you decided to ignore my tirade against Netflix at Christmas, there is plenty of fare, both festive and not so festive, that will be winging its way to the streaming service this Christmas.
The Christmas Chronicles (22/11/18): Kurt Russell, in my opinion, should always have a beard. In this festive story of two children who decide to kidnap Santa, the veteran actor tries his hand at portraying the Man in the Big Red Suit and, judging by the trailers, pulls it off magnificently with his usual charisma, a dose of impish charm and a truly magnificent bush of facial hair. There are real vibes of The Santa Clause about this one, complete with magical Christmas gadgets and the like, and Kurt Russell is always fun to watch. Streaming on Netflix as of the 22nd of November (criminally early), it is definitely one to get you in a Christmas mood before the exams start and destroy all your seasonal goodwill.
Peaky Blinders, Season 4 (19/12/18): Ok, so not very festive, but Netflix have finally caught up with the BBC in terms of airing the immensely successful tv series featuring Cillian Murphy in 1920s Birmingham. Having watched it as it was aired last Spring, I can assure you that this season is even more bombastic and spectacular than its predecessors. As Tommy Shelby and his family deal with their success, a threat arises in the form of an old enemy (you’ll be forgiven for forgetting who this particular family are) in the form of an Italian mafioso played with slick menace by Adrien Brody. Throw in a host of famous actors and several cameos from quite possibly television’s best ever secondary character, Alfie Solomons, Peaky Blinders is more than worth catching up on. Pretty sure there’s an episode set during Christmas somewhere in the series too so there’s your link if you want it.
Editor: Joe Cunningham Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (07/12/18): A bit of a strange one seeing as there was a remake of The Jungle Book which came out just last year featuring an all-star cast. This one had to change its name for obvious reasons, but features a similarly starstudded cast (Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Harris etc) and Andy Serkis in the director’s chair. The Jungle Book was pretty bad so hopefully this one will be a bit better. It does have the feel of a Christmas afternoon movie and the visual effects look impressive, although the vibes might be a bit dark for a proper family film.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Christmas Special (14/12/18): The successful reboot of the Naughties original gets a Christmas Edition. Darker than its predecessor, but with quirk and an arresting performance from Kiernan Shipka, this one off promises to be festive but with Halloween-esque undertones.
About A Boy (07/12/18): This gem of a movie combines the good guy English gentleman that is Hugh Grant with the boyish charms of a youthful Nick Hoult. A story about a boy, funnily enough, who struggles to fit in at school (might have something to do with his god-awful haircut) but befriends a listless 30-something year old bachelor living off the royalty money from a Christmas song his father wrote. If that’s not enough of a festive connection for you, the movie is a feel-good look at friendship, love and every-day life with winning performances from the leads and witty English humour at its finest. Definitely a good one to sit down and watch with the family.
The Big Lebowski, Sherlock Holmes, T2 Trainspotting (7th, 15th and 22nd respectively): If the feel-good vibe and children’s films aren’t your idea of a fun Christmas then movies that feature respectively: The Coen Bros at their finest; a wonderfully Victorian Guy Ritchie adaptation; and the longawaited sequel to Danny Boyle’s 90s original all come to Netflix this coming month. Commonly hailed as one of the best indie films ever, The Big Lebowski spawned multiple pop culture references and immortalised its title character The Dude, as well as popularising the White Russian cocktail. Jeff Bridges embodies the laid-back eponymous character and is aided by great performances from the likes of John Goodman, Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Steve Buscemi. This movie is another
one of those you should be able to say you’ve seen. Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson and a creepy Mark Strong doing his best bad guy, is great to look at, comical, features a great chemistry between the leads that often makes you laugh out loud, and inspired a style of title and credit sequences that have been copied time and time again due to their striking visual impact. Finally, the sequel to the original Trainspotting arrives on Netflix a few days before Christmas and it is much more expansive and comical than its predecessor. All of the original cast return for the movie, that although explores new avenues to No.1, loses none of the original’s charm and brutal honesty.
Christmas Classics: Top Movies that Will Definitely Be On This Christmas: You know the type. RTE are unable to afford many new movies for Christmas, especially as nobody really watches TV anymore, so instead they wheel out the same few movies that spend most of the year gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere. The Home Alone films spring to mind, that Father Ted Christmas Episode is another. Christmas Day usually follows a familiar pattern: an older animated movie first, followed by a reasonably new Pixar endeavour and then something with a bit more clout, but still child-friendly like Alice in Wonderland. My own personal bugbear is the Back to the Future Trilogy. They’re on about three different channels EVERY Christmas. They’re quite good but coupled with the fact that ITV2 shows them every two weeks throughout the year as well, it becomes almost unbearable. There’s only so much of Marty McFly antics I can put up with in the festive season. Christmas also brings out the Western movies in force. I don’t know what John Wayne and Clint Eastwood did to be so beloved by the festive period, but it must have been pretty darn special because their movies, all of which are basically the same, play one after another from mid-December to mid-January in a non-stop homage to a genre that would’ve been best left in the 60s where they belong. These movies and movies like Zulu are the sort of films that your dad will insist are brilliant and a must-watch when he’s putting them on, but which you find as boring as you suspected they would be and, after fifteen minutes, you look across to see him sound asleep and snoring gently, Christmas hat titled comically over his face.
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Big Moments 2018:
The #MeToo movement, although it started in 2017, defined the music and television industry in 2018. What started as a twitter hashtag grew to become the rallying cry for thousands, if not millions of people who had suffered sexual abuse or harassment at the hands of a person in a position of power. The movement helped end the domination of Harvey Weinstein over the film industry as well as giving a voice to many who had previously been held silent by fear. Although there were cases where #MeToo was itself abused and accusations became witch-hunts, overall the movement was a force for good and became the defining feature of the entertainment world throughout the year.
Best Films of 2018:
The 2018 Academy Awards featured, in my opinion, a lack of any truly great movies. 2018 was undoubtedly the year of the blockbuster and the massive success of Marvel’s Infinity War and Black Panther proved that superheroes have never been so in vogue. Similarly, The Incredibles proved to be heaps of nostalgic fun and really hammered home to me for the first time that I’m old enough to get excited as an adult about sequels to my childhood favourites. On the Indie side of filmmaking, although both were incredibly popular, Hereditary and BlKKKlansman made waves with critics and audiences alike: the first a truly unnerving psychological horror; the second an intelligent and humorous but also brutally insightful take on racism both in the 70s and today. One of the year’s best, a movie that got 93% on Rotten Tomatoes but flew under the radar for many audiences, was First Reformed. Starring Ethan Hawke as a disillusioned priest and Amanda Seyfried as a parishioner who seeks his help dealing with her climate-change obsessed husband, it is a dark look into both the human mind and the effects humanity is having on the world.
Worst Film of 2018:
I only added this category so I could talk about The Kissing Booth. I watched the movie with my roommates for the sole purpose of making fun of it and from that point of view the film was a resounding success. It is so easy to mock that it’s like the filmmakers intentionally set out to create a caricature of the stereotypical American teenager and her friends. Take a vapid, self-obsessed girl on the cusp of womanhood, a wimpy male best friend (cos a girl couldn’t possibly be friends with a boy who wasn’t wimpy), his hunky older brother who possesses the personality of a walnut and naturally owns a bike and a leather jacket, and that’s already about fifty clichés in the first five minutes.
Best Original Series of 2018:
The year’s best original series all belonged to Netflix, but The Haunting of Hill House proved to be the best of the lot. A horror series of above average intelligence, as well as being genuinely creepy in parts, Hill House proved to be so terrifying that it apparently led to some people wetting themselves, as per well-known bastion of truth LadBible. While I didn’t find it quite that scary, it was well produced, well acted and most of all authentically unnerving in parts. There were plenty of other series better than it this year, Stranger Things, Preacher, Billions etc, but very few that weren’t in their second or third season and this is why I have chosen Hill House as the standout of the newcomers.
Music
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‘Tis The Season To… Study Caoimhe Coleman, Music Editor
Unfortunately, it’s that time of year again when everyone is starting to stress over exams and assignments. However, your days in the library don’t have to be miserable and torturous, if you have the right music as your soundtrack. I for one, more often than not, physically cannot study or work on assignments without listening to music. It just makes the work seem endless and boring. Well, science says those of us who listen to music – specifically (but not limited to) classical music while studying may actually perform better mentally. It’s a phenomenon that scientists and psychologists have coined the “Mozart Effect.” So, with that in mind, here are some tips to help you organise the soundtrack to your study season: First of all: moderate your volume. Listening to music so loud that people around you can clearly hear it booming from your earphones isn’t pleasant for anyone involved. The person sitting beside you in the library will definitely not be impressed with you and your eardrums will be equally as displeased. Try listening to music at a moderate level. Not only is it better
for your ears, it has been proven to aid concentration. Secondly, make a playlist or multiple playlists of songs that are 40-50 minutes long. When your playlist ends, this will remind you to take a break. Everyone loves study breaks and they are 100% proven to make you more productive. Multiple studies have shown that the optimal workbreak ratio is 52 minutes of work to 17 minutes break and breaks are best taken away from your work area. Now, you may be wondering, “but Caoimhe, what music should I put in my playlists?” Well, I’m here to give you some suggestions. According to scientists and psychologists (who definitely know more about this than I do), listening to songs which contain the sounds of nature enhances mental performance. Personally, I find listening to rain drops or wind for an hour straight quite boring – and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Instead, I opt for something like Ben Howard’s Every Kingdom or Bon Iver’s 22, A Million. I wouldn’t necessarily say these albums explicitly contain the “sounds of nature” but to me, they at least allude to them. The melodic nature and the lyrics of both albums do the trick. Plus, Ben Howard’s Every Kingdom was, at
least in part, recorded in the outdoors, in barns and in sheds – so if that isn’t a nod to the “sounds of nature” I don’t know what is. Another recommended genre is that of instrumental or classical music – in short, music with no lyrics. I know a lot of people, like myself, find classical music a little boring (controversial, I know). However, TV and film scores can be a bit more exciting. Some of my favourites are Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein’s soundtrack to Stranger Things, Hans Zimmer’s Inception and Interstellar scores and Howard Shore’s pieces featured in The Lord of The Rings and Spotlight. If you’re into the heavier side of things, local progmetal band Aponym have got you covered – both their EPs Deus Incognitus and Ingress are available on Spotify. Another good option is to find instrumental versions of popular songs – there are endless numbers of playlists on Spotify so you are sure to find some of your favourites. The most important thing to keep in mind when compiling your perfect study playlist is to choose songs that don’t distract you, songs that you can simultaneously listen to and enjoy while also being productive. I find that shoegaze or dream-pop works really well for me. Think Slowdive, Beach House, Cocteau Twins or even My Bloody Valentine. Another
good option is to listen to albums that you know really well – so well that you don’t have to think twice about them. For me, a good example would be Paramore’s After Laughter or Joy As An Act of Resistance by IDLES. Something that almost sounds like it is actually wired into your brain because you’ve listened to it so much is less likely to distract you from your studies. On the flip side, listening to an album that you don’t really care about or are ambivalent towards can work too. I’m not saying listen to something you don’t like, but something that you wouldn’t mind having on as background noise. Everyone obviously has different tastes but for me, something like Mac Demarco’s Salad Days works well. I like it but I only know three or four of the songs really well. It’s easy listening (apologies to any Mac Demarco fans that I have offended). At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you actually study. It’s very easy to spend hours on end perfecting your perfect playlist and using it as an excuse to procrastinate (trust me, I know). Try not to give in to this temptation – challenge yourself to make a banger of a playlist in half an hour or even twenty minutes, don your favourite headphones and hit the books.
Editor: Caoimhe Coleman Escape Into A New World With Muse’s Simulation Callum Connolly, Music Writer
If you had told fans of Muse that their new album would list Timbaland and Tove Lo among its contributors before work began on their new album, many would have dismissed the Plymouth trio's latest release coming from another band who had forgotten their origins. However, Simulation Theory isn’t merely another album from a group exhausted of ideas; it is an experience through a different lens, an anomaly that offers escape from harrowing truths through a pseudoreality. Fans were not immediate in their acclaim of the first single “Dig Down” when it was rolled out to the world in May of last year, but the Devon trio’s new material has always needed time to settle. “The fanbase we have, there’s this timelag where five years later they get it,” says frontman Matt Bellamy, speaking to the Independent. “When we put ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ out, I remember there being a huge backlash. The first time we started playing that live, the crowd reaction was absolutely dead... the crowd would just stand there. [Then] ‘Supermassive Black Hole’, for a while, was the number one most streamed song in the UK in the [previous] two or three years, and when we play it live it gets the
best reaction, in the top three or four songs we have.” It could be argued Simulation Theory is the anti-thesis of Muse’s prior work Drones. Obsessed with the rise of technology and the possible threats it posed, their seventh album featured bleak imagery and tone that illustrated the atrocities of mankind. The latest addition to Muse’s catalogue is one that breaks away from that fear and embraces technology in its efforts to immerse itself into an entirely alien existence. Its opener “Algorithm” sets an appropriate tone for the theme of the album, with its video depicting the protagonist coming to terms with the fact that they had been living in a simulated world and attempts to confront their creator and leave this fabricated universe. If this doesn’t intrigue you, the band have enlisted Terry Crews to help frame their alternate world through a series of futuristically captured scenes. Lance Drake, director of “The Dark Side” commented on its theme in conversation with Genius, seeing it as a song “about fear, paranoia, mental illness, and depression. Sometimes the dream is a nightmare and grand visions are in fact crumbling illusions”. “Propaganda” is a funk-infused
political message warning about manipulation of the truth by governments and activists to coerce the masses, while “Blockades” is the most quintessential Muse song on the album, drawing on Chopin’s Ocean Etude as inspiration with nods to tracks on previous albums – the synths reminiscent of “Bliss” a fan favourite from 2001’s Origin of Symmetry. Naturally as the world’s political climate has undergone severe and cataclysmic change, so has Muse’s concept of their next sound. While their conventional style has been altered and toyed with, Simulation Theory still cements their status as champions of music crafted by real people, using their instruments to embed narratives and generate vibrant sounds in an age where programming is becoming the chief weapon for upcoming artists to build their platform.
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Crackin’ Christmas Covers Caoimhe Coleman, Music Editor
“The fact that Christmas songs are played to death on the radio once there is even a smell of November has always driven me crazy.” That is a quote from an article I wrote last year at Halloween. I was, and still am, very salty about the fact that Halloween songs don’t get the airtime they deserve while Christmas songs seem to be blared from every medium possible once November comes around. However, in an attempt to show some Christmas cheer for a change, I set myself the task of finding some Christmas songs that I could get behind. Little did I know, some of my favourite artists have created some Christmas crackers (pardon the pun).
Phoebe Bridgers – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
The fact that they embrace this element of the music scene doesn’t mean they’ve conceded their label as a rock band, for those who truly appreciated Muse for what they are would see experimentation across genres is something that Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dom Howard embrace. The 2nd Law, for example, was influenced by dubstep giant Skrillex. When extended tour dates are announced it can be expected that a date in Dublin will be included, not that there isn’t the possibility of Pairc Ui Chaoimh being utilised. Bellamy says there’ll be colour, and lots of it. “There may even be elements of, dare I say it, dance. Sometimes I’m awake at night sweating, thinking ‘it’s too late to turn back, s**t, I’m gonna have to make it work’.”
Wolf Alice – Santa Baby (Recorded at Strongroom Studios London)
Fears about dance routines aside, it's safe to say it'll be one mesmerising spectacle. Muse are back, and more ambitious than ever.
OPEN CALL FOR BANDS TO PLAY FUNDRAISER FOR SVCC Cork’s music community are rallying together to show solidarity and support to victims of sexual violence by organising a huge fundraising event for the Sexual Violence Centre Cork (SVCC), set to take place at the newly renovated Cyprus Avenue, on Friday 23rd December. All genres welcome. Email
cosmonautmusiccork@gmail.com immediately to register your interest.
Pale Waves – Last Christmas (Recorded at Metropolis Studios, London)
interview
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Photo: Kojaque via Facebook
Softboy Season Approaching: How Kojaque and Co. Took Charge of 2018 As 2018 is coming to a end, music journalists and critics across the world will be whipping out their Spotify History to write up their ‘Top 10’ lists, pitting albums of the past twelve months against each other for a chance to claim the ‘Best Album of 2018’ gong. Irish music has been blessed this year, with a number of stand out releases from Irish artists spanning the length of the year. We’ve seen Delerentos release their fifth album, Rejjie Snow and Wyvern Lingo release their highly-anticipated debuts and the likes of Kodaline, Gavin James and The Script return to the spotlight. While each and every one of these releases are impressive, they are all set to be overshadowed by a project that took Irish music, and
Irish rap, by storm upon its release. Kojaque’s ‘Deli Daydreams’ was the kick Irish music, and Irish hip-hop in particular, needed. Kojaque, a Dublin-born rapper, first came to people's attention in 2014 when he cropped up producing beats on SoundCloud. Since then, he’s released EP’s, singles, and projects, launched his own independent record label and crafted some of the most mesmerizing music videos Ireland has produced, including the brand new video for his latest track ‘Date Night’, which is a collaboration with Softboy Records labelmate Luka Palm. The University Express got an opportunity to sit down with Kojaque to discuss his musical beginings, Softboy Records and influence Cork, and UCC, had on his newest project.
How important was music in your it all Kanye West, 50 Cent? I knew Kanye West from the hits and life when you were growing up? I would have gotten a lot of music off sh*t that would be on my family computer. My older brothers would download and put them on to my USB or Ipod at the time. Yeah it was unreal. I’d listen to a lot indie rock, like the Mystery Jets, Chris Blair, and the likes.
the stuff you’d hear in the club, but I didn’t listen to much of 50. I only started listening to 50 recently, he’s a really good rapper. But it would have been a lot of Odd Future,MF Doom, Biggie.
started writing when I was like going on 16 but, like, the writing wasn’t substantial until I was like 19.
That stuff is me learning and putting out stuff simultaneously, so you know I’d make something and think ‘Well that sounds good, I better put it up online!’, I hadn’t a clue. I got
You started releasing instrumentals on Soundcloud in When did hip hop start to become around 2014, how long were you your genre of choice? learning to create music and to I think at about 15-16 I just started getting real into it and I started produce music before you started kind of exclusively listening to it. I releasing it?
What did you listen to early, was
23 a midi keyboard when I was like 17 maybe so I started kinda producing then and putting stuff out
You released your first rap song ‘Midnight Flower’ which came out a year later. You mentioned you’re embarrassed about rapping in a Dublin accent, why do you think that was?
I hadn’t really heard anyone rapping in a Dublin accent before, nothing mainstream anyway, it was all kind of underground. I guess I hadn’t heard anyone else do it, so I guess it was a lack of self confidence
emotive or feels inspirational it’s almost like a competitive nature in me. I’m kind of like, ‘Okay, can I do that, how can I write that’ and start writing straight away. Rap is kind of interesting because it’s kind of like open verse, you can write and then put that over whatever instrumental you feel. And that’s interesting too because that’s the emotive part of it, so you can change the entire mood of a track depending on what instrumental you put beneath it.
Creating A Label: The ‘Softboy’ Story
The video for the track came So, you have you’re label ‘Soft out relatively soon after and it Boy’. When did the idea of setting went viral, it garnered you a lot up a label first come about? of attention, and a lot of press. Probably around 2015. I set it up with What was it like being in the my mate Kean [Kavanagh] and then boy, Steve, got involved. We middle of that media snowstorm? another all have different aspects of the label It was a little bit overwhelming. I guess there was a lot of articles written about it, but it was more about the fact that it was viral over the sensational aspect of what was going on in the video, rather than anyone trying to critically assess the art or the performance. So in one sense it was cool, but I don’t think anyone was paying attention to it for the right reasons or reasons that I would have liked them to pay attention. So you know, it was good and bad
that we take care of, I would tend to do more of the visual aspects of our output, Ste handles our merch and our web design, and Kean handles the administration stuff- he’s really good at that. And we all love music stuff, so the music comes in through us first, whether people send us demos, or we go out and try seek the music out and bring it back. And if it’s good and we like the people who make it, that’s usually how we decide who’s on the label.
What’s been the biggest difficulty label- both former and present you’ve faced so far? UCC students. What are they like Hm… I guess the management to work and collaborate with? aspect of stuff is difficult. It’s a lot of work just getting back to the emails that come into your inbox all the time. And as things pick up, that work load just increases, and not only do you have to worry about your own musical output and your own art, you then have a roster of like nine other people all equally worried about their work and you have to try and give everybody equal attention, no favouritism or anything like that. Time management is a difficult one and staying on top of the workload. It’s hard work to make sh*t look easy. That’s been difficult
What’s your songwriting process? Do you write a poem and fit it around the music or the instrumentals, or is it more cohesive?
It depends, I kind of take each song as they come, but the writing is inspired by stuff I’m listening to. Like if I was listening to something
We’ve never really had an idea on how a label is run or how it should be run. It was just the case of, ‘Listen, we have access to this open platform that we can put music up, it’s gonna be put up anyway so why not pretend we have a label?’. And then start to run it that way. So it’s always been that we kind of take it as it comes, and then it’s good cause you’re kind of learning on the job. So as things pick you up you kind of learn new sh*t and you learn what to do, what not to do. And you learn what works in terms of rolling out a project, who to work with and who not to work with; venues, vinyl’s and stuff like that.
Just Keep Looking Forward
You’ve recently released your first project, ‘Deli Daydreams’, on Are you looking forward to Softboy, tell me a little bit about coming back to Cork on December the songwriting process. 5th? Yeah, the song process is…hmmm… well…yeah, I’ve tried to write songs in the moment, really just thinking about what’s happening as I’m writing it and kind of address songs individually. Then once they’re written and you kind of have them done, I tend to go back and re-listen to them and think about how they work contextually or how they work in a kind of body of work. So yeah, it’s kind of like jigsaw pieces and you’re trying to find the ones that fit.
Were you expecting the level of Was it difficult making the label Was that something that annoyed success or attention it received? a reality? I don’t know if I was expecting it, you at the time? Well yeah, I mean you always want your art to be taken seriously. You want people to kind of put merit behind stuff, but I mean it’s hard to tread that line between something that’s interesting and what will be taken seriously.
Two very elusive characters, difficult to get on a song. They can be difficult to get a beat off of but they are lovely, absolute gentlemen, they couldn’t be nicer and they make fu**ing beautiful music as well. I think they’re two kind of real purists in terms of their music, for them it’s the music first, so that’s probably why it can be difficult to get tracks off them sometimes because they’re perfectionists. But you know, that’s why they sound so good, so you can’t really fault them for that.
but I was hoping for it you know? From the beginning, this has been something that I’ve wanted to be able to do full-time and the amount of care and attention that goes into making it work- I want to dedicate myself to that, and make money of it, of course. So yeah, I think that whole business model of the ‘tortured artist’, I think it’s a kind of romantic idea, but I think it’s really sh*t business model. So, it’s nice to be able to do what you love and get paid for it.
YES. Cork is a f**king amazing city. The people are so receptive to music, it’s a really good audience. You know sometimes you get an audience that are rowdy and don’t really give a fuck who’s onstage, they just want to get pissed with their mates. And the you get audiences that don’t engage and are difficult to get to engage, you know they kind of stand back with a firm upper lip and aren’t giving you much, but I feel that Cork is a lovely mix because people are super receptive and have a lot of respect for the music as well, so yeah I like to play there.
Final question, what’s next for Kojaque and Soft Boy? It’s a very plentiful time for Soft Boy. We’ve got Luka Palm working on a project, Kean’s working on a project, Gaptoof’s working on a project, I’m working on new music. So, we’re just strategizing at this stage, thinking about our rollout for 2019, but there’s a lot of beautiful music to come. It’s a good time, Soft season is upon us!
Kojaque plays Cyprus Avenue on Wednesday 5th December. Tickets There are credits to Jar Jar Jr, are sold out. and I know Gaptoof is on the
Gaming
24
An Obsession of the Main-Stream Cian McGrath, Gaming Editor
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg is the biggest YouTuber in the world. Better known as PewDiePie, he currently holds just over 71 million subscribers on YouTube. His story is an amazing one. After dropping out of college, and while working in a hot dog stand, PewDiePie began to focus his work on his YouTube channel, passing 1 million subscribers in July 2012. In total he has received over 19 billion views. This is a man who very literally started from the bottom and through sheer entertainment value and charisma, has grown to be a household name world-wide. From humble beginnings of recording himself playing video games in his bedroom to now running his own satirical news show on his channel, it is not for the content that he gets the views; people watch to see him. One man has been given this platform, but this has not come without its own controversies. In January of 2017, criticism began to follow him, however, and through various poor decisions he was widely criticised for having gone too far in his humour. This began a stream of
criticism which has not stopped since. The Wall Street Journal reported on the incident, while also adding that since August 2016, PewDiePie has included anti-Semitic jokes or Nazi imagery in nine separate videos, despite evidence on this being scarce and unsubstantiated. On 13 February, the Disney-owned Maker Studios multi-channel network cut its ties with PewDiePie because of the controversy and the additional videos containing allegedly anti-Semitic jokes. Maker stated that "although [he had] created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate." Google also took action, dropping him from the Google Preferred advertising programme, as well as cancelling the Scare PewDiePie YouTube Red series. Many other journalists joined in criticising Kjellberg including the Guardian, the Independent and Polygon, often taking some of his content out of context in order to heighten the issues that were surrounding him, including accusing him of using his content to normalise Neo-Nazism.
Various YouTubers stood by Kjellberg during the controversy, criticising the media for misquoting, misrepresenting and lying. Ethan Klein, a Jewish sketch comedian, accused the Wall Street Journal of intentionally taking the Swedish gamer’s videos out of context and manufacturing an outraged response against a creator who had merely made bad jokes, quoted as saying, “[PewDiePie] is not a real racist. He’s a comedian. Maybe he pushed the boundary a little too far, but guys, that’s it. Let’s not call him an anti-Semite.” The controversy was far from over however, as later in the year, he used a horrendous racial slur while playing a live-stream. He immediately apologised saying, “I'm not going to make any excuses to why [the slur] did [slip out] because there are no excuses for it. I'm disappointed in myself because it seems like I've learned nothing from all these past controversies, [using the slur] was not okay. I'm really sorry if I offended, hurt or disappointed anyone with all of this. Being in the position that I am, I should know better.". Kjellberg’s actions have been far from correct, and of course should, and have, been criticised. It is, however, worth looking at various
factors which should be taken into account. YouTube is a new form of media. It is a highly accessible and highly varied form of entertainment, created by individuals or groups, who create unique and often very personal content which can be viewed from almost anywhere in the world. Certain portions of main-stream media, television, radio and largescale print journalism has had its own controversies, from Hillsborough reporting to phone-hacking to serious invasions of privacy with respect to certain tabloid media. It must also be noted that many aspects of the media hold certain political, social or societal views. It is inarguable that most large-scale television companies in the United States fall on one side of their two-party system. For example, Fox News, the largest TV news channel in the US has 2.34million viewers in Prime Time television, and a study in the United States by the American Economic Review has said that if Fox News didn’t exist then the Republican Vote in 2008 could have been reduced by up to 7%. It could be argued that certain aspects of the media would be more than happy to see a new form of media, YouTube, lose credibility through scandals, and while it cannot be
Editor: Cian Mcgrath argued that these cases of controversy, such as Kjellberg’s, should not be criticised, the extent to which the media has alienated a certain section of what he has done should be. His crude and inappropriate jokes have been dragged to the fore and he has been globally named as a Racist, AntiSemetic Neo-Nazi, but certain other aspects of what he has done have not been reported. He has helped to raise over $600,000 for Charity:Water, $630,000 for Save the Children and $200,000 for RED, the HIV/AIDS charity in Africa. Certain portions of the media’s obsession with one man is unhealthy, especially given certain other scandals which were not given the same long-lasting attention. When Logan Paul filmed a dead body in a forest in Japan, it was given a certain level of attention, but his consistent disrespectful and racist comments and actions while on holiday in Japan, or his video showing animal cruelty, where he tasered a dead rat, were not highlighted to the same extent. In fact, Paul has only grown larger from the controversy, with a YouTube funded sequel to his film once the criticism slowed. Perhaps it is the fact that Paul almost doubled down after the controversy saying, “I’m still a human, I can be wrong. I didn’t do it for the views. I get views… I regret to say I handled that power incorrectly”. Various other YouTubers have had various scandals drawn out into the public, but not to the same extent. The level of personal attack that Kjellberg experienced is one which has not been seen since and for one man to come through that without serious deterioration in his mental health is rather fortunate, if not commendable. It is important to once again stress here that the actions of Kjellberg are deplorable, but he is far from unique. The obsession with one man is unhealthy, and while it must be stressed that he holds a strong influence over his viewers, his largest demographics are 18-24 and 25-30, while nearly 50% of Logan Paul’s audience are under 24. Kjellberg is one man, with a family and a life, and beyond that, he is a person too. He has made mistakes, and he has paid the consequences; no one else would be held accountable in the way he has. Perhaps the reason that Pewdiepie, and YouTube in general, is still so popular is for this very reason. He is just one man, his content is personal and approachable. There is no veil for him to hide behind. He has been criticised, and rightly so, but has shown genuine empathy and remorse for his actions, which is a lot more than can be said for others who were in his position. In a world of imperfections, he is no different.
On a personal note
On a more personal note, last Tuesday, the 20th of November, I, on behalf of Netsoc, helped to organise a Nerd themed quiz along with the Sci-Fi Society and WARPS. This quiz was in aid of Jigsaw, and I feel that it would not be right for me not to include a short piece on it. Jigsaw Cork provides nonjudgemental and confidential mental health support service for young people aged 12 - 25 living, working or studying in Cork. They provide guidance and support for young people who are going through a
difficult or distressing time. They also provide advice and guidance for anyone who is concerned about a young person in their life. Mental health is something which is extremely prevalent in the modern day, especially this close to exams. In total, €380 was raised, all of which will go directly to the charity. This was based off of an attendance of just over 60 people. That is over €6 per person. An absolutely fantastic event for everyone and a huge thank you to all those who helped, attended, donated and a big congratulations to the winners.
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Pewdiepie
If growth curves are to be believed, then Pewdiepie will be overtaken as the largest channel on YouTube at some point this month. Here are some ridiculous statistics to show the sheer mass of his following;
71:
If Pewdiepie’s 71,068,326 subscribers (at time of writing), was to be a country, it would be the 20th biggest in the world, ahead of the United Kingdom, Thailand and South Africa
282:
In the last 30 days, he has received 282,807,000 views. With his videos averaging around 10 minutes, this is the equivalent of 47,134,500 hours of watch time on his channel
63:
Unlike most larger channels, none of Pewdiepie’s videos has gone ‘viral’ per se. His most viewed video is at 63 million views.
19:
In total, his channel has received over 19 billion views, nearly three times the amount of the population of the world.
1:
One person, one channel, one camera, 71 million fans.
Humor
26 Hundreds of Celebrities caught in Los Angeles wildfire
Ian Cognito, Humor Writer
RTE “License Squad” a resounding success Callum Casey, Humor Editor
After years of failing returns and not so stellar critics reviews, RTE has been forced to take drastic measures to try and right their sinking ship. “We just can’t compete,” Dee Forbes, Director General of the state broadcaster told the Express, “People just want to binge watch Netflix all day. My son just told me he has 1 Terabyte of Hentai stored in the cloud! How the hell does RTE compete with that?” In recent years the broadcaster has tried to lure viewers in with “Boundary pushing”, “Innovative programming”, but even this failed. “We’ve made so many gritty, dark crime dramas, but no one cares! We’ve made the Late Late Show sexier, but still nothing! In the end we just gave Amy Huberman all the money and told her to make as many immersion jokes as she could.” Forbes then went on to describe how RTE will rectify the situation, “We have identified the problem. It’s the people of Ireland. They’re spoiled. They think that just because we offer shows with no production value or effort that they can just stop paying their TV licences? Just because they’d rather watch Game of Thrones than Daniel and Majella’s
B&B Roadtrip doesn’t mean they can get away with not paying.” So instead of investing money back in to making quality programming, RTE slashed the special effects budget for Fair City and started the “License Squad”. A crack team of heavily armed, power hungry RTE stars, to enforce T.V license laws. The Express followed the team on one of their first excursions. The offending house was situated on College Road. The occupants, all below the age of eighty, didn’t even watch RTE. The T.V was only used for movie nights and drunken Just Dance battles, but that didn’t matter. The team moved swiftly, massacring the students in minutes. Miriam O Callaghan lead the charge, ramming the door down and blind firing. Dathi O Shea and Tubridy followed suit, relishing the violence. O’Callaghan, smeared in viscera and high on bloodlust had this to say about the operation, “It was a complete success. Me and Tubridy are back in Coke money and RTE will give us 100 more years of bland programming!” The team were unable to comment further as they sped off to fire bomb Virgin Media One.
The wildfires that have ravaged southern California this past week are finally under control, but the scale of the devastation is only beginning to be seen. The fire which destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and has spread across 233sq miles is already the deadliest American wildfire in a century. And there are fears that the eventual death toll will rise much higher, with almost 1,300 people still unaccounted for, but you don’t give a shit about the thousands of families who were displaced, injured and can’t afford to rebuild their shattered lives do you? Of course not! What about the Celebs? Are they ok? Did their pools survive? The Express is here with the updates to put your mind at ease, knowing your favourite actor is safe and sound. George Clooney- While Clooney’s mansion was caught in the blaze, thanks to quick thinking, he escaped unharmed. When the fire began to engulf his home, Clooney wisely used a replica Batsuit from Batman
and Robin to escape and was unhurt. Clooney did however lose many Nespresso machines in the fire. Our hearts are with his family at this time. The Kardashians- The Kardashian family was one of the worst affected in all of Los Angeles. Eye witness reports say it was like the fire had a mind of its own and headed straight for them. Sadly, they all survived. Kevin Spacey- Although no one is actually looking to rescue Spacey, many claim he actually caused the devasting wildfire when he began burning mountains of evidence against him. Still, wouldn’t be the worst thing he’s done. Michael Bay- The famous director has actually refused rescue on several occasions. He was quoted as saying “I wanna stay and watch the explosions man. It gives me the weirdest boner.” If you could find it in your hearts to donate to these poor, poor billionaires please visit the American Red Cross.
Editor: Callum Casey Callum Casey, Humor Editor
The Unidentified Flying Object spotted over Kerry last week that baffled meteorologist and non- virgins alike, finally has an explanation. Early today in a prepared statement, the Healy Rae family took responsibility for the craft. “We’re very sorry for the fuss, honestly,” Michael Healy Rae told the gathered press, “Didn’t mean to scare anyone. The craft belonged to us, no aliens like. It’s just an experimental road paving device we’re testing out.”
UFO OVER IRELAND
INDENTIFIED
The craft, which was shown today for the first time is approximately 15 feet long, fuelled by turf, and adorned with drift king, JDM and Massey Ferguson sticker, because it’s from Kerry. The craft was built in secret to help the family keep its
Patriotic Arts Student Fails English Callum Casey, Humor Editor
Christmas exam results were released last week, and while many students were hoping for high grades, or at very least, a pass, one man couldn’t care less. Michael Leary, a first-year arts student failed all of his subjects, but one more spectacularly than the others. Mr. Leary somehow secured minus 10%, making him the first student in UCC history to receive a mark below zero, not that he gave a shit, the fucking legend. This astounding mark drew the attention of a multitude of college students and staff, most asking if he was an undiagnosed dyslexic, or just plain thick. The UCC Sin Fein society, however, took a different view on the matter. “You may all see a waster, a fool… someone who’d thrive at CIT, but I see a true Irish hero!” Their leader said at one of the groups 96,000 planned rallies this year, “I’ve never seen someone with such a hatred for that dirty Prod language in my life, and sure that’s all you need really!” Leary was welcomed eagerly by the group, the members so fervent with patriotism that they were foaming at the mouth, or possibly foaming
due to a severe vitamin deficiency caused by a diet consisting solely of potatoes and Beamish: The only diet for a true patriot. Spurred on by the actions of their newest idol, a splinter group of the UCC society stepped up their action against the English language. First the group took their complaints to the president of UCC, hoping to get the subject removed altogether. “They barged into my office,” UCC President told the Express, still baffled by the experience, “Chanting and singing. Once they had calmed down a bit they brought that boy to the front, you know, the simple one. He looked scared to be honest. They made him ask me to remove English from the curriculum. Naturally I refused. They weren’t very happy about it, I’ll tell you. Pelted me with really badly printed copies of the proclamation as they went.” Tensions rose and rose on campus between the school of English and Sin Fein youth until it culminated in the attempted detonation of Boole 4 during a Lecture on Twelfth Night early Tuesday morning. The alarm was raised when one student spotted the suspicious device, and the hall was evacuated. The bomb squad was
strangle hold on the lucrative road contracts they get every year. “This machine will help us keep Kerry’s road from looking like a spotty teenagers face. It will help us keep our contracts when even nepotism won’t cut it.” When questioned about why the craft was flying so close to the two British Airlines planes, Danny took the mic, “Well,” He slurred, “There are no drink driving rules in the sky, you know? So, I had a few pints for dinner and decided to take her out for a spin. No harm done.”
27
HEADLINES BREAKING
Judge rules in favour of convicted rapist as his victims chastity belt was, “too revealing”.
POLITICS
Theresa May scarecrows installed along Irish border.
Danny Healy Rae was later charged with drink flying and manslaughter when it was found that it was his craft that was responsible for a midair collision with a Martian family. He is awaiting sentencing at the Intergalactic super-prison on Pluto. called in and after a tense hour, the hall was declared safe. “The bomb was terribly made,” A member of the squad revealed to the Express, “Definitely Irish. Maybe Chinese… those little kids build quality!” Sinn Fein UCC have denied responsibility for the act, “Sure we don’t know anything about that,” A spokesperson for the group said. “It was probably one of the exchange students. We can’t be terrorists sure, we’re Irish! You have to be brown to be a terrorist!” Graffiti reading, ‘Shakespeare was a Tan’, was also found outside the lecture hall. Just as it seemed they were getting some traction around college, Sinn Fein Youth’s rise was thrown into chaos by a challenge to Leary’s patriotism: his ability to speak Irish. Rumours swirled that Mr. Leary, the catalyst for the entirety of the troubles had failed foundation level Irish. The group went into hiding for a day before bringing out Mr. Leary for a stuttering, mispronounced rendition of Geibheann, and with that, Mr. Leary ascended to Irish legend status among heroes like Fionn and Cú Chullain. When the Express reached out to try and attain a copy of Leary’s Leaving cert marks the group said they, “Didn’t know where the files were buried.”
BREAKING
The portal to Hell has been found in the men’s bathroom in the Kane Building. The demonic gateway is located in the stall with shit smeared on the walls. You know the one.
BUSINESS
Cork Landlords cite “The Haunting of Hill House” as main inspiration for their student properties.
CULTURE
Ireland becomes first country to have fully clothed nudists.
LIFESTYLE
A guide to staying with your shit boyfriend because you’re just too lazy to find anyone better.
Arts & Literature
28
Oscar Wilde: An Irish Treasure “The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable, and literature is unread” In case it hasn’t been glaringly obvious, this issue is dedicated to Oscar Wilde to commemorate the 118th anniversary of his death on the 30th November. If you have never read any of Wilde’s works, I implore you to do so! While many of his works were deemed scandalous at the time (to say the least), much of the content for us readers today is par for the course. However, the wit is not of this age and will never, I think, be encountered again. While the humour of his writings is legendary, with many of his quotations adorning posters, buttons, trinkets, Instagrams, Pinterest boards, and the like, it is his complete emotional connection with his characters
that is pervasive – at least for me. But the man himself is far more interesting than any of his works and luckily for us, he was Irish. For those of you who don’t have the energy to google a few Irish facts, here are some to replace your daily social media ingestion:
Gan focal Gaeilge Though raised in Ireland by his parents, Sir William Wilde and Jane Wilde, he did not speak a word of the Irish language. This is not to suggest he was incapable of learning a second language. In fact, Wilde was proficient in German, French, Italian, and Greek.
and published poems in support of the Young Irelanders in The Nation. Following the death of her husband, Jane continued his works in collecting Irish folklore tales. In case there was any doubt of her political sympathies, here is a short excerpt from her poem “The Famine Years”: “From the cabins and the ditches, in their charred, uncoffin'd masses, For the Angel of the Trumpet will know them as he passes.
favour of socialism in order to free the soul for individualism. He also discusses the concept of charity in a capitalist society, criticising that “charity creates a multitude of sins”. Wilde goes on to muse that many poor are ungrateful for the charity they receive, and this may seem like an outrageous, but not unexpected, statement from a man born to a ‘Sir’. However, he goes on to clarify that while the poor are “ungrateful, discontented, disobedient and rebellious…they are quite right to be so”.
A ghastly, spectral army, before the great God we'll stand,
“Artists have sex but art has none”
And arraign ye as our murderers, the spoilers of our land.”
As an editor of The Woman’s World from 1887-1889 Wilde enthusiastically oversaw the development of the periodical into one inclusive of women’s accomplishments; from literature to archaeologists. Abiding by his contention that gendered writing
"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. “Socialism itself will be of No man does. That's his." value simply because it will Pro-Irish independence and anti- lead to individualism" British, Jane Wilde wrote under the pseudonym of ‘Speranza’
Éadaoin Regan, Arts & Lit Editor
In his intention, ‘The Soul of Man under Socialism’, Wilde argues in
Editor: Eadaoin Regan
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Dorian Gray (2009) by Oliver Parker (7/10)
While this adaptation is far from perfect, in terms of the characterisation of Dorian himself, I do feel Ben Barnes did a pretty flawless job. There have been twenty-five portrayals of Wilde’s infamous Dorian Gray character since 1910. While admittedly I have yet to peruse them all, I do think Ben Barnes captured his essence very well. For instance, Barnes fulfilled a very endearing portrayal of Dorian’s internal struggle between his morals and the temptations that accompany immortality. Now Colin Firth, however, is an absolutely mesmerising Henry ‘Harry’ Wotton. There’s not much Colin Firth couldn’t convince me to do, but I have yet to see a more accurate take on the role so it is easy to understand how Dorian is initially, and so simply, corrupted. As Oscar Wilde himself said, his character of Harry was far more a reflection of himself than Dorian, and this only makes the film more enjoyable. However, if you are studying it (looking at you in semester 2, first year students) then it is not a reliable replacement for reading the novel. Just a friendly reminder!
HOT OR NOT League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) by Stephen Norrington (2/10)
I’m all for supporting our own but how in the world Stuart Townsend was approved for this role is beyond all comprehension. I have watched this closely and hoped I could excuse it away as bad editing, but this simply isn’t the case. Townsend’s Dorian embodies none of the charm or wit of Wilde’s original character. But it is not just Townsend who is to blame. The dialogue in particular between Dorian and Mia, a vampire, in this film is so shockingly cringe-worthy they would have fared far better had they just stolen direct dialogue from the novel itself. Perhaps then I would not have been forced to watch dialogue presumably inspired by an awkward exchange in any pub of a Friday night.
was a stain on society, he also welcomed contributions from men to compliment the edition. In fact, he only left the position as his manager constrained his ambitions too much. But what of his contributions to the women’s movement in Ireland? As a supporter of the infamous The Yellow Book (1894-1897), a literature and art periodical closely linked to the aesthetic and decadent movements, he was aware of many of the New Woman’s movement writers including those of Irish heritage. It was through the publication that he befriended Irish writer, to name but one, George Egerton. (See recommendation list in sidebar: I would do Eleanor Fitzsimons an injustice by trying to paraphrase her study. Definitely a must-read!)
If you are interested in learning more about the real Oscar Wilde and his influences, here are a few titles to get you started:
Irish Peacock and Scarlet Marquess: The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde (2003) by Merlin Holland
Oscar Wilde’s Chatterton: Literary History, Romanticism, and the Art of Forgery (2015) by Joseph Bristow and Rebecca N. Mitchell
Theorist Under-rated: Oscar Wilde the Critic (2015) by Sukriti Ghosal
Wilde’s Women: How Oscar Wilde Was Shaped By the Women He Knew (2015) by Eleanor Fitzsimons
Oscar: A Life (2018) by Matthew Sturgis
SEXPRESS
Getting in the (Festive) Mood Rian Browne O’Neill, Sexpress Editor
too much and mine isn’t enough?
Navigating relationships, whether they be new, long term or just being freshly single can be difficult anytime of the year, but emotions and tensions seem to be heightened even more when the festive season rolls around.
It’s enough to make your head spin out of control! It’s a new relationship and you don’t want to break your already dwindling bank balance, but you also want to keep your new beau happy. Set a spend limit between yourselves! Okay, budgeting doesn’t sound very romantic, but it does offer a chance to get creative, to make the most with what you have to spend. A relationship, the strength or closeness of it, especially a new one, should not be measured by the number of expensive gifts exchanged within it. It’s a cliché but a true one: it’s the thought that counts.
Studies have shown that during the colder weather months, relationships are under significantly more strain than at any other time of the year. A quick google search on the topic will reveal hundreds of articles about the terrifying limbo of the Christmas season as if it provokes some mystical force out to remind you of your lack of man/lady/significant other. A lot of the time, all of this strain is amplified by the pressures of the festive season – What presents should I buy? How much should I spend? Do we spend Christmas Day together or apart? Their family or mine? Are we even at that stage yet? How does this Christmas thing go again?
Gifts
You’ve been dating, you’re 3 months in and things are going great, but gift giving season is around the corner and you’re stuck with a dilemma – or three. What do I get them? More importantly, I’m a broke college student, how much should I spend? What if their present is
Making Time
You’ve been summoned home to help put up the decorations, your friends want to go for drinks, your significant other has a family dinner they want you to be at, and you’ve left buying presents to the last minute. It can often feel like the closer Christmas gets the more you’re burning the candle at both ends, and that’s when things can really take a toll on your relationships. You may be left feeling so overwhelmed that sometimes you take things out on the people you care about most without meaning to. You want to keep everyone happy, but you can’t split yourself in two.
Editor: Rian Browne O’Neill
Set some time aside for everyone. It doesn’t have to be on the big day! There’s no reason you and your partner can’t have an early Christmas together, or meet the bestie for a Stephen’s Day drink.
Stress
With Christmas, comes Christmas exams. The stress and anxiety in the lead up to exams is palpable; it’s very tempting to spend hours on end cramming in the library. In turn, it’s also very easy to get stressed, to get snappy and to let social and relationship responsibilities slide which can take its toll on your relationship. Of course you’re both incredibly busy and stressed, but make some time that doesn’t involve college work or complaining to each other about deadlines – designate a date night to enjoy some quality time, even if it’s just going to a gig or planning a very cozy night in to relieve some of that stress together (orgasms can really work wonders for relieving stress).
Loneliness
So far, we’ve looked at navigating the festive season as part of a relationship, but Christmas can be a challenging time without a second half too, especially if you’ve become recently single. Sometimes it can feel like you’re being constantly bombarded by images of happy couples and families and this can make you feel lonely and generally
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just put a downer on what’s supposed to be a happy occasion. Take some time to treat yourself. That doesn’t mean spending lots of money buying yourself gifts; do the little things, like take your dog for a walk, enjoy getting crafty and creative with presents, read a book you've been meaning to read for ages but haven't! If you are in the position to spare some cash maybe there’s been a shirt or an EP you’ve been eyeing up for a while, and it wouldn’t be a Sexpress article if we didn’t suggest investing in a new toy or lube! Take time to take care of you. Find comfort in friends and family, organise a get together, help out with Christmas dinner, find a Christmas special to look forward to, even volunteer with a charity or at a fundraising event if you can! It's important to remember that how you're feeling has got less to do with being helplessly lonely and more to do with the societal pressure placed upon us during this time of year. The festive and new year period can come with its own set of challenges and pressures. Celebrate as much (or as little) as you want, treat it as any other day of the week or go all out! What's most important is that you do what makes you happiest, whether that's being with a partner or loved one or giving back to the community and looking out for others who might be finding things rough at this time of the year.
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Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
“Beatha teanga í a labhairt”
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se Séamus agus táim mar éagarthóir Gaeilge don bhliain atá amach romhainn. An fhreagracht atá orm ná an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn agus gnóthaí na Gaeilge a chur in iúl do leitheoirí agus mé i mbun pinn. Beidh sé sin cuibheasach éasca mar bíonn an-chuid imeachtaí suimiúla agus taitneamhacha sa tsiúl ar fud na háite anseo! Deirtear go bhfuil an Ghaeilge ag teacht chun críche agus nach bhfuil fonn foghlamtha ar dhaoine chun í a fhoghlaim. Ní aontaím le sin ar chor ar bith, ‘sé an mhalairt ar fad atá fíor i UCC. Is cosúil le mionchampas Gaeltachta anseo! Mar shampla, bíonn cumann darb ainm ‘An Chuallacht’ ar a seacht ndícheall chun an Ghaeilge a scapadh i measc
na scolairí. Bíonn réimse leathan imeachtaí ar siúl in aghaidh na míosa. Anuraidh, bhí Ceardlann fostaíochta ar siúl ina raibh aoichainteoirí ó TG4, RTÉ agus ó Chonradh na Gaeilge ag labhairt faoi na deiseanna oibre iontacha atá anseo agus thar lear. Creid nó ná creid bhí ‘Pop Up Gaeltacht’ againn ag tús na bliana! Deis den chéad scoth ab ea é aithne a chur ar dhaoine nua agus cairde nua a dhéanamh. Bíonn roinnt imeachtaí eile cosúil le ciorcal comhrá a bhíonn ar siúl go seachtainiúil. Ná bí cúthalach bíonn fáilte roimh chách chun páirt a ghlacadh! Is féidir leat ‘An Chuallacht’ a leanúint ar Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/anchuallachtucc/
Frásaí na Seachtaine: Rugbaí Foireann rugbaí na hÉireann – Irish rugby team An chlibirt – The scrum Úd – Try Líne úid – Try line An síneadh amach – The line-out Corn Rugbaí an Domhain – Rugby World Cup Nua-Shéalainn (na hAll-Blacks) – New Zealand (the All Blacks) An Haka – The Haka An slua a ghríosú – To spur on the crowd Bua stairiúil – A historic win
Gaeilge Chomh maith leis sin, tá ‘Ionad na Gaeilge labhartha’ sa Choláiste. Déanann siad sárobair ar son na Gaeilge sa choláiste. Bíonn a gcuid iarrachtaí dírithe ar nasc a bhunú agus chothú idir iad féin agus daltaí éagsúla. Mar shampla, cuireann siad ranganna deonacha ar fáil do dhaoine atá suim acu feabhas a chur ar a gcuid Gaeilge. Chomh maith leis sin, bíonn aoichainteoirí cosúil le iariománaí Chorcaí Seán Óg Ó hAilpín a labhair go bríomhar paiseanta faoi na difriochtaí suntasacha idir Rotuma agus Corcaigh agus cé chomh cabhrach is a bhí na Cluichí Gaelacha chun cúrsaí an tsaoil a dhéanamh níos fusa. Ní gá go mbeadh an Ghaeilge fé chaibidil agat chun freastal ar na himeachtaí seo. Is féidir leat ‘Ionad na Gaeilge labhartha’ a leanúint ar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaeilgel/ Is cuid lárnach dár gcultúr é an iriseoireacht sa lá atá inniú ann. Bíonn tionchar ag na meáin shóisialta sa tslí is go mbíonn daoine ag fáil nuachta ó a gcuid gúthan. Sin ráite,
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is breá le daoine áirithe iriseoireacht chlóite, mé féin san áireamh! Ní gá go mbeadh aon taithí nó cúlra san iriseoireacht agat chun scríobh don ‘UCC Express’. Bíonn fáilte is fiche roimh gach éinne chun a gcuid tuairimí a thabhairt nó chun nuacht a thuairisciú. Ceapaim féin gurb iad na tréithe is tabhachtaí chun a bheith i do iriseoir ná a bheith: •
Cruinn – litriú na n-ainmneacha agus na teidil.
•
Cothrom – dhá thaobh an scéil a léiriú i gcónaí.
•
Soiléir – bí cinnte go bhfuil ciall ag baint le do chuid scríobhneoireachta.
Chun críoch a chur le mo chuid cainte, is léir nach bhfuil easpa áiseanna Gaeilge i UCC agus ní sin ach blaiseadh! An t-aon píosa comhairle atá agam do dhuine a bhfuil speis aige/aici sa Ghaeilge ná páirt a ghalcadh sna himeachtaí. Thar gach ní eile, sult, spraoi agus tairbhe a bhaint as do shaol foghlamtha Gaeilge. ‘Beatha teanga í a labhairt’ mar a deirtear.
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Photos
Above: UCC Dwali Celebrations, Photos by Celem Deegan
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Photos
Top Half clockwise: Photographic Exhibition; Puppies in the SU common room, UCC Music Society; Photos by Eve Harrington. Bottom: SVP, Simon and Feminist Society 48 hour Sleepout, Photo - Holly McGrath
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Sports
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
Guinness Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 17/11/2018 Ireland vs New Zealand All Blacks, Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best, Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony and Devin Toner celebrate winning;Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Green Is The New Black
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Declan Gleeson, Sports Writer
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any of us would never have imagined living to see an Irish rugby team claim victory over the All Blacks, and no wonder. Previous to 2016, Ireland had lost 28 out of 29 fixtures against the Kiwis, with a single draw. But Irish rugby seems to be hitting it’s golden age; we had waited 111 years for a break in the chain, to find a chink in the armour of the illustrious side, and now we have chalked up two wins which are arguably Ireland’s best two performances to date. The result of this match had enormous consequences even before it began. New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen declared who ever emerged the victor to be “the best team in the world” which added fuel to the fire that always exists when a game with the All Blacks is on the cards. We were playing for form coming up to a World Cup year and coming into an important 6 Nations campaign. The ability to retain form and momentum leading up to a tournament is so critical, and with Ireland on a winning run and nearing 1st in the world rankings, the confidence surrounding this team has never been higher. Last week, former Munster and current South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus stated that Ireland have a big target on their back for the World Cup having beaten New Zealand. Irish rugby has emerged from its underdog position and taken a seat atop the very highest of elite sports teams in the world. So what have we learned from the historic All Black win?
Not a one-hit-wonder . Once we got the ball rolling in Chicago back in 2016, it
felt like only a matter of time before the elusive first win in Ireland came. And boy did it come in style. It didn’t have the glamour of the 40-29 showcase, but it just may have been the most complete performance by an Irish side ever. So many statistics from the game reflect this opinion: New Zealand failed to score a try against Ireland for the first time, they gave up 11 penalties, and had less territory and possession than Ireland. These are the kind of game we are getting used to seeing from Ireland, and the standards have grown exponentially. There were many times during the game that I could scarcely believe it was the All Blacks we were competing against. During one dominant Irish scrum, Donal Lenihan remarked “have you ever seen a New Zealand scrum pushed back like that?!”. This captured the minds of every spectator, it wasn’t the ferocious All Blacks we are used to seeing, and it hasn’t been them for quite some time. This performance has proved that we are to be categorized next to New Zealand now instead of one step behind.
Player strength and depth . The strength in depth and ability to play at such a high international level despite relatively little experience is one of the most pleasing aspects to take away from the game. In the absence of Conor Murray, little chance was given to Ireland, but Marmion and McGrath were outstanding deputies. The emergence Jacob Stockdale has been meteoric, 12 tries in 14 tests. He provides a reliable source of creativity and has shown he can score against almost any opponent. Sean O’Brien was a devastating loss (again) and
Sports with Dan Leavy then ruled out, it fell to Josh Van Der Flier to fill big boots at openside. What followed was a comprehensive performance which all but cemented his place in the side. The front row dominated, and the backline was secure in holding out New Zealand whenever they did threaten. For the first time, we have incomparable depth at every position and a guarantee that the team is in good shape going for forward. One of the most talked about controversies in the lead up to this game was of course the issue of Bundee Aki’s playing for Ireland rather than of his national country. Hansen and Schmidt swapped quips and opinions on the case, but Aki settled the talk on the pitch that showed he is indispensable to this team. He showed determination and passion right to the final whistle, and well after. The RTE pundits revelled in Aki’s reaction to the win
With or without Schmidt, this team in good hands. It is rare that we get to see such a satisfying win with a 16-9 score but there wasn’t one minute that I wasn’t entertained through the entire game. The measured performance has brought more speculation on the future of Joe Schmidt’s career, and whether he will commit to Ireland after the World Cup this coming summer or be awarded the New Zealand job. Undoubtedly however, Schmidt has redefined Ireland’s game and brought about our most successful spell: should Ireland win their openers in the 6 Nations against England & Scotland, they will secure the number 1 spot. Schmidt has 3 Six Nations Championships in 5 years and has a win ratio of 70% and has brought in characters like Simon Easterby and Andy
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Farrell who have transformed the defence and style of play. Should Schmidt choose to move on, there are great coaches in place and the current management has shown exactly how Ireland should structure their play.
The gap between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere sides has shut. Ireland have never been closer to the number 1 ranking, and New Zealand haven’t been in this much danger of losing it for quite some time now. Whilst there is still a bit of gap between Ireland and Wales in 2nd and 3rd in the rankings, the top 5 contains 3 Northern hemisphere sides. In 2016, England dominated Australia in their tour down under, and Australia haven’t looked the same ever since, losing to Wales last time out in Cardiff. South Africa are still in the process of rebuilding the team after a couple of years in international darkness. Gone are the days where the Southern teams instilled fear in Europe’s top teams, the convergence of the quality of rugby is sure to benefit us all come Japan in the summer. At the present moment, it very much feels like Ireland’s time to come through. In our minds at least, it seems like everything is lining up perfectly and we could well be the favourites to win the World Cup. But rugby is a fickle game and form is temporary. We’ll know a lot more about the state of play after the Six Nations. But one thing is for sure; Ireland’s first home victory against the Kiwis will live long in the hearts and minds of every supporter and player, no doubt there will be countless documentaries made about this team.
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Sports
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th Novemer 2018 | University Express
Sports
Issue Six | Tuesday 27th November 2018 | University Express
Stephen Kenny is only the third LOI manager to achieve two domestic doubles.
McCarthy For Now as Kenny Primed For Future Sam Curtin, Sports Writer
After the fallout cleared from the not-so-graceful departure of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane from the Republic of Ireland team, attention turned to who shall now take the reins of our national team and attempt to try and restore order to a team devoid of purpose and structure. Speculation began early with Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny as the early frontrunners. The resulting decision by the FAI is definitely an unexpected one: Kenny will be brought in as the Under-21 coach, with McCarthy taking control of the seniors up until the end of the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Following the 2020 qualifiers (And tournament if we qualify), Kenny will then assume command of the senior team. It is an unprecedented move but appears to favor Kenny and looks to give him a platform to build upon for the future. Kenny should benefit from the transition period as he has time to assess the needs of the team, the players will know well beforehand what is coming and have time to get familiar with Kenny, and as U21 coach, he should have a unique insight into the team selection. McCarthy, of course, has a huge responsibility in coordinating Ireland’s Euro 2020
qualification charge but it looks like Stephen Kenny is the choice to lead the Republic of Ireland into its new age. So, what is it about Kenny that has made the FAI bestow so much faith in him? Well firstly you have to look at his spectacular successes. We have come to the end of another Irish domestic season with a similar result, Dundalk and Cork City playing out an enthralling battle over 8 months with the Lilywhites edging it. With all the negativity surrounding the league in recent years due to clubs having financial troubles and low attendances, there has been one huge shining light and it comes in the form of the man above. Stephen Kenny is arguably the most decorated LOI manager in history now winning his second double with Dundalk and a 4th league title in 5 seasons. This is quite an incredible achievement considering the club was on the brink of relegation to the First Division the season before he took over after a disappointing spell at Shamrock Rovers. With the Republic of Ireland vacancy arising again, I and many others in the media and pundits alike, agree that Kenny may be the man to drag Irish football from the doldrums just like he has done with Dundalk.
There are three main reasons that the 47-year-old is worth a punt: 1. His attractive philosophy
footballing
Kenny is not your typical Irish manager who encourages a pragmatic, safety first approach. Dundalk are renowned for playing attractive football while also maintaining a strong defence which has only conceded 20 goals while scoring 85 in the process. Martin O’ Neil has always been declaring how the players he has are not suited to playing an attractive style of football, yet Kenny has managed to do this with players who many were part time at the start of Kenny’s reign. Indeed, in Europe, Dundalk earned plaudits for sticking to their philosophy which nearly got them out of the Europa League group stages in 2016. Surely the skill gap between Dundalk and Zenit (they topped the group and only beat Dundalk by a single goal) is wider than that of Ireland and Wales? This did not stop the Lilywhites from picking up a win against Maccabi TelAviv and a draw against AZ Alkmaar. 2. He has transformed players careers Kenny has managed to rejuvenate many players careers after their return from England and has also produced
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Irish internationals. Take Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle for example, these are two players who were terrific for Dundalk until they got called up in 2017. Daryl Horgan has gone on to win 6 caps for the national team. Richie Towell another important player for Kenny left Dundalk in 2015 and has now been included in Martin O’Neil’s provisional squad for the games against Northern Ireland and Denmark. Michael Duffy who was let go by Celtic and Pat Hoban who had a disappointing spell in England with Macclesfield are widely tipped to be the next graduates to international senior level. Pat Hoban broke the scoring record in the LOI with 29 goals this season which is down to the faith shown in him by Kenny. There is no doubt about it, Stephen Kenny has this unique ability to galvanize players who are seen to be inferior, rise above themselves which is an important trait to have for all international managers. 3. Michael O’ Neill This is possibly the strongest argument of them all as Michael O’Neil is the perfect example of what can happen when a LOI manger is given the opportunity an international level. O’Neill took Northern Ireland job in 2012 after a hugely successful stint with Shamrock Rovers who became the first Irish team to reach the group stages of the Europa League. O’Neill has transformed a struggling Northern Ireland team with a small pool of players who are arguably inferior to that of the Republic. Yet they reached the last 16 of the Euros in 2016 and were only controversially defeated by Switzerland in the World Cup play offs last November. Michael O’Neill has shown that a LOI manager is more than capable of taking the reins of national team and making them into a competitive side. This is a perfect time for the Republic of Ireland to try something different. In Kenny we have one of the most talented managers to have ever come from our domestic game. He will get us playing a more attractive brand of football while also maintaining our solid defence. The FAI have come up with a solution that seems to have pleased everyone, the vast majority of fans were behind Kenny having seen his success first hand, whilst McCarthy advocates pointed towards his experience. The next two years in Irish football could go anywhere but the system that is being introduced now is cause for us all to be hopeful for the future of out national side.
University
Volume 22 | Issue six| Tuesday 27th November 2018
Sports
UCCExpress.ie
PGA Elects First Female President Declan Gleeson, Sports Editor
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or the first time in the organization’s 102-year old history, a woman has been elected President of the PGA of America as Suzy Whaley was sworn in as the 41st President of the PGA of America at the Association’s 102nd Annual Meeting on November 9th, 2018. The move will come as no surprise to many involved in the PGA as Whaley has been a long-standing and well-respected member of America’s professional golfing community. A quick glance at Whaley’s resumé shows her wealth of experience in the PGA: she most recently served two years as Vice President, and two years as PGA Secretary. She is also the PGA Owner of Suzy Whaley Golf, and the PGA Director of Instruction at the Country Club of Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A member of the Connecticut and South Florida PGA Sections, she is the first person
to represent both of these Sections as PGA President.
Whaley recently discussed where her passion for the game came from and what she wants to improve during her tenure. Whaley was growing up right when Title IX came into effect, prohibiting discrimination on gender grounds, so she competed on the boys’ high school golf team. She found no problems getting onto the team but was not allowed to compete in tournaments. Rather than take this lying down, Whaley moved to a club that did facilitate for girls wanting to play competitive golf. Later, Whaley attended a PGA Tour school and played in LPGA events, but she found the opportunities lacking. "I watched my husband play in these tournaments literally weekly, and it was aggravating. I wanted to play against him and I wanted to win!" Whaley said. With encouragement from her husband, she joined the PGA of America and
after winning the 2002 Connecticut PGA Championship, Whaley gained entry to a PGA Tour event, the Great Hartford Open. Though some controversy surrounds her victory, as Whaley was allowed to play from the forward tees, making the course distance shorter than for the men, it was nevertheless an extraordinary achievement. By earning her spot, Whaley became the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event in 58 years – and just the third ever, following in the footsteps of the great Babe Zaharias in the 1930s and 1940s. Since Whaley, only one other female golfer has qualified for a PGA tour event, Michelle Wie, but to date, no woman has completed an event on the PGA. Speaking about the difference between her childhood experience and now Whaley states: "That just was a sign of the times — it just is how it was, and then fastforward ... and I am allowed to play in a PGA Tour event."
In 2014, Whaley decided to run for secretary of the PGA of America – a path that automatically leads to the presidency. She faced a delegation of 111 men and just 3 women, but comfortably secured enough votes. A month before the election, the PGA of America fired its president for using sexist language on social media. Four years later, Whaley is taking over that role, and her experience should stand her in good stead. Whaley hopes to combat issues of involvement in the sport and growing the diversity of the sport. “One of our biggest challenges I think, which I look at as an enormous opportunity, is getting more people on our golf courses. We want to welcome women to golf courses. We want more junior girls and junior boys playing golf," she said. "Can you wear sneakers? Absolutely. Do you have to have a golf outfit? No you do not. Do you have to have equipment? No. Most facilities across the country have equipment for you. You can just walk right in the door and do it.” Whaley has strived for inclusivity in today’s game: “We have PGA junior league, which is a huge evolving program of 50,000 boys and girls across the country playing PGA junior league golf. They play together — boys and girls from the same tee. ... We have close to 35 percent girls playing — we want it to be 50, but we're getting there — and then we have almost 25 percent of those of color playing”. Suzy Whaley is an exceptional example to be followed and is advocating for inclusivity in a traditionally exclusive and very closed game. PGA members will be looking forward to her tenure as their leader, a feat that seems even more commendable when you consider just 40 years ago, women couldn't even be members.