UCC Express Issue 2

Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 2

‘Forgotten Republican’ Kent Gets State Funeral Page 5

EXAMS: Library hours, particularly prior to exams, a constant topic last year culminating in mass-protests orchestrated by the Students’ Union.

Library Hours Extended From Last Year Zoe Cashman - News Editor This new academic year has seen a change in opening hours in the Boole library.

The new opening hours took effect from September 7th. The extended hours mean that students will benefit from 20 hours of extra library time for the first eight weeks of the first Semester.

The following eight weeks leading to the exams will see this increased by a further 64 hours with Sunday opening.

The Boole library is currently open from 8am to 10pm during the week, differing from last years 8am to 9.15pm hours. Currently the Quadrangle Reading Room is now open from 9am to 2am during the week. From 1st November to December 20th the

library will be open on Sundays from 10am to 6pm. From November the hours will be extended even more into Sunday evening.

Head of Academic and Student Engagement, Valerie King, commented that “Sunday evening we know from feedback is now a very popular study day and we are responding to those students who require the library on Sundays”.

“This means more studying and revision time for UCC students who will have access to books, learning facilities and e-resources. The new opening hours means students will have greater access to computers, study spaces and books”.

Students’ Union Education Officer, Joe Kennedy, stated that while they

have secured a lot more hours for the first semester than last year, he’s “still unhappy as they’re less than we secured in second semester. There’s currently a proposal going to the University that would see a significant increase in hours. If approved it should come into effect sometime in November”.

Kennedy also stated that there’s also a proposal at the moment which would see more sockets being installed into the old part of the library. “It’s still being finalised but hopefully we can sign off on that in the next few weeks” Valerie King has responded that “We are aware from feedback from the Students’ Union that many UCC students have other commitments outside of the University and extending library opening hours will help those students benefit from our great facilities at a time that is convenient for them”.

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The most significant problem facing students last year in light of the introduction of Semesterisation was the struggle around library hours.

This led to serious protest action from the Students’ Union. Last year’s Registrar and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Professor Paul Giller, stated last year that a change in library hours would “depend on how students use the library … It could be adjusted in either direction depending on how students are using it”.

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Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

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Inside Today: New Staff Members Page 4 Trans* Rights & Lives Page 6 Flashback! Page 10 Freshers Week Pics Page 12 Hurling Dominance Page 14 All-Ireland Glory Page 16

Editorial team Editor-in-Chief: Brian Conmy Deputy & News Editor: Zoe Cashman Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahill Features Editor: Deirdre Ferriter Deputy Features Editor: Katie Jeffers Sport Editor: Neil Willoughby Photo Editor: Emmet Curtin Designer: Robert O’Sullivan Fashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain Online Editor: Afraic O’Riordain Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Ferlong Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson Music Editor: Holly Cooney

#LetUsStudy Campaign Brings Results Cont. from Front Page It appears that the protests of last year have been answered by increased opening hours for the current semester. Although the Students’ Union are not totally satisfied with the update, it can be said that the library and the Students’ Union are continuously communicating about the subject so as to provide the students with as much resources as possible.

Valerie King ended by saying “Be prepared is the message we give to students this year in terms of exam preparation. Plan your academic calendar well in advance. We have displayed the key semester dates on Q floor so you can see clearly the dates you need to watch for the study and exam period every time you enter the library”.

Letter from the Editor So...What Now? Brian Conmy - Editor

Usually editors try to tie in their little editorials around the central theme of the papers in a given issue. This week we don’t really have a theme.

This’ll happen at points throughout the year, plenty of times we will have a running theme and I will have more to say than a bit of a ramble. For now though a ramble it is.

In general that’s what college is, a bit of a ramble. Sure most of us put in our work to get our passing grades, some put in work in clubs and societies, some throw themselves into student politics and others throw themselves out of clubs by drinking too hard. Very few people only do one thing, as much smack as we may talk about “society hacks” being single issue individuals. The college and Students’ Union even try and imbue this desire to be well rounded in us under the auspices of getting the full college experience and leaving with a presentable CV.

Its advice I have to take on board in truth. Between my masters and being editor here I don’t always have a lot of free time left over, even in my down time I’m shooting off emails and inquires at a battery draining rate. So what I’m really saying here is, never become editor

of the Express. Or on a more optimistic note, always try to maintain a balance. Not just a balance that means you leave here with a 1:1, ten auditor roles and a UCC Works awards but one where you get grades you can be satisfied with, you made some connections with those around you in your classes or social circles and that you have good memories to keep with you forever.

Stay safe, be cool.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

International Students Happiest in Ireland Zoe Cashman - News Editor

An Online study choice portal platform has revealed that international students studying in Europe are the most satisfied with their university experience in Ireland.

The survey undertaken by StudyPortals and published in last Thursday’s UK paper The Independent based its findings on over 17,000 reviews, which were added to STeXX.eu, its student experience website over the past academic year.

Maynooth University received an Outstanding award with 9.5+ points, while University College Cork came joint second in the ratings with 9+ points, receiving the Excellent award. It shared this second position with University of Limerick and NUIG. UCD was rated at 8+ points and deemed Very Good.

Irish universities were appreciated for their community atmospheres, innovative programmes, support structures for students as well as their multicultural mix and vivid student life.

StudyPortals CEO, Edwin van Rest, described how “it is becoming increasingly important for universities to focus even more on making sure students

have the best possible experience, especially with record numbers choosing to study abroad this year”.

Highlighting how students are more critical now than ever, he added: “In the long-term, university reputation is no longer enough to attract the best talent … students expect their universities to offer a good service level, a strong international community, promising career perspectives and a return on their education investment”.

UCC Senior Vice President Academic and Registrar, Caroline Fennell, commented that “The UCC campus provides a culturally rich experience for a student body that is globally diverse, resulting in a vibrant and enjoyable educational experience for international students, which develops both global awareness and local insight”.

When asked how he felt about this great achievement, Head of Student Experience here at UCC, Dr. Ian Pickup, said “I am delighted to see that the Irish student experience and UCC’s contribution to this has been so well recognised by international students. This comes as no surprise to me - all of out students are encouraged to engage fully

inside and outside the curriculum and are supported to achieve their goals”.

Another survey taken by the International Graduate Insight Group of 209,000 international students ranked UCC first in Ireland for its sports facilities, international office, IT services and graduate studies. In this survey UCC was also voted safest campus in Ireland and one of the safest in the world. UCC was also named runner-up ‘University of the Year’ in The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015.

Despite a slight decrease on last year, international student satisfaction continued to remain high in Europe, with 86% of students happy with their study abroad experience, compared with 89% in 2014.

Pregnancy Research in Cork Wins International Award Zoe Cashman - News Editor

Ground-breaking work on pre-eclampsia, a life threatening complication of late pregnancy, has earned researchers in Cork a major award from the American Heart Association.

The international award is a first for pregnancy research as well as a first for Irish researchers. The scientific study has been announced as top paper for 2014 in the category of clinical science in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association.

The research was carried out by The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translation Research (INFANT), based in UCC and the Cork University Hospital.

The Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) research is led in Ireland by Louise Kenny, Professor of Obstetrics at UCC and Director of the INFANT Centre and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Cork

University Maternity Hospital.

The SCOPE project is an international study that aims to develop screening tests to predict and prevent the major complications of late pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia claims the lives of more than 70,000 women and over 500,000 infants each year.

Professor Kenny explains the reasons behind the study, “It’s about saving the lives of mothers and their babies, that’s why we get up every morning, that’s why this is so important”.

This dangerous disorder could be prevented with the development of a test that could identify women who are at a greater risk, and the SCOPE study aims to do just this. It will develop an early pregnancy screening test that will offer first time mothers accurate risk assessment. Louise Kenny said “Our goal is to save the lives of affected mums

and babies by reducing and eventually preventing the life-threatening complications associated with pre-eclampsia”.

A follow on study called IMPROvED is recruiting pregnant women in the Cork University Maternity Hospital and across Europe, contributing to one of the world’s largest and most detailed ‘biobanks’ with samples given by the mums and babies.

Louise added: “The next phase will be to combine clinical information and our pregnancy specific biomarkers to develop the most effective system for predicting problems in pregnancy. The final step is to turn this into a prototype blood test. Hopefully mothers and babies should benefit from the new screening test within the next five to ten years”.

Graham Love, the Chief Executive of the Health Research Board who funded Kenny’s initial

involvement in SCOPE said “This is a fantastic achievement. It’s both testament to the quality of Ireland’s health researchers that they can win such a prestigious international award”.

Professor Kenny’s original Clinician Scientist Award was then the largest grant made to a single project in Ireland at 1.7 million euro. It enabled over 1,600 Irish mothers and babies to participate in the SCOPE project and involved 5,700 first time pregnant women in four countries.

Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

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UCC Announces Appointment of New Chair of Governing Body Zoe Cashman - News Editor UCC is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Catherine Day, outgoing Secretary General of the European Commission, to be Chair of its Governing Body until January 2019.

Irish EU official Catherine Day has stepped down as secretary general of the European Commission since the end of August following almost 10 years in the role. She was appointed by former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to the Commission’s top job in 2005, the first woman to hold such a leadership position. She began her career in the European Union in 1979, having previously worked for the Confederation of Irish Industry.

Catherine is a native of Mount Merrion in Dublin.

In the Commission she worked

for a range of EU Commissioners, including Irish EU Commissioners Richard Burke and Peter Sutherland. She was appointed deputy Director-General for external relations under Chris Patten in 2001 and was centrally involved in the European Union’s enlargement in 2004, which saw 10 new European States join the Union.

While Ms Day had been expected to retire after the appointment of the new Commission, it is understood she was asked to stay on by the current president Jean-Claude Juncker. As the European Commission’s most senior official, Ms Day played a key role in the euro zone crisis under the Barroso commission and has continued to play a decisive role in the steering of EU policy under the Juncker commission.

Last year Der Speigel magazine described Ms Day as “… the most powerful woman in Brussels”. Catherine is a graduate of UCD with an MA in Economics and Politics. In welcoming the decision of the Governing Body to appoint Ms Day to the role of Chair, the President of UCC, Dr. Michael Murphy, stated that “the University is privileged to have acquired the agreement of such a distinguished public servant to chair its Governing Body”.

Clubs Executive President Resigns Brian Conmy - Editor

Due to unforeseen change in his academic schedule for this year current Clubs Executive President Henry Donnelly is set to stand down from the position. Henry was previously the Treasurer for the Clubs Executive, the UCC organising body behind clubs activity on campus in the same capacity the Societies Guild oversee societies. Unlike Societies Guild President, Clubs Executive President is generally an unpaid part time position.

While Henry will maintain his role for the next two weeks he will stand downfully after an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) set to take place on Wednesday September 30th. Anyone wishing to apply for the position can e-mail their submissions

by Monday the 28th of September to Niamh O’Neill at secretary@uccclubsexec.ie.

Should any current Clubs Exec members wish to nominate themselves

for the President position and be successful an open election will be called on the night to fill their now absent role.

The Clubs Exec in their press release concerning the upcoming EGM asked for applicants to consider the amount of work involved in the role of president before deciding to run and finally congratulating Henry on his previous work for the organisation.

Legion of Honour for UCC Academic Zoe Cashman - News Editor Former UCC Vice-President for Teaching and Learning and Emeritus Professor of French, Grace Neville, is to be awarded France’s highest honour, the Légion d’Honneur. It has been confirmed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Neville has been selected by French president, Francois Hollande, to receive this honour.

While membership in the Légion is technically restricted to French nationals, foreign nationals who have served France or the ideals it upholds may receive the honour. Neville is receiving this great award for her role in pro-

moting Franco-Irish relations and her works in helping developing innovative teaching techniques within the French academic system.

Professor Neville, a native of Greenmount in Cork City, was appointed chair of an initiative on innovative teaching and learning in higher education in France as part of a 35 billion euro investment programme in national infrastructure which included a 19 billion euro investment in research and higher education. Neville stated that “The current debate on higher education in Ireland would be immensely

richer if we were to look beyond the English-speaking world at examples of best practice elsewhere, for instance in France and Germany”.

Speaking in 2014 on her role as an evaluator in the higher education programme ‘Investissements d’Avenir’, Neville’s reaction was that of sheer excitement. “The current re-imagining of higher education and research in France is very exciting”.

The reasons cited for this award are Professor Neville’s role in promoting Franco-Irish relations between Cork and France and as well as her current

responsibilities in the French higher education system at the Sorbonne.

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

New Investment in SCS Shows Results During Freshers Week Brian Conmy - Editor The Student Community Support (SCS) program in UCC which was introduced as a student led initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour on some of the biggest social nights of the college year is set to see a new wave of investment and refinement this year. In an interview with Student’s Union Deputy and Campaigns Officer James Upton the need for investment and means by which this would be achieved were discussed.

The first outing of the SCS was during Fresher’s week with members of the program also working on R&G week and some of the college’s Balls during the year.

Speaking specifically on their work for Fresher’s week James Upton noted “SCS were good, a lot of changes came in this year. I thought about the longevity of the program and I thought about the equipment we were using and the routes we were doing. So two weeks before Fresher’s week I went out myself and met with residents. Some, not all residents. I was flyering, letting them

know my contact details and discussing their issues. Magazine road was highlighted as one major issue, patrols didn’t go far enough down that road. We extended those patrols at a detriment to us, we would lose radio contact so had to implement a policy where SCS would check in with us just before and after the went out of radio contact” As well as new routes SCS members were given more training than in previous years on areas such as drug awareness with Dr. Michael Byrne facilitating the training.

While new policies such as changes in what is contained in SCS members bags and routes were seen as positives the week was not without some issues: “[SCS} is down males this year, I don’t know why. So a lot of the fellas had to work longer hours because we’re bound by insurance to have a certain gender ratio. That was tough so we’ll have to do a second wave of recruitment with a goal to recruit more men in the long term but we need more women also.”

While exact crime figures were not

attainable at this point James Upton stated: “The only arrests I’m aware of are two and a potential third, the two were on the Wednesday night.. I don’t get the details of it, I’m just told by the community guard. Plus SCS aided the guards in finding one of the people, we made contact with the community guard and they dealt with it.”

As well as these arrests numerous fines for public drinking or disorderly conduct were handed out with noise being pointed out as a particular problem: “As with every other year there were loads of complaints about noise, residents were asking SCS to shut down house parties but that’s not their job. There’s a misconception of what SCS actually do, they’re a pastoral service who can supply people with plasters or flip flops, water if they need it. We haven’t changed a lot of the internal workings as such, we have to review a few things in the line of what’s in the bags, do we need to add more or take certain things out. The standard bag at the moment is

water, plasters, anti-sceptic wipes, flip flops.”

Finally James noted that while Garda presence was in line with previous years an effort to have more visible Gardaí around the college area on Sunday night was not achieved: “Garda presence was around the same as always, we were promised more for the Sunday night but we were lucky if we had two patrol cars on the night. On Tuesday there were 10 to 12 Guards stationed here and on Thursday there were 15. On the Sunday we needed a minimum of 8 and should have been visible on the street. From the resident’s point of view maybe that’s why they were giving out, there’s no point avoiding it, Tuesday of Fresher’s week was manic. There were people upon people on the streets. We shouldn’t often have to be engaging with local residents but we had to because if they weren’t on our side we just couldn’t do these weeks.”

A Hero’s Welcome: Thomas Kent State Funeral Siobhán O’ Donnell - News Writer The ‘forgotten hero’ of 1916, Thomas Kent, received a warm welcome home by the Castlelyons community last Friday the 19th September. Thousands gathered including President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other dignitaries to offer their respects.

Thomas Kent was executed on the 9th of May during the 1916 Rising and was not given a burial by his executioners.

However, remains found in Cork Gaol were confirmed to be those of Thomas Kent’s following DNA analysis last week and so, almost a century after his death, the local hero came home.

The last State funeral held in Cork was that of former Taoiseach Jack Lynch in 1999. However, outside of Cork, Kent was not highly well known until now. Professor of History at UCC and leading expert on Cork during the Irish revolution, Dr John Borognovo, described Thomas Kent as “an important organizer of the Irish Volunteer movement in North Cork, though he was not necessarily a national figure. He and his brothers were prominent advanced

nationalists.”

It is true that the sight of a Kent brother behind bars was not unfamiliar. They had served jail terms during the Land War in 1889 and as Dr. Borognovo adumbrated “they symbolized a continuity between the late nineteenth century followers of Michael Davitt and Charles Stuart Parnell and the cultural revival and republicanism of the early twentieth century.”

During the republican revival Kent

was a leading member of the Gaelic League and the Irish Volunteers. He was especially active in the campaign to obstruct recruitment into the British army. One well remembered story of his activism describes local GAA members and Volunteers, including the Kent brothers, marching through one of John Redmond’s meetings in January 1916, holding their hurleys on their shoulders in imitation of rifles.

The State Funeral, as stated by Dr. Borognovo , was “an appropriate launching point for the State commemoration of the 1916 Rising. It shows engagement in the centenary at the highest levels of government. ” Dr. Borognovo concluded that this state funeral “acknowledged the roles played by lesser-known men and women in the independence movement.” It sets the tone for the coming year and the 1916 Rising centenary celebrations which will be a commemoration for the unsung heroes as well as those household names.

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Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Cork’s Forgotten Cult Venue: Downtown Kampus Robert O’Sullivan - Designer In 1978, an unsung Munster team defeated the mighty All Blacks infront of 478,000 strong Thomand Park crowd, a stadium which at the time had a capacity of roughly 16,000 at the time. In 1991 a young Nirvana supported Sonic Youth in dingy iconic venue Sir Henry’s, with a reported 7.8 Billion people in attendance. This is a great habit of Irish people, particularly Corkonians, to mystify events to the point of legendary status. Growing up in Cork you do hear of the Mountain Dew Festival in Macroom, with stories of Rory Gallagher replacing a guitar string mid-song and Sid Vicious being turfed out by no-nonsense Macrumbians. One of the lesser spoke about legends of the Cork music scene is Downtown Kampus. Frustrated with the lack of suitable options on campus or in town, then UCC Students’ Union Comms Officer & Tipperary native Elvira Butler decided to take action into her own hands, and started to rent out the old Arcadia Ballroom by Kent Station. The Arc had seen better days, being the home of showbands in Cork and, rather predictably, ballroom dancing.

The Beginnings Going with the mood of the time, disco was essentially banned at the Arc, with punk & rock ruling the scene. As opposed to cities like Belfast and Dublin, the Arc emboddied the same type of spirit as the Casbah did in Derry, in that Cork was more separated than the ‘scene’ of Britain and the US, and fostered its own creativity without over reliance on the ‘old reliables.’ With this unique rebel quality the only thing that could make the Arc more Corkonian would be, say, if the stage was made from wooden pallets taken from the Ford factory...which it reportedly was.

The Arc began hosting gigs in late 1978 with gigs Saturday evenings. Starting out with mainly Dublin groups, it was only when Cork groups dominated the scene did things really kick off. The Arcadia didn’t have an alcohol license most of the time, which meant that people of all ages could attend gigs. The Kampus allowed for a mingling of classes in what was, at the time, a rather divided Cork; he boys from ‘University College Churchfield’ hung out with students from the real UCC, and bands sprung up all over Cork, the most successful of which was Nun Attax. Formed by some lads from Churchfield, Nun Attax was the real success of the Kampus as far as bands go: with songs like ‘Knocknaheeny Shuffle’, ‘White Cortina’ and ‘There’s A Fish On Top Of Shandon Swears He’s Elvis’ how could you not like them?

World Class, Like (and not just because it’s in Cork la) One of the draws the Arc had, especially before the real rise of Sir Henry’s, was its ability to get great acts in. Sadly being in my 20s I missed out on the Arc (I will sell several organs to the first person with a time machine), so I spoke to one of the ‘Kampus Regulars’ about some of their favourite memories. He recalled the Cure putting on a great show on their now famous Seventeen Seconds tour; ska band The Specials (pictured on the opposite page) insulting the Irish girls, calling them pigs, when a fan who had climbed on the roof fell to the floor (apparently unharmed); and also seeing U2 play a series of gigs “before they were famous.” One story, which my source wasn’t sure if it was in Downtown Kampus or in City Hall, involved Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Their rivals the Undertones played without any major accident, but not to be outdone, the ‘Fingers guitarist was reportedly electrocuted. Of course, it being punk, the band played on while he was dragged off stage. Gotta love punk, eh?

Where Is It Now? Sadly the Arc wasn’t long for this world, and as the economy collapsed, so were its organisers & bookers driven away to our neigbours to the East. The building itself, then in shocking disrepair, was demolished and replaced with student accommodation. A “Showband Walk of Fame” was unveiled, with little to no respect paid to its iconic punk/rock symbol. Why did the Arcadia/Downtown Kampus fall into relative obscurity while Sir Henry’s retains an heir of mystery? It could be down to location, with Sir Henry’s being bang in the middle of the city whilst the Arc was almost on the outskirts of the city; more likely, it’s due to the fact that Downtown Kampus simply didn’t have that one iconic gig. You don’t hear stories of seemingly millions upon millions of Corkonians in to see UB40 as you do hear about Nirvana. Maybe its time for something similar to come back to Cork....

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

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Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

New Gender Recognition Bill to Change Lives of Irish Trans* People Deirdre Ferriter - Features Editor

After a long campaign by transgender people and their supporters the Government has now passed legislation to allow transgender people who are over 18 to amend the gender on their birth cert. As of Tuesday the 8th of September the Department of Social Protection are now accepting application forms to amend birth certs to reflect the applicant’s true gender. This legislation has significant symbolic and practical implications for transgender people. Most importantly it means the state they call home recognises them for their true selves. Most Irish citizens are lucky to take their identity for granted but for this minority the new legislation is a huge leap towards acceptance.

While this is undoubtedly a happy and momentous day for transgender people in Ireland, it is important to note the struggle it has taken to achieve this change. A notable figure in orchestrating this change has been Dr Lydia Foy. Dr Foy has been fighting to have her true gender recognised on her birth cert since March 1993. After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 1992 Dr Foy could get all official documents in her female name but was refused a request to have her gender corrected on her birth cert. Not content to accept this denial by the Irish government to acknowledge her true gender identity Dr Foy initiated High Court proceedings in April 1997 with the help of FLAC (Free Legal Aid Association) after unyielding correspondence with the Registrar General’s office.

Her case was heard in the high court by Justice Liam McKechnie and was rejected in July 2002 due to lack of precedence in Irish courts. Justice McKechnie himself expressed frustration at the lack of legislation that would allow him to overturn the existing law;

“Could I adopt what has repeatedly been said by the European Court of Human Rights and urge the appropriate authorities to urgently review this matter.”

What followed was a further 13 year battle which has culminated in this life changing legislation. With the help of the persistence of people like Dr Foy and the campaigning of organisations such as TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), Ireland has achieved great strides in human rights.

LGBT issues have taken the forefront in 2015 with same sex marriage being legalised and now gender recognition for transgender people. However you could argue that transgender should not be grouped with LGB issues. Lesbian, gay and bisexual as sexualities are about who you love whereas being transgender is about who you are. Transgender people were being denied an intrinsic part of their identity. It is interesting to compare the marriage equality bill to this new gender recognition legislation. Same-sex marriage received a resounding “Yes”and compelled people to vote that had never voted before whereas this battle for gender recognition has been largely fought out of the spotlight. This may be because there was precedence in the form of ‘Civil partnership’ to strive for marriage equality whereas until now there was no recognition of transgender people so TENI’s main objective was to make the first step and then move to address further issues as TENI chief executive Broden Giambrone explained;

“There is still more work to be done to ensure that young, intersex and non-binary people will also be afforded rights. TENI commits to vigorously advocating for those who need to be included in this Act. However, today we have taken a massive leap forward. This is a turning point for trans rights in Ireland and I hope this leads to further positive changes for our community” Ignorance towards gender identity issues is extremely prevalent and the “knowledge” we do have is largely based on what we see on television. The struggle for transgender people is trivialised by the perceived association with cross dressing or the ill-conceived idea that all transgender people are homosexual or that being transgender is anything to do with sexuality. If you really take a moment to think about it, being trans* has nothing to do with sexuality as is clear from TENIs definition of transgender;

“(Transgender) Refers to a person whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.”

Another common misunderstanding is that people are either identify as male or female. There are many other variants including Gender Non-binary, Genderqueer, Gender variant and Gender fluid. Also it’s significant to realise that surgery is not the “be all and end all” for everyone and choosing not to have gender reassignment surgery doesn’t make a person’s gender identity any less valid. The only authority on this is the individual and they have the right to express their true selves. An example of this is RTE news reporter Jonathan Rachel Clynch who has recently revealed they identify as ‘Gender fluid’. RTE has been greatly praised for it’s support of Jonathan Rachel and the reporter has said they are “touched” by the outpouring of positive support. Jonathan Rachel’s revelation will hopefully highlight the gaps in the current legislation in that it doesn’t allow for any gender identity other than male or female.

Transgender issues also entered world media in the recent past when Caitlyn Jenner publicly transitioned into a woman. This change was met with a lot of support on social media but also some people suspected this change was a publicity stunt. In fact Caitlyn Jenner’s story began in her early life. She said in an interview with Diane Sawyer that she was always confused about her gender identity and envied both men and women;

“I look at guys and I go, he’s comfortable in his own skin and I thought, wouldn’t that be a nice way to go through life. I look at women all the time thinking ‘Oh my God, how lucky are they that they can wake up in the morning and be themselves.’ But me, I’m stuck here in the middle and I’ve got nowhere to go” The decision to “come out” or make a personal or physical change towards one’s true gender is without doubt a very difficult one. The reason Caitlyn cites for waiting so long to publicly announce that she identifies as a woman is that she didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Although this was undoubtedly a very hard and admirable choice, it’s important to note that most transgender people who do opt for surgery or hormones don’t have the financial resources available to Caitlyn Jenner to pay for the treatments and plastic surgery often required to make this change. Physical transitions don’t happen overnight, most people’s transitions are very gradual and the results won’t appear celebrated on Vanity Fair. That being said this very brave move on the part of Caitlyn has raised awareness of the issues faced by trans people and will hopefully dispel some of the misconceptions held by the wider public.

Perhaps this new legislation signals a more open minded society that will enable transgender people to feel more comfortable and confident in “coming out” without judgement. Most of us are fortunate to be one of the men and women Caitlyn looked at and envied. Although she was applauded as one of the most successful athletes on earth, was financially secure and had a life many of us would envy, she envied any man or woman who could wake up in the morning and “be themselves”. Being transgender is to be robbed of something we all get to do every day, something that is fundamental to our mental well-being, which is to feel comfortable in our own skins and to be ourselves without the fear of judgement.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

Trans* Mental Health Study People who identify as trans* often suffer from mental health issues and their oft associated issues. The following figures are taken from a 2012 study carried out by Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI). For more information on these figures, you can contact TENI by emailing Office@TENI.ie, calling 01 873 3575 or by going to www.TENI.ie

If you have been affected by any of the subject matter discussed in the above study, the number for Samaritans is 116 123. If you wish to avail of supports related to being trans* or if you are questioning your gender identity then TENI are here to help; a number of supports can be found on their website, www.TENI.ie, or by emailing Office@TENI.ie.

For specialist student supports, you can contact the following groups:

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Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

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FLASH BACK<

Every issue the UCC Express team look back at our own print history and pick out some...interesting bits from papersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; past.

Disclaimer: We present these excerpts unedited, to highlight how much has changed since they were first published.

Societies Day 2015 - Devere Hall

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Freshers Week

Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

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Societies Day 2015 - Devere Hall

Tuesday, September 22nd 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

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UCC Clubs Day A Rousing Success

Chris McCahill - Deputy News Editor

UCC’s annual Clubs and Societies days took place on the 8th and 9th of September. This is the first opportunity for the college’s clubs and societies to show what they’re all about to incoming and returning students. These days are all about signing up new members and introducing students to the social, rather than academic, side of college life.

The many clubs of UCC are looking to build on the successful year that was 2014, as many brought home silverware trophies and participated in successful intervarsites and competitions, in particular the sailing club who won Club of the year in 2013/14. They are excited for the year ahead and want to build on their great successes of last year, such as winning the Irish Univer-

sity Sailing Association Intervarsity Championships.

Ultimate Frisbee, one of the most popular clubs here at UCC, were very excited about the vast amount of sign ups they received on clubs day. “We are already looking forward to what is sure to be an enjoyable and competitive season”.

Some of the more unusual sports here at UCC are excited to give students the opportunity to participate in new experiences. The Skydiving club have introduced cost reducing measures for students to save money on their jumps, hopefully allowing for more students to take part. Another emerging club is the UCC Snows Sorts club who are expecting their biggest year yet with over 100 people expected to attend their trip in

January. On the day the Trampolining and Tumbling club won best stand, signing up over 360 new members.

Historic Hurling Dominance Set To Continue

Aaron Casey - Sports Writer

Another academic year has begun and thoughts turn to the college’s hurling outfits and their prospects for the coming season. 2014/15 was a mixed year on the hurling front for UCC; with UL foiling the Fitzgibbon Cup team: a late point tying the game in the Mardyke, preventing progression to the quarter-final stages of the competition. While the Limerick college also did the damage to the Freshers in the All-Ireland Final winning in extra time. There was some solace acquired though the Fresher’s team and their annexing of the Division 1 League Title.

Considering the hurling pedigree UCC has, as-well as the success on the hurling field the college almost takes for granted; last season will not rank highly among the history of UCC GAA Club.

However the positives must always be extracted, with the Freshers making the final of both of their competitions, while UL’s spoiling of UCC’s Fitzgibbon Cup

campaign was a step on the way to their eventual winning of the competition against WIT in a replayed final in Páirc Ui Rinn. Last year’s Freshers squad also saw many players who will have plenty of future Fitzgibbon Cup campaigns ahead of them blooded in the skulland-crossbones. Players such as Patrick Curran of Waterford and Mark Dolan of Cork ensure that the future of Hurling in UCC will be well looked after.

To understand the present, we must look to the past. Of course UCC’s relations with the Fitzgibbon Cup is abounded with success. The college top the competition’s Roll of Honour with forty-two wins, their dominance akin to Blackrock College in the Leinster Schools senior cup as the perpetual favourites. Many iconic hurlers have appeared for UCC in the Fitzgibbon Cup, such as Tipperary’s Nicky English who won five Fitzgibbon Cup medals in an amazing period of success for UCC in the 1980s – winning

eight titles in a row. The mid-to-late 90s then saw UCC complete three Fitzgibbon Cup victories in a row, with Cork legend Joe Deane playing a large role.

Thus began a mini-drought for UCC where no Fitzgibbon Cup was won between 1998 and 2009 – the famine finally ending in Parnell Park, Dublin against UL with Shane O’ Neill and Anthony Nash among other inter-county players on the starting XV. The cup, which is named after former UCC Philosophy Professor Dr. Edwin Fitzgibbon, has been back on College Road twice since then including a much valued win on home soil in a classic allCork final against CIT in 2012.

The Fitzgibbon Cup is often considered second or third in the ranking of highest-standard Hurling competitions, with many people even placing its standard above that of the U21 inter-county championship. The games are not played in ideal conditions, what with

it basically being a winter/early-spring competition; but this only adds further to its allure. There is an element of workmanlike qualities in the games, with the soft underfoot conditions and cold ensuring that talent alone will not be the deciding factor in who walks away with the famous trophy under their arms.

Far be it from the UCC Express to suggest to any student of the college to skip lectures, but when the Fitzgibbon Cup starts early next year the opportunity should be taken to witness a game and feel part of a competition that is such an important historical giant of GAA history.

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 22nd 2015

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Demon Domination on the Cards Again

Kevin Galvin - Sports Writer

September has rolled around once more, and as the vast majority of UCC Clubs begin to organise themselves ahead of the coming season, the UCC Demons have already been in the gym for over the past month.

Last season was one of unprecedented success for the Demons, who put themselves down in the history books as one of the greatest Irish basketball teams of all time, winning every single competitive game throughout the entire season and therefore winning every trophy available.

It was an incredible achievement by Colin O’Reilly’s men; cruising to the league title by 15 points, the highest total ever; beating fellow varsity opponents UCD Marian in the National Cup final at the National Basketball Arena; while wrapping up an incredible season by beating Templeogue in the Champions Trophy, their 23rd and final win in an incredible season.

Player Coach O’Reilly was understandably full of praise for his side after the fantastic year “The speed, ball movement, unselfishness and team work of the team were exceptional throughout the season as each player sacrificed their own game to help the team achieve the success it did.

For me personally it’s been a fantastic two years and it’s been an honour coaching such a dedicated group of winners. The lads have never shirked a challenge and the tougher the game was the closer they came together to help us perform. It’s right that each one of them will be remembered for years to come after creating history, and I can’t thank them enough for their commitment.”

Three of UCC’s stars, Kyle Hosford, Colin O’Reilly and Lehmon Colbert, were further given the honour to represent the league on an international stage at Point Guard, Forward and Centre positions respectively in the 2015 Sino-European games. O’Reilly,

like at UCC, not only played but also managed the side in China. The tournament, which took place in the town of Kun Suan, saw the National League Select finish third in a group of China, Italy, and Russia, beating the latter 7069 in an absolutely thrilling finale.

Hosford finished second among the points totals for the men, while O’Reilly’s tutelage guided Ireland to a very respectable finish in the high-intensity 3-day tournament, giving the Demons further praise over the off-season.

However for O’Reilly and his players that’s all been put firmly in the past as they’re hunting down what would be their eighth national championship, and eighth national cup. They begin their title defence away to Templeogue on October 3rd. UCC’s side return to the Mardyke the following week for their first home game of the season, they host Killester on Sunday October 11th with tip-off at 3:15pm. This season

however unfortunately sees no Cork derbies, with Neptune relegated to the First Division.

In that Division they will face the Blue Demons, UCC’s second club, who will be looking to improve their 4th position last season. They face Team Kilkenny at the Mardyke Arena in the opening game, tip-off is 3:15pm on Sunday 4th October.

Munster’s recent interprovincial success, particularly in the recent comprehensive victory over Leinster at the Mardyke; leading Munster to a rare 22-8 win. The side also took the plaudits when they faced Ulster at Kingspan stadium in a tight contest, ultimately coming out as 18-17 winners. Success in the interprovincial series is often a good indication that several players will be capable of progressing into the Munster first team and beyond in the next few years. Munster have not done as well at this level in recent years, this current crop demonstrating their worth very well with two gritty victories against Connacht and Ulster.

UCC man Josh Daly made up the

rest of the UCC representatives on the Munster under 20’s, the winger making all his appearance from the bench. Daly represented Ireland schools while playing for Bristol RFC before making the move over to Munster.

The Munster Under 20’s success completes a double on interior titles from the province with the ladies side retaining their trophy.

Kiernan Leads Munster to Victory

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

Munster 24 - 23 Connacht The Munster under 20’s defeated Connacht 24-23 in Galway to complete a clean sweep of interprovincial victories following victories over both Leinster and Ulster in recent weeks. The Thomond side were pushed right to the wire and required a last minute try from Irish schools international back-row John Foley and a conversion from out-half David O’Mahony to earn a one point victory. O’Mahony stepped into the ten jersey seamlessly in the absence of the injured David Johnston, both looking set to contribute richly to Munster Rugby in years to come.

Another player rising up through the ranks is UCC centre Paul Kiernan who captained the Munster U-20’s throughout their interprovincial campaign. The former Presentation player is the son of former Munster, Ireland and British & Irish Lion Michael Kiernan. Kiernan is widely expected to progress through the ranks at Munster and contest for higher honours. The Inside Centre became a regular fixture in UCC’s midfield last season in his Freshman year, winning a UCC sports award for his contribution to the club’s season. UCC retained their status as a AIL division 2A side with an incredible series of results at the tail end of last season.

Kiernan also played a vital role in

ucc

sport

UCC Reps Gun for All-Ireland Glory

Inside Sport

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor This weekends All-Ireland football final between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park sees nine UCC alumni take the field in the Green and Gold of the Kingdom.

Stephen O’Brien(Kenmare Shamrocks), Johnny Buckley(Dr Crokes), Peter Crowley(Laune Rangers), Shane Enright(Tarbert), Paul Galvin(Finuge), Paul Geaney(Dingle), Brian Kelly, Padraig O’Connor(Both Killarney Legion) and Paul Murphy(Rathmore) all represented UCC at the Sigerson Cup in the past, forming a large UCC base on the Kerry panel. All-Ireland semi-final substitute Paul Geaney impressed off the bench last time out against Tyrone, earning himself

a starting berth in favour of Captain Kieran Dinghy for Sunday’s final at Full Forward. Geaney is joined in the starting XV by Johnny Buckley, Shane Enright, Peter Crowley and Stephen O’Brien to complete UCC’s representation from throwin. Paul Murphy is unlucky to only make the bench, the Rathmore man started the Semi-Final, but surprisingly loses out for the Final with Fionn Fitzgerald coming in to replace him at Corner Back.

Rumours were circling that Murphy was injured for the final, but the 2014 Final Man of the Match takes his place amongst the substitutes. The Kingdom are hotly tipped to retain the Sam Maguire having beaten Donegal to

take the 2014 Championship also under manager and UCC graduate Eamon Fitzmaurice.

a UCC lecturer, managed the side to victory while ten UCC students were part of the side.

The Minor final between Kerry and Tipperary also features College representatives on both sides.

Danny Owens and Morgan Irwin(Both Moyle Rovers) join Jack Kennedy(Clonmel Commercials) in the Tipperary side while Mark O’Connor(Dingle), Ronan Buckley(Listry) and Jason Foley(Ballydonoghue) are on the Kerry panel ahead of Sunday’s Croke Park clash.

To see the highlights of the 2015 All-Ireland Final, go to RTÉ.ie/ iPlayer

UCC now boasts eleven 2015 All-Ireland winners following Cork’s defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland Camogie final last Sunday. Dr. Wesley O’Brien,

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PREVIEW: UCC TO CONTINUE WINNING FORM FROM 2014