University Express Vol 25; Issue 12

University Volume 25 | Issue 12 | Wednesday 30th March 2022

Express

“Cancer Doesn’t Sleep and Neither Do We”

UCCExpress.ie

ORLA LEAHY News Editor

Last week, on Friday, March 25th, the UCC Cancer Society (Cancer Soc) held their annual Relay for Life at the Mardyke Arena UCC. Emer O’Sullivan, Chairperson of Cancer Soc, said that Relay for Life occurs where: “For one day in the year, over 24 hours, everybody comes together and cancer survivors, people who have lost people to cancer, people who could be going through cancer or just want to do as much as they can, for 24 hours they stay awake, they don’t go to sleep, they just walk around whenever track that may be nearby. The idea behind this is that the Irish Cancer Society created the idea that cancer does not sleep, it never stops. So, for one day in the year neither do we. It is a fantastic event because it is unusual to be awake for 24 hours in a day, there is a certain comraderie to it…it creates this kind of sense of unity amidst a very very dark topic.”

Students were encouraged to sign-up in teams of 10. The entry fee of €100 then amounted to €10 per person, all of which went to the Irish Cancer Society. Participants received t-shirts to show their support.

Emer thanked the “very generous company who sponsored a container” for Cancer Soc to run live entertainment from the opening ceremony, which kicked off at 6pm. She stated that the Candle of Hope Ceremony is a key highlight of Relay for Life.

This year’s Relay for Life featured a comprehensive schedule of events for participants, including a soccer tournament, Continued on pg 3

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EDITORIAL

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief – Imasha Costa (Editor@UCCExpress.ie) News Editor – Orla Leahy (News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer – Aoife E Osborne (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor – Maeve O’Keeffe (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor – Sam Curtin (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor – Claudia Zedda (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie) Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Caitríona O’Connell (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie) Online Editor – Edel Lonergan (Online@UCCExpress.ie) Marketing Executive – Imasha Costa (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Photographers – Méabh Lonergan; Jack Murphy (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Byline Editor – Jack Coleman (Byline@UCCExpress.ie) (Deputy Editor) Food & Health – Nathan Carey (Food@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor – Cian Pierce (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor – Chloe Barrett (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor – Florrie McCarthy (Music@UCCExpress) Fashion Editor – Claire Watson (fashion@uccexpress.ie) Film & Television Editor – Cormac McCarthy (Screen@UCCExpress.ie) Sexpress Editor – Emily Osborn (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie) Deputy News – Ciara Browne (Deputynews@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Features Editor - Sarah O’Mahony (DeputyFeatures@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Sports - Atakan Uzun (deputysports@uccexpressie) Staff Writer: Billy O’Connor

AND THE CURTAINS DRAW UP ONE LAST TIME… I have been struggling to write this for the past few days, how am I meant to write my last ever editorial, my last words on the page, without the ability to tell myself that this is goodbye, that I will be passing on the torch to another person who will look after the University Express.

I am bawling. Honestly, this has been the best year of my entire life. The friends that I have made, the writing that I have done. The stories that we have been able to share. I will forever be grateful for everyone and everything that has been done in this academic year.

I was able to achieve the things that I wanted to see, but I was also able to do things that I never thought would happen. We won several SPA Regional Awards, got shortlisted for the National Awards, and we have brilliant writers and people that I want to give a massive thanks to.

Congratulations to every single one of you, my editorial team. Aoife, you have been my powerhouse, and I am so proud of you and I love you. You are honestly the best person to have worked with this entire year - my partner in crime. Maeve and Orla, you took the section and made it yours and I love it so much, and I am delighted to have worked with you the past year. And everyone else, Ciara, Sarah, Roisin, Claudia, Jack Coleman, Nathan, Cian, Claire, Chloe, Caitríona, Cormac, Florrie, Emily, Sam, Atakan, Méabh, Jack Murphy, Edel and all our fantastic contributors, the Express would not be the same without you and thank you for everything that you have done this year. You are all stars and winners.

Love and Solidarity,

Imasha Costa Editor-In-Chief

editor@uccexpress.ie

UNITED IN SOLIDARITY Dear Express readers, we have reached our final issue for the academic year.

Time has simply flown, and I am most disappointed to be writing my final editorial as News Editor.

This issue, Ciara covers the reopening of the newly refurbished Honan Chapel, and I cover UCC students’ inspirational fundraising to help beat cancer, and the role of FLAC UCC. I thought that I’d mention an article that I recently read by author, Edel Coffey. In her article, Coffey spoke about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and how across Ireland, people are united by a pressing desire to make a positive contribution, to show support for the people of Ukraine, the victims, united in solidarity. She stated that even though our actions may sometimes feel small, futile even, when all that some of us may be in a position to do is fly the Ukrainian flag and to change our profile photos to the Ukrainian colours, we should never underestimate our actions. An asylum seeker may scroll through social media and see our display of the Ukrainian colours, and be comforted, may see an ally, a friend in these troubled times.

I hope that I can leave you with an idea, the idea that no matter how insignificant we feel our voices and actions are, we all have the power to make a valuable contribution to society. I have covered a vast array of stories during my time as News Editor, and it is through even small, but powerful actions, that real change occurs. I have watched Safety Over Stigma grow and flourish, UCC Bystander initiate impactful lasting positive changes in behaviour, amongst many, many stories. As the Ukrainian flag continues to fly amidst the Irish winds above the Quad, and as we continue to make our mark in numerous fields, from improving cancer research and treatment, to access to justice, I hope that we shall remain united in solidarity, and stand for what is right.

Slan agus beannacht,

Orla Leahy News Editor

news@uccexpress.ie

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

COVER STORY CONTINUED midnight movie and morning yoga.

“At 9pm, we have the Candle of Hope Ceremony. This is truly one of the highlights of the day…you buy a candle bag in memory of somebody you’ve lost [or somebody going through cancer, or a loved one] or even a motivational person…and we essentially decorate the entire Mardyke, like the actual track, with these bags and then you all walk around once it gets dark and the bags are labeled. When doing charity work and volunteering, you will of course forget to step back and just think about the work you are doing and why you are doing it. When you see each and every single bag representing a person, a loved one next to you, that’s wonderful.”

Students who are interested in getting involved with Cancer Soc next year may run for a position at their AGM on April 5th. This year there were 21 committee members. Chairperson and vice-chairperson oversee the entire Relay for Life Campaign, but there are another number of positions available that focus on Relay for Life. For example, The Candle of Hope Officer organises the entire Candle of Hope Ceremony, including the selling and decorating of the candle bags. This year’s Candle of Hope Officer, Marianna, travelled around to various Cork markets on the three Sundays leading up to the ceremony to sell the candle bags in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. Alternatively, the Survivors Officer, Emer notes, “is a very sensitive role.” The Survivors Officer organises a lunch for cancer survivors, their teams, goodies bags and tokens of appreciation for the Relay itself. Emer also hopes to introduce new roles next year, including the Nightime Liaison Officer for Relay for Life, who would administer the supervision rota.

Emer concluded by acknowledging that the “connection that you get with in person can be the most rewarding thing”, and that the most rewarding work she has completed with Cancer Soc has been when “on the ground, talking, having conversations” and generating awareness, such as at Relay for Life. “The Irish Cancer Society, “look towards students as a kind of beacon of hope especially during Relay for life is because of the absolute energy that we, as not only the community but as a university give.”

The Irish Cancer Society, “are a community of patients, survivors, volunteers, supporters, health and social care professionals and researchers.

Together [they] are transforming the experiences and outcomes of people affected by cancer through our advocacy, support services and research.” The Irish Cancer Society offers numerous invaluable supports, including night nursing, support groups, driving services to and from appointments, amongst their ongoing research programmes.

On another note, second-year law and Irish student, Katie English, will be participating in a fundraiser known as “Shave the Date!”, where she will shave her head live as a supporter of the Irish Cancer Society.

Katie has stated that, “no one is untouched by cancer, we all know and love someone affected. My first experience was when I lost my grandad Willie. Recently, I lost my aunt Marguerite along with many other family members to cancer, all too early. Presently, I am supporting my cousin Siobhan on her cancer journey. I cannot and don’t want to lose any more people that I love dearly. My head shave is in solidarity with and to support family, friends and other cancer heroes who are going through or at the end of their cancer treatment. With the help of Emma from “Hair by Emma’’, I will donate my ponytail to the Rapunzel Foundation, an Irish based charity. (www.rapunzelfoundation.com) and then, the head shave will begin. Help me to help the experts reduce the power and impact of this disease.”

Students can support Katie’s fundraiser via the QR code on this page, and the Irish Cancer Society at www.cancer.ie. As Emer said, “cancer doesn’t sleep and neither do we.”

ORLA LEAHY

NEWS

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NEWS UCC Honan Chapel Reopens after €1.2m Refurbishment

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

CIARA BROWNE Deputy News Editor The Collegiate Chapel of Saint Finbar, better known as the Honan Chapel in University College Cork officially reopened to the public on Monday 21st March 2022, following a €1.2 million refurbishment programme funded by private donors. The completed renovations were celebrated at a special mass that took place Monday at 5:30pm to mark a new chapter in its 106 year old story.

Image Credits: RTE

the chapel. O’Connell guided the architect James F.McMullen and the building contractors John Sisk and Sons, along with the craftsmen and artists involved in the Chapel’s artwork.

When designed, its benefactor Isabella Honan made it clear that every aspect of the Hiberno-Romanesque church and its artefacts should be made, where possible, by the country’s best crafts people using local materials to the highest standard.

This would highlight, in particular, its mosaic flooring, altar plate, metalwork and enamels, liturgical textiles and sanctuary furnishings, and especially its stained glass windows - nineteen in total. Of these nineteen, Harry Clarke (1889-1931), Irish stained glass artist, designed and installed eleven, while the other eight were by A.E Child, Catherine O’Brien and Ethel Rhind of An Túr Gloine cooperative studio (Dublin).

The building was designed in 1914, completed in 1916, and furnished by 1917. Its architecture and fittings were representative of the Celtic Revival Movements (past movements in literature, the arts, and social practices, in which legends, poetry, art and spirituality of a distinctive kind were revived) and it evoked the insular art style prevalent in Ireland and Britain between the 7th and 12th centuries. The iconic Harry Clarke windows are among the collection James F. McMullen was an Irish architect involved in the restored to date for generations to come. The Honan Chapel is project in the 19th century, with the building’s construction considered a jewel in the crown of twentieth century Irish art being initiated and supervised by Dublin solicitor, John and architecture. Now, a huge project has seen every aspect of O’Connell, who was a leading member of the Celtic Revival the Honan Chapel lovingly restored for future generations. The and Arts and Crafts movements. O’Connell was funded by renowned eleven Clarke windows which have been acknowledged Isabella Honan, the last member of a wealthy Cork family as the finest example of stained glass work in Ireland - have who made a significant donation towards the construction of been carefully and meticulously restored and storm proofed.

NEWS

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express The interior of the Chapel has been repainted with all the pews being restored. The exterior surrounds of the limestone Chapel have undergone major construction and have been entirely repaired, repointed and sealed. Along with this there has been drainage works, landscaping, and restoration and salvation of original items including the decorative metal gate to the Chapel’s main entrance. The external lighting has been replaced and upgraded with a new system.

The total cost of the renovations was €1.2 million, with the money having been sourced from private funding through a philanthropic campaign, with the project overseen by a Development Committee chaired by Michael O’Flynn.

Mr O’Flynn said: “The response to the call for support for the Chapel has been phenomenal, and is testament to the regard and affection in which the Honan is held. On behalf of the Development Committee I wish to give our sincere thanks to the generous donors, as well as the architects, conservation experts, contractors and staff who made this happen.” (UCC.ie)

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The Honan Chapel is primarily a Catholic place of worship in the Diocese of Cork and for use by the staff, students and alumni of UCC. Fr. Gerard Dunne (secretary of the Honan Trust), said the significant contribution women have made to the Chapel is often overlooked and not acknowledged by visitors.

Fr. Dunne said: “The remainder of the windows in the Chapel are from the Sarah Purser studio, An Tur Gloine. Many of the Honan artefacts now in storage were the work of the Dun Emer Guild in Dublin and its founder Evelyn Gleeson. It is said that it was probably the first time in several hundred years that such items had been designed and woven in Ireland by Irish women for decoration of a church. It is wonderful that these works will endure in this special place of worship for years to come.”

The reopening of the Honan Chapel is a wonderful celebration for the university’s campus, and staff are encouraging students to go and appreciate the works of contributors by visiting the chapel.

Image Credits: RTE

NEWS “Access to Justice for All Should not Just be Aimed at those who Understand the Law”

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Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

ORLA LEAHY News Editor

FLAC was originally founded as a student society in TCD, David Giles, current Chairperson of FLAC UCC, notes. FLAC UCC, like all of the other university based FLACs, mirrors the work of FLAC Ireland.

David got involved in FLAC himself first day, as he had always had an interest in justice, and access to justice.

He adds, “I thought that if I were to have a practical impact in university, I would get involved in FLAC.” FLAC UCC held its annual conference last week, on Thursday, March 24th, in the Dr. Dora Allman Room in the Hub. The UCC FLAC Conference 2022 centred around the key theme of “Strategic Litigation: The Courts as a Vehicle for Social Change.” David stated that the inspiration behind this year’s theme stemmed from FLAC’s role in the past of “taking cases for individual people, cases which they see as of broader systemic importance.” One key case, for example, was Lydia Foy’s case, the first significant case concerning transgender rights. FLAC UCC took their inspiration for this year’s theme from the fact that FLAC have supported individuals in cases which they recognise as having the potential, “to go on and to impact a lot of other people.” David also stated that “sytrategic litigation is prominent across a lot of fields.”

For example, in the environmental sphere, strategic litigation is becoming more prominent, with more frequent cases for “alleged and actual inaction” by governments and public authorities across the globe. FLAC UCC wecomed a number of speakers to discuss the role of strategic litigation across a variety of fields.

Speakers at this year’s conference included Sinéad Lucey, Managing Solicitor at FLAC Ireland, Rose Wall, CEO of Community Law & Mediation, Professor Gerard Whyte of TCD, Joe Noonan, a practicing solicitor in Cork, Dr. Orla Kelleher of UL, and David Dodd BL, Barrister at Law. FLAC UCC will be holding their AGM, at which officers for next year’s committee will be elected, on April 6th. The committee will be expanding this year by introducing anumber of new roles.

David acknowledged that whilst FLAC UCC is a legal based society, they do always strive, “to reach non-law students”, and that all of their events are as “open as possible…access to justice for all should not just be aimed at those who understand the law.”

Ciara Cahill, Education Officer of FLAC UCC, was responsible for organising and running this year’s inaugural FLAC UCC Essay Competition, which McCann Fitzgerald sponsored. Ciara took a moment to answer some of the questions UCC Express had.

Why did FLAC UCC run an essay competition this year, what was the inspiration behind it and the theme?

One of our main goals in FLAC UCC this year was outreach and making ourselves known to more than just law students, and to assist more people in accessing the legal advice they may need.

An essay competition was an obvious way to get more people thinking of the values of FLAC. The FLAC UCC essay publications. It’s really aimed for those who have ideas on solving legal issues but maybe don’t know how to navigate the world of legal references, as is required in a lot of journals.

(Our competition didn’t require formal citation.) Again it’s the idea of making writing about legal issues more accessible, and allowing more people to propose solutions and new ideas.

Image Credits: FLAC UCC

Our theme this year was making Ireland more equal.

Our title was:”Considering the work of FLAC and its core values: How do we make Ireland more equal?”

The theme really was a no-brainer for myself, as Education Officer.

I wanted to get more people to think about FLAC Ireland and the work that it does. To write an essay on our theme the writers would have to have a basic knowledge of what FLAC Ireland does, that is to provide free legal advice and promote access to justice for everyone. Then they would have to apply this to an issue they see in Ireland. We had a huge range of topics submitted, from direct provision, to gender inequality, to domestic violence.

Will this essay competition become an annual feature of FLAC, and what do you hope to achieve with it long-term?

As the first Education Officer of FLAC UCC, I hope this essay competition will run for many years into the future.

I have the idea that the competition will grow with each new Education Officer that takes over and it will become known to other universities in Ireland. We hope once the competition grows in size that the essays could be published in their own publication, something that we could tie in with FLAC Ireland.

Above all, for myself, I hope that the competition will inspire more students to think critically about inequality in Ireland and give them the confidence and space to do this.

Jayne Doyle’s winning essay may be read on the next page.

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

NEWS

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“Considering the work of FLAC and its core areas; How do we make Ireland more equal?”

Jayne Doyle, Final Year Law and French Student, Winner of the inaugural FLAC Essay Competition, 2022

Domestic Violence is a longstanding and prevalent issue in Irish society and indeed, internationally. It concerns the physical and psychological harm and economic abuse felt within the home which stems from biologically determinist and archaic views to gender roles and the historically private position of the family. Recent statistics have shown that there is an increased volume of domestic violence against women than men. For years issues with domestic violence have been hidden in the private sphere, with the most vulnerable left without protection from the law due to the “inalienable and imprescriptible” position of the family within the Irish constitution and henceforth society. It is not treated in the same way that an assault on the street would be as the onus is on the victim to bring forth a case to the courts in order to seek an effective remedy, instead of the State bringing a case like in criminal proceedings. This overarching flaw which creates a chasm of inequality derives from cultural and societal values which have caused palpable limits to the accessibility of defenceless victims of domestic abuse and to fix these issues is how Ireland can become more equal.

In order to create a more equal stance on domestic violence in Ireland, it is imperative to recognise the role of Irish society and culture that has led to a frustratingly and “begrudgingly piecemeal approach to the availability of remedies for victims”. Given the very heavy influence of the Catholic Church at the time of the state being formed, the Irish Constitution is a very conservative document when it comes to the role of the family and how it is governed and protected. For years, the rights of the family were considered absolute, and the state could not intervene unless it absolutely had to, which conveys the great level of deference that has been afforded to the family unit. This is considered a reason as to why domestic violence remedies are found in the private sphere rather than in the public sphere, with the onus on the victim to initiate the process of intervention rather than the state. Crowley describes this as a “fundamental flaw” to the system of domestic violence law in Ireland and essentially normalises a conception that domestic violence is a lesser form of assault in comparison to any other form, which perpetuates ideas of sexism and gender roles. This limitation is still present today in the 2018 Act and is considered one of the greatest shortcomings by the act. Leahy argues that the act in this manner does not go far enough, and that follow- up legislation that concerns the criminal justice system response to domestic violence should be enacted, to “ensure that domestic abuse is fully recognised as a public wrong” and for equality to be created.However, given changes in the case law, the rights of the family are no longer considered absolute, and this gave rise to Section 22 of the 1976 Act, which sparked change in the area of domestic violence. The 1981 Act soon followed suit, yet remedies could still only be afforded to the marital family. Despite the provisions being limited in accessibility and protection, it must be said however, that this was forward thinking in light of the societal backdrop and is the foundation of the 1996 Act, which introduced a new range of remedies and applicants which are now found in the 2018 Act. This was a step in the right direction however, accessibility is still limited, as applicants must meet evidentiary requirements and the threshold for these are quite high.

Another reason for the strong limitations of domestic violence is the constitutional value afforded to property. The societal value of property is a systemic issue that has been alive since the creation of the State as we know it. Property has been identified throughout history by different scholars, particularly Locke, as a natural law and a ground through which rights stem from. The Irish Constitution is no different in this manner and has strong property rights that are afforded to its

people. As a result, certain remedies such as interim barring orders have been considered unconstitutional. Consequently, the courts have been slow to grant such orders, as the rights of the property owner must be weighed up and “must be proportionate”. Crowley describes this form of deference to property owners as “dangerous”, and comments that the ability of the legislator to broaden the “availability and nature of accessible remedies” is “hampered” by property rights.

This has led to very restrictive wording in domestic violence law which in turn limits the accessibility of remedies to victims of domestic abuse who are stuck in dangerous situations. For the barring remedy available, the evidentiary threshold was extremely high and has been limited to physical violence. The test shifted to focus on the respondent rather than the subjective impact of the respondent’s behaviour on the applicant. Additionally, when applying for a barring order, the applicant must satisfy the “property test”, whereby the applicant can only achieve a barring order if their legal or beneficial interest in the property is greater than that of the respondent. Again, this can be seen as a fundamental flaw to the protection of the most vulnerable and a knock on equality, as property rights are almost valued higher than that of a person, which is a despicable outlook to have and further concretises the view that domestic violence is a lesser form of assault and heightens the inequality felt by Irish citizens.

Unfortunately, the law has been slow to develop and recognise the important weight of domestic violence and its effects, with only its first mention in 1976. Despite the laissez- faire approach the Irish legislature has taken, the recent enactment of the consolidated Domestic Violence Act 2018 is a welcome improvement to Irish law. It is a step in the right direction to improve the equal status of women following the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and has been a ground-breaking and progressive piece of legislation to allow for the greater protection of more applicants and provides a range of remedies for different forms of intimate partner abuse.

Notwithstanding the praise the 2018 Act may have received, it has its flaws and is very different in practice than in theory. Domestic violence law still has a long way to go in order to protect and defend all parties fully and comprehensively in an equal manner. As time goes on, the rate of domestic violence continues to increase, with evidence heralding that during the recent Covid-19 Lockdown restrictions, acts of domestic violence have increased by 25%. Not only will the provisions of the law have to become more succinct, but society will also have to become more educated and relinquish the reluctance against giving up certain rights to protect the most vulnerable members of abuse and to create a more equal Ireland. However, the 2018 act has introduced some very welcome improvements, such as broadening the category of those who can apply for remedies to include dating partners, to allow for changes to court procedures for remedies to be more accessible and the introduction of the criminalisation of coercive control. This is a step in the right direction in order to increase equality in Ireland, and the progression made in this act certainly does deserve praise given Ireland’s historical reluctance. Yet, some of its provisions only go so far, especially given the lack of criminalisation of domestic violence in this day and age. This is an area that will need increased progression, education, and de-stigmatisation so that equality can be achieved in Ireland. Following the words of Leahy, “it is fair to say that while the Bill is a good start, we must remember that, as the old Irish adage goes, a good start is only half the battle.”

For references please consult uccexpress.ie

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FEATURES

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

A Letter to My First Year Self

MAEVE O’KEEFFE Features Editor

These days when walking around campus, it is not unusual for tears to well up in my eyes. I’m totally fine, but when I see the daffodils and the crocuses framing the venerable trees and Quad, I feel such sadness that this chapter of my life is drawing to a close. I reflect on my days as an undergraduate student, wishing I could pause the clock on the precious time I have remaining here. Our campus is so beautiful, but is also blotted with the poignancy of my memories here, and I lament that my days of having ice cream in the President’s Garden and cappuccinos in Coffee Dock are numbered. The sand in the hourglass of time I have left in college is slip sliding away beneath my feet, and the weeks whir by.

It’s hard to convey just how much I’ve grown to love UCC and Cork City itself in the three years I’ve spent here. I want to go back in time and clasp my first-year self by the shoulders, reassure her that it’s all going to be ok, that she has no idea of the journey that awaits. Though I try to live my life minimising regret to the best of my abilities, I’m sure there are some things I could tell myself if travelling back in time to greet my former self, naïve and uncertain as she navigated the shortcut through the Kane building to main campus, sure that she’d never learn to navigate the labyrinth of the ORB building.

Dear Maeve, (September 2019) Relax.

Breathe.

Straighten up your shoulders and for the love of God, stop biting your fingernails.

You have so much to look forward to. So many brilliant people will come into your life and change it for the better. The proximity that you’ll share with your college friends is unlikely to be replicated by the friendships formed at any other stage of life. You will live, work, study, and socialise alongside these people. At times you’ll laugh so hard that your ribs will ache, and you’ll think you’re going to wet yourself, and at other times you’ll find comfort in teary mugs of tea and hugs on grotty student accommodation couches. It’s a cliché, but only because it’s true; you are going to make so many fantastic memories with college friends.

Chances are, you’ll probably lose some friends too, and drift away from others. This is never easy, but sometimes inevitable, and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. In fact, it’s more likely to be a sign that you’re changing and developing, and that your old friends are too. Along the way you will develop certain standards and values for your friendships, and you don’t have to compromise on these principles if a friend is not respectful of them. You might reconnect in years to come, you might not. Either way, it’s alright.

I don’t think anyone is truly impervious to the opinions of others, but try not to get too caught up with trying to fulfil certain roles within the friend group. It can consume you, and you’ll learn it’s ultimately futile. People can find you funny without you having to be the butt of every joke. People can think you’re a nice person without you having to bake brownies for them every single weekend. People can think you’re laid back without you having to be a doormat.

People can think you’re good craic without you having to be in top form every night, quick with the witty remarks and comments.

No matter what you do, you will never please everybody, so don’t waste your time trying to. You might as well just be as genuine as possible, and forget about the people who don’t like you. Trust that there are plenty of people who will accept and love your sincere, sometimes moody, sometimes needy, but always honest self.

“Ní éiríonn sé níos éasca, éiríonn tú níos fear.” – (It doesn’t get easier,

you get better). You will encounter hardship. It is an unfortunate reality that there is no such thing as a life free from some sort of adversity. Though college is great craic, there will be losses, heartbreaks, and stresses too. You will find yourself, on more than one occasion, crying in the Boole Library bathrooms (side note: back up everything on a USB stick, you’ll thank me later). There will be days when you feel miserable and overwhelmed, but you will manage. They say time is a great healer, but I disagree with that. Grief, for instance, does not miraculously diminish in time. The magnitude of the hurt and heartbreak unfortunately does not always subside, but your mechanisms for coping with it will improve. You will become stronger, even if it feels unimaginable initially. Have faith in your ability to recover, you’ve made it this far already.

On that note, you have never let yourself down before, so stop convincing yourself that your life is going to descend into disaster now. You must try to resist the urge to worry; it will get you nowhere, and you’re simply rehearsing your distress for some horrible outcome before it has even come to pass. The essays will get done. The stats assignments may not ever truly make sense, but you will muddle through them regardless. Just keep working your way through your to-do list, taking it day-by-day, bit by bit. College is challenging, but you’re much more capable than you give yourself credit for. Don’t be so hard on yourself for needing to take breaks or for not being productive enough.

Another thing, please don’t be too proud to ask for help. Whether it’s emailing a lecturer to ask for clarification for that tricky assignment, seeking professional support when you’re stressed and unwell, calling that older and wiser relative for advice, or even texting a friend to go for a walk, there is a team of people in your life who want to see you thriving. They will help you, but only if you let them. Don’t agonise over asking a friend if she’d mind explaining that complicated lecture topic to you, or approaching a stranger in the toilets to ask for a tampon.

Everybody needs a hand sometimes, and your determination to never ask for help is only acting as a barrier to you reaching your full potential.

On the other side of that same coin, know that you’re never too busy to make time for a friend. Sure, it’s easier to leave messages unopened or to flake on that coffee date in favour of a lie-in, but it’s more important to look out for your friends. Let them know that you’re here for them, and show it. Go to the pharmacy with them when they’re scared that they need a pregnancy test, show up with ice-cream after they have a break-up, book a study room for them the night before the exam they’re stressed about. Small gestures like this infringe upon you in the most minimal of ways, but could mean the world to your friends.

Speaking of friends, don’t be afraid to be a little bit more proactive.

If you want to hang out, then be the driving force behind arranging it.

Rest assured there are plenty of others in the group who are feeling shy or reluctant to seem needy, and they’d only love a snap asking to meet up. Reach out. Remind yourself that the worst thing that could possibly arise from reaching out to someone is that they say no, and that even then, you’re no worse off than you were initially.

In fact, I’m a great advocate of the “What’s the worst that could happen?” mantra. When it comes to big exams, and your first time in the Neptune Stadium, your heart might race a little. Pause, and ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is. It’s probably not as bad as you are making it out to be. You fail an exam?

You’ll repeat. Everything will be alright. The same goes for social things. The worst outcome is that you don’t have a good time, or you feel embarrassed, but even then, you have the power to pretend you don’t care. Eventually, you’ll begin to actually stop caring what other people think of you, and it will be so liberating.

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express Though you shouldn’t let yourself be pushed or coerced into anything, getting out of your comfort zone from time to time is healthy. Sit in on other people’s lectures to satisfy your curiosity, sign up for the club or society that piques your interest (and actually show up to training and events), wear that cool outfit that you think might be a little bit “out-there” (I promise, you look cooler than you realise).

Staying in your lane is fine, but you’ll only really get to know yourself by testing yourself in small ways. This doesn’t mean running yourself ragged and exhausting yourself, it’s just about learning to do the things that you genuinely want to do, and embracing all the opportunities that are going to present themselves to you. It’s ok to say no if you’re not interested in something, and it’s equally ok to go solo if your friends aren’t interested in tagging along to an event with you. You might just stumble upon something you’re really passionate about. Do things for you, even if it’s initially a bit daunting.

In all likelihood, your body is going to change in the next few years.

That’s life. Your weight might fluctuate from time to time, but that’s normal. It’s not a reason to sacrifice your beloved take-away after a night out, or to replace pints with calorie-conscious spirits and mixers you don’t even like the taste of. Try to be as active as you can, but

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don’t beat yourself up if you can’t find the energy for those 5km runs when your workload gets intense. Your acne might not clear up fully, and the wrinkles in your forehead might become more pronounced.

Trust me, nobody is noticing these changes as much as you are, and absolutely nobody cares. Everybody is much too preoccupied with their own appearance to notice these “flaws” in yours. You have so much more to offer the world than fitting a certain dress size.

Lastly, I just want to remind you to savour every moment. Though your time as a student will feel fleeting, it is its fleetingness that makes it meaningful. Savour the chaotic nights out, the feeling of hitting it off with new people and immediately adding them to your private story on Snapchat. Savour the mundane morning coffees, and sausage rolls in the Student Centre between lectures.

Savour your first taste of independence, and the exhilaration of freedom. And if it all becomes overwhelming, know that you can take a break and catch your breath. Listen to Vienna by Billy Joel, and “slow down you crazy child.” Everything is going to work out.

Love, Maeve (March 2022)

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FEATURES

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

The College Experience SARAH O’MAHONY Deputy Features Editor

The anonymous submissions about UCC on Instagram are always entertaining night time reading. Recently I’ve been enjoying the lost and found posts, hoping the random earbud found in the library gets reunited with its owner. I have also recently come across a submission speaking about the college experience that I thought was incredibly well worded. The anonymous submitter shared that ‘doing whatever you like whether by yourself or with other people is an experience in itself, it’s just that you are going to college’. It made me think of the now famous scene in Normal People where Connell breaks down during a therapy session over his feelings of isolation in Trinity and the loss of his secondary school friend. He discusses the anxiety he experienced starting over in a new place and how the passing of his friend unearths sadness over the loss of his teenage friendships in his hometown. It is a brilliant performance and an accurate portrayal of the young adult experience in Ireland.

As Connell shares in the above scene, he decided to go to Trinity in the hopes that he would find ‘like-minded’ people. You could argue that Trinity has its own issues as it is very Dublin- centric. This aside, he is seeking a basic human want to belong. No one’s social life is sorted out, maybe you feel like you click with people less than others, but you’ll get there. Possibly it starts with accepting yourself and what you are interested in. The chapter that discusses the therapy scene with Connell ends with an organised reading that he attends. He speaks with a writer who is similar to Connell and they both admit they don’t necessarily fit into the Trinity scene, with the writer encouraging Connell to use his unique perspective to enhance his writing. No matter if you love a good house party or night out in Voodoo or if you’re into more of a chill hangout time in Joes and Bros or Alchemy, don’t dim down your interests just to fit in. Use your voice and point and view and you will find the right people to spend your time with.

Outside of fitting in and personal troubles, if you are a student, your course can determine much of this experience. Choosing the right course can be the bane of your existence in sixth year or you can fill out the CAO with ease. However, no matter where you find yourself, it is important to realize you are not stuck. By no means does studying accounting mean you are going to be an accountant for life. The more you allow yourself to believe you don’t have a whole world of options ahead of you, the more likely you are to find yourself overwhelmed, burnout and struggling mentally. However, it is not easy to stick to a course you don’t like knowing you won’t use it after. I am not the most trustworthy source on this as I write from the privileged position of having changed course. The stigma that surrounds the humanities is alive and well and I definitely subscribed to it before I realised that it was where I belonged. Your course does not determine your intelligence nor does it determine your long- term future. Even if everyone around you believes that you have to follow the predetermined role that is linked to your course, don’t believe them! You can use what you studied and market the transferable skills it offered to the employer of your choice. If you truly believe that what you are studying isn’t for you and you have the means to change into a different course or pursue some other avenue, go for it! Like the anonymous submission said, if you have certain expectations that you allow others to set for you, you will never be happy looking back at your twenties or your time in college.

It would be tone deaf to say the issues faced by students are limited to academia and social life. Connell is the perfect example of a young person longing for the ‘correct’ college experience. Nothing is ever clear cut and so along with this he is also dealing with the loss of his secondary school friend and the life he once had in his hometown.

It is never as simple as an identity crisis. Even the seemingly most put together person in the room will be troubled by something more.

Although, changing course has changed my life, there will always be another challenge to overcome that’s what it means to be human!

Understanding that there are a myriad of issues someone you know could be facing can be difficult. It’s easy to share a ‘just be kind’ post on Instagram, but putting it into practice takes more. Beyond reserving judgment of someone’s actions it also means checking in every once and a while or possibly giving them the space they need. What I would say is that if you are struggling or know someone who is, there exists a wealth of support available to you in UCC, especially noting the outgoing Student Union who I think we can all agree will be missed.

Your time in college can be whatever you want it to be. You are never stuck, especially with the age or information we live in, it’s likely that you may find yourself employed in a role you never could have imagined in college. Good results are of course beneficial, but well-developed interests and skills are much more appealing in the long run to any employer. Most importantly enjoy college, and enjoy it the way you want to!

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

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The Great Escape MAEVE O’KEEFFE Features Editor

The person sitting behind me in the library has a sniffly nose, and periodically I can hear them sucking snot up their nostrils. Two seats across from me, there are two girls, gossiping in theatrical whispers that are punctuated only by their occasional giggling fits. The person sitting opposite me is listening to music, but their headphones are so loud that I can hear every beat of the Ed Sheeran album they’re listening to. Someone else is eating Taytos, and between the crinkling of the crisp packet and the pungent aroma of cheese and onion, I am almost nauseous. The building seems to be simply crammed with people competing to get on my nerves and distract me as I sit in front of my laptop and notes copy, trawling through Google Scholar in search of references for the impending essay deadline.

In moments like these, there is just one place I’d like to be. I imagine the narrow roads meandering through na Beanna Beola (12 Pins) in Connemara, to the little town of Renvyle. In my moments of frustration and stress, it has become like a retreat of my mind’s creation, or rather, recollection, since I’ve been going there every summer with my family since early childhood. Each year, we load up the car with an excess of suitcases, buckle up, connect a killer Spotify playlist, and turn around to check that our beloved golden retriever Lulu is comfortable enough in the back. Without fail, we stop in the McDonalds Drive Through in Galway City, before beginning the scenic ascent to the northern tip of county Galway.

I don’t imagine that the drive through the Inagh Valley will ever cease to amaze me. Each year, whether shrouded in its characteristic clouds, or illuminated by precious sunlight, the way the mountains melt into Lough Inagh’s depths and are mirrored on its surface is beautiful.

As a child I used to ask my parents to stop the car so I could look at the waterfalls and rivulets that lace the hillsides, and hear the running water gurgle. Sheep amble across our path, with their rugged coats and vacant eyes, and occasionally, we have to hop out of the car to usher them to the side of the road. Even so, it’s impossible not to surrender yourself to the serenity of the place. The landscape feels wild, yet welcoming, with the tapestry of earthy tones framed by dramatic mountains and glimpses of the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Each year, we slip seamlessly into the same leisurely holiday routines. Swims off Glassilaun Beach (I am adamant that it’s warmer than Trá Bán – also known as White Strand), followed by pints of Guinness in Paddy Coynes Pub in the village. Barbequing sausages

on the mildest days, spinning to Letterfrack for pizzas on the rainy days. Driving to Louisburgh in Mayo for breakfast, and pottering around the shops there. We go on day trips to Omey Island, armed with camping chairs, a cobbled together picnic, and flasks of coffee.

Sometimes we watch the annual Omey horseracing, but more often we just wander about, as Lulu the dog sniffs curiously at the many rabbit burrows. I began learning to drive on the strand of beach at low tide one year, and another year, my parents convinced me that the tide had come back in while we were exploring, and that we were marooned on Omey for the night. Their prank fell flat when they realised that as an eight-year-old, the thought of spending a night stranded on the island, just like the Famous Five, was fantastically adventurous (so long as we didn’t run out of Pringles and biscuits).

In fact, the islands off the west coast are preserved in my mind as always sunny. I’m not sure how accurate these recollections of mine are, but I simply cannot remember ever cycling about Inisbofin or splashing about in Keem Bay, Achill Island in anything but glistening sunlight.

Perhaps these spots are genuinely blessed with endless sunshine, or perhaps my nostalgia is clouding my memory with a rose-tinted reminiscence. Either way, when my energy is depleted, I only have to imagine the soporific sound of the lapping tide to soothe myself.

I may have developed an intimate knowledge of these places, but the truth is I have only sampled the magnificence of our country’s big attractions and hidden gems. The Wild Atlantic Way is nothing short of genius in highlighting the beauty of our west coast.

Though devoted to our traditional trips to Renvyle, it is a great ambition of mine to embark on a road-trip of the Wild Atlantic Way in its entirety this summer, stopping off at each zigzag sign I encounter on our travels. I want to visit Sligo, to see Yeats’s grave and Lough Gill. I want to marvel at the magnitude of cliffs in Clare and Donegal, and lose myself in the magic of Skellig Michael.

The scope for exploration is endless, and it’s all on our doorstep.

I remind myself that the stagnancy of the stuffy library will soon be eclipsed by exhilarating sea swims, leaping into the choppy water and reassuring my more reluctant friends and family members that “The water’s not that cold once you get used to it!” The wind will brace my face and I’ll sing along to Christy Moore as we drive around Killary Harbour. Until then, I must satisfy myself with my daydreams and musings, transporting myself away from responsibility to a dreamscape, where “I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.”

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OPINION

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

You are welcome here.. If you look like us A Reflection on the Ukraine crisis CLAUDIA M. ZEDDA Opinion Editor

If you did not live under a rock over the past couple of months, you must be aware of the situation in Ukraine. Millions of people have been forced to flee their country as a result of attacks from Russia.

The Russians spent weeks building a huge military force along the border with Ukraine, when a full-scale invasion was launched

by Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022. The news spread quickly throughout Europe and the entire world, and many countries showed great support towards the victims of the conflict, including Ireland.

More than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the war started. Of these, 10,000 refugees have been welcomed by Ireland, a small country of over 5 million people which is geographically the furthest away from Ukraine. As Nick Henderson said during an interview: “I think people have a lot of affinity and a lot of sympathy and solidarity with Ukrainian people currently[…] They see Ukrainians as fellow Europeans, as people who deserve our solidarity and support. And they want to do something to help them.”

This sentence very likely summarises what the average Irish person feels towards Ukrainians. I would like you to stop reading here and go over that sentence again. What are your thoughts on it?

While it is incredible what Ireland has managed to achieve, welcoming 10.000 Ukrainian refugees in less than three weeks, there is something wrong beyond that. The Land of a Thousand Welcomes has actually shown what they are able to do.. So, my question is: why wasn’t this done before?

Let’s go back to September 2021.

Some of you might remember the crisis in Afghanistan and the attacks from the Taliban, who forced millions of Afghans to flee their country. The scale of the crisis would be pretty much the same as in Ukraine. Between September and December 2021, 500 people were granted full refugee status without entering the Direct Provision system (Ireland’s system for asylum seekers), according to Aoife Moore, correspondent of the Irish Examiner.

So what’s the difference between Afghanistan and Ukraine? I urge you to read the quote above by Nick Henderson one more time. Afghanistan is just used as one example of humanitarian catastrophes that have happened in recent times. There could be so much more to talk about, like in Syria, where the United

Nations has recorded at least 350.000 people have been killed over the course of ten years of civil war; or Yemen, where every day children die of starvation; just to mention a few.

Ireland is not the only country to be blamed for this lack of compassion towards non-Western looking people. Back in Ukraine, where people have walked countless hours to reach the borders, African, Middle Eastern and Indian students are denied to cross the border.

An article by Aljazeera reported that Barlaney Mufaru Gurure, a space engineer from Zimbabwe, after queueing for more than nine hours at the western border in Ukraine, was pushed away by the border guard, giving priority to Ukranians. It took hours, and countless demands, before herself and four of her friends were allowed to go through border control.

“We felt treated like animals,” “We never thought that they would have treated us like that […] I thought we were all equal, that we were trying to stand together,” stated a 19-year-old girl in a phone interview from a hotel in Warsaw.

Aljazeera reported that another black student, Claire Moore, was refused to board a train at the station of Lviv.

The guard insisted that only women could take the train, while she pointed out that she was, indeed, a woman.

A volunteer with the Polish aid organisation also confirmed that Ukranians were allowed to pass through the train lanes much quickers than locals, while foreigners have to go through the pedestrian one, which waiting-time can last between 14 to 50 hours.

I wonder, do people need to be Western-looking to receive help and compassion? Or what’s needed? Is it the skin, the eyes, or facial traits? Is it the way we behave or the way we think, talk and approach to each other that defines us? When do you stop being “acceptable”?

The Head of the United Nations publicly stated that the global support shown towards Ukrainian refugees should “set the example for all refugee crises.”. To show solidarity and support towards Ukraine, the European Union has set a unique plan to temporarily lift border and protection mechanisms to allow Ukrainian nationals to live, work and access public services in the EU for three years.

Since the 1990s, the EU has relied on the first-country principle, where asylum seekers have to request asylum in the first EU country they enter. This policy has left southern European member states, such as Italy, Spain and Greece, dealing with an insane amount of

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express asylum claims. Refugees who managed to survive these barriers and reach Europe have faced extreme push backs across borders. These pushbacks have led to thousands of deaths of migrants in recent years. Nevertheless, the EU decided to lift the barriers for Ukrainian refugees, in the hope that Ukrainian nationals will be able to go back home in three years’ time, or to have secured refugee status in their EU country of choice.

At a global level, Japan, a country known for its diffidence towards refugees, has also set a plan to take in Ukrainian refugees.

The United States has recently announced a plan to welcome 100.000 refugees through an easier mechanism compared to the traditional US refugee program. This treatment stands in stark contrast to Europe’s past resistance to welcoming asylum seekers, particularly from a Muslim and/or African background.

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Some countries have publicly admitted their preference in welcoming Ukrainian refugees with whom they show a cultural affinity.

“These are not the refugees we are used to.. These people are Europeans” affirmed Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. This underlines the discrimination and racism widely spread throughout European leaders’ minds. This also points out the concerning distance between the values that the European Union claims to have and how these manifest in the practical policy making process. By lifting the borders for Ukrainian nationals, EU leaders have admitted that migration policies are unfit for purpose. Every country should show the same empathy and support all people fleeing persecution and war, notwithstanding their racial identity. If there is a lesson learned from this, is that the European Union can and has to extend its welcome to other refugee groups, learning from the implementation of the temporary protection policy.

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BYLINE VOLUME 7 ISSUE 12

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EDITORIAL

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Issue TWELVE It is with a heavy heart that I introduce this last edition of Byline for the year. It truly has been a fantastic journey, seeing each of the section editors evolve and grow throughout the year has been inspiring.

My own piece this week is a reflection on my time in student media, as well as some thoughts on its future. I’m not going to single out anyone’s articles this week, each and every article deserves a read. It’s been a year of incredibly high quality here at Byline and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I have. Enjoy our last issue.

Jack Coleman Byline Editor

byline@uccexpress.ie

SHAVE THE DATE! 9th April 2022 10:15am

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They say a woman’s crowning glory is her hair and I am willing to give that crown away to raise money to aid research to improve cancer treatment and hopefully find cures.

Hi, Katie English here asking you to support my “Shave the Date” fundraising event in aid of Cancer Research. No one is untouched by cancer, we all know and love someone affected. My first experience was when I lost my grandad Willie. Recently, I lost my aunt Marguerite along with many other family members to cancer, all too early. Presently, I am supporting my cousin Siobhan on her cancer journey. I cannot and don’t want to lose any more people that I love dearly.

My head shave is in solidarity with and to support family, friends and other cancer heroes who are going through or at the end of their cancer treatment. With the help of Emma from “Hair by Emma”, I will donate my ponytail to the Rapunzel Foundation, an Irish based charity (www.rapunzelfoundation.com) and then, the head shave will begin.

Help me to help the experts reduce the power and impact of this disease.

PLEASE DONATE, no matter how small Scan Me to Donate:

Or Visit:

11/30/20

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Shave-the-Date-Katie-English

Shave the Date! will be streamed live on the following link: - https://youtu.be/b5R6ZJjCEjk and I will Instagram live on the day

Thank you Irish Cancer Society Supporter Number 778640

Gaeilge

18 Áras Uí Thuama- Gaeltacht na hOllscoile CAITRÍONA O’CONNELL Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Is scéim do mhic léinn Choláiste na hOllscoile atá ann, ina mbíonn spás do 27 mac léinn sna hárasáin in Áras Uí Thuama, Ionad Cónaithe Gaeilge in University Hall. Is minic a ghlaotar “Gaeltacht na hOllscoile” ar an áit, toisc gur Gaoluinn amháin a bhíonn á labhairt ann. Bunaíodh an scéim in 2006 nuair a tógadh na hárasáin ar dtús agus ainmníodh an tÁras i ndiaidh an Ollaimh Seán Ó Tuama (1926-2006) a bhí mar fhile agus léachtóir i gColáiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh. Tá an scéim oscailte d’aon mhac léinn lán-aimseartha atá in aon bhliain fhad is atáid líofa sa Ghaoluinn agus sásta í a labhairt gach lá. Cuirtear roinnt áiteanna i leataobh gach aon bhliain le haghaidh mhic léinn na chéad bhliana. Bíonn ar lucht an Árais an Ghaoluinn a labhairt gach lá lena chéile san Áras agus freastal ar na himeachtaí a eagrófar dóibh i gcaitheamh na bliana.

Tá an tÁras suite go fíor-áiseach; níl sé ach 10 nóiméad de shiúl na gcos chuig an bpríomhchampas agus tá siopa béal dorais.

Tá 3 cinn d’árasáin do bheirt, 3 cinn do thriúr agus 3 cinn eile do cheathrar; rud a chabhraíonn le scoláirí cairde nua a dhéanamh.

Seo liosta des na háiseanna atá ar fáil agus tú i do chónaí san Áras:

Sa seomra codlata tá: • • • • • • •

Binse staidéir agus lampa léitheoireachta Leaba dhúbailte le slí stórála Seilpeanna Scáthán lánfhada.

Cófraí Clár Fógraí Leithreas “ensuite” i bhformhór des na seomra

Sa chistin/seomra comhluadair tá: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Iarta Leictreonac Oigheann Leictreonach Oigheann Micreathonnach Cófraí Folúsghlantóir Cuisneoir/Reoiteoir Áraistí Sceanra Teilifís Iarann/Bord smúdála Tóstaer Citeal

Tá a lán áiseanna ar fáil in Áras Uí Thuama agus ina measc áirítear:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Iarta Leictreonach Oigheann Leictreonach Oigheann Micreathonnach Cófraí Folúsghlantóir Cuisneoir/Reoiteoir Áraistí Sceanra Teilifís Iarann/Bord smúdála Tóstaer Citeal

gaeilge

19 Agus mé i mbliain na hArdteiste, chuala mé faoi Áras Uí Thuama don chéad uair, nuair a tháinig mic léinn chuig ár scoilne chun labhairt linn faoin ollscoil. Nuair a tháinig mé chuig Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh ar dtús, ní raibh aithne agam ar mhórán daoine, ach chabhraigh muintir an Árais liom. Cuireadh in árasán le beirt eile mé a bhí sa chéad bhliain, chomh maith, agus réitíomar go hana-mhaith le chéile. Chabhraigh sé sin liom mé féin a shocrú maidir le saol na hollscoile, toisc go rabhas i mo chónaí le daoine eile a raibh an t-eispéireas céanna acu is a bhí agam féinig.

Táimse tar éis fanacht san Áras le haghaidh dhá bhliain de mo chéim agus caithfidh mé a rá gur chuir sé le heispéireas na hollscoile go mór. Dar liom, toisc go rabhas i measc Gaeilgeoirí, thug sé an seans is fearr dom seadú i saol nua an choláiste. Chabhraigh mo chuid ama in Áras Uí Thuama go mór liom cairde nua a dhéanamh agus díriú ar mo chuid staidéar. Chruthaigh mé saol sóisialta in Áras Uí Thuama i dtaobh ceol traidisiúnta a sheinnt agus rince seite a dhéanamh le muintir eile san Áras. Thaitin an saol in Áras Uí Thuama liom mar go raibh gach duine cairdiúil lena chéile agus bhraith mé go rabhas mar pháirt de theaghlach mór toisc go mbíodh gach duine ag caint agus ag cabhrú lena chéile riamh is choíche. Dheineas roinnt des na cairde is fearr liom agus mé i mo chónaí san Áras agus bíonn atmaisféar álainn ann, le gach duine i gcónaí. Is pobal atá ann leis féin agus bíonn an méid sin suime agus grá ag na mic léinn don Ghaolainn chuirfeadh sé gliondar ar do chroí an méid sin daoine óga agus iad go léir ag labhairt na Gaoluinne le chéile go lánsásta! Chomh maith leis sin, bualann tú leis an méid sin daoine éagsúla as cúrsaí agus blianta éagsúla, agus ní bheadh an t-eispéireas sin agatsa in aon áit eile.

Cabhraíonn na himeachtaí chomh maith maidir le cairde nua a dhéanamh. Roinnt des na himeachtaí a bhíonn ar siúl is ea oíche ag tosach na bliana chun fáilte a chur roimh dhaoine, agus ansin bíonn roinnt imeachtaí sóisialta, mar shampla babhláil agus tráth na gceist, chomh maithle hócaidí chun bualadh le gach éinne (ag tosach na bliana). Bíonn ócaidí eile ar siúl chomh maith, mar shampla

d’fhreastal lucht an Áras ar Bhál na Gaeilge i mbliana.

Chun cur isteach ar an Áras i mbliana, caithfear an fhoirm iarratais a líonadh isteach atá le fáil ar shuíomh idirlín Ionad na Gaeilge Labhartha. Caithfidh an t-iarrthóir cur síos a dhéanamh ar a cuid sonraí pearsanta, an bhaint a bhí acu leis an nGaoluinn sa bhliain atá imithe tharainn (maidir le saol an Choláiste agus lasmuigh + den Choláiste) agus cén bhaint a bheidh acu leis an nGaoluinn sa bhliain atá le teacht. Cuirtear ceisteanna chomh maith ar na cúiseanna gur mhaith leis an iarrthóir fanacht in Áras Uí Thuama agus conas gur mhian leo cabhrú leis an gColáiste agus an tÁras a neartú go fadtéarmach. Iarrtar ar an iarrthóir cur síos a dhéanamh ar a gcuid caitheamh aimsire.Más rud é gur mic léinn ollscoile iad cheana féin, is féidir leo ainm carad a chur síos gur mhaith leo cónaí leo sa bhliain atá rompu; más rud é go bhfuil cairde leo ag déanamh iarratais don scéim, chomh maith.

Más rud é go n-éiríonn leis an iarrthóir agallamh a fháil, rachaidh siad os comhair bord agallaimh. Ceistítear an t-iarrthóir ar a gcuid suime sa Ghaoluinn agus an taithí atá acu inti. Fiafrófar chomh maith conas gur féidir leo cur le saol an choláiste i dtaobh na Gaoluinne agus aon phleananna atá acu don bhliain atá le teacht. Má éiríonn leis an iarrthóir áit a fháil in Áras Uí Thuama agus cloíonn siad leis na coinníollacha go léir a bhíonn i gceist leis an scéim, tabharfar scoláireacht €500 dóibh ag deireadh na bliana ag searmanas bronnta na Scoláireachtaí.

Má tá tuilleadh eolais ag teastáil, is féidir dul i dteangmháil le hIonad na Gaeilge Labhartha ag g.labh@ucc.ie Is é an dáta deireanach le haghaidh foirmeacha iarratais 14 Aibreán.

Bígí cinnte go gcuirfidh sibh isteach ar an scéim i mbliana mar cuirfidh sé le do shaol san ollscoil go mór, déanfaidh tú cairde nua agus is seans é chun do chuid Gaoluinne a úsáid go laethúil. Ní bheadh mo shaol sa choláiste chomh hiontach is atá go cinnte gan mé a bheith i mo chónaí san Áras agus beidh an-díomá orm é a fhágaint, ach beidh na cuimhní iontacha agam de mo chuid ama ann agam i gcónaí! *Má tá suim agat sa Ghaolainn i gCorcaigh, bígí cinnte Gael-Taca a leanúint ar Instagram! *

SHAVE THE DATE! 9th April 2022 10:15am

Byline focus

20 Reflections: My Time in Student Media JACK COLEMAN Byline Editor

After three years of participating in student media at UCC, my journey is ending. Student journalism has been one of the most enriching experiences of my time here at UCC and I am saddened that it’s coming to an end. I started my time with the University Express convinced I wanted to become a journalist, first in gaming media and then switching my goal to investigative journalism. Unrelated to my fantastic experiences in student media, it is no longer my goal to enter the world of journalism. Unfortunately, between conversations I’ve had with mutuals who are in the industry and a general analysis of the industry, it is no longer a goal I want to pursue. Journalism is a heavily saturated industry, especially in the sector of gaming, entertainment and esports which are my primary interests. This drives down both the number of positions available and also the compensation a journalist can earn. It’s certainly not an unattainable goal and I have the utmost respect for those who are certain that this is what they want to do, but for me personally, I am not sure enough about journalism to participate in that grind. Of course, that doesn’t take away from the amazing time I had participating in the journalism corner of UCC’s campus life. This article is a reflection on my time in UCC student media and some thoughts on its future.

I began my journey with student media at the end of my first year at UCC. I hadn’t been aware of its existence until then, probably owing to my lack of attendance (nothing has changed there). I had some experience with journalism in the past, working with the Korean entertainment news website Koreaboo for 8 months remotely. At Koreaboo, I was doing near-clickbait content where the emphasis was on the speed of reporting rather than informed and balanced analysis. I figured more long-form content would be refreshing after that experience. I learned about the submissions process for the University Express and decided to contribute to the gaming section, headed by Cian McGrath at the time. The article I had submitted was about the rapid growth of esports. I remember the first time I picked up a copy of the Express. I was in the West Wing building waiting for a lecture to start and I grabbed one from the windowsill.

I flicked to the gaming section and there was my name - bold and in print. It was a very rewarding experience and I wanted to continue it.

It was a very rewarding experience and I wanted to continue it.

A few months later, the Express opened its applications for the next academic year. I put in my name for the position of Gaming Editor. I remember trekking to the old Express office on Glasheen Road for the interview with Ciaran Dineen and Cian (who had just landed the Byline job). I remember it being lighthearted and to the point - a week later I had got the position. My first proper year of student media was a very fun one, the team gelled well and that was reflected in the quality of the paper. We ended up winning the Student Media Award for “Best Newspaper”. Making

friends and forming relationships is one of the most important parts of participating in student media (and college in general).

Looking back over my work from that year, I am still happy with it. This is rare for me as I tend to be critical of my past work, I like to think I’m constantly improving. My work didn’t have the local slant a university paper probably should have but I’m happy with how I handled the subjects I focused on.

I was offered the Gaming Editor role once more but I wanted a new challenge so I ended up switching publications and then became the Entertainment Editor for Motley Magazine. I ended up struggling a bit in this role. As an Express section editor, you are only responsible for two pages. This is ideal as you often just get to write the two pages yourself biweekly. As Entertainment Editor, I was tasked with filling ten pages and this is where I struggled. I wasn’t able to get the necessary amount of submissions every month and the section wasn’t as high quality as it could have been as a result. Eventually, I stepped down and took over the role of Head Staff Writer. This allowed me to focus on what I liked the most about student media, the writing.

This allowed me to focus on what I liked the most about student media, the writing.

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byline focus My passion for gaming and esports was cemented during my time at Motley as I kept finding myself going back to those topics despite having the entire world of entertainment available to me. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Motley immensely, the design was beautiful and the team was fantastic. I’ll treasure the copies I kept forever.

Finally, we come to my final year in college (if I get this dissertation done) which is consequently my final year in student media. I moved back to the Express to take the Byline job.I have enjoyed my time at Byline immensely. I didn’t expect myself to become so attached to the work of my section editors, but I have. I love seeing how the work and writing style of each individual editor has evolved throughout the year.

Every one of them is a fantastic writer and I hope they enjoyed writing their sections as much as I enjoyed reading them this year. I am satisfied with my work this year, the interviews I conducted with Kevaman and Damien Scattergood were highlights. It’s with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the Express and student media after three wonderful years.

My time as Entertainment Editor was interesting and it allowed me to evaluate what I’m actually interested in writing about. I delved into the local music scene and I enjoyed this process but I quickly realized that my passion isn’t really for music. I don’t have a wide enough knowledge base of the intricacies of music to give meaningful enough commentary.

As for the future of student media in UCC, I sincerely hope the Express is able to come back into print soon. The feeling of seeing your name in print is incredibly rewarding and was one of the driving forces behind my joining student media. I would not be surprised if the Express struggled in future years if it remains entirely online. I am happy to see Motley remains in print and I hope this continues into the future. Student media is a valuable, welcoming and accessible circle for students in UCC, it should be cherished and not attacked to satisfy a balance sheet.

FILM & TV

Film Reviews

22

TESS O’REGAN Student Critic

TRUE THINGS murina Director Harry Wootliff’s sophomore feature True Things (2021) is a quiet and intimate look at the psychological side of abusive relationships. Adapted from Deborah Kay Davies’ 2010 novel True Things About Me, the film follows Kate (Ruth Wilson) as she begins a relationship with a mysterious man (Tom Burke) and is pulled further and further into his orbit. Coercive control is a central theme here. With domestic abuse rates rising globally after several lockdowns, Wootliff’s film couldn’t have come at a more apt time.

Wootliff directs a stripped back but emotional picture. She places us firmly in Kate’s mindscape, taking us along for her adventures, dreams, and– in one memorable sequence– her inebriated hallucinations. Wilson is more than capable of acting the part too. The Luther actor gives a pedantic performance, physically embodying Kate’s inner turmoil in her idiosyncrasies so much so that as the film progresses you could remove all dialogue and Kate’s emotional journey would still be comprehensible.

That being said, Wootliff and Molly Davies’ screenplay packs a punch. In a vulnerable moment between the couple Blonde (Burke) tells Kate: “We’re the same you and me… We’re soulmates”.

Delivered by Tom Burke, what should be a romantic line becomes oddly sinister. This is characteristic of Burke’s Blonde who manages to walk the line between charismatic and threatening for the entirety of the 102 minute run time. Collaborating with Normal People’s intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien, the two leads have constructed a magnetic and terrifying onscreen chemistry that is not to be missed.

Above all, it is the visuals of True Things that really stand out.

Ashley Connor (known for her work on Knives Out and Our Idiot Brother) is director of photography and signs her work with explosive lens flares and jerky focus pulling at moments of high stress and intoxication in the film. She is more than capable of being understated too and, in keeping with the tone of the profilmic aspects, captures Wilson’s emotional range with simple, clean cinematography. In Connor’s hands, a trip to the woods becomes a verdant idyllic escape but keeps an undercurrent of tension running beneath it all. The film is littered with images of nature.

From the bitter English seafront of Kent to the stifling warmth of Spain, Connor all but paints Kate’s mindscape with the scenery.

Wootliff does a splendid job, firmly rooting the protagonist in her environment, using Connor’s camera to portray her difficult journey.

With the likes of Ruth Wilson, Jude Law, Ben Jackson, and Tristan Goligher producing it, True Things is a stripped back and effective psychological drama. Production companies BBC Film, Lady Lazarus, the Bureau, and Riff Raff have come together, to make a dark and potent portrait of abuse. Alex Baranowski’s thoughtful score sharpens the emotional beats of the film which premiered in Venice in 2021.

AN CAILÍN CIÚIN In this beautiful ode to found family writer/director Colm Bairéad

captures Cáit (Catherine Clinch)’s summer at her aunt and uncle’s farm in Waterford. Coming from a cold and neglectful home, Cáit is an introverted child when she is thrust into the care of loving Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and the reluctant yet caring Seán (Andrew Bennet). Crowley stands out, conveying both love and grief in a quiet, intricate manner.

Adapted from Claire Keegan’s Foster, this film is thoroughly Irish, examining the rural culture and society of the 1980s.

Cinematographer Kate McCullough (Normal People) turns the Cinnsealach farm into an idyllic Eden (or “Tír na nÓg”, as Cáit calls it) with painterly shots and low key lighting. However, the lighting betrays the dark realities of these characters’ lives too.

Overall, this cleverly bilingual film reads (as Wordsworth would have put it) like ‘emotion recollected in tranquillity’– true poetry.

The deep blue of the sea surrounds. Far above, light ripples across the surface with the rhythm of the waves, calm and waiting. This is how Murina, the debut feature of director and co-writer Almat Kusjanovic, opens. Imaginatively shot by cinematographer Hélène Louvart (The Lost Daughter) the remainder of Murina stays true to its vivid and watery opening.

We find ourselves on the Croatian coast. Julija (Gracija Filipovic) and her mother Nela are trapped, living with Julija’s abusive father Ante. Enter Javier, played by Cliff Curtis (The Piano), an old friend of Ante’s who is looking to buy their land. Writers Kusjanovic and Frank Graziano construct a claustrophobic world for the two women. they have no one to turn to, not even each other. Filipovic is a Kusjanovic veteran, working with the director on the 2017 short Into the Blue where she played a similar character. Alongside Dancia Curcic and Leon Lucev, the young actress is heartbreaking in her role.

FILM & TV

23

What’s wrong with the 200 million dollar movie?

CORMAC MCCARTHY Film & TV Editor

I’m not sure if you heard the news dear reader, but the new Spiderman film has been causing a bit of a stir over on film Twitter.

Now, before you start to glaze over and wonder what the hell student journalism has come to, hold on for two moments and let me explain.

For many years now, the many films that Marvel has churned out have all had the same criticism attached to them; they look quite ugly.

This is no criticism of the quality of the film’s plot, acting pr production values. Far from it. The films themselves have all managed to be of a consistently enjoyable quality when it comes to entertainment value.

However, what is being criticized here is the actual look of the films themselves. In spite of a wide array of fantastically talented cinematographers, some of whom have won Oscars in Best Cinematography, the vast majority of these films all have a washed out, bland look, that, is not very pleasing on the eye.

This is especially noticeable when comparing many of the more recent films with the first three entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron man 1 and 2 and Thor were all shot on beautiful 35mm film stock. There is such depth and beauty to these films that the subsequent films just don’t have.

Following these three entries, all of their subsequent films were all shot digitally, i.e. on a digital camera with a sensor chip to capture images. It is quite noticeable the colour difference between these films, where climactic scenes can look rather washed out and overall gives a flat look to the film.

It should be noted that this is not a criticism of digital filmmaking. Far from it. One only has to look at Roger Deakins’ work on Blade Runner 2049 or 1917 to see just how beautiful digital filmmaking can be. It is in the colour processing or “grading” where the real work is done.

Superhero comics are known for their dazzling artwork and wide colour palette. The illustrations are the appeal of the medium and for films that are based on comics to have such a bland look to them is quite frustrating.

Films are for entertainment absolutely. However, they are also an art form where the medium is used to enhance reality and depict the world through the director’s artistic eye which is, ultimately, the lens of the camera.

Unfortunately, in this modern age, the only films that some people go to see in the cinema are these Marvel films. And if the only films they see are shot in this rather boring colour grading then the respect for the art form slowly becomes lost in translation. The camera is no longer important and the beauty of the film is lost.

This then brings us to the new Spiderman film. Many have pointed out just how bland and generally poorly shot the film actually is. The colourgrading is indeed no different than the previous Marvel entries and the film, in general, seems quite devoid of life. The film should jump out at the audience and feel grand and cinematic. Unfortunately, many scenes aren’t lit properly and many others feel quite dull in their look.

Many movie aficionados on Twitter have highlighted that for a film that cost 200 million US dollars to make, then it surely should have a lot more of an artistic statement. A film such as this should have a vibrant quality that lifts itself off the screen and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. For those few people that will only go to the cinema to see this film, then the cinemagoing experience needs to be both enjoyable and artistically relevant.

What followed on Twitter was the usual backlash where Marvel fans adamantly refused to believe that their beloved film could possibly be at fault.

Unfortunately, I doubt Marvel will care too much about being more artistically relevant. They’ll be laughing their way to the bank with the 1.9 billion in box office revenue that the film has made.

FOOD & HEALTH

24

Farewell Cakes

NATHAN CAREY Food and Health Editor Over the last week, as our final issue approached, it got me thinking about the last 7 months as food and health editor here at the Express. I have been overjoyed to be able to share my passion for cooking great food and interlinking it with my science background.

I hope that at least one of my recipes has resonated with you or that you’ve learned a thing or two from my articles. While this issue marks an end to a fantastic run, I want to finish on a positive note and celebrate. What better way to celebrate than with cakes!

It’s a bit of a tradition when there’s a birthday or holiday coming up in my family or friend group that I bake something sweet to mark the occasion. I want to share with you two stellar cake recipes that will add a sentimental touch to any celebratory event.

First up is a Confetti Cake (sometimes referred to as funfetti), which can only be described as the quintessential party cake. This colourful bake will delight young and old and is the perfect entry point to baking. For this particular cake I prefer to ice it with an Italian meringue buttercream which I will also tell you how to make below.

confetti cake

Ingredients 450g unsalted butter at room temperature 300g golden caster sugar 8 whole eggs 1tbsp vanilla paste or extract 450g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp salt 200g high quality sprinkles (it’s important to splurge on bright colourful sprinkles here as cheaper brands tend to be only coated in a coloured pigment and not coloured all the way through) Method 1. Preheat you oven to 160 degrees Celsius fan (180 degrees Celsius for non-fan ovens).

2. Add room temperature butter and sugar to the bowl of stand mixer or bowl that is big enough for an electric whisk. It is important that the butter is truly soft here and can be easily spread. Beat the sugar and butter for 5-6 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size and its much paler than when you started.

3. Keep the mixer running and add the eggs in one at a time until each is completely combined. The mixture may start to split towards the 7th or 8th egg but do not worry, it will come back together in the next step.

4. Beat in the vanilla before adding the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment here and fold the mixture until just combined. If mixing in a separate bowl swap to a spatula when adding the dry ingredients.

5. Once combined, sprinkle over the sprinkles and gently fold through.

6. Divide the batter evenly between two buttered and parchment paper lined cake tines.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and when a cake tester or knife can be inserted and removed without any wet batter coming with it.

8. Once the cake is fully cooled you can begin to ice it.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients 4 egg whites 1 tsp cream of tartar 1tsp salt 270g white sugar 80g water 450g unsalted butter at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla essence Method 1. Add 200g of the sugar into a saucepan with the water and heat on medium high until the mixture is bubbling and becomes mostly clear.

2. While the sugar is boiling, add egg whites, cream of tartar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk vigorously.

3. Once the whites are foamy, slowly stream in the remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

4. Continue to beat the mixture until it cools down – about 5 minutes. You can feel the sides of the bowl to check the temperature.

5. Once cooled add the butter to the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time and wait for it to fully incorporate before the next addition. The mixture may turn runny here but stick with it, adding the butter piece by piece.

6. Once the butter is fully incorporated, refrigerate the whole mixture for 30 minutes or until you are ready to use.

7. Once ready to ice, remove from the fridge and give the mixture a quick whip.

Here is where you can add any colourings or flavourings you want. If using food colouring make sure it’s the gel kind as it will mix through the icing much better.

And that’s how to make the two main parts of the perfect party cake! To assemble you can cut the cake to your preferred size, add icing between both layers and ice the outside. Feel free to add more sprinkles to the outside and add your own personal flair.

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FOOD & HEALTH

The next recipe is for the easiest banana bread you can make – it takes only 1 hour and yields a moist loaf that can be eaten after dinner or even for breakfast the next morning. This creation is definitely a cake in every sense except its namesake!

Banana Bread

Ingredients 150g softened butter 150g caster sugar 150g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 2 whole eggs 2 ripe bananas Method 1. Preheat you oven to 160 degrees Celsius fan (180 degrees Celsius for non-fan ovens).

2. Grease a 1kg loaf tin.

3. Add butter and sugar to a bowl and beat for 5-6 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size and its much paler than when you started.

4. Add in eggs one by one and beat until fully combined.

5. Mash both bananas together until smooth then fold through the egg & butter mixture.

6. Mix together flour and baking powder and add to the main mixture. Fold until just combined as to not overwork the batter.

7. Pour batter into the loaf tin and place in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you’d like, you can also add slices of bananas or other toppings at this stage – nuts such as walnuts are always a great addition!

8. Allow the bread to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

9. This bread can be eaten warm with a scoop full of ice cream or allowed to cool fully and drizzled with an icing sugar and lemon juice mix for a fancier occasion.

As always if you make any of the recipes featured in the Express, we would love to see them! You can post a picture on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ExpressCooks.

MUSIC

26

Ed Sheeran: The Rise and Fall FLORRIE MCCARTHY Music Editor

I was going to have to talk about Ginger Giant at some point in this column and today is it. I want to describe my journey with him, being a close one, from his early days to his gigantic presence today. Only fitting, I suppose, that I should take this on for my last column this academic year.

I first discovered Ed when I was in my first year of secondary school. He was pretty huge for me, to be honest, because while from eleven years old I had an iPod shuffle full of random old rock hits that had stuck in me from my parents, Ed Sheeran’s single ‘Sing’ was I think the first song from the charts that I actually noticed and made me think, “Hey, I proactively like this song and want to listen to it again”. This might have been in sixth class, so when I found this Cool New App called ‘Spotify’ in first year, I didn’t know what to look up except Ed Sheeran.

It’s hard to pinpoint now exactly what I found myself getting caught by, but I remember being intrigued and excited by what I considered somewhat impressive bits of poetry in certain lyrics, bare but inventive instrumental arrangements and unique, interesting rhythmic movement in vocals and instrumental lines (which in his case, of course, means guitar). Whether or not I was really conscious then of this last pillar I don’t know – I think this was before my big musical theory awakening – but rifling back through old favourites

I have found I still smile at the moments of skippy lyrics that swerve around the beat in awkward, unorthodox ways that are very clearly purposeful and intentional. One of my favourite early examples is from Lego House, one of the early tracks that would’ve been the first inkling of him on Irish radios: at the part where he says “And it’s dark in a cold December // And I’ve got you to keep me warm”. Not that these are lyrics I find remarkable or anything, but the way they rush to cram into the two beats they take up I find very satisfying. As said by one of his closest buds Taylor Swift: “Nobody is writing pre-choruses like that, nobody is writing choruses like that...”. She may have been right.

I dig through and rediscover the early EP’s and I recall the Ed I fell in love with. ‘Plus’(or ‘+’, stylised) is the album that got him noticed in public as it was done with a major record label and so got sent to radio, featuring hits such as the aforementioned Lego House, Grade 8 and perhaps his most memorable early mark on the pop scene of the ‘10s, A-Team. However, I must have spent most time leaving his entire discography on shuffle, because everything that existed before that ended up being the material that I kept on repeat. This is where I found his work with the most authentic charm to it. I suppose this is because it has the most empirical pictures of his roots, as a young scoundrel who moved from his home in the countryside of Suffolk to the big city of London to make his fortune with nothing but his guitar, pedal and the clothes on his back. I romanticized this image of Sheeran to a great degree if only catching onto it around the point at which this phase was just about over. In old interviews, he talks about playing absolutely every open mic night he could find around the city, in every bar, couch surfing and fending for himself. I think it’s such a lovable image, not only because it’s the period from which most of my favourite material comes but mainly because as a young musician I got so excited to see that with enough passion and desire, anyone could simply work hard and put themselves everywhere to get seen and get famous. Getting older, of course, I see that it is rarely that dream-like and that this is unfortunately not a reality that is accessible to everyone, but at the time I was convinced. I thought I would be getting my own loop pedal, writing my own songs and sitting at the top of the charts in no time because that’s what I saw him do.

Once picked up by money, however, I think it’s safe to say that his brand, both of person and music, started to turn slightly. His next big album (and best, in my opinion, and probably that of many others judging by chart success) was ‘Multiply’, or ‘X’ (note the long-running theme here) in 2014, three years after. Featuring singles such as Don’t, Nina, Thinking Out Loud, Bloodstream and I’m a Mess, ‘Multiply’ was absolutely huge and undoubtedly a real landmark of the pop scene of the 2010s. I can look

27 through the tracklist and take sixty percent of the songs and proudly say I probably still know sixty percent of the lyrics. The reason I say his brand started to turn is that while this album still holds a lot of his original style and spirit, singing about the fire of his youth with the acoustic guitar, there’s really just a sheen on each song that really is that considerable bit more commercial; this has the feeling of having sold the first album, the fame is got, the first big tours are finished and the money is made. Clearly, Ed had enough clout to deserve to work with big-league producers and mix engineers for this album as each song just has that little bit more polish to it. Some of that is simply down to more mature songwriting as well, no doubt. Hits like Thinking Out Loud does so well as a pure, bare ballad, and ‘Don’t’ will always be a really cool blend of pop music and pop writing with hip-hop-inspired drums. It’s still Ed, I suppose; but we should know that we’re never again going to see him as we saw him when he was 18, releasing ‘Plus’.

His later material, I think, is when this effect reaches its peak. He took a big social media break after ‘Multiply’, famously getting rid of his mobile phone, and another album was announced for 2017, three years after the last.

So, much hype was built up as we awaited ‘Divide’ (who could’ve guessed), clinging onto the singles ‘Castle On The Hill’ and a completely new and interesting direction for Ed, ‘Shape of You’. The latter was a club banger with his usual soft, folky vocals but still talking about drinking pints in the pub with his mates. When divide dropped and the press material flooded into the media, it was clear how much money the man already had and how much he was set to make. Divide is a grand album, in my opinion, and I like a lot of the songs on it but it’s kind of just Multiply again, and pop music changed while Ed was away.

Maybe No. 6 Collaborations Project, from 2019, was Ed desperately trying to catch up. We saw him build tracks that were pure, synthetic, lifeless and meaningless pop with the likes of Justin Bieber, Camila Cabello and Khalid, and releasing grime tracks with Stormzy, as if trying to be one of the cool kids. At first, I tried to defend the rap, as I thought perhaps many didn’t know that it’s in his roots – we find clean verses on certain versions of ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ from ‘Plus’ – but I can definitely see why it gets called ‘cringe’. Regardless, it’s the 2021 release from the pop giant, ‘Equals’, that brought about me a sadness that I saw coming but still wasn’t ready for.

While before Ed Sheeran might have been known as a hit factory or a songwriting machine, it would appear that this machine is outdated, and has lost its character. It mightn’t help at all that being rich does not suit Ed; indeed, where he was sold all those years ago for his indie charm, singing about playing to millions in Wembley and boxing himself off in a mansion in Surrey is a far cry from those origins. More importantly, it’s with a heavy heart that I say, I think most of the tracks off ‘Equals’ are strange rubbish, at best. We may have lost a great if anyone ever cared to view him that way. I’ll be interested to see what happens as he gets old, but I won’t be holding out too much hope.

MUSIC

GAMING

28

Hear Me Out: Fortnite Concerts Are Pretty Cool CHLOE BARRETT Gaming Editor

Music is everywhere and can be created from anything. Many games would not be the successes they are without killer soundtracks to accompany them, they truly do go hand in hand. Fortnite has definitely realised this and decided to take the concept of combining music and gaming a step further.

Fortnite concerts were a new type of live event to Fortnite, but they were no strangers to the idea of hosting a worldwide celebration. With countless prior jaw-dropping experiences, they made sure to both surpass and upkeep their biggest and best standards for their broadcasted concerts.

The first occurred back in early 2019, when Fortnite featured popular DJ Marshmello, attracting a massive crowd of over ten live million viewers. The stage felt alive with immersive effects and impressive spectacles. Even if you were not into the conventional method of playing the battle royal game, the concert was something you could truly feel a part of. As you celebrated music with millions of others, making your ingame character dance and emote, it was a moment of bliss.

Astronomical happened over a year later in 2020. Travis Scott took to the stage with a fantastical concert experience.

A whopping twelve million attended the first event, indicating that those unfamiliar with Scott’s music still participated with curiosity, and most were left extremely impressed.

Fortnite’s effects were used to the maximum, and the effort that was applied both by the developers and Scott was instantly recognisable and heavily commended. Many players were wondering when the sequel to the event was coming as soon as they stepped out of the virtual crowds.

One of the most recent concerts that Fortnite brought to our screens was none other than critically acclaimed singer, Ariana Grande. There is not an accurate number for the attendance so far, but it is rumoured to have drawn a massive amount of viewers, both from Grande’s insane popularity and Fortnite’s combined. While many were still keeping safe from Covid, it was truly an unexpected escape offered from the game. Her songs, both popular and less known were put on show as her giant avatar gleefully raced around you. The concert itself was less than ten minutes long, but players remained in the Grande universe for much longer, their thoughts reminiscing about pink bubbles and pastel themes.

In combination with the concerts, Fortnite also offers the opportunity to purchase limited-edition skins of the artists you have just watched perform. If you do not have the V-Bucks saved up, they could cost you a pretty penny (I am sure that these celebs have hefty paychecks, not your average Cameo clients).

This does not deter players though, as you are guaranteed to see some flaunt badass Grande skins or dance randomly in a match as Marshmello. Plus, it does make for some satisfying kills if you eliminate a player whilst being represented by a pop princess.

If you are only recently diving into Fortnite in anticipation of what awesome events and concerts could be up next, fear not! There will be many more to come, as some players and data miners are already throwing names into the ring in hopes of trying to figure out who the next celebrity will be. After all, Fortnite would not miss up on the opportunity of having millions participate in events on their platform. From that perspective, even if you are not a fan of the artist they have performing, you should still try to attend! Who knows, you might find a great new person to listen to, and you will probably have a fun time, which is what the whole game is about, really.

GAMING

29

Pokémon Legends: Arceus, The Start Of A New Era CHLOE BARRETT Gaming Editor

If you look back on the past few years of Pokémon releases, a slight theme recurs as a pattern. Many were met with mixed reviews, from originals to remakes. These comments were made by critics and your average gamer alike, but recently there has been a change. Pokémon Legends: Arceus happened.

While the land of Sinnoh is vaguely familiar (more so if you picked up Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl) and familiar Pokémon appear greeting you, the formula of the game itself has completely changed. You, as the protagonist, are dropped out of the sky with a godlike voice (Arceus themselves) echoing in your head that requests you to “Seek out all Pokémon” before three adorable starters nudge you awake. As you set off to accomplish this overwhelming task, players will soon notice a big difference in this new game…

To those who casually play a Pokémon game now and then, this might sound like the beginning of your average adventure.

However, something big has changed: the game is open-world, to a certain point. There are loading screens, and quite a tedious process to change from one area to another, but the amount for you to explore is unheard of in a Pokémon game thus far.

they replayed the same promo frames for ten minutes straight.

But alas, apart from the expected few bugs and glitches, the game is completely playable, and a LOT of fun, might I add.

If you were a fan of the Pokémon anime growing up, or still are, and had wished that an actual Pokémon game followed the formula, then this game is for you. It is engaging and features so many amazing moments that feel straight out of the show. At times, you will even feel like you are in the world itself, as you test out new techniques on how to catch a specifically pesky Pokémon. I have played the vast majority of Pokémon games released in the last decade and was never one for catching them all, as the phrase encourages. But, I actually want to this time around. There is no more crossing your fingers as you make your pixel character run around wild grass, hoping that one addition for your Pokédex is hidden beneath the blades. Even shiny hunters are delighted with the fact that there is both a noticeable audible tingling sound that plays when you are in one’s vicinity and the shiny colours show up overworld, making it far less frustrating and an enjoyable hobby for those reluctant to participate in previous instalments.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is setting the standard for new games featuring adorable pocket monsters. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, slated for a holiday 2022 release, has notably carried over the open-world formula, while still staying in the bracket of a “mainline” game in terms of story. I will not exactly miss the old format, although there were amazing games (looking at you, in particular, Soul Silver/Heart Gold) and I do welcome this new change. If you are on the fence about trying Legends out and can safely afford to make the purchase, I would strongly recommend doing so. It will be an adventure that you will not forget while Looking back on previous trailers for Legends, many were being the start of something new for the Pokémon franchise. sceptical. The mechanisms, graphics, and early release date (p.s, all of the cute photographs used in this article were among the main worries. “Should this be released so were taken by me in-game, so if you are a more docile, soon if the game looks unfinished?” Commenters queried as creature-loving player, there is plenty in it for you too!)

The blueprint was Pokémon Sword and Shield, which was released back in 2019, which Legends seems to have taken inspiration from quite heavily in the open-world variety. While wild areas, featuring Pokémon that roamed around their assigned paths, were a new part of the game, many were not impressed with how the vision translated to a pricey game on the Switch. Graphics were the ultimate letdown of Sword/Shield, and even though Legends does not quite have Breath Of The Wild’s beautiful touch, it is a massive step in the right direction.

SEXPRESS

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Tales from The Bedroom EMILY OSBORN Sexpress Editor This segment has been a staple of the University Express for years. Now that my time as Sexpress editor is coming to an end (for this year at least), I feel it is only fitting to carry on the grand tradition of re-telling people’s embarrassing sex stories. It’s all here folks, the good, the bad, and the really, REALLY awkward. What makes this section so enjoyable for me is that sex and all its glory is never shown as awkward and embarrassing as it really is. On-screen, and in literature, sex is always hot, always enjoyable, and nobody ever makes weird noises or accidentally says something totally un-sexy in the heat of the moment. However it’s portrayed, sex is bound to have its’ ups and downs. Sex will hurt, sex will be embarrassing, and sex will also be fun, and like everything you imagined it to be. There is something incredibly human about the more cringe-worthy aspect of sex, and all the nittygritty that goes with it. Sex should ideally be less of a performance, where every party is focussed on being attractive, and more of an experience. Without further ado, let’s look at some of the best worst sex stories that were sent to me by my lovely readers.

“I had a one-night stand with a guy, I was pretty drunk, and I PEED EVERYWHERE during sex. He thought it was squirt, and when he copped that it wasn’t, he kicked me out”

As embarrassing as sex generally is, being drunk definitely doesn’t help matters. Possibly the funniest part of this story for me was that the pee was, for at least a second, confused with squirting. I will probably never understand the levels of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance that went through this guy’s head when he realised that it was, in fact, urine, but I imagine I have a pretty good idea.

“When I was a teenager, I was about to have sex with my boyfriend in our garden shed (which had been converted and had a sofa bed in it), when my dad walked in and decided to have a full conversation with us. Luckily our lower halves were covered by a blanket but it was only after he left that I realised my clearly naked leg was sticking out from the blanket the whole time”.

“The condom broke one time, and we panicked and drove into town for the morning-after pill. When we left the chemist, holding the Boots bag that contained the pill, we ran into his entire family who invited us to lunch, and I had to take the pill in the bathroom of the restaurant.”

“When I was 17, my friend who was 16 at the time needed the morning-after pill, and I volunteered to go and do the chemist’s consultation for her.

She stood in the shampoo aisle of the chemist while I went in and lied to the pharmacist about why I needed the pill and handed the bag straight to my friend when I walked out. It was so obvious I was buying it for her, and I don’t know why we thought she couldn’t just go in herself to get it.”

To this day I don’t know why buying the morning after pill feels like a crime. The whole ordeal of having to do a 10-minute interview in the pharmacy feels like an embarrassing length I love the memory of being a teenager ‘in love’, and literally just to have to go through to acquire something so normal. having sex anywhere possible, including the garden shed. Now that I’m grown, the thoughts of myself possibly having sex in a shed properly make me cringe. But half the fun of being a teenager is getting away with doing all manner of stuff like that, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been walked in on by family members at least once in my life. That’s one thing that you never get used to.

“I was deep throating a guy, and I had zero technique or plan of how to do this. Honestly, I was just trying to impress him with how ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ I was being. Unfortunately, this was happening shortly after we’d had Chinese food, and I accidentally triggered my gag reflex and got sick in my mouth, and all over the guy’s dick.

He was really chill about it, but I was so mortified I literally left straight away.”

As I said before, sex should be an experience, not a performance.

And my god, the lengths we go through to prove that we are sexy and attractive. A lot of the time, sex isn’t as easy as it looks in porn, and a lot of the rougher looking ‘tricks’ like deep throating are generally a lot more difficult than pornstars make it look.

31 “I had sex with this one lad, and it was going great at the start until he stopped mid riding and went, oh my god. I looked down to see blood everywhere, and I wasn’t too sure if it was mine or his until I realised that I had somehow broken his penis. The man did not go to A&E and stayed in my bed until 11 o’clock the next morning. I was in shock as this was obviously something that had never happened to me before. I am now haunted every time I have sex because I do not want to break another person’s penis again.”

Sometimes sex can be awkward and embarrassing, and other times, as we’ve just seen, sex can go very wrong. I’m glad the guy in question wasn’t ashamed of his sexual health, however, I do feel that the situation given the amount of blood might have required a bit more urgency than having a nice lie-in at his lover’s house. If he was trying to play it off as totally normal, it hasn’t worked on me.

“At one point when I was still a virgin, I was dating a guy who was a few years older than me. I had hyped myself up so much thinking that this one particular night was gonna be the night we finally had sex, and I’d tried to make everything perfect for it. I was wearing matching underwear and everything. After what felt like forever of making out and groping, I asked him if he wanted to have sex. He looked me dead in the eyes and said Sorry, I don’t want to take your virginity. But we could do anal if you want?

I obviously asked him to leave after that.”

The audacity of this man is cracking me up. If I were you, I’d ask him to leave too. There is something very funny about working yourself up for that big moment only to be let down with the words ‘we could do anal if you want.

“Had a one-night stand with a girl, and just as we finished up and lay down on the bed, she rolled over to me and said, I’d love a curry chip.”

Not even going to comment on this one. Honestly, me too.

I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I did when they were sent to me. I also hope you weren’t horrified by the second-hand cringe you experienced. Thanks to everyone who contributed for trusting that I wouldn’t plaster your name next to your most intimate stories. The message I wanted to get across with these stories, is that making mistakes during sex, and having awkward and unsexy moments is part of the fun and excitement of having sex. Pornography paints a picture that to be anything other than gorgeous and sexy in the bedroom is a huge faux pas, and while yes, awkward moments like these might feel like a turn-off at the time, your partner or partners are probably feeling just as awkward as you are. So, if there’s one thing to be learned here, it’s that yes, sex is awkward. And if nothing else, you’ll get a funny story that you can laugh at with friends in years’ time.

SEXPRESS

FASHION

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The Statement Piece CLAIRE WATSON Fashion Editor

How can fashion - pieces of cloth, cotton, or corduroy, dyed with chemicals both natural and unnatural, draped over mounds of flesh - be political? Sure, there’s the visual punk, a phrase I borrow from Animal Crossing, dressed in Dr Martens and studded leather jackets, with safety pins dangling from every seam and hair buzzed or dyed or shaped into spikes. Or there’s grunge, distressed and depressed. These, amongst other fashion trends, are ways to show yourself as politically active. I’m sure many readers, especially those that identify as queer, grew into their identities sporting denim jackets with pins showcasing the pride and initiatives they are involved in.

But how about fashion as a political movement?

Terasa Younker writes in “Lolita: Dreaming, Despairing, Defying,” that the Lolita aesthetic developed “as a response to social pressures and anxieties felt by young women and men in the 1970s and 1980s.” Just following the birth of the “kawaii” craze in the 1960s and 70s. Japanese people found themselves overwhelmed by cuteness, with icons like Hello Kitty invading every aspect of life, from cell phones to household appliances to “condoms.” Primarily, this cute craze was a way of escapism. In Japan, adulthood is viewed as a time of confinement. Freedoms are stripped in order to work and begin families. Cuteness softened the depressing blow of the “real world” by bringing childish joy back into their lives. Yet lace and frills and soft bows alone are not enough to escape systematic and social issues, and so Lolita was born.

Western punk fashions exist as anti-establishment, anticommercial, and anti-conservative. It is sexual, aggressive, and loud. Rather than fight social issues directly, Lolita offers an alternative. It dives into the commercial cuteness and creates a new sense of self, one that is free from the burdens of adulthood.

As Younker writes, “[b]y presenting herself as weak, innocent, and vulnerable, [the Lolita] sends a clear message about her inability or refusal to accept adult roles.” Lolita works to dismantle class hierarchies by destroying the notion of class mobility and instead of celebrating the individual as a person, rather than a product.

While anti-discrimination laws and the right to peaceful assembly exist, shame remains a big deterrent for those wanting to bring about social change. People are deterred from speaking out in Japan, expected to abide by the values of older generations. So, Lolita works as a passive political movement. Instead of taking to the streets, Lolitas are sitting idle, refusing to grow up and refusing to become pawns in a big, economical game of chess.

Lolita and Bimbo fashion are two sides of the same coin. Both embrace a form of commercialised femininity. Where Lolita subverts her society’s love of innocent and naive little girls, the bimbo takes on the sexual Goddess of 90s and early 2000s media.

In the western world, sex and women are commodities to be enjoyed under a male gaze. Lately reclaimed by generation Z, the Bimbo challenges ideas that women are passive, mindless beings created for the sexual desires of straight men. Now, the Bimbo seeks to disgust this demographic, embracing their sexuality in a way that is so devoid of masculinity it forces these men to examine their own sexuality and patriarchal values. The Bimbo is inherently political, celebrating body positivity, endorsing BLM, advocating for sex workers, and embracing the LGBTQ+ community.

Everything that the patriarchy oppresses, the Bimbo lifts up.

33 In the late 90s and early 2000s, the Bimbo was posed as a selling point. Talented actresses like Megan Fox were advertised like eye candy. The cult-classic Jennifer’s Body, which sees Fox rocking plunging chemises, cropped sweaters and lowrise denim, was wrongly advertised as a gory catfight between two straight women. This mismarketing detracted from the sapphic horror story’s depiction of the bloody struggle of girls coming into their sexuality. The commodification of women by men was fuel to the misogynistic fires. As a result, we hated Fox. Fox states in an interview with Diablo Cody, writer of Jennifer’s Body, that while she was speaking out about her constant sexualisation, “everyone was like, “Oh fuck you, we don’t care you deserve it… because of how you talk, because of how you look, because of how you dress, because of the jokes you make.”

The current Bimbo is an apology for how the “original bimbos” were treated. It embraces how they looked and dressed while challenging toxic masculinity and patriarchal values, among other social issues.

The patriarchy scrutinises women and AFAB people for everything we do. We’re objectified, called whores for being sexpositive, and teases when we say no, while at the same time we’re called prudish if we cover up, conservative if we don’t express our sexuality, and the broken concept of virginity is weaponised against us. When we gaze back at fashion history, feminine clothing articles were either to sexualise or sanctify their wearers.

And so, there’s something quite powerful when women and afab people take vintage fashion and turn it into something new.

Like the bimbos, we’ve got the pin-ups dolls. Pin-ups were drawings and photos of women in skimpy clothing, or not dressed at all, in campy, provocative poses, sold and exchanged as part of 40s and 50s popular culture. Bright red lips painted to stain love letters to soldiers, long lashes and neutral eyeshadow to make the eyes appear bigger and more naive, and rosy cheeks to add a little flush to the face, all topped off with the pin-up curl.

The modern pin-up seeks to turn dolls into women and embody what was once considered taboo. Dressing as a pin-up now takes a stance against pop culture, and flaunts a love of femininity.

On the other end of the spectrum is the trad-fem, short for “traditional feminism.” Not to be confused with the politically

FASHION conservative “Trad-Wife”. While this may sound like a vein of “feminism” that seeks to place women back into binary roles, it actually celebrates and aims to wash away the guilt of those women that do fall into the position of housewife and carer. The look of a trad-fem is similar to cottage-core. She might wear long floral skirts and dresses, modest and ruffled blouses, and cosy cardigans to wrap around herself in the evening. She celebrates community and sustainable living. The housewife dresses of the 50s and 60s are a staple of the trad-fems wardrobe. While in these decades women were being forcefully encouraged back into the house and housewife positions, the trad-fems recognise it as a choice and one that all women have the right to make.

The art of drag chews up binary notions of gender and spits back out the idea that gender is all a lie and just one big performance. To quote the queer, feminist, and literary theorist Judith Butler: “[g]ender reality is performative which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed.”

Butler uses drag to discuss the conflict between gender and sex, and how masculine and feminine qualities are simply learned mannerisms. If we take gender as a performance, then what is the difference between the macho, cisgender, heterosexual, man and the queer person with a painted face and a bright pink wig? This is what drag seeks to dissect and confront.

Drag is an integral part of fashion, it is inherently political and is built upon the legacies of black people and transgender women. Drag is about excess, it’s camp. However, there are ways we can integrate it into our daily lives. Pop a fan into your pocket. Comb back your hair and sprinkle in glitter or cover it in a wig. Paint big wings ready for take-off. As Sasha Velour states, “I’ve found that embracing the things that make me a little strange and different from other people, and learning to love that, makes me feel beautiful and fashionable every day.” Tear up conformity, be weird, be excessive.

What we wear is political. We can choose the active route; dressing as skimpy as we can, wearing wigs, spiking up our clothes. Or we can take the passive route; refusing to grow up, painting our nails when we shouldn’t, and curling our hair a certain way. Both are equally important. It’s time to look beyond the statement piece and begin looking at ourselves, and the statements we want to make- be the statement.

arts & literature

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Artistic Interpretation and Death of the Author CIAN PIERCE Arts and Literature Editor

In 2016, Un Yuan and Peng Yu, two Chinese artists known for using controversial materials in their work, debuted an installation commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum in Ney York City. The piece was entitled Can’t Help Myself (2016-19) and featured an industrial robot arm inside a large glass box, the robot arm was designed with one task: to contain a pool of red liquid seeping out across the floor.

The arm, fitted with a custom shovel, was able to detect where the liquid moved beyond the bounds of a predetermined circle. To fix this, the arm would use one of 32 programmed movements (some given names like the “scratch an itch”, “bow and shake” and “ass shake”) to twist around the glass case and scrape the liquid back into place.

However, over time, the arm of the machine started to become slower, as if it were tired and worn down by its task. The case also was permanently changed over time, with the windows becoming spattered in the red liquid and the floors smudged with an uneasy pink tint. The robot arm worked without stop, day and night, at its Sisyphean task, its workflow sometimes interrupted by a brief period where the machine would just spin in multiple directions, not being able to decide where to try to scoop the liquid back next. Between the almost human-like aspects of some of its movements and its unending task, Can’t Help Myself became a true Sisyphus for its visitors to watch, like an animal in a cage.

The installation gained much popularity on social media, but it seems that along with this popularity came a reimagination of the message of the piece. On the Guggenheim’s website there is a short paragraph on the intended message of the piece: “Sun Yuan & Peng Yu are known for using dark humour to address contentious topics, and the robot’s endless, repetitive dance presents an absurd, Sisyphean view of contemporary issues surrounding migration and sovereignty. However, the bloodstain-like marks that accumulate around it evoke the violence that results from surveilling and guarding border zones. Such visceral associations call attention to the consequences of authoritarianism guided by certain political agendas that seek to draw more borders between places and cultures

and to the increasing use of technology to monitor our environment.”

However, this is not the meaning that was interpreted after the machine went viral on TikTok, years after being active.

Surprisingly, what made the machine go viral wasn’t its mechanism or the intended commentary on political agendas and border control, but the phenomenon of millions of people forming an emotional connection with a robot. Several videos about the machine have received millions of likes and tens of millions of views each with their own interpretation of the piece. “It looks frustrated with itself, like it really wants to be finally done”, reads one comment with over 350,000 likes. The common interpretation online of the exhibit, is that the machine represents a figure even more tragic than Sisyphus, because he never tires of his task, unlike the machine that grows slower and more tired every time. Can’t Help Myself, to some, presented a cautionary tale about burnout and trying to perform a task so perfectly and adamantly that you lose sight of your own health until you are permanently damaging yourself. This message resonated with users of TikTok especially as they found it easy to relate to this sense of pure exhaustion given off by the robot. The breaks that the robotic arm would take to twirl around doing one of its “dance moves” over time began to sound creaky likely due to a mix of the machine being overworked and covered in the dried liquid it was tasked with cleaning, and the sounds it made were quickly interpreted as “screams” or cries for help. One commenter, after learning that the arm eventually failed in its task and was turned off, commented that the piece should have gone from being called Can’t Help Myself to “Couldn’t Help Myself”.

The difference between the artists’ intent and the interpretation by the public brings back a debate in the arts that has existed for centuries: can you separate the art from the artist and create your own meaning for something? In literature, this is referred to as ‘Death of the Author’ a 20th-century literary criticism that holds that an author’s intentions and background (in his essay on the subject, Ronald Barthes points out political and religious views specifically) shouldn’t hold any weight in determining how to interpret the work they have created. His argument has its strengths, the main one being that it

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arts & literature

allows for literature, alongside any other form of media, to be interpreted by people in many different and more fluid ways.

For example, superhero franchises like those of the X-Men or Spider-Man have often been read as allegories to racial minorities, LGBTQ+ communities or neurodivergent individuals.

However, this separation of the author and their work can justify people turning a blind eye to the negative beliefs held by their authors and never engaging critically with their content. The clearest, modern example is that of disgraced Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, who for years has consistently lost supporters after exposing her transphobic views online. Recently, the reveal trailer for the newest videogame in the Harry Potter franchise has garnered a lot of criticism because of its subtext: in the game, your main objective is to quell an uprising

by Goblins (a race in the series known for being money-hungry, enslaved and abused) as they align themselves with dark wizards in the hopes of their rebellion resulting in them being allowed to wield wands. While the game developers have said that Rowling was not involved with the game, the game is still a part of her legacy as the franchise creator, and it has been reported that the lead designer for the game used to run an anti-social justice YouTube channel. Blindly separating the author from the books, movies, games etc. or brushing things off by saying “just et people enjoy things!” or comments along those lines, at best perpetuates ignorance and at worse tells people that transphobia and antisemitism aren’t a dealbreaker for you in the content you enjoy and their creators. This doesn’t mean that if the author/creator of a piece of media has any controversies at all you’re not allowed enjoy their content. Now more than ever it is important to be critical of the content you consume, and the influences that contributed to it, but you’re still allowed to enjoy media once you’re able to recognise the criticisms brought up against it. Speaking on this ‘Death of the Author’, Michael Power (current Ex-Officio Officer of the UCC Harry Potter Society) made the following comment: “Separating the art from the artist is something our generations has to do quite frequently and its not always an easy task.

Many ‘works of art’ which we love(d) have been marred by the beliefs and/or actions of the ‘artists’, one such example being Harry Potter. However, in this case I personally found it easy to separate the two as for me Harry Potter was never about the literature, but rather the magic which brought me amazingly wonderful friends who have always been so accepting and loving”

Poet’s corner Translated from the original Ukrainian piece by Svetlana Lavochkina

I Fly Away in the Shape of a Dandelion Seed

By Vasyl Holoborodko I know that from here you cannot escape by plane — you have to be able to fly on your own.

Cats in the house, so many cats, gathered from the whole neighbourhood (how did they catch a whiff of my departure?) not our cats but feral cats, although there is no such a thing as a cat gone wild.

Cats as a warning and threat to my flight as a bird, they notice a red spot on my chest like a linnet’s, so I’m forced to take flight in the form of a dandelion seed: I leave the house in search of wide open spaces, past my garden and into the street and float toward a direction very remote — now the wind gusts will carry me away, away!

Photography This is Our Story Photos by jack murphy

Models: Imasha Costa, EIC; Chloe Boland, Chair of Femsoc; Cian Pierce, Arts and Lit Editor; Claire Watson, Fashion Editor

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Issue 9| MONDAY 14TH February 2022 | University Express

SPORTS

39

Bahrain Grand Prix: The twists continue in this year’s first Grand Prix.

BÉLINE CHAN Student Contributor

After the unexpected twist and most memorable end of last year’s season in Abu Dhabi, this year might be one of the most anticipated seasons to date for F1.

Last season we saw heavy rivalry and continuous tension between Mercedes and Red Bull, and ultimately, Verstappen (Red Bull) won the World Championships for the first time after Hamilton having won the World Championships 7 times. Unfortunately for Verstappen, his win wasn’t seen as an ordinary one, and was accused of having an unfair advantage, as he was the only driver allowed to overtake the five lapped cars behind the safety car, after a crash occurred with Nicholas Latifi (Williams). Normally, all lapped cars would be able to unlap themselves, unlike the only five that were allowed, under the direction of Race Director Michael Masi. As there were only five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen, this allowed Verstappen to catch up to Hamilton, while the rest of the drivers stayed behind. Hamilton had been leading the race until then, on his way to becoming World Champion for the 8th time, but was overtaken by Vertstappen due to the unlapping of the 5 cars, and him changing tyres during the initial delay, while Hamilton continued to drive to keep his firstplace position. This event ultimately led to Michael Masi being removed as Race Director, and being replaced by Eduardo Freitas and Neils Wittich. As it stands currently, the FIA deems this incident as “human error” which has led to further confrontation and tension amongst the teams and especially amongst the fans. The FIA haven’t apologised for this mistake, which by no surprise leaves them in the lime light for controversies. This undoubtedly leaves even more pressure and competition between those teams heading into the new season. More twists were anticipated for the season ahead.

Sunday March 20th, marked the date of the new season in Bahrain for the Grand Prix, where Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton came first place last year. It would have been expected that Verstappen, the former World Champion would have made it onto the podium on Sunday, but ultimately ended up in 19th position after having retired from the race due to technical issues.

His teammate Pérez also suffered the same fate and retired from 3P on

the final lap, ultimately leaving him in 18th position. Verstappen told Sky Sports that it wasn’t because “the steering wheel just got too heavy, it was almost impossible to steer, and the faster I was going, it felt also like there was like a delay, so every time I was turning right it took a while before something was happening”. Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull stated that “It looks like a similar issue on both cars. We don’t know exactly what it is yet, whether it’s a lift pump, whether it’s a collector, or something along those lines, but we’ve got to get into it and understand exactly what caused it.”. A double retirement for Red Bull due to technical issues with the car was certainly a twist, especially given the end of last year’s season. It’s clear that Red Bull will be turning the gears up even further to secure a podium position at the next race in Saudi Arabia next week, and hopefully with cars living up to their highest standard.

Another twist occurred as things are looking positive for team Ferrari with both drivers, Leclerc and Sainz landing themselves a position on the podium, with Leclerc in first and Sainz in second.

It will be interesting to see how they will continue to perform throughout this season, and if they can withhold their positions.

Yet the twists continue. With Guenther Steiner, the team principal of Haas, battling a constant struggle for sponsors, and the repetitive cycle of ending last in the races for years, it is a shock to everybody that Kevin Magnussen made it into 5th position. Not only scoring Haas points, but helping them significantly in financial terms as well. After losing their most important sponsor and F1 driver Nikita Mazepin after the end of last season, points are everything. This undoubtedly has been one of the most successful achievements for Haas in a long time.

This season has already started with twists and turns, as the future is starting to look brighter for Haas, while Ferrari is smiling in success, all while Red Bull will be fighting to keep their impressive image of having a World Champion in their pockets.

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SPORTS

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express

Sporting Events To Watch For The Rest Of 2022 SAM CURTIN Sports Editor

Thanks to everyone for reading each edition of UCC Express throughout the academic year. We hope we have brought some insight and the latest up-to-date news and analysis in the sporting world, whether at a local or international level. In this article, we will discuss the sporting events to watch for the rest of 2022.

Formula 1: AU: Formula 1 will certainly be one of the sporting championships to watch this season. The motor racing championship has grown from strength to strength in recent years, in part, due to the limelight in which the Netflix exclusive, Drive To Survive series, has given the sport. Based on the first race of the season in Bahrain, we are in for an exhilarating season.

Dating to my bold predictions, a couple of issues ago, and leaving behind my predictions in my season preview, I believe that Charles Leclerc has a realistic chance of being a Formula 1 world champion this season, and Ferrari, constructors’ champions. This would end 15 years without either a Ferrari driver as a world champion, or constructors’ champions.

MotoGP: AU: Marc Marquez MotoGP will be intriguing to follow in the coming months.

After a solid first two races of the season, the championship battle is anyone’s to win. Currently, at this point, I believe it will be between Fabio Quartararo, Brad Binder, Marc Marquez, Pol Espagaro and Francesco Bagnaia. If Marquez can overcome his injury woes, and understand the 2022 Honda machine, it will be difficult to stop him, given the improvements that the Honda team has made. Ducati, currently, are on the backfoot after a difficult opening two races, as last season’s runner-up, Bagnaia, currently

ATAKAN UZUN Deputy Sports Editor

has just 1 point to his name. Yamaha have also had a difficult start to the season, which was slightly eradicated by Quartararo’s solid race to finish in second place in Mandalika in Indonesia.

Tennis: AU: Based upon his current form, Daniil Medvedev will be hoping to remain as world number 1. Given that Novak Djokovic is unlikely to be allowed to compete in several tournaments, due to his vaccination status, such as the US Open, having been denied entry to the Indian Wells tournament, as well as the upcoming Roland Garros tournament in France in June, it is likely to be a revival of a battle between Medvedev and Rafael Nadal, after a thrilling battle in the Australian Open final. If Djokovic can compete in some of these tournaments, then all three players will be tightly battling with one another for major trophies.

Currently, Nadal leads the grand slam total with 21, compared to Federer, who is currently injured with 20, and Djokovic with 20.

Roland Garros: AU: Rafael Nadal US Open: AU: Daniil Medvedev.

Rugby: AU: I am not an expert on rugby, but Munster will be hoping to continue their good start to the United Rugby championship.

Soccer: AU: League of Ireland Division 1: Cork City FC: Cork City FC will be hoping to get promoted to the League of Ireland after a season outside of the main league. So far, they have had 4 wins in 6 games, with 1 draw and 1 loss. I believe they will manage to get promoted, alongside Galway United.

Issue 12 |WEDNESDAY 30TH March 2022 | University Express Premier League: AU: Liverpool The Premier League title battle will certainly be intriguing to watch. Liverpool is eating into the title gap which was created

by Man City. At one stage, while the former had games inhand, as the latter pulled a 14-point gap, Liverpool have shown metronomic form in recent games, since a struggling month in January. It is hard to bet against either team, but given their current form, it will be very hard to stop Liverpool winning the title, especially if they go to the Etihad stadium and beat Man City. It is unlikely that Liverpool will win the quadruple, but it is still tangible and is realistic. To do this, it will need to add to winning the Carabao Cup by winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. It has a slightly more favourable draw than Man City in the Champions League, with Benfica in the quarter-finals, while it will meet either Bayern Munich or Villarreal in the semi-finals, if it does beat Benfica.

FA Cup: AU: Man City.

In the FA Cup, Man City will overcome Liverpool in the semifinals, and will face either Crystal Palace or Chelsea in the final.

On current form, Man City will beat either team.

Champions League: AU: Liverpool.

Based on this draw, I believe that Liverpool will end up against Man City in the Champions League final. City faces Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals and will face either Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-finals if it beats Atleti. Both teams are probably the strongest in the Champions League at the moment.

Liverpool may narrowly overcome Man City in the final, based upon their form in the Champions League this season.

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Europa League: AU: Barcelona.

It is likely that Barcelona will be the team to beat in the Europa League. Since the appointment of former player, Xavi Hernandez, as well as the signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres, its form has considerably improved. While it narrowly overcame Galatasaray in the last16, based on current form, it is hard to bet against Barcelona. It will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals, and will end up against either West Ham or Lyon in the semi-finals if it is able to overcome the challenge of Eintracht Frankfurt. The final, in my opinion, will consist of Barcelona vs Atlanta. Atlanta who will meet RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals, will face either Braga or Rangers in the semi-finals, if it beats RB Leipzig. Barcelona will then beat Atlanta in the final.

Europa Conference League: AU: Marseille.

The Europa Conference made its debut this season. Those who were eliminated from the Europa League, including the likes of Leicester City FC, ended up in the Conference League.

Meanwhile, those, such as Tottenham Hotspur, who secured the final European qualification spot in their respective domestic leagues, ended up in the group stages, and were required to come in the top two places to secure qualification onto the next rounds.

Currently, I contend that Marseille are the favourites to win the Europa Conference League. They face PAOK in the quarterfinals, and will go on to face either Feyenoord or Slavia Prague if they are to beat PAOK. They will be faced in the final by Roma, who will likely overcome the demons suffered by their 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt to beat them in the quarter-finals, and will come out stronger against either Leicester City FC or PSV. Marseilles will narrowly overcome Roma in the final.

University

Sports

UCCExpress.ie

Volume 25 | Issue 12 | Wednesday 30th March 2022

UCC Sport Round Up SAM CURTIN Sports Editor

They showed great fight however to come back two days later in their final EY league 2 game of the season and earn a 2-2 draw against Corinthians.

The result earns them a play-off berth which is just reward for their efforts.

Table Tennis UCC took part in the recent table tennis intervarsities which took place in Limerick last week. It was a very successful campaign as the women’s team picked up a silver medal while the men picked up a bronze. In the women’s singles, Thuy Linh Cashman won bronze medal while Anne Marie O’Callaghan wone silver in the women’s plate.

Events to Watch Out For There are a number of big events happening over the next couple of weeks involving UCC athletes. By the time this is published, the Squash intervarsity’s will have taken place in Highfield with a large UCC contingent taking part.

UCC will be hoping to build on its recent intervarsity success in sailing as the national student yachting competition takes place in Howth at the same time.

Both Karate week taking particular is major event

and fencing have their intervarisity competitions this place in UCD and Trinity respectively. Fencing in experiencing a rise in popularity on campus with a taking place at the Mardyke Arena two weeks ago.

Last but not least, the rowers are back in action next week as they take part in the University Rowing Championships which take place in Lough Rynn. It will be former double world champion Sanita Puspures’ first major competition as head coach.

Rugby It was a memorable Wednesday on the 16th of March as UCC completed the double in the SSI Third Level leagues in Carlow IT. The men’s side got the day off to a perfect start against Maynooth in the Division Two final. The students raced into a 18-0 lead before their Kildare college staged an heroic comeback to set up a grandstand finish at 18-17 with ten minutes to go. UCC kept their composure however to see out the match and secure the first piece of silverware of the season.

The women were not to be outdone as they took on TUS Midlands in the women’s Division 2 final. The students put in a dominant performance, especially in the first half and led 35-0 at the interval. TUS managed to get a couple of consolation scores in the second half but UCC were the victors on a shorelines of 35-14 to conclude a historic day for UCC rugby.

Soccer The Lydon Cup final took place last Tuesday with two UCC teams playing each other for the third level women’s crown. UCC Premier took on UCC Development in a cracking contest at the Mardyke. The Premier side made their quality count and ended up victorious on a 5-1 scoreline to win the title.

It’s a sign of the great work being done in UCC that two teams made it to the final with a number of Cork City players also involved. The future looks bright.

The Crowley Cup also saw UCC success as the men’s side defeated DCU 5-4 on penalties after it finished 1-1 in normal time. This result puts the college into semi-finals this week which will also take place in Dublin.

Hockey The UCC women’s senior hockey team were involved in the Munster Senior Cup final on St.Patricks day. Unfortunately they lost out to a very strong Cork Harlequins team on shuttles 2-1 after it finished 2-2 at full time.

Well done to all students involved in the past couple of weeks and best of luck to those competing over the remaining year.