THEEXPRESSTEAM: WHYWEWRITE

WRITES BÉLINE CHAN | OPINION EDITOR

As this is the last issue of the academic year, I wanted to dedicate this article to the Express itself and some of our wonderful editors behind all the articles you are reading, and why we love to write To start off with myself, I’m Béline and I am so lucky to be the Opinion Editor of the Express this year I have always had a passion for writing and reading, ever since I was a young child. I always wrote my own mini books; I would write poems and re-write songs I always had space in my heart for literature, and it has always been an important factor and creative outlet in my life As it is my final year of my undergraduate degree, I wanted to take every opportunity to showcase my love for writing and share my thoughts and other student’s opinions with everyone Being part of the Express team has given me such a wonderful experience and has helped me improve as a writer We have the loveliest team that radiates positivity and kindness Everyone is always so supportive of each other, and I will miss being Opinion Editor a lot Being an editor for this newspaper will always be a core memory for me when I graduate from UCC, and I am grateful for all the opportunities

“I’ve had a keen interest in journalism since before I even knew how to spell journalism. My parents can attest that I would make homemade newspapers and write up stories about local news and what my family was up to that week for my loved ones to read I guess that’s why I signed up for the Express this year; to make my inner child happy It’s been amazing to work with so many talented, strong minded and opinionated young people The team is incredibly encouraging, and it’s been a pleasure to share the pages with people I can call my friends Big thank you to our Editor In Chief Caitríona Ní Chonaill who has been a rock through all the chaos of final year and been an amazing tutor and guide for me in my endeavours with student journalism I look forward to seeing where this journey will take me next, but the Express will always be one of my first loves” Rosie, Film and TV Editor

“My name is Jack Kelly, and I am the Deputy Sports Editor for the UCC Express I started in UCC last September as a Mature student, and I decided to contact the Editor (Caitríona) about potential roles with the paper as I had always wanted to get involved in writing Then when I heard the role of Deputy Sports Editor was available, I could not wait to start I love writing and had always hoped to pursue a career in sports journalism but being a writer for the Express has confirmed this for me I love taking a break from my college work by researching and writing about various topics in the world of sport There is so much freedom when writing for the Express and the team is such a supportive, positive group Over the summer, I will miss piecing together my articles, but I hope to continue in my role going forward!” Jack, Deputy Sports Editor

"This is my second year writing for the Express I first joined as Film Editor and found the freedom to write about anything film related to be enthralling The standard of my fellow writers and editors always blew me away and encouraged me to elevate my own pieces Now, as the Music Editor, I have enjoyed writing about the local music scene as well as collaborating with other writers to provide students with a broader view of the music culture within UCC” Cormac, Music Editor

“The reason why I took on the Sports Editor role is that I wanted to develop my English writing skills and boost my CV. However, in the last year I’ve enjoyed every second of my time with the Express team I’ve collaborated with the editor of Gaeilge, my incredible deputy Jack Kelly as well as guest editor Eoghan O Sullivan

I’ve been delighted to have the experience of leading the sports section of the paper and hope my articles have provoked some uncomfortable conversations in the world of sport” Mark Cooper, Sports Editor

“I first got involved in student journalism as the Fashion Editor for Breac in its first edition I really enjoyed being involved in an editorial team, collaborating to achieve the shared goal of a student-empowered publication At the start of my second year, a vacancy cropped up for the role of News Editor with the Express, which I applied for, and was fortunate enough to be offered the position Since then, I have been actively involved in the Express It has been really special to write in both English and Irish. I look forward to seeing where the road takes the Editorial teams I have worked with, I have made truly incredible friends throughout my 2 years with the paper ” Orla, Irish Editor

“Since I've first got involved with UCC Express in October 2021, I've had great memories writing with fellow contributors on matters from sports, college affairs to contemporary political issues The Express means a lot to me because it gave me the chance to write for an important component of student media and student life at UCC It also means a lot to me because of the enjoyable times I had, working with fellow contributors, and the excitement of having bi-weekly deadlines I'm sure the future is in safe hands for the Express, going forward” Atakan, Deputy News Editor

“When I first applied to write for the University Express, I was shocked to find that it featured an entire section solely dedicated to gaming; I'm hoping to write about video games professionally for a review outlet eventually, so the experience the Express was offering was like a dream come true! I've had an amazing time writing for the Express and reading the fantastic pieces our team creates as soon as they're published every two weeks I can honestly say that if you're interested in journalism or even just writing in general, there's no better place to do it than the University Express” Luke, Gaming Editor

“I fell in love with writing from a really young age as a form of escapism and an outlet for creativity It is such a cathartic activity for me where I can gather my thoughts from a mind that often seems too muddled As I grew older, and my passion for social justice developed, it also became a space for me to platform important issues Writing allows me to engage in activism by telling stories that encourage people to face their biases. Student journalism has given me the courage to stand up for what I believe in and speak my mind This has transformed my confidence and helped me to overcome self-doubt If I have any piece of advice for aspiring writers at UCC, it is only to put yourselves out there There’s no such thing as failing, only improving with each step!” Sarah, Arts & Literature Editor

“As long as I can remember I’ve always loved stories and writing was a great way to experience new worlds If I ever got bored of the books I was reading or if no one had a story to tell me I could always turn to my imagination, which I often did Writing just felt like a natural progression of that I love being able to create worlds and people so when I started writing for the Express, I found it so entertaining to try and mix journalism with fiction which was probably my favourite part of writing for the Xxpress The express made me take my writing seriously because when you have deadlines and other people relying on you it makes it feel all the more real, even if the only change was really from pen and paper to laptop screen I’ll always be so grateful to the Express for taking students' opinions and their work seriously and for the chance to work with others who also had a passion for writing”

Kellie Fashion Editor

“I have written things down from a young age - I wrote stories (which never had an ending), poems and diaries, which I still keep today I think diaries where the way through which I found I truly loved writing, as a diary gives me the opportunity to release my emotions onto a page in an unfiltered format, and a diary can’t judge me or give me an unwanted rebuttal I found the world of reading mesmerising too and would be given out to in maths classes for reading under the desk! As I’ve gotten older, the magic of reading hasn’t faded, but my attitude to writing has When I was younger, I wrote short rhyming poems with a strict rhythm, usually in verse form kept writing creatively as I grew up, and I still write poems (though they have gotten longer through the years!), short stories and have even written for the stage However, most of what I write tends to be in Irish, so I have found writing in English to be more challenging at times because of the wider possible readership find solace in writing and putting my thoughts onto paper, whether that be in a personal sense in a diary, or in a public sense in a paper or a blog. The power to communicate through words on paper has never been lost on me and I find it a lo easier than speech sometimes! In my role as Editor in Chief I have immensely enjoyed seeing what everyone else has chosen to write about week to week Seeing what other people select as the most important topic to be discussed in their section that week has opened my eyes to a range of topics I would never otherwise hav been exposed to and given me a deeper appreciation of this paper as a whole.”

Caitríona Ní Chonaill, Editor In Chief

We are so fortunate to have an outlet that enables us to express our creativity opinions, and interests, and it also would not be possible without UCC students supporting us as well The Express has undeniably given us all a fun and positive experience, and it has been a great year of writing

“I got my start in the paper through a Staff Writer position, where I got to write about things I'm incredibly passionate about like film and theatre Then when the position of Social Media Manager opened, I applied immediately. Managing social media pages and getting to play around with graphic design and video making is something that I really enjoy I absolutely love my job because I get the opportunity to work with all the incredible people involved with the paper every single week” Eoin, Social Media Manager/ Staff Writer

"Being News Editor of the Express for the past year has been a really informative and rewarding experience It has given me the chance to document important stories on our campus and present other issues that are relevant to students In student journalism you can give a voice to those who normally wouldn't have one and pursue a perspective not usually seen in major media The dynamic and creative aspects to reporting are what I have enjoyed the most over the last few months I would really encourage anyone interested in writing to put themselves forward for a role like this!" James, News Editor

“During lockdown my friend sent me a message suggesting we both apply to the Express We had no idea what that text would kickstart I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I genuinely couldn’t believe it when I got accepted onto the team I’ve been through a lot with this paper, and I can’t thank it enough for giving me the opportunity to write You guys have no idea how much I’ve laughed and cried in this newsroom The opportunity to work with so many creative people has been tremendous, and I can’t thank this paper enough” Claire, Features Editor

WRITES CONOR O'DRISCOLL | SKILLS CENTRE

As the semester begins to wind down, the Skills Centre would like to take this time to advertise a number of our drop-in services which can be used by students having issues of any variety Specifically, we host dedicated IT-Clinics at set times every week as well as dedicated drop-in clinics, also held every week at set times

If your issue is mainly IT-related, do not hesitate to drop-in to these Similarly, if your issue is more generic, a drop-in clinic is perfect for you In these, we help students in addressing all sorts of problems These sessions are hosted in-person in the Skills Centre We are in Q-1 in The Boole Library; just follow the yellow footsteps

If you cannot make it to campus for some reason, you can also book a one-to-one virtual appointment with a tutor These sessions are held at many times throughout the week If you would like more information on any of these, the best place to find us is our website (just Google “UCC Skills Centre”), in our workspace in Q-1, or by scanning the QR code in this image.

We wish you all the very best in your exams