University
Express
Volume 24 | Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021
“The system as it currently stands fails to provide even the most basic information to adopted people, such as their family medical history.” - Pg 10 -
UCCExpress.ie
“Each guest brings a fascinating narrative with them, a narrative that may not have previously received a platform like the podcast.” - Pg 18 -
“‘Sports washing’ is the term used in nation states using sport as a means of legitimacy and providing an alternative view of their regime through sporting prowess” - Pg 40 -
UCC SETS TONE FOR NEW YEAR WITH BYSTANDER INTERVENTION WEEK Officer Jamie Fraser shared his personal experience of making an intervention, highlighting the real-life application of the skills learned during the module. “I encountered a situation myself during the summer - thankfully after doing the training - and very successfully used Bystander to intervene during a sexual assault,” the UCCSU Officer said, “Ever since then I’ve realised how important it was and how powerful it is to do something as simple as taking a couple of hours out of your day to do something as productive as [taking the module].”
Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor The first week of the new semester was this year ushered in with the university’s inaugural Bystander Intervention Week: an effort to celebrate active bystanders in the UCC community and increase their number. The campaign adapted to Covid-19 restrictions and went virtual, hosting events, workshops and conversations to empower students and achieve a zero tolerance culture of
sexual violence and harrassment at UCC. UCC is leading out on the development of the programme at higher education institutions across the country, the first also to mark its presence with a campus-wide initiative like that of Bystander Intervention Week. “Everyone has a role to play in preventing relationship and sexual violence,” the module reads, offering two paths to take upon witnessing abusive behaviour: “you can choose to be an active bystander and make an intervention, or alternatively, walk past.” Through 4 online workshops and
Detailing his experience over livestream on Instagram, Jamie explained the “gut feeling” he had when observing an increasingly hostile incident in the local area: “Whenever you get that feeling it’s always worth looking into.” He highlighted the ways in which the module gave him the insight into how to be an Active Bystander, how to know when someone might be in trouble and how to surmount the potential barriers to intervention - such as fearing retaliaone discussion-based live workshop, tion or the reaction of other bystanders. the module seeks to equip students with the skills needed to make an inter- Jamie shared the feeling of doubt he at vention and prevent sexual violence. first felt when encountering the situation, reluctant to believe someone was Over the course of the week, the virtual capable of perpetrating such an act on campaign took advantage of the digital a sunny, summer day. “My brain was space and facilitated the creation of a vir- trying to convince me the whole time it tual mural, comprised of artwork by staff wasn’t happening. By doing Bystander, and students inspired by the message I was able to channel [that gut feeling] #ItStopsNow. An Instagram takeover of and recognise that this does happen, the official @universitycollegecork page and you have to look at it no matter marked the importance of meeting stu- how much you don’t want to believe it.” dents where they are: on social media. Through the platform, UCCSU Welfare Cover Story continued on page 3....
Editorial
2
The Waiting Game Writes Fiona Keeley, Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief – Fiona Keeley (Editor@UCCExpress.ie)
There is something agonizingly long about waiting for the occurrence of future events, especially when they lie in uncertainty rather than assurance. As I stare at my watch its ticking hand reminds me of one of those expectations, the contents of which is - for now - uncertain. Clocks, calendars, dates, and times have been unfriendly reminders that time is uncontrollably slipping away but to turn that argument on its head they are also profound reminders that time is a definite source of measurement - despite all our moans to the contrary - something that is dependable, quantitative, and meaningful.
News Editor – Maeve McTaggart (News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer – Fiona Cremins (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor – Elisha Carey (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor – Liam Grainger (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor – Rían Browne (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie)
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
They say reflection is good for the mind, a time to ignore the progress of time and focus energy on yourself. My moments of calm reflection have been few and far between over the past year, I would liken them to Flight of the Bumblebee, just perhaps not as precise on each note. That said, finding moments of clarity, however brief, among that madness has been an education in itself; outstripping my moments of desperately searching for arbitrary definitions in books.
Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Édith De Faoite (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie)
Do I wish to be living in an alternative reality right now, in many ways yes; but I was told by someone years ago that happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have. So I am trying to alter my mindset to not keep one eye fixed on my watch. Trying to see the light through these shades of darkness, to allow me to regard them as just shades rather than an overwhelming umbrella.
Online Editor – Edel Lonergan (Online@UCCExpress.ie)
After the winter break, whose name is a deception in itself, the team have returned a phenomenal issue to greet the new semester. Maeve McTaggart pens an article on UCC’s inaugural Bystander Intervention Week while Sam Curtin tackles one of the most hotly contested topics in the arena of boxing at the moment.
Marketing Executive – Fiona Keeley (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Webmaster – Jonathan Hanley (Webmaster@UCCExpress.ie)
The inevitable truth is time does not speed up or slow down according to my desire, my hope is that this waiting game deals a fair hand so I can play it to the best of my ability. Until next time,
Fiona Keeley
Photographers – Caoimhe Leahy, (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Byline Editor – Fergal Smiddy (Byline@ UCCExpress.ie) (Deputy Editor) Food & Health – Maeve O’Keeffe (Food@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor – Imasha Costa (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor – Hugo Blair (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor – Cathal Donovan O’Neill (Music@UCCExpress) Fashion Editor – Maeve O’Sullivan (fashion@uccexpress.ie) Film & Television Editor – Kyran Leahy (Screen@UCCExpress.ie) Sexpress Editor – Jack Wrixon (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Sports – Sam Curtin (Deputysports@uccexpress.ie) Deputy News – Maebh McCarthy (Deputynews@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Features – Eoghan O’Donnell (Deputyfeatures@uccexpress.ie) Staff Writer: Julie Landers
editor@uccexpress.ie
Admitting defeat Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor Déja vú, right? Sitting down to write this issue, I was caught first by a big, frustrated sigh (try it - long inhale, longer exhale - it helps). It’s almost a year since the beginning of the pandemic, since March 12th where I welcomed what I assumed was a two-week break to catch up with impending deadlines. Two weeks later, I re-evaluated. Two months later, I did so again... and again... and again. The expectation that the COVID-19 ‘situation’ would continue until December was, last March, reserved solely for the doomsday sayers of Twitter and drivetime radio. Oops. I don’t think it has gotten any easier to distinguish the pessimists from the realists, the pragmatic pathologists from the pathological politicians. I pretend not to hear the list of months lost to lockdowns swallow up the summer and as much as I possibly can, avoid the fact I spent half of the time I had at UCC in my bedroom (let’s do another sigh). This issue of news was, admittedly, hard to write. There is only so much to report on the state of affairs on campus when it is stretched between screens and Teams meetings. The virtual space - however much it has you falling victim to ads on blue-light glasses or ergonomic desk chairs - is harder however, to not write about. Ignoring the nightmarish screen-time notifications, it’s interesting how much has adapted, changed and collapsed as college went digital. The last year has made me someone who wraps myself in silver-linings, and this news section has much of its headlines glistening. Looking at Bystander Intervention Week, student publications and online expos, opportunities to speak with change-makers like Ambassador Power despite a time difference and 3,000 miles between - this month is a survey of the ways we have adapted to COVID-19 and fashioned silver-linings out of new technologies and the strength of a campus community. I am working on my realism, but also working on recognising that optimism can be just as realistic as pessimism - there’s no need to drop the silver linings, sometimes they are the only things keeping us on the ground.
news@uccexpress.ie #uccexpress
Maeve McTaggart
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
Bystander Intervention Week comes just months after the publishing of the 2020 Sexual Experiences Survey, a report which revealed that 29 per cent of female, 10 per cent of male, and 28 per cent of non-binary students had experienced non-consensual penetration by incapacitation, force, or threat of force during their time in college. The findings made it clear that higher education institutions had to take action on the problem of sexual violence in their colleges. Bringing the reality of the prevalence of sexual violence closer to home, the annual report of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork last year revelead that almost 40% of clients seeking help at the centre were students. Alongside the further roll-out of the module, the university is in the process of developing an action plan in response to the National Sexual Violence Framework, a plan which will be presented to the Minister for Higher and Further Education at the end of February 2021. The Bystander Intervention module consists of five online workshops: four self-led and one face-to-face. Following their participation in the module and completion of a creative reflection, students receive a Digital Badge and can first enroll for the programme at ucc.ie/en/bystander.
3
The Future is Digital: UCC Open Days and Careers Fairs go Virtual
Cover Story continued...
The conversation reflected that of the workshops facilitated throughout the week, the final workshop of five which allows students to achieve a Digital Badge for their efforts. Students explored scenarios of effective and ineffective interventions, discussing their learnings and reinforcing the importance of building a community of Active Bystanders.
News
Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor
Although the pandemic has stalled the in-person events students rely on in order to shape their future— Open Days, Careers Fairs and internship talks—it has not prevented UCC from innovating a new way to look forward. Webinars have become the means to acquiring knowledge about prospective career and degree pathways, allowing students to engage with employers and university staff from home. Taking the leap into further study may seem more uncertain than before: what health advice will be from March onwards remains uncertain and September feels even more ambiguous. To counter the uncertainty, online fairs, expos and open days enable students to
browse opportunities and begin to put plans together for the next semester and beyond. UCC Careers’ Summer Internship Festival ran from January 26th to February 4th, offering virtual events and conversations with employers in a variety of fields from law to science, consulting to sales. To plan beyond the summer months, the university is set to host it’s Postgrad Expo on Tuesday February 23rd from 3-7pm. In registering for the event, students gain access to the live chat Q&A, Keynote talks and opportunities to speak with the academics and staff of UCC’s postgraduate programmes. For prospective undergraduate students, it is still unclear whether they will undertake the traditional Leaving Certificate exam, be subjected to the same predictive grading system as the Class of
2020, or have their grades and CAO points calculated in an entirely different way. To accommodate these students, the university has distilled its Open Days into a virtual, on-demand exhibition hall running from January until the end of June, with a three-hour live chat scheduled for May 5th 2021. The CAO officially closes on July 1st at 5.15pm - locking in the choices students have made in a time which remains uncertain. The Covid-19 pandemic has made such virtual expos and open days the ‘new normal’ with universities across the country constructing similar digital platforms to host their prospectus.
4
News
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
UCC Staff and Students join the frontline in the battle against Covid-19 Writes Maebh McCarthy, Deputy News Editor Staff and students of UCC have been recently celebrated in the media for their efforts, analysis and research in the battle against Covid-19. With Level 5 restrictions likely to remain in place until after Easter according to Government sources, the vaccine rollout has been the focus of the national conversation. UCC staff and students have been proactive in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and have dominated headlines in recent weeks. A UCC lecturer, Dr. Angela Flynn, attracted widespread praise on social media in recent weeks, having re-joined the frontline in the battle against the spread of Covid-19. Dr. Flynn is a former ICU nurse and a lecturer in UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. Dr. Flynn took the initiative to re-join the staff in Cork University Hospital (CUH), recognising that her nursing colleagues were “exhausted” and that she “felt the need to go and help out.” Dr. Flynn is balancing her UCC workload with “aiming to do one or two shifts per week.” Several student nurses have spoken to University Express about their experience of balancing online learning and the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of their degree course, first, second and third-year nurses are obligated to do unpaid clinical placements in healthcare settings. Before UCC returned for semester two, the Department of Health announced that the clinical placements were being suspended in order for staff who supervise the placements to focus on frontline duties. During the first wave of Covid-19, student nurses were converted to Healthcare Assistants (HCA) and paid as such. The majority of the students who spoke with University Express, were open to the possibility of completing this type of work again. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation also support this position. Amy Brennan is a final year medicine student at UCC, who volunteered alongside the doctors, nurses and healthcare staff at CUH, in the emer-
gency department for most of last year. Ms. Brennan, aged 22 from Ballincollig, felt obligated ‘to do her bit’ in the battle against Covid-19. Ms. Brennan was at the frontline when the full force of the pandemic hit, with CUH under immense strain. “People were absolutely terrified when they arrived at the door. It is a truly terrifying thing to see people presenting with respiratory distress, but what I found much more frightening was the fact that people were coming in who were previously healthy and well” she said. For her efforts and the personal sacrifices she made, Ms. Brennan has been awarded a Quercus Scholarship from UCC in recognition of her
achievements. She will graduate from her medical studies at the end of this academic year, and plans to go straight back into the fight to protect public health. A senior lecturer in Biochemistry at UCC, Dr Anne Moore, warned that the vaccine rollout will not see the way we live “change overnight or enable the country to open up immediately.” Dr. Moore gave this warning in light of medical research that warned of the transmissibility of Covid-19. “The vaccines that are licensed for use at the moment have been designed to protect against disease, and we don’t know at this stage if they protect against transmission, they
may or they may not,” said Dr. Moore. The Translational Medicine Society of UCC held its first virtual conference on new health developments recently. The conference aimed to encourage interaction with clinicians, scientists, academia, industry, government, funding, regulatory agencies, investors and policymakers. Chairperson of the Translational Medicine Society at UCC, Maedbh Heaney opened the conference, which included notable speakers, such as Dr. Dan Barouch from Harvard Medical School and Professor Luke O’Neill of Trinity College Dublin.
News
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
5
Former US ambassador to the UN is proud of links to UCC Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor
Samantha Power, the former US ambassador to the UN and human rights advisor to President Barack Obama, recently spoke to UCC’s Government and Politics Society ahead of her appointment to the Biden administration. Power has been named by the current President to lead the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and like her employer, has strong ties to Ireland. Interviewed by society chairperson Maebh McCarthy to a hundred-plus strong Zoom call on January 28th, Power reflected on her career, current affairs and Ireland’s influence on both. The former ambassador lived in Dublin until the age of nine before emigrating to Pennsylvania with her mother, Vera Delaney—a kidney doctor, field-hockey stand-out and UCC alum—and brother in 1979. Delaney graduated from UCC with a
first-class honours degree in Biochemistry before going on to complete her studies in medicine. Amidst the current pandemic, she continues to practice - a feat characteristic of a strength Power is immensely proud of. In 2008, Power herself received an Honourary Doctorate by UCC for her international influence and support of the School of Law. The prospective lead of USAid told attendees that her Irish background granted perspective on the world stage, highlighting The Troubles and British colonisation as imperative to Ireland’s position on the UN Security Council as one of an empathic peace-broker. Repeatedly, Power revealed her personal philosophy as one built upon empathy. When asked of her work-life balance, the former ambassador was honest and explained that her roles as a diplomat and mother have often been unruly - one inevitably blurring into another, dis-
rupting the responsibilities of the other. It is a theme explored deeply in her 2019 memoir The Education of an Idealist: an exploration of her life from childhood to her experience as a war correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner, from personal heartbreaks to professional highpoints and vice versa. Speaking of her experience as a woman and mother in politics, Power references an anecdote shared in her memoir, one paradigmatic of the blurred lines: “After failing to get my attention as I participated in a White House conference call on Russia sanctions, [my son] Declan stomped away, muttering, “Putin, Putin, Putin . . . When is it going to be Declan, Declan, Declan.” The conversation settled finally on a message of hope, where Power shared her advice with students; speaking on the importance of reflection, of failure, of growth and of commitment to change - even when it seems fruitless.
Everyone has the power to do better, she explains, but no one can do it all: collaboration is the greatest power. Maebh McCarthy described the experience of interviewing Ambassador Power as “surreal and inspirational.” The Covid-19 pandemic has confronted the society with many challenges in the migration to a digital space but, in line with her interviewee’s hopeful idealism, the GovPol chairperson said: “All 109 societies in UCC have had to adapt to hosting events virtually, which has proved challenging, but I believe we have really risen to it. I would actually contend that it has also offered some amazing opportunities: if we were operating as normal, we would never have had the opportunity to interview Ambassador Power.”
News
6
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
AIB partner with UCC to fund sustainable business Writes Maebh McCarthy, Deputy News Editor
It was announced earlier this month that AIB is entering a partnership with University College Cork which will involve the bank funding The AIB Chair of Sustainable Business, this is the first of its kind in Ireland. AIB has pledged €1.25 million over the next five years to support and implement the objectives of The AIB Chair of Sustainable Business. This project is set to be based in the Cork University Business School (CUBS), which is Ireland’s largest business school. It was also announced that the funding will support The AIB Sustainable Business Scholars programme; which is established for early career researchers who excel in their field. The establishment of the Chair comes at an extremely pertinent time, given the increased demand of employers for graduates with a broad knowledge, understanding and experience of sustainable business practices. Chief Executive Officer of AIB, Colin Hunt, said, “AIB has put sustainability at the heart of our strategy. We are aligned with UCC’s vision
to educate and guide business leaders who can balance environmental, social and governance goals with the ambition of delivering sustainable profits.”
“A decade ago we charted a course to be a world leading university in the area of sustainability. We must inspire the leaders who can shape our future for the better and at UCC we are driving research Mr. Hunt underscored the pivotal chal- that assists our transition to a low carbon lenge that climate change poses to the economy,” the Interim President said. business sector: “Managing climate “We are incredibly grateful to AIB for this change is the most important challenge generous gift which will facilitate the defacing this generation, and the role of velopment and empowerment of future businesses in supporting the transition leaders in sustainability through the unito a low-carbon economy is pivotal. I versity’s research, teaching and learning firmly believe that we must not hand activities. This partnership strengththis planet on to our children in a worse ens our objective of creating a sustaincondition than it was handed to us.” ability culture that is student-led, re“Green lending is proving to be the search-informed, and practice-focused”. fastest growing part of our loan book and has also proven the most resil- Alongside this partnership, University ient during the Covid-19 pandem- College Cork aims to deliver a worldic underscoring that sustainabili- class business school experience, havty is also smart business,’’ he added. ing recently announced it would invest €110 million in a new business campus Interim President of UCC, Professor John located in the heart of Cork City. PlanO’Halloran spoke of the emphasis placed ning permission has already been granton sustainability within the ethos of UCC ed for the development. Speaking prior and the donation from AIB to further ad- to Covid-19, Dean of CUBS, Thia Henvance the development of future indus- nessy, said a design team would begin try leaders in the area of sustainability. to work on the proposal, and suggested
a date for moving in could be the start of the academic year in 2022 or 2023. It is not yet known what impact Covid-19 will have on the project. UCC is ranked as an international leader in the area of sustainability and the AIB Chair will support the UCC strategy of enabling and empowering the next generation of responsible business leaders, as well as accelerating world-leading environmental research in Ireland. There will be an international recruitment process for the Chair, who will drive innovative research in the field of sustainability, develop sector leading new post-graduate programmes in sustainable business and who will work together with businesses seeking to drive sustainability across their organisation. It is hoped this partnership will demonstrate the impact of corporate philanthropy in enabling the university to advance its sustainability goals, while enhancing the student experience and improving graduate employability prospects.
News
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
7
Importance of Drug Harm reduction underscored by Covid-19 Maebh McCarthy, Deputy News Editor A study completed by UCC researchers has predicted that the disruption Covid-19 has posed to Ireland, will result in a projected increase in drug dealing and consumption. As a result of the pandemic, Ireland is likely to enter an economic recession, a period of economic hardship which relates directly to increased drug consumption and dealing according to research carried out by James Windle, Sinéad Drew and James Leonard on behalf of UCC. A UCC student, James Leonard, conducted a study of drug users and practitioners working with drug users in Cork late last year. Mr. Leonard, who overcame a heroin addiction himself, has a Masters in Criminology from UCC and has begun working on a PhD. James interviewed eight people who had been drug free for over a year and six practitioners working with those using drugs in the City. The study, which was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, found that problematic drug use is closely linked with economic deprivation and social exclusion. Most people taking part in the study also agreed that criminalising drug users did not deter people from using them. Speaking to RedFM News, James Leonard says the sample size may be small, but politicians and decision makers need to take note of the results. UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU) have also been addressing the issue of drug harm reduction. Last year, the Drug Harm Reduction Framework in Higher Education was released by former Minister for Higher and Further Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor. UCCSU Welfare Officer, Jamie Fraser, revealed to University Express that UCCSU have been working closely with UCC, as one of the only Universities in the country to launch the Drug Use in Higher Education Institutions (DUHEI) Survey. This is a survey supported by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). President of the USI Lorna Fitzpatrick said: “There is a huge gap in knowl-
edge, in the area of illicit drug use among third level students in Ireland. The DUHEI survey and the data received, will assist the USI, Students’ Unions and Higher Education Institutions across Ireland, in developing services, policies and information campaigns for students who choose to take drugs.” “According to the National Student Drugs Survey, 82% of students have tried illegal drugs, so this is a reality for third level students at the moment,” Ms. Fitzpatrick added. “With that in mind, it is crucial that we get as many students as possible taking part
in this survey on drugs use, so we can attempt to understand how many students are taking drugs, see what kind of drugs students are taking, when they’re taking them, [and] where and why are they’re choosing to take drugs.”
be completely anonymous and it will not be possible to track responses back to any individual or institution.
The UCC Society, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is ‘dedicated to ending the war on drugs.’ The The survey was rolled out in January society conducted a survey as part 2021. Students are asked to ensure that of Addiction Awareness Week prithey fill out this survey as this informa- or to Christmas, surveying what tion will provide important national substances had been used by UCC baseline information on the landscape students and the impact that it had of drug use among students and will con- on their physical, emotional, and tribute to the development of harm-re- mental health. 93% of students duction interventions and policies. All who completed the survey admitinformation provided in this survey will ted to taking an illegal substance.
8
Features
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
How is modern technology shaping our society? Writes Eoghan O’Donnell, Deputy Features Editor
First developed in the 1830s, the telegram provided the world with the means to instantly communicate over long distance. Though admittedly more laborious in its workings compared to modern-day technology, the telegram through the use of Morse code, enabled people from as far as one side of the Atlantic to communicate rapidly with those on the other side. Until this point, letters which were the main form of communication, often took days or even weeks to complete a journey from one point to another, and were often unreliable. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and most citizens of the world are enmeshed in the web of content digital networking. A February 2020 study estimated that 5.25 billion people owned a mobile phone, meaning that 67.04% of the world’s population has the means to instantly communicate with anybody anywhere in the world. Being without your phone in the modern day has become something almost unthinkable: a concern for many these days is being de-
tached from digital devices. People are known to experience acute stress and anxiety when uncoupled from mobile devices and studies have reported that when without their devices, people tend to exhibit withdrawal-like symptoms.
The world has become smaller with the invention of modern technology. The age we find ourselves in means we are all, essentially, a phone’s throw away from one another (excuse the pun): a person from Coolea who has now emigrated to Melbourne is no longer a lost cause to Technology is constantly changing. With the international waters. They are now its continual development and change, merely a FaceTime away. Living has one factor always remains unchanged: become more manageable and accessiour dependence on technology. It is this ble with technological advancements. exact defence that drives development and leads to the exploration and inven- However, with our reliance on technoltion of new technological devices. Mod- ogy, has come what many claim to be an ern technology has morphed our modern over-reliance on technology. It is easy to society: a prime example of this is seen in hear somebody these days express their the development of the railroads back in anxiety about the amount of time they the 19th and 20th centuries. With rail- are spending on their mobile phones. In ways becoming more common world- fact, you or one of your friends have likewide, the introduction of modern com- ly felt a weird anxiety, followed by a demon-time zones came about. This drew nial of sorts, when the screen time notiregions far from one another on national fication on a Sunday afternoon informs levels closer together as a unit, and pro- you that you have spent, on average, four vided the ability for citizens of the world plus hours a day on your phone. A late to have a reliable time network: that per- 2019 study by ComReg detailed how son who before may have been thirty Irish people spend more than four and a minutes ahead in Dublin won’t be half half hours per day on their smartphones. an hour too early for his train to Cork. At this stage of our existence, this is not surprising. Now factor in a global-pan-
demic; another Twigby survey on Us participants noted that phone usage has increased from the beginning of Covid-19 lockdowns, and users have reported spending up to 36% more time on social media than ever before. Your phone is a means to stay informed these days, but aside from being a source of news, the majority of our remaining time is spent scrolling - often mindlessly - on social-media networks. Right now, this is no surprise - there’s not much else to do when the country finds itself in Level 5 for a third consecutive lockdown. It is worth wondering: is our increased amount of time on social-media networks taking a negative toll on our mental health and wellbeing? Social media can be great, but what happens when we over consume? What happens when we digitally bite off more than we can chew? Before I deep dive into more facts and statistics, my personal experience with social-media over the past few months is one where I am often left
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
feeling dejected. Feelings of inadequacy and isolation tend to permeate my existence when I see celebrities and other famous people having a good time, out and about in their (often sunny) locations. Not only this, but I notice (and my housemates, who I have interrogated for this article, feel similar) that I now experience sharper F.O.M.O when I see people I know, who are likely living the same way I am, posting about the good day they’re having when out for a takeaway coffee or a walk with a friend. Though social media is reassuring in that we can instantly connect with one another, it simultaneously has the tendency to expose many of our deepest insecurities. By now, many of us are aware of the manifold façades of happy pictures posted on Instagram, we are likely guilty of contributing to it ourselves. People love taking pictures, but people love taking pictures even more when they know other people are going to see them. That’s what drives platforms like Instagram, VSCO, Facebook and dare I say it Tik-Tok. Vanity drives us. The thrill, one of the cheapest of all, of seeing your crush or even the person you hate viewing your story of you having a good time is exactly how these platforms manage to cause us to be more reliant on them.
it if you don’t simultaneously receive validation in the form of views or likes online? Is the rush of likes just as good as the experience posted about itself? Instagram is one platform that preys on our need for social validation. Harvard University has reported that “Instagram’s notification algorithms will sometimes withhold “likes” on your photos to deliver them in larger bursts. So when you make your post, you may be disappointed to find less responses than you expected, only to receive them in a larger bunch later on. Your dopamine centres have been primed by those initial negative outcomes to respond robustly to the sudden influx of social appraisal. This use of a variable reward schedule takes advantage of our dopamine-driven desire for social validation, and it optimises the balance of negative and positive feedback signals until we’ve become habitual users.”
Features much more than we need to? Not much, in fact once we go beyond the threshold of information we necessarily want to know, we then proceed to absorb much more information we simply don’t want to hear or never need to know at all. This can be overwhelming at the best of times, and cause much anxiety when we aren’t feeling the best in ourselves. It can be difficult to distance ourselves from technology, considering it essentially permeates every aspect of our lives. Though it might be impossible to completely live tech-free, there are many methods you can implement into your life to reduce your use of your phone or laptop which might be beneficial to your lifestyle. Turning off notifications is one way which prevents you from constantly glancing at your phone. This doesn’t mean turning off your notifications for everything, that would likely impede your life more than benefit it, but you can disable notifications for specific apps instead. Phones decrease the amount of sleep we get too. Simply keeping your phone charged in another room and not looking at it for an hour before you go to bed will help you fall asleep quicker. Sticking with screen time limits can also be beneficial, and will give you more time throughout the day to do the things you always say you’ll get around to doing eventually.
We’ve all heard of social media influencers. You likely follow a few of them, you likely also hate-follow a few of them. It’s normal. Influencer marketing is a growing industry in which social media users are “ranked according to measure of influence and compensated for promoting products online.” Influencers are everywhere. They often do exactly what it says on the tin. By promoting and documenting almost every aspect of their lives, they influChamath Palihapitiya former Vice ence many of their followers, and those President of User Growth at Facebook few devotee followers often attempt Worth wondering is if this age of sharing stated he feels “tremendous guilt” to replicate many of their behaviours. will eventually reach its crescendo? Will over exploiting consumer behaviour we, as people, tire of the oversharing and for the social-media conglomer- Yet many influencers promote stan- constant networking we all participate ate. Palihapitiya explained that “the dards which are unrealistic. This is in? Throughout the years, history has short-term, dopamine driven feed- also something people are becoming shown things come and go in waves. Is back loops that we have created are more and more aware of these days, the same likely of the social media platdestroying how society works.” Do- but doesn’t mean it’s any easier when forms we devote ourselves to day in, day pamine functions in our brain as a it comes to seeing beautiful people liv- out. Will there reach a period when the chemical messenger involved in re- ing beautiful lives in beautiful lighting. constant sharing slowly dwindles out to ward, motivation, memory, and at- Influencer content is reported to of- become nothing? Is there the possibility tention among many other things. ten impact adversely on psychological that we will revert back to a society which Dopamine rewards our beneficial be- well-being, materialism and body-sat- shares the bare minimum with one anhaviours and drives us to repeat them. isfaction. On top of this, a handful of other? This may be entirely unrealistic, select influencers are seen to be jetting given how technology is constantly evolvEvery time we positively respond to a off to Dubai, when non-essential travel ing to facilitate the invention of even like, a mention, a comment - any no- is banned on the island of Ireland. Most more technology, but it’s not impossible. tification at all - positive associations of these scenarios, when seen through become stronger. Social media has of- your phone screen as you sit at home What do you think? In this age of overten been cited as being comparable to likely repeating the same day again and exposure, are we leading ourselves to an cocaine in its addictiveness. Our mo- again are the cause of anxiety for many. era of secrecy, where we try hard to keep bile devices have provided us with the the workings of our daily lives hidden means for a practically unlimited sup- Which leads to another question: Are from one another? If you have any opinply of dopamine rushes, which is likely we overexposed? Social networks are ions on this, feel free to email deputyfeawhy many people find it difficult go- often theorised as providing too much tures@uccexpress.ie with your thoughts. ing anywhere without posting about information too incessantly. What does it. Is the trip up the mountain, or the all this information at hand do to beneswim at sea, or your brunch fully worth fit us when we start beginning to know
9
10
Features
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
The Adopted Person’s Right to Information in Ireland: A Timeline Writes Elisha Carey, Features Editor Adoption in Ireland has had a turbulent past. Prior to the enactment of the 1952 Adoption Act there was no law governing adoption in Ireland. The Act was based on a “clean break policy” as Vivienne Darling, TCD put it, allowing all parties to go ahead with their lives free from “the stigma of bastardy.” The drafters of the Act feared that single pregnant women would opt for an abortion if they could not be guaranteed lifelong anonymity in the adoption process. The introduction of the Unmarried Mother’s Allowance in 1972 is credited with spurring on a change in the societal stigma surrounding single parenthood. This resulted in a dramatic fall in the number of adoptions during the 80’s which was then followed by a steep rise in the number of women seeking to trace their children and adopted people seeking information about their birth families in the 90’s. In the adoption legislation from 1952 to 2010, no provision was made for adopted people to search or obtain information on their origins, or even to verify if they were in fact an adopted person at all.
inal birth information remains a contentious issue in this country, with very little legislative progress on it. Of course, the right of an adopted person to their identity is a balancing act. The 1998 case of I.O’T v B saw the Supreme Court hold that the mother’s constitutional right to privacy outweighed the child’s constitutional right to identity. Many birth parents and adoptees do not wish to be contacted at all. Social workers told the Mother and Baby Homes Commission In 1999, the Adult Adoptees Associfor their Final Report that over 50% of ation launched a contact register on birth mothers they contacted, as part of the internet which was sponsored by a search by their adopted child, did not Tesco. Birth relatives who wanted to wish to engage with them. Many womget in contact with each other could en told their social workers that they register on the confidential datawere terrified at the prospect of proper base. In 2005, the National Adoption legislation for information and tracing Contact Preference Register was unbeing implemented, of their lives being veiled. The service enables adopted “destroyed.” However, this right of the people and their natural relatives to mother to live their life privately, uninregister their preferences regardterrupted by their birth child must be ing contact, including preferences balanced against the right of the child not to be contacted at the present to identity, a right which is recognised time and to specify their preferred by the United Nations Convention on contact method. Between its incepthe Rights of the Child. The system as tion in 2005 and September 2014, it currently stands fails to provide even the system only made 64 “matches.” the most basic information to adoptThe Register does not grant access ed people, such as their family medical to any birth or early years informahistory. This is recorded as having led tion but at least creates a choice for to failures to diagnose genetic diseases. adopted people and their parents to register their preference for contact. Adopted people’s right to their orig- Ireland lags behind other countries when it comes to information provision for
adopted people and their families. Scotland introduced a right of access to birth records in 1930, England and Wales in 1976, Northern Ireland in 1987 and New Zealand in 1991. The international debate has moved on to more contemporary matters such as the right of information of those born through sperm and egg donation, leaving Ireland far behind it. The first Adoption Information and Tracing Bill was introduced in 2001 in the Dáil. The Bill would have criminalised adopted people if they tried to contact their natural parents without their express permission. This Bill was abandoned in 2003 after a successful campaign against it. The most recent attempt at legislating this area, the Adoption Information and Tracing Bill 2016, was shelved as unworkable in December 2019 as the Attorney General viewed it as “constitutionally unacceptable to allow unrestricted access to birth information for adopted people.” Katherine Zappone, the Minister for Children at the time, proposed giving Tusla the power to track down natural parents on behalf of an adoptee. Where a parent did not consent, both parties were to make their case before the Adoption Authority of Ireland.
So, what now, then?
The EU General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is supreme over all Irish law including the Constitution. A person’s adoption records contain personal data relating to them and as data subjects under the GDPR, adopted people have a right to make a Subject Access Request to this information. To date, the Government, Tusla and other controllers of adopted people’s data have opted for an extremely conservative interpretation of the meaning of personal data, even refusing to provide adopted people with their own original first name or their natural mother’s first name, seeking to protect the privacy interests of the mother at all costs. Dr Maeve O’Rourke, NUIG and Dr Conor O’Mahony, UCC, noted in their legal opinion that this interpretation is based on “a fundamental misunderstanding of the relevant law.” At the end of last year, the Government promised that further attempts to legislate this area would ensure effective implementation of the GDPR, this left academics like O’Rourke and senior government officials sceptical that such an approach would “bear fruit.” The Irish Times predicts that even if this route is successful it will be well into this year before the new law would come into force.
Features:Careers Corner
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all managed to get some level of rest and relaxation after the unfamiliar post-Christmas exam spell. It is quite the out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire situation for some UCC students who immediately upon finishing exams find themselves faced with the hectic summer internship applications period. Whether it’s a summer internship in the corporate world you’re gearing up for or if you’re planning on spending the summer months waiting tables in a local restaurant (Covid-permitting) There is no better time than the present to learn how to improve your CV-and-cover-letter-writing skills!
11
Making Your Applications Writes Elisha Carey, Features Editor
What you need to know No matter what type of company you’re applying to, it’s essential to have an understanding of what they do, what their recruitment process looks like and what your role will be if you’re successful. Keeping these three elements in mind while you’re writing your application is sure to set you up on the right track. The types of opportunities available to students these days seem endless, and different employers will have differing recruitment processes. One employer may look for CVs, another employer might require you to fill out an application form (this can be an online form or old-fashioned paper and pen style so messy hand writers beware!) One employer might use telephone interviews whereas many others are opting for Skype and Zoom video interviews. Recent years have also seen a steep uptake in the use of assessment centres as part of employers’ recruitment processes.
Getting Started First, it’s important to take a look at the job description. This will generally outline the qualifications, experience and skills required for the job. While reading the job description, you may like to think about why these experiences and skills are required: What business objectives do they meet? What is your understanding of these business objectives and how do you fit in to them? Using the job requirements, you should tailor your CV and cover letter or application form to the role. Use real-life examples from your
evant information first because CVs are well, the hint is in the name, it should often not read from beginning to end. be in letter format: your own address on the top right and the company’s adMake good use of spacing, margins, dress above the salutation on the left. indentations, capitalisation and un- Try your best to address your letter to derlining and be consistent with your the correct person. This is generally Sending out an unprofessional, untar- use of these tools. You should use bold the hiring or graduate recruitment geted CV will not meet the job descrip- type or italics to emphasise words and manager. Avoid “Dear Sir/Madam”, tion and block you from getting any subject headings but do not over do it! it shows right off the bat that you further in the selection process. So, it’s haven’t done your research. This letimportant that you understand the re- Make sure that the CV is letter-per- ter reflects your ability to write and cruitment and selection process and are fect. Errors, typing mistakes, stains, communicate which is still a hugely prepared for each of the steps involved. unexplained abbreviations, technical important skill in many fields. Again, jargon or buzzwords are not acceptFor those just starting off in university, able. Have your final draft critiqued just like with your CV, it is essenmany companies host coffee mornings, or proof-read by someone you trust or tial to customise your cover letter insight days or weeks or dinners to scout someone in a position of responsibility. for each position you’re applying to. for potential future employees. This is a fantastic way to get to know the com- If submitting your CV electroniCareer Set pany inside and out and they will also cally, always send it as a PDF, if a provide you with advice on how to tailor hard copy is required, make sure your CV specifically to them. Insight ex- you use high quality white paper. Once you’ve carefully crafted your CV, you can head on over to UCC periences, specifically, are a great option Career Services’ new CV Review tool for first- or second-year students who are at careerset.io/ucc and log in with Your Cover Letter not yet considering internships or graduate programmes and these can form a A cover letter is a concise single-page your Student IT details to access path into these programmes later on. letter addressed to a potential employer AI-powered feedback on your CV’s impact, style, and brevity. That’s that accompanies your CV and should be right, a robot will read and review part of any job application. The only time your CV! UCC Career Services is curYour CV a cover letter should not be included is rently working on making a similar Your CV should be easy to read; it should when the job ad clearly states so. A cover tool available for reviewing your clearly present the most important facts letter should complement, not duplicate cover letters so watch this space! about you, therefore, the layout of the your CV. A cover letter is a chance for you CV is critical. Try the arm’s length test to express your personality to a potential - hold your CV at arm’s length and see employer and sell yourself as a perfect Having completed your Career Set what kind of an impression it makes. fit for their team. It is often your earli- review feel free to book a consultaResearch tells us that an item of adver- est written contact with the company, so tion with UCC Career Services to tising material has about a second and you need to make the right impression. discuss your feedback at this link: a half in which to attract the reader’s It is crucial that your cover letter is com- https://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ attention. You should place the most rel- pletely clear of grammatical errors and past work experience to illustrate the qualifications, skills and experience required for the role, echoing the language and buzz words used by the company when describing their ideal candidate.
12
Opinion
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
“Field” for Thought Writes Aoife Gleeson & Sadhbh Horan
On a late Winter’s afternoon, a rare spectacle of nature is witnessed. A weary student traipses up the stairs of their student accommodation. Hiking boots (covered in mud), wellies (chilling in a plastic SuperValu bag), coat (dripping wet), trousers (preferably still intact), body (cold), stomach (hungry), socks (wet), morale (strangely high). Sounds like the completion of another successful day out in the field. For those of you that think we are having our first breakdown of Semester 2, I ask you to hold onto your *cough* hiking boots! Field trips are a common quirk of choosing a degree stream which falls under the School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Science (or BEES for short, very appropriate I know). Like many things this year however, our beloved field trips are another casualty of the current global pandemic. Gone are the days of river water toppling enthusiastically over our wellies. Gone are the days of holding our trousers up while tumbling down a hill. Gone are the days of suffering from blisters and bruises in all sorts of places, as well as the inevitable bug bites. You get the point. We miss our days spent out in the field! Our trips this year will just have to take the form of some fond (and not so fond) reminiscences I suppose. That said, sit back, relax, and let Sadhbh and I recreate some of our most memorable moments from the field for you...however traumatic some of those moments may be. Although we have conducted our field work in many different set-
tings over the years, (quarries, water treatment plants, saltmarshes, beaches, woodlands, rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs), one factor which has remained commonplace to all is the presence of the general public. No matter where we go, a big bunch of bewildered students emerging from dense woodland or slipping and sliding along a riverbed will be sure to attract a crowd of curious onlookers. Dog-Walkers are the most common of these, with one man even sharing with us how his dog died after drinking water from the river which our lecturer was now knee-deep in... a captivating story to say the least. Keeping to the dog theme, Sadhbh may also have a tale or two to tell about slipping in and falling onto dog waste (let’s call it) not once, not twice, but three times during fieldwork for her final year project. Recalling my own misadventures, I should definitely mention my week in the Malaysian rainforest while I was on a summer programme in Singapore two years ago. Let’s just say that my Irish ethnicity was completely ill-adapted to the tropical climate and wilderness which I somehow found myself in. I had such an array of intensely itchy and bizarre-looking insect bites, that my travel vaccines and anti-malaria tablets were most definitely put to the test. The unpredictable Irish weather is always a fun factor to throw into the field trip mix. From getting my face and neck sunburned in March (as you’ve probably gathered by now I have a fabulous sickly-pale Irish complexion), to Sadhbh trodding around a quarry in the same month through the cold and mud (no field notes were safe). Not to mention
the rain pounding against her hard hat which dinged around her head like a gigantic bell for the day. When this unpredictableness is combined with the Irish coast, things can get even more wayward, to put it mildly. One particular incident that springs to mind is the unfortunate student that managed to add their wellington boot to the fossil record for all eternity by getting it vacuum-sucked into the mudflats. No amount of frantic digging with shovels could remove it! Prospective students will certainly be dumbfounded if they manage to dig up an unsuspecting wellie sometime in a non-pandemic future. Other coastal adventures (or should I say misadventures) from the last few years include eating dirt under the strict instruction of the Geography Department to distinguish between silt and clay for our field notes (true story), discovering the existence of a sandbar through the eventual realisation that the tide had risen and surrounded us on all sides (I can inform you that we survived), and an unlucky student that went into anaphylactic shock by touching sea anemones on the beach (you have been warned). Slightly alternative places that we have been for our field trips were, most notably, a drinking water treatment plant, (where I had to resist the urge to jump into the crystal-clear pools of water), and a wastewater treatment plant (yes, you did read that correctly). The latter, you could say, was a rather “interesting” experience. Walking around while wearing my friend’s oversized luminous green wellies (as I had aptly forgotten my own), there was the unmistakable aroma of human bio-
solids (ooh, a fancy term) lingering in the air. Needless to say our group had a rather distinguishable aroma emanating from us as we clambered back onto the bus. Some of us even had a chemistry lab later that day and had no time to change clothes. Let’s just say that I felt very sorry for whoever had to use that lab after us! Our amazing lecturers definitely deserve a shout-out for putting up with us over the years. From making us laugh after a hard day’s work with songs about blackbirds (after one too many on residential field trips), to providing us with tea and biscuits (for smoothing over the shock of kite diagrams that was yet to come). From calling out students for wearing “town-shoes” to a rocky shore, to unexpectedly appearing behind us at the riverbank while our friend enthusiastically declared “let’s cross-sect this b*tch” (the b*tch referring to the river, naturally). We have definitely been put through our paces, as well as possibly causing the lecturers to consider their career choice in the meantime. The last four years for Sadhbh and I have certainly been an adventurous one. We have fascinated our housemates over the years with tales from our field trips, while, in equal measure, Sadhbh has appalled them with her blister-prone heels (she is now telling me off for including this fact). Slagging aside (for now), we hope that we have equally fascinated you with our field-trip tales and that it has given you some “field” for thought to sustain you through these strange times (yes, we are geniuses, we know).
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
Opinion
13
Is Self Care The Answer? Writes Rían Browne, Opinions Editor Over the last number of months, the drastic rearranging of how we conduct our lives, and the challenges that arise from it, has also drawn our attention to how we take care of our mental health and wellbeing. The notion of ‘self care’ and what it may mean has come to the forefront of the conversation around mental health and wellbeing in a way that it hasn’t before. When we think of self care we may think of a cosy evening inside, with Netflix, surrounded by our favourite snacks; the traditional ‘duvet’ day or maybe even an indulgent pamper sesh (incense and face mask to boot). These are all great and valid ways to take some ‘you’ time amidst the chaos of life but, for many, taking a ‘day’ isn’t an option. We may not have the luxury of being able to take time off with jobs to go to, caring responsibilities, deadlines to be met that have little compassion for our mental wellbeing, it may not be financially feasible to just ‘treat yourself’ when you fancy it. Our relationship with self care is often tied to our notion of productivity. Do I ‘deserve’ to take time for myself, have I worked hard enough? This is a symptom of living in a society that places the most value upon productivity and the surplus value produced by it. We internalise this pressure to be productive, comparing ourselves to others and their ability to push themselves or out of survival, without which we wouldn’t have a roof over our heads or food on the table. The idea of working yourself to your absolute limit and *then* taking time to recuperate and recharge only to rinse and repeat, is not self care. It does however, warp our perspective toward ourselves as human beings, often tied to feelings of ‘guilt’ or expressions of ‘laziness’. We only deserve to mind ourselves when we’ve worked ourselves to the bone, not a moment sooner. So for many, that idealistic or over romanticized image of self care we see portrayed in the media - relaxing
with a glass of wine, surrounded by incense/candles - is merely that, it’s inaccessible to many of us with lives. Regardless, we do need to take care of ourselves in some capacity as we navigate life. How can we reconcile these two realities? We need to redefine what we mean when we speak about self care. It goes back to the admittedly less romantic notion of working within your circumstances according to your own needs and abilities. That starts with giving ourselves the permission to treat ourselves with the same compassion we would a friend or loved one when we (lovingly) berate them for overdoing it. We recognise the value in those we care about and until we can do the same for ourselves (which is really difficult, don’t get me wrong) we won’t treat our time and needs with the same care and consideration. We do not need to ‘earn’ a break through total exhaustion. Sometimes the noble thing to do, isn’t to work ourselves into the ground in order to prove we’ve earned the privilege of a little self compassion, but to acknowledge we deserve it in the first place. This could mean finding self care through doing mundane tasks like meal planning (so you have food in the fridge and the prospect of a proper meal to greet you at the end of the day), setting boundaries around your work day so you have time to decompress in the evening, taking a few minutes to tidy up your living space so you’ve somewhere comfortable to work or relax. You could even argue that taking steps like this is work within itself. Sometimes ‘doing’ self care can be an effort in itself, but realising the value in doing these mundane things knowing the benefit it’ll bring to you later is in itself self care. In the wider context of life it’s important to acknowledge that although taking personal responsibility for our needs is important, it is only one piece of the puzzle. While for many of us taking steps to mind ourselves can be hugely beneficial, sometimes it is not enough. That isn’t failing, that is being human. There is only so much we can do as individuals in terms of wellbeing and wider mental
health awareness. There is a sad irony in watching TD’s tasked with supporting the wellbeing of society, post videos sharing their exercise routines or favourite recipes, when our current mental health supports are chronically underfunded. Sometimes the ‘little things’ and awareness campaigns are not enough. While there is undoubted value in these messages they are ultimately a band-aid on the wider issue of mental health which has become dependent on charities
and individuals to fill in the ‘gaps’. Self care as we may know it, can be largely inaccessible both in terms of time and money in accessing it; we need to reimagine what it means to care for ourselves in a time where many of our work/home/social lives all play out from the same desk/ kitchen table/sofa the lines between them increasingly begin to blur.
BYLINE Vol. 6 Issue 8
From
Cork to
Palestine
Editorial
16
Idle time, Journalism and roasting Michael O’Leary Writes Fergal Smiddy, Byline Editor Working in a shop every Sunday evening - the quietest and most meandering of all evenings in the retail sector - has given me a fair bit of time to think. You might say, and you’d probably be right, that time, thinking or anything of the like are not exactly diminishing resources in the world as we currently find it. The empty spaces of time once occupied by the passivity of a groggy morning commute, or the mindlessly engrossed study of a fissure seal pamphlet in a dentist’s waiting room, or the trivial wandering up and down of trawler-beanie-infested Topman aisles (RIP), have long been vacated. Gulfs of our lives once cruised through on autopilot have now returned with a vengeance, beating down our doors and demanding at last to be lived through painstakingly. In a way, there’s too much time to think, and if the last year or so has taught me anything, it’s that an excess of time doesn’t necessarily translate to an excess of anything productive, or even anything good. What these Sunday evenings offer to me, then, is a time in which I can think and detach without being bashed on the head with the violent awareness that I am occupying idle time. Being ‘on the clock’ brings a sense of purpose which, however inconsequential, allows time to become that bit more significant, and me more inclined to stop and think. Sunday also means Sunday newspapers, and I do get enjoyment each week from Brendan O’Connor’s short column in the Independent - always critical, but with an unmistakable Corkonian cheek jumping out from between the lines. A recent piece of his, ‘So, whose fault is it this week?’ , serves as a great satirical dig at the sort of Prendeville-esque finger wagging which has gripped the nation since the pandemic’s onset - as if the vestiges of generational trauma hadn’t made Irish people wary enough of each other already. Another Independent piece which kept me ticking over through one sauntering Sunday shift was a blistering derision of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary from the pen of Gene Kerrigan. If the title - ‘Moaning Mick full of dangerous hot air’ - isn’t piquing your interest already, Kerrigan’s brutal economy of words is sure to do so. The result is a sheer dismantling of a toddler/CEO hybrid so out of touch he believes Ryanair’s falling share prices to be the true tragedy of this pandemic. Good journalism, good writing, seems to be one of the few remaining areas left unscathed by our world’s sudden change in course. At its best, it can make us smile, laugh, scoff, sigh, get up in arms, cry, vote, change things. And, even if its effects aren’t so profound, journalism still offers us a national platform through which one can offer up a chef’s-kiss-worthy roasting of Michael O’Leary, and that should be good enough for any of us.
Fergal Smiddy
byline@uccexpress.ie
Gaeilge
Eagarthóir: Édith de Faoite
17
Oileán Iathghlas sa Mhuir Chairib A Scríobhann Édith de Faoite, Eagarthóir Gaeilge Tá oileán ina bhfuil an bandia Ériú agus cláirseach ar an mbratach, stampáiltear íomhá de sheamróg ar phasanna na dturasóirí a thagann ar saoire ann agus bíonn mórshiúlta gach bliain ar an 17ú lá de mhí na Márta. Níl an oileán seo ar mhórroinn na hEorpa, áfach. Tá an oiléan seo lonnaithe sa Mhuir Chairib, beagnach 7000 gciliméadar ó hoileán na hÉireann. Ar oileán Montserrat tá sráidbhailte le hainmneacha cosúil le le Cionn tSáille, Naomh Pádraig agus Cnoc Chorcaí. Tá sé ar cheann de na háiteanna fágtha faoi réim na Breataine agus sin é an fáth go bhfuil caidreamh idir an oileán bolcánach seo agus Éireann. Cuireadh tús leis an nasc stairiúil seo chomh luath le 1632, nuair a choilínigh Éireannaigh ó Shan Críostóir Nimbheas (oileán eile cóngarach do Montserrat) an oileán. Go luath ina dhiaidh sin, thóg na Bríotanaigh Montserrat dóibh féin. Thosaigh na Bríotanaigh ag tógaint daoine ón Afraic fho-Shahárach mar sclábhaí. Bhí roinnt de na hÉireannaigh ann tagtha ó Mheiriceá agus roinnt eile seolta ann mar phriosúnaigh. D’oibrigh na daoine geala bochta seo mar shearbhóntaí do lucht an rachmais ar an oileán. Bhí tromlach na daoine geala ar an oileán de bhunadh na hÉireann agus, mar sin, bhí an Ghaeilge in úsáid ar Montserrat ón am go raibh na chéad Éireannaigh ann. Sa daonáireamh i 1678, dúirt 70% de na daoine ar an oileán go raibh siad tagtha ó hÉireann. Bhí an grúpa seo déanta suas de hÉireannaigh bochta don chuid is mó, a díbríodh óna n-áit dúchais i rith tréimse Chromail. Tá seans go raibh na daoine seo chomh feargach sin faoi an slí ina caitear leo, go raibh siad diongbháilte an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus a chaomhnú. Ní raibh an Ghaeilge in úsáid ag na hÉireannaigh amháin, áfach. Tá sé taifeadta go raibh gach éinne ar an oileán, idir na daoine geala agus na daoine gorma, ag úsáid an Ghaeilge. Tá scéalta éagsúla ag baint leis an gcaidreamh idir an dá ghrúpa. Deirtear go réitigh na sclábhaí agus na
searbhóntaí go maith lena chéile, ach ní hamhlaidh is a raibh sé do lucht an rachmais agus na sclábhaí (na húinéirí talúin agus na huaisle). Chaith na húinéirí sclábhaithe go huafáiseach leis na sclábhaí, ag glacadh páirte sna gníomhartha mídhaonnachtúil chéanna atá ar eolas againn ó háiteanna eile ar fud an domhain. Ach bhí imeascadh idir na daoine san íseal aicme agus thosaigh siad ag pósadh agus ag tógail clainne. Bhí an Ghaeilge in úsáid go rialta sa phobal seo agus lean siad ag caint trí mheán na Gaeilge le fada, le tuairiscí ag lua úsáid na Gaeilge chomh déanach le 1902 nuair a thug Éireannach cuairt ar an oileán agus labhraíodh trí Ghaeilge leis. Tuariscíodh go muintir ísealaicmeach i gcónaí ag labhairt as Gaeilge nó bhí siad ag labhairt as Béarla le blas sainiúil Éireannach.
Bíonn ceiliúradh ollmhór ar oileán Montserrat gach bliain ar an 17ú lá de mhí na Márta. Thosaigh an traidisiún i mbaile darbh ainm ‘Naomh Pádraig’ mar ómas don fear a thug dúinn ainm na háite agus, diadh ar ndiadh, d’éirigh an traidisiún níos láidre le himeacht na bliana. Tugadh stádas oifigiúil do Lá Fhéile Pádraig sa bhliain 1985 agus is lá saoire é ar an oileán anois. Dar ndóigh tugann sé nod don oidhreacht Ghaelach atá ag an-chuid daoine ar an oileán beag, ach freisin comórann sé éirí amach a bhí ag na sclábhaí ar Montserrat i 1768. Sa slí sin is ceiliúradh atá tagtha ó thradisiún na hÉireann, ach tá sé tábhachtach do mhuintir Montserrat do chúiseanna eile. Ar lá na scléipe, bíonn muintir an t-oileán gléasta suas sna héadaí traidisiúnta, éadaí le
glas, oráiste agus bán. Tugann an glas ag tagairt don Afraic agus tá na dathanna le chéile ag tagairt don cultúr Ghaelach faoi leith atá ar an oileán. Cé nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge in úsáid a thuilleadh ar Montserrat, fós tá tuairiscí go bhfuil blas Éireannach ag roinnt de na daoine agus tá righin na Gaelinne fós le cloisteáil sa slí ina labhraíonn na dúchasaigh. Fós tá focail ar iasacht ón nGaeilge in úsáid ann. Tá an cultúr Gaelach fite fuaite le cultúr na háite, tá an cultúr píosa cosúil leis an gcultúr atá againn ach, i ndáiríre, tá sé go hiomlán éagsúil mar bhaineann sé le muintir Montserrat. Is deas an smaoineamh go bhfuil ceangailt chomh doimhin sin againn le hoiléan atá i bhfad uainn.
INTERVIEW
18
From Cork to Palestine: Ainle Ó Cairealláin on Rebel Matters, ACLAÍ and the Importance of Community writes Julie Landers, Staff Writer
Halfway through the first lockdown, I started listening to more podcasts as a way of feeling more connected to a world beyond my parent’s house. Rebel Matters is the one that I have returned to again and again in the last few months. Host Ainle Ó Cairealláin presents a mix of voices coming from all walks of life and creates a sense that it’s less of an interview and more of a chat between friends. Together, he and producer Vicky Langan have created a community around the podcast which has listeners from all over the world, from here in Ireland to places as far flung as Zimbabwe and Costa Rica. Ainle started the podcast in 2017, out of a love for “chatting to people, getting to know them and hearing their stories.”. But it was last year, in the middle of the pandemic, when things really took off. Ainle was in America touring with Kneecap when the world was shut down by Covid-19. He found himself flying back to Ireland and to a house where he spent several months on his own. In those months of isolation, the podcast was a way of staying connected with the outside world, having conversations with guests through the more unfamiliar platform of Zoom. “I was still able
to meet new people and chat to them. I chatted to people during the first lockdown that I would consider myself to be friends with now.”. And the podcast hasn’t only benefited Ainle. Since the first lockdown, “so many people have gotten in contact with us over social media to say that the podcast really helped them to get through that time and that it was kind of like a form of company for them, which is really nice to hear.” Within the next year, Rebel Matters will hit the 100-episode mark. Over the last three years, guests have ranged from musicians like Gemma Dunleavy, TPM, Radie Peat and Stevie G to Virginia O’Gara, Father Des Wilson and Maragretta D’Arcy. Each guest brings a fascinating narrative with them, a narrative that may not have previously received a platform like the podcast. What seems to link all of the guests on the podcast is their own passion and desire to make a difference in whatever they are doing, be that music or sport or activism or community development (or even all of them at once). “It’s gotten to the stage now where we’re talking to people that we feel are doing something really worthwhile that we would
like other people to hear about as well.” “When you speak to somebody in person, it blows away whatever propaganda or false information that existed because now you’re hearing it directly from people who were involved at the time. That’s been another consistent thing about the podcast, just telling those stories. It’s not academic, it’s personal stories. You can choose to believe it or choose not to believe it but at a minimum it gets people curious to find out more and that’s quite valuable.” Indeed, when it comes to hosting the podcast, rather than try and gauge what anyone else wants to hear it’s “more about giving the guest the opportunity to spread their wings and tell their story. My approach is to help facilitate that in as best a way as possible. It’s not necessarily about what I want to hear or about what other people want to hear. It’s more about giving that other person the opportunity to share their story with people.”. According to Ainle, the desire to create a platform for those stories stems from growing up in West Belfast, “in this really resilient
community that was not being heard and that was very much villainized by the authorities and discriminated against by the government of the time.”. “The generations ahead of mine did so many things independently and did them because they believed in them and they knew they weren’t going to get the help from outside, from the government, so they had to do it themselves. That got passed along to my generation and even the people who are younger than me now.” Another step in building up the podcast came about in the last year, after arriving at “a junction with the podcast where it was starting to build momentum and was taking more time. I love doing the podcast but then I also have other projects on the go taking up time, so I started the Patreon because I really wanted to keep the podcast going but it got to the stage where we needed to get a producer on board, so now Vicky (Langan) is there.”. The Patreon is organised into a tiered system of donations, with each tier bringing additional perks and supporters can choose how
19 much to donate to the podcast. “We’ve got a bit of momentum behind our Patreon following at the minute and that has allowed us to have more software subscriptions and get a producer. We’re using the Patreon to expand on the things that we’re doing. I think that’s why people have backed us, they’re kinda rooting for us in a way. They want us to keep pushing further and see what we can do. It’s a really nice endorsement.”. The belief in our interconnectedness doesn’t begin and end with the podcast, but is part of the foundations of many of the projects Ainle has been involved in. In 2013, he founded ACLAÍ, a personal training facility here in Cork, with the intention of creating a space built on community. “The coaches work really hard at developing their craft and we work really hard to make the experience of coming to ACLAÍ a positive one, from the moment you walk in the door and the imagery that’s on the walls and the music and the layout of the gym. I just believe so much in peoples’ connection to each other and peoples’ connection to themselves and how that relates to our health.”. In February 2020, Ainle and a group of volunteers including Vicky went to the Aida refugee camp in Palestine to help set up ACLAÍ Palestine, but the seeds of the project had been sowed long before. For Ainle, his own interest in Palestine “stems from the fact that we have a lot of similarities in terms of our colonial past in Ireland with what’s happening in Palestine at the minute”. While visiting the Aida camp in March 2018, Ainle went to the Lajee Center, a center that works with young people at the camp. “I could
sense that a lot of the energy that was being used to help nurture the kids and grow this love of culture, that’s a lot of the same energy and type of work that we benefited from when we were kids, from the older generation. So, I just had this really strong connection from the very beginning.” Returning to the center in August of that year, and after speaking with the director of the center, Salah Ajarma, about the problems of hypertension and diabetes in the camp, Ainle drew out a rough plan for a gym and a rough cost. “The next day I was like ‘What do you think of this?’ and that was the start of it.” Back in Ireland, fundraising began to build ACLAÍ Palestine. One event in particular, a Gym Jam that was organised by Ainle and Alex Sampson, was a gig that highlighted the strength that lies in people coming together. “We never had to ask anybody for anything twice. About three or four hundred people came to the Gym Jam. Places were giving us drink to sell and equipment. Artists played for free. Some of the best young performers in the country came down, like Moxie, Clare Sands, Elaine Malone, Kneecap!”. Hearing about an event that brought so many people together evokes a level of nostalgia, whilst also igniting a spark of hope that it can be done again. Coming away from the interview, it feels nice having spent so much time talking about the importance of community and learning from each other. A few days afterwards, I was speaking with a friend who insisted on the necessity of optimism in the conception of and belief in a radical future, a better one. This
notion of being radically optimistic and to use that to conceive of a future and alternatives that we have not seen before is something that is intensely powerful, and it brought my mind back to Ainle and Vicky. I thought about Rebel Matters, ACLAÍ Palestine and all of the amazing things that have blossomed from a group of people simply wanting
to give something back and to create something that would benefit others. It might be overused, but it is in its simpleness and its truth that such a phrase has survived, and I think it perfectly encapsulates the sense of interconnectedness at the heart of all of these projects: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.
Food and Health
20
An A-Z of Dietary Supplements writes Maeve O’Keefe, Food & Health Editor A routine scroll through your social media feed can often feel like a bombardment of messaging about health and wellbeing. Every day, there appears to be a new Instagram influencer hailing an obscure detox tea for a perfectly hourglass figure, gummies for miraculously long shiny hair, and protein powders for a toned physique. As we are all aware of the pressures that social media can impose upon us, these new wellness trends can be intriguing. Is there some truth in the claims of astonishing effects from a few dietary supplements, or is this simply another means of exploiting an increasingly health conscious and image aware demographic? Aside from the murky and vague benefits proclaimed by the modern-day prophecies of Instagram, one might be motivated to take other kinds of dietary supplements for vitamins and minerals that they may feel their diet lacks, or to reap the benefits of improved energy and immunity. Given the current situation with Covid-19, it is not surprising to learn that the sales of certain vitamins have skyrocketed in recent months, but to what extent are we really protecting ourselves? With such an influx of conflicting information and unreliable online advice, one can be left wondering if they are doing enough to stay safe and healthy. Before beginning, I must remind you that I am in no position to dispense concrete dietary advice. If you are concerned or even curious about any inadequacies in your diet, I can only recommend consulting your doctor before barging into your local health food shop to stock up on barrels of vitamin tablets. A balanced diet is the obvious choice in maintaining a nutritional equilibrium, and consuming an excess of certain vitamins and minerals can cause more harm than good if unnecessary and unregulated. Supplements, as the name suggests, should be employed only to fill in the gaps left by nutrients missing in an individual’s diet, not as a substitution for proper meals and nourishment. However, some people may have diets that restrict the intake of certain nutrients by nature, for instance – vegans, vegetarians, individuals with food allergies, or pregnant women. Individuals with special diets may rely on dietary supplements
to support healthy functioning, but should seek professional advice on what nutrients they may need to outsource in the form of supplements. However, if you are unaware of what the potential benefits of the incorporation of some vitamin and mineral supplements are in the diet, look no further for your simple A to Z of some of the most common dietary supplements. Vitamin A: Vitamin A is not as commonplace in supplement form as other nutrients, because it’s not something that needs to be supplemented in most people’s diets. That is not to dispute the value of Vitamin A in the diet; its vital role in preserving a healthy immune system and vision has led to many weary parents telling reluctant children that eating all of their carrots will make them see in the dark. As a fat-soluble vitamin though (meaning it does not need to be taken every day) it is not advised that one exceeds their daily recommended allowance of Vitamin A. A balanced diet should
provide enough of the nutrient without having to take Vitamin A supplements, unless recommended by a doctor. Vitamin B: The B group vitamins work towards a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, as well as supporting a healthy metabolism. Again, we normally get enough Vitamin B from the food we eat, without having to outsource it in supplement form. However, those on vegetarian or vegan diets may need to take a B12 supplement, as it is a nutrient largely supplied by animal produce. Vitamin C: The term scurvy may be evocative of pirates of a by-gone era, but in reality, many college students are at risk of developing scurvy due to a Vitamin C deficiency. Insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables can lead to the onset of scurvy, and so Vitamin C supplements are among the most commonly consumed dietary supplements. You can benefit
from enhanced immunity, as well as antioxidant properties and improved iron absorption by incorporating a daily 500mg supplement of Vitamin C into your routine, while continuing to aim for your 5 a day of fruit and vegetables. Calcium: ‘Dem bones dem bones need calcium…’ Do you remember those lines from the advertisement on television years ago? Well, calcium is still an important mineral for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, and can be obtained in the diet through the consumption of dairy products, tinned fish, and dark green leafy vegetables. There is mixed evidence surrounding the risks of taking a calcium supplement, and it is generally only recommended for those following vegan or lactose free diets, as these people are less likely to have sufficient calcium in their diets. Vitamin D: Vitamin D has been christened the ‘sun-
Editor: Maeve O’Keeffe shine vitamin’ as exposure to the sun can help us obtain the vitamin so vital for the absorption of calcium as well as benefiting immunity. Here in Ireland, it is unlikely that we consume enough Vitamin D through diet and time spent in the sun, so many people opt for a Vitamin D supplement through the winter months. However, in recent weeks there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of Vitamin D supplements as potentially having a role to play in fighting Covid-19. The research in this area is only budding, and taking a daily supplement of Vitamin D is certainly not a free pass to be reckless towards restrictions, but evidence to support the efficacy of Vitamin D against Covid-19 is accumulating, and cannot be ignored. Including a Vitamin D supplement in the diet is already recommended here, and with an emerging association between Vitamin D deficiency and Covid-19 infectiousness, morbidity, and mortality, it is a worthwhile addition to your daily routine. Fish oils: A spoonful of cod-liver oil or a capsule of omega-3 from fish oils are popular dietary supplements, and for good reason, with an abundance of support for enhanced mental function and coronary benefits. Although I can’t promise that this supplement will insure you pass all of your exams with flying colours, a daily supplement won’t do the brain any harm, particularly if you aren’t consuming the recommended 1-2 portions of fish per week.
ment may prove more effective than a few jellies masquerading as scientifically proven hair growth enhancers. Iron: Iron is an important mineral for haemoglobin in the blood, and an iron deficiency can result in anaemia, which is characterised by feeling faint, dizzy and weak. Doctors generally only advise the inclusion of iron supplements in instances of anaemia, when the individual is unlikely to meet recommended iron intake through the consumption of red meat, offal, and dark green vegetables alone. As with all dietary supplements, one should not take iron supplements unless told to by their doctor, as too much iron can be toxic. Protein Powder: The increased prominence of exercise and sport performance in recent years has seen a new trend develop in the consumption of protein powders. These powders, typically made of whey or soy, can be an easy and convenient source of protein, and are particularly popular amongst athletic types hoping to improve their muscle mass. That said, most people (even elite athletes) can probably get enough protein through their diet alone, without needing to supplement with protein powders which are often loaded with sodium and sugar. Those who may actually be in need of heightened protein intake include vegans, people recovering from injury, and people starting a new or more intense exercise program.
Hair-growth supplements: Whether you’re concerned about a receding hairline or are in envy of the glossy manes on display in Instagram posts, it can be tempting to succumb to the trend of hair growth gummies and supplements. In terms of concrete evidence to support the efficacy of these hair growth supplements, a healthy dose of scepticism is to be advised. The majority of studies to support claims of improved shine, thickness and growth from these supplements are funded by the companies that manufacture them, so there is a clear conflict of interest to be critical of. As well as that, there is a great disparity in the contents of different brands of hair growth supplements, and so one cannot generalise that all hair growth supplements are useful or not. Some more targeted options like a Biotin supple-
Zinc: Zinc is another important mineral readily available in supplement form. Taking a 15- 30mg daily supplement of zinc may benefit immunity as well as skin health. Just as with all other supplements mentioned, exceeding the recommended daily dosage is not advised, but overall, zinc can be a valuable addition to your daily routine. At the end of the day, when it comes to dietary supplements, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Taking a daily supplement in the right dosage may improve your wellbeing, but it is unlikely to prompt drastic transformation, so beware of click-bait and hollow promises from airbrushed influencers.
21
Film & T.V.
22
The GameStop Fiasco: Hollywood’s Latest Attempt to Capitalise on a Global Phenomenon Writes Kyran Leahy, Film & TV Editor Without any sugar-coating, it is fair to say that January 2021 was a month of complete chaos. We tried to leave the sour taste of 2020 behind us, but it only seemed to have accelerated. While we have been stuck at home because of Lockdown 3.0, which has been The Godfather III of lockdowns, a lot happened this month both in Ireland and abroad. In thirty-one days, we witnessed the storming of the Capitol, the second impeachment of Donald Trump, the inauguration of Joe Biden, Elon Musk becoming the richest man in the world, the breakdown of Kim and Kanye’s marriage, and Stephen Donnelly uniting the nation on Twitter with a thumbs up emoji. Despite all the mayhem, there was one specific incident that you could not get away from, and that was the “GameStop Hedge Fund Massacre of 2021”, courtesy of a bunch of average joes on Reddit working together to play Wall Street at its own game. Now, I am still not fully sure how it happened or how Wall Street operates. I have watched movies like The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street many times while trying desperately to understand many explanations, but the only stock market I am knowledgeable of is the one with turnips on Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This story, however, has sparked the interest of many people. In every form of social media that you logged in to, you were bound to witness a conversation over what was happening. It was on every news channel, it sparked hundreds of memes, it was inescapable. Unfortunately, one thing that always comes with a global phenomenon is someone in Hollywood trying desperately to capitalise on it, and that is what is happening right now. Rather spontaneously, two movies based on the Wall Street pandemonium have already been greenlit by both Netflix and MGM. Netflix’s movie will be written by The Hurt Locker’s screenwriter, Mark Boal, while MGM’s will be adapted from a book that has not even been written yet. The writer of the book that inspired The Social Network, Ben Mezrich, has already
begun putting pen to paper for a book based on the GameStop stock fiasco, but that has not even reached its conclusion yet. No one knows the ending of this story yet, no one knows the full backstory of any of the people involved, and no one knows how far this will even go. Noah Centineo, known for his role in the To All the Boys trilogy, was cast in the main role of the Netflix movie, but who exactly is the main character in this Wall Street fiasco? While the movie productions are still in early days, the idea that inspired the movies is as well. By the time the movies can finally complete production and get a release date, the GameStop hedge fund drama will be old news. This is not the first time that Hollywood has rushed quickly to capitalise on global topics, and it will not be the last. Just last year, the king of chaos himself, Michael
Bay, decided it would be a good idea to produce a movie based on the Covid-19 pandemic, while still in the Covid-19 pandemic. There was absolutely no need for Songbird to be written and released a mere few months after the world was turned upside down, but when Michael Bay is involved — anything can happen. The aforementioned The Social Network was released only a year after the book The Accidental Billionaires was published, with production beginning three months after its release. It almost seems like every single global sensation will have a Hollywood script written, with only a handful of them seeing the light of the day. Usually, an event or person who is shot into the spotlight gets courted for a major picture. There were sudden talks of a Jamie Vardy movie being released shortly after he broke a Premier League goalscoring record, but five years on there is still no sign.
With thousands of movies released worldwide each year, there are bound to be less and less ideas available the more movies are being produced. That is why remakes have become such a strong staple in the movie industry – they do not need any new ideas, just modernisation. Some screenwriters and companies rely on a big fad to sweep the world in order to create new ideas for a movie. The only problem with that, however, is once the movie is released, most of the craze is already gone. You can find box office and critical success in timeless trends such as The Social Network and The Angry Birds Movie, or you can end up with an outdated stinker like Slender Man or any movie inspired by a viral YouTube star (remember Fred: The Movie?). No one knows what is in store for this kneejerk reaction Wall Street movie, or if it will even get released. What is certain is that trends come and go, and companies will always try to capitalise on them.
Editor: Kyran leahy
23
Netflix’s Exciting Range of Movie Releases for 2021 Writes Mia Tobin Power
2021 should be a great year for films, what with the backlog from 2020, as well as a slate of new films, made both during the pandemic and before it. There are quite a few major films to look forward to – such as the James Bond film No Time to Die and Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch – but with major studios and directors still intent on releasing these films in cinemas, it’s difficult to imagine we’ll get to see them anytime soon. However, as we wait, Netflix is offering something of a solution to this problem: they’ll be releasing a new original film every week. With 70 new films announced so far, there’s sure to be something for everyone. So, what are some films we can look forward to over the next 12 months? Netflix’s movie marathon had its first major release on February 5th, when we were able to watch Malcolm & Marie, the new drama from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, featuring solely Zendaya and John David Washington. This film was written and filmed during the pandemic, and while it’s not the first pandemic film to be released, it is the first of them to contend for Oscars. And, since it is in black and white, features two rising stars, and com-
ments on the modern film industry, its chances of success are looking good. Later in the year, we have Adam McKay’s new comedy Don’t Look Up to look forward to. There’s not much information about it available yet, but we do know that it’s about two astronomers who try to convince the world that a comet will soon destroy Earth – and that it has an extremely star-studded cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Evans, Timothée Chalamet, and even Ariana Grande. And speaking of star-studded casts, Netflix will also be releasing The Harder They Fall, a Western starring Regina King, Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield, and Jonathan Majors, among others. And if that line-up of actors wasn’t enough to pique your interest, it’s produced by Jay-Z. In what is likely to be a much-needed break from the outside world, the last films in both the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth series will be making their way to Netflix this year. Also, Hamilton fans are sure to be interested in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut Tick,Tick...Boom! – an adaptation of the Broadway musical, with
Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens. If you are looking for a thriller/horror, O2 sounds like it might be a popular one among Netflix subscribers – its premise is that a woman wakes up in a cryogenic chamber, with no memory of who she is or how she got there, and realises she must escape before she runs out of oxygen. Even though I’m sure we’d prefer to see them in the cinema, we can still watch big budget action films from our homes, and Red Notice looks like it’s going to be a hit. It stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson plays an Interpol agent who must hunt down Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, who play a high-profile art thief and conman respectively (no wonder Netflix was eager to acquire the distribution rights to this one!). Since the future of the MCU is intertwined with whether cinemas can safely reopen, we might be left wanting for superhero films this year too. Enter Thunder Force, a comedy about two childhood friends with superpowers who try to stop super-villains from taking over Chicago. It stars Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer, and is written and directed by McCarthy’s husband
Ben Falcone. It sounds fun, at least. Finally, Netflix will be continuing its attempts to win an Oscar with the drama/spy thriller Munich. It joins the broad category of “films about World War II”, but with more of a focus on politics and intrigue – against the backdrop of the 1938 Munich Conference – than your usual war film. It sounds like Jeremy Irons will be a major Best Actor contender for the 2022 Oscars (just in case you wanted to get ready for it in advance) for his performance as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. George MacKay also stars, after rising to fame in 2019 as the lead in 1917, yet another critically acclaimed war drama. This one only started filming in November 2020, so we may be waiting until the end of the year to see it. Most of these films don’t have release dates yet, so there’s still uncertainty about when exactly they’ll be available for us to watch. But the fact that they all have a home on Netflix suggests that there won’t be as much confusion around whether or not they’ll actually be released this year – so now we just have to wait and see.
Music
24
RTÉ’s Choice Prize returns for 2021 WRITES Cathal Donovan O’Neill, Music Editor
This year’s RTÉ Choice Prize is coming up soon, with both the album and single shortlists having recently been released. Here’s the lowdown on who’s up for the prize, what they can win, and how you can help your favourite. The RTÉ Choice Prize has been going since the mid-Noughties, and is a valiant attempt to get the best Irish music attention and airplay. All shortlisted acts get an award from RTÉ, with the winner receiving €10,000, national media coverage and some good airplay. The album award is judged by a panel of music journalists and broadcasters ranging from national newspaper critics to journalists at music websites. Their selections are fairly spot on - past victors include O Emperor’s swan song Jason and Rusangano Family’s instant-classic Let The Dead Bury The Dead. The list of shortlisted albums for the 2020 prize is as follows: • Staring at Clocks, Bitch Falcon (Reckless Records, rock) • Go Bravely, Denise Chaila (NaroLane Records, rap)
• A Hero’s Death, Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records/Universal, rock) • 2020 DIvision, JyellowL Records, rap)
(JyellowL
• All The Leaves Are Falling, Nealo (Diffusion Lab Records, rap) • In Waiting, Pillow Queens (Pillow Queens Records, rock) • Personal History, Ailbhe Reddy (Friends of the Family, folk/rock) • Hemet, Niamh Regan (The Black Gate Label, folk)
for Irish hip-hop breaking the mainstream, and we’d be delighted to see it get bigger and bigger in the future. The list of individual songs, meanwhile, is awarded by public vote on RTÉ Choice Prize’s website. It’s well worth checking out some of the songs you mightn’t have heard before; there’s some real gems there, like Gemma Dunleavy’s ‘Up De Flats’ and Denise Chaila’s breakout hit ‘Chaila’’. • ‘Chaila’, Denise Chaila (NaroLane, rap) • ‘Up De Flats’, Gemma Dunleavy (independent, rap)
• Fad, Silverbacks (Central Tones, rock)
• ‘Televised Mind’, Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records, rock)
• Roisín Machine, Roisín (Skint/BMG, disco)
• ‘No Judgement’, Niall Horan (Capitol Records/Universal Music Group, pop)
While the selection’s a bit Dublin-focused, it’s great to see recognition for Ireland’s independent and local-label artists. Many of our country’s best musicians are unsigned by big labels; it’s good to see them get their flowers. More Irish hip-hop is nice to see, also, with Denise Chaila, Nealo and JYellowL getting deserved nominations - the last couple years have been a flashpoint
•‘Haunted’, Jafaris (Diffusion Lab Records, rap) • ‘Boxes’, Gavin James (Sony Music, pop) • ‘Giants’, Dermot Kennedy (Interscope Records/Universal Music Group, pop) • ‘Winona Ryder’, Picture This (Republic
Records/Universal Music Group, pop) • ‘Holy Show’, Pillow Queens (Pillow Queens Records, rock) • ‘Survive’, True Tides (Temple Records, pop) The singles list is more pop-focused, with talented independents like Dunleavy going up against the pop behemoths of Niall Horan, Picture This and Dermot Kennedy. We’re hoping that the public competition doesn’t end up getting brigaded by Niall Horan stans. The megafans showed up en masse earlier in the pandemic to curse Dustin The Turkey, after the puppet cut short an RTÉ appearance of Horan whilst yelling ‘We wanted Harry Styles, you only get a minute and a half.’ It was a whole thing on Twitter for a couple of days and, as with most things on Twitter which become whole, it was embarrassing. The winners of both awards will be announced over RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford show and the RTÉ Player on March 4, with highlights next week on TV’s RTÉ 2.
Editor: CATHAL DONOVAN O’NEILL
25
The Kino: 1996 – 2021 writes Elle Kelleher The new year, meant to be full of hope and promise, has instead brought with it yet another blow to Cork’s creative and cultural scene: the closure of legendary arts and music hub, The Kino. As the city fought to maintain a soul amongst a slew of hotels and glass office eyesores, The Kino, from its days as The Frank & Walters Girl mural-clad indie cinema, to the incredible live music venue curated by The Good Room, stood as a marker of Cork’s individuality. A last true icon of defiance in a rebel county that was slowly melting into a poor man’s AnyOtherEuropeanCity. Here is a collection of recollections on The Kino, from those who knew it best and loved it most. “It’s devastating to be leaving so much sooner than we had hoped but unfortunately the timing never worked for us in The Kino. We were only six months into what was a five year plan when Covid came along and we were forced to close last March. We’re extremely proud of all the great gigs and events we put on during our tenure. So many brilliant acts, both Irish and international performed there in the eight months we were actually open. There was real heart and genuine effort from our staff, crew and all the artists, we want to thank all of them for that. It made the venue the special space that it was. Everyone was sound and great at their job!” – Joe Kelly, The Good Room “In truth we had just found our groove and the venue was getting a great name nationally. We never got a chance to fully realise our vision for The Kino. Had Covid not come along we would be in a completely different situation.” – Ed O’Leary, The Good Room “The Kino is another big loss to Cork City, as a great place where musicians, artists, DJs etc. could express themselves. I’ve worked with the promoters, The Good Room, in everywhere from The Pav and The Savoy to The Kino and more, and it’s a shame all those venues are effectively gone. The powers that be need to value music, arts and culture for more than just clout and soundbites. We need more government support, and more purpose-built venues that are not treated like pubs but instead as important cultural con-
tributors to our society, our city and our economy” – Stevie G, RedFM “I actually worked in The Kino as a bartender from November 2019 until the closure. The Kino was my favourite arts space in Cork and the sense of community there both as a part of the work team and from the gigs we played there was immense. The Good Room are incredible promoters and lovely people and I know and hope that they’ll come back bigger and better as soon as they can.” – Cian Mullane, God Alone “The feelings of loss people are expressing on and off social media speaks to the accomplishment of The Good Room in less than a year. Under their management, The Kino quickly became an integral part of Cork’s arts scene, and the nightlife is less for its loss. All of us at University Express wish Joe,
Ed and all the staff at The Kino the very best.” – Cathal Donovan O’Neil, Music Editor, University Express “The Kino was by far our favourite venue. It was so atmospheric and welcoming. The staff were so friendly and helpful to us. We have such fond memories of The Kino. Its closure has left a hole in the hearts of so many Cork artists” – Fyunkyay “I will remember shimmering velvet and the taste of my first Cosmopolitan. I will remember the music and the films and the friends who I have seen bloom on its stage.” – Julie Landers, Patty & Selma “The Kino was a venue that housed such a diverse range of bands. The Good
Room always made a conscious effort to book bands from around the country that were more alternative, and based on the size of the audience, you can see how important that was for the gig-goers in Cork. The Kino both created the environment for bands to perform unreservedly and captured the sound explicitly. It’s definitely a venue that helped us and so many others. It will be sorely missed.” – Pretty Happy Cork has always been the proud home of some of Ireland’s greatest music venues. Hearts broke at the closures of Sir Henry’s, The Arc, The Savoy, and now The Kino. Here’s the thing, though: Cork’s artists and art-lovers are nothing if not resilient. We’re the hermit crabs of the country, and this time next year, we’ll be breaking in whatever shell The Good Room have settled into, hotels and ripoff student accommodation be damned.
26
Photos
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
Fota Island, County Cork by Caoimhe Leahy University Express Photgrapher
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
Photos
27
SEXPRESS
28
“A calm, fun space to talk about sex” – An Interview with Dr. Caroline West of the Glow West Podcast writes Jack Wrixon, Sexpress Editor Since we’re all sitting at home doing nothing (or should be anyway), many people have found themselves listening to more and more podcasts, and there are a lot of great options for listening out there. There are also unfortunately a lot of bad ones, but we won’t mention them today. Anyway, no matter what the topic is, so many people have found solace in listening to people chat away for an hour or so. One of the standouts is the Glow West podcast, and it covers many important and informative topics with a focus on sexual wellness and body health. And the best part, it’s run by a wonderful Irish professor named Dr. Caroline West who is truly an expert on all things body and sex. Co-opting the name from the infamous Pet Shop Boys song Go West, each episode features a relevant and well-informed guest to speak on a topic. Alongside are special “Tortoise Shack Sunday” episodes that cover many important social and cultural events that happened in the previous week, so this podcast has something for every listener out there. I was thankful for the opportunity to interview Dr West and I’m so excited to share our conversation about both the podcast and Caroline’s other ventures in this article.
So, where did the idea for the GLOW West podcast initially come from? “I had wanted to do a podcast for a while but I was finishing my PhD in Sexuality Studies, so I didn’t have the time. I did do a lot of public talks during the PhD and every time people would wait afterwards to ask me questions in private. The desire for a calm, fun space to talk about sex was something I saw and recognised. I’m not a fan of gatekeeping knowledge behind paywalls or solely in academic language, so a podcast is a great way to communicate with more people in an accessible way. There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to sex in Ireland, and we need to be accessible to people so we can all learn together.”
I know you also run a “Sustainable Sex’ workshop alongside the
podcast. For those who don’t know, what is this workshop about? “I do also run occasional workshops for the general public, in addition to my sex education workshops for students. This workshop looks at how we can make our sex lives more eco-friendly – did you know you can now get biodegradable vibrators? I also talk people through how to choose body-safe sex toys and lube, as many lubes have ingredients that can cause thrush. Sex doesn’t have to cost the earth – literally!” Your episodes cover a range of dif-
ferent topics, going from more fun ones to very serious and relevant social issues. Where do you find your inspiration for these episodes? “Some of the inspiration comes from the questions that people have asked me after public talks over the years, or feedback from listeners. It’s also a form of the kind of sex education that you wished you had earlier in life, so you don’t have to dive into relationships without proper preparation. I spent a lot of my life in toxic relationships and I wish I had known what I know now, so I hope the podcast helps others in similar situations.”
What is your process in deciding what topics you want to cover on your podcast episodes? And how do you find such a wide range of guests to speak to about the topics? “Some episodes are timed to coincide with book releases or events, such as an episode with trans people for trans awareness day, or an episode with an asexual activist for asexuality awareness day. I try to ensure a mix between the technical side of sex, and the activist or social side of sex and sexuality. Throughout the course of my PhD I went to lots of interest-
Editor: Jack WRIXON ing conferences and met a lot of people researching sex, so I’ve been lucky enough to interview some of them. I also find a lot of professionals on social media who are always happy to chat away on the podcast with me.” Now, you also run a sex column with Evoke, Ireland’s premier womens’ magazine. Do you find there is a lot of crossover between the podcast and column in terms of topics? “There can be sometimes [when] readers write in with their queries. I get a lot of questions from readers asking me if they are ‘normal’. I feel strongly that the more sex is spoken about openly, the less stress people will have about their sex lives.” Ireland may be moving forward in terms of sex and sexual education but there is still a long way to go. Have you received any backlash from speaking about so many “taboo” topics so openly on the podcast? “No, thankfully. I did receive backlash from the far-right in Ireland before for calling for people to contribute
to the review of sex education in Ireland. I argued that people deserve objective, inclusive sex education as in countries where people have this, there is lower rates of STI transmission, unwanted pregnancy, and the age of first sexual intercourse is higher. For this, I was called a pedophile and subjected to abuse for months. Thankfully, the Gardaí were very supportive.”
On that note, do you think Irelands attitudes towards sex and sexuality are changing fast enough? “I think it’s moving along, but we also need to address the traumas of the past, as seen with the recent events regarding Laundries, Mother and Baby homes, and lack of access to abortion. The people who have unfortunately been traumatised by these issues are still with us, and trauma can be and very often is passed on through generations. Shame and stigma have long been associated with sex in Ireland, and it’s about time that sexual wellness was viewed the same as physical and mental wellness – a normal, healthy part of the human experience.”
And finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to do research in this area but feels afraid of what others might think? “Life is too short to limit your dreams because of what others think. If you feel passionate about researching a particular area, go for it and you might end up helping a lot of other people who might otherwise be suffering in silence.” And there you have it. The Glow West Podcast is available to listen on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You should also follow the main Twitter account – @glowwestpodcast – for updates and more information on the episodes, as well as links to Caroline’s other ventures. With Ireland’s sexual climate slowly but surely changing from what it once was, keeping up to date and staying informed is key and thankfully, we have resources like the Glow West podcast to do so. We, as citizens of a country that fails so many people, have a responsibility to become educated and to educate others on matters that impact us all. Ireland’s history (and our present circumstances, given the recent cervical
29
check scandal) unfortunately boasts so much neglect and repression, and it is pioneers like Dr West that bring us into the modern world with simple things such as a weekly podcast episode. Podcasts like this are important because they start so many relevant and necessary conversations around sex and sexuality, very often covering material that, for most of us anyway, wasn’t even touched on during our schooling years.
Dr West herself can be found at @CarolineWest_IE and her profile boasts all the fantastic work that she does. You should 100% check the podcast out as every week covers a different topic in a new way, and with such relevant and informative information, you could and you definitely will learn something new.
If you want to get involved with me and with the Sexpress column, I can be reached at sexpress@uccexpress.ie and I’m always happy to chat about what’s going on, and accept submissions for the column or put you in contact with other editors. Stay safe and stay sexy everyone!
Gaming
30
A Brief History of Super Smash Bros. Melee WRITES Hugo Blair, Gaming Editor
Super Smash Bros. Melee and its competitive scene has always intrigued me. The game is quite unlike others in the fighting game genre, and its players are often considered the black sheep of the wider community. In Smash, the objective is not to reduce the opponent’s hit points to 0, but rather to knock them off the stage. Additionally, unlike most fighting games, whereby characters have vast movesets built directly into the game, with each move activated via a specific series of button inputs, Smash takes a more creative approach. Each character has a smaller moveset, with comparably few attacks each activated by single button inputs, and it is up to the player to string attacks together dynamically to create a combo. Smash at its core is a sandbox, and allows for a greater degree of player expression through the medium of a competitive game than I ever seen elsewhere. The title was developed by HAL Laboratory under the leadership of Masahiro Sakurai and in conjunction with Nintendo, was the successor to the widely popular N64 title Super Smash Bros. The 2001 title improved upon the N64 predecessor via the addition of new modes, new stages, and impor-
tantly, via the introduction of fourteen new characters, bringing the total roster size to twenty-six. Many of these new characters, such as Marth, Sheik, Peach, Ice Climbers and Falco would become integral to the competitive scene in the years following release. However, a competitive scene was not something on the developers’ minds during creation; the game as envisioned by Sakurai was designed to be played as a casual party game. They would later discover how wrong they were. You would be forgiven, given the wealth of content added, for believing that Melee had a long development cycle, in truth it was the opposite. The game was completed in just thirteen months, during which staff worked long hours and took few breaks, as they wished to capitalise off of the success of Smash 64. Though Sakurai himself described the development period as “destructive”, what was birthed from this endeavour would ultimately be worth it. The team produced a game that was superior in almost every way to its predecessor, one that was critically acclaimed at launch and would go on to sell in excess of seven million units.
Melee is sharper than the N64 title, with tight controls and lightning-fast gameplay. Characters can move around the stages in the blink of an eye, stringing attacks together into a combo almost faster than you can think, and the primary limiting factor of high-level play is the speed at which you can move your hands. While this certainly was a point of criticism at launch for some, it has now become the defining feature of the game and leads many to consider Melee as the most competitive Smash Bros. game. Additionally, the rapid development period led to certain quirks of the engine slipping into the final product, which only resulted in raising the skill ceiling higher. In the months and years after launch, dedicated users discovered advanced techniques such as wavedashing, ledge-dashing, DI, SDI, “teching”, and waveshining, just to name a few. Many of these techniques allow for unintended movement that further increases the game’s speed. The competitive scene for the game began to appear just months after launch, with small local tournaments being organised by the game’s most avid players. Most of the game’s early competitive history is US-centric,
dominated by fierce rivalries that developed between players on the East and West coasts. However, above the mass of competitors, some would rise to the top. Players like Ken, Azen, Isai and Recipherus dominated the early tournaments and were considered the best in the country. Meanwhile, other players like Chudat, Chillindude, Wife, Wes, and more were instrumental in growing the community further. Throughout the early few years, even the largest of tournaments such as the Tournament Go series were grassroots and unsupported by Nintendo. The underground scene was kept afloat by the passion of the players, and by tournament organisers such as MattDeezie who founded the aforementioned TG series. Things changed in 2004, when Major League Gaming added Melee to their Pro Circuit esports league. As a result, competitive Melee would garner more public attention and see a massive increase in popularity. Over time and with this increase in publicity, newer stars would emerge, such as PC Chris, KoreanDJ and Mew2King, who fought to dethrone the old guard. Ultimately, Ken would rise above even these select few players, and be crowned the early King of Smash.
Editor: HUGO BLAIR He was notable for popularising dash dancing, a technique of rapidly dashing backwards and forwards in place without turning lag which allowed for better spacing and unpredictability, and for the Ken Combo, a simple 3-hit Marth combo that was a very effective finisher. From the period of 2004-2008, the competitive Melee scene saw continuous growth in popularity. MLG’s large tournaments with sizable prize pools kept the game alive and allowed some smashers to sustainably play the game competitively for a living. In 2007, Melee was dropped from the Pro Circuit, however the community continued to grow. This was in no small part due to Melee’s inclusion at Evo, the largest tournament series in the world for fighting games, that same year. Being showcased in this way improved the standing of Melee within the fighting game community, as even still, the game was often ostracised due to its unorthodox gameplay. This period would later become known as the “Golden Age” of Melee as the scene was still fresh, exciting, and relatively unexplored. Ken’s retirement from the competitive Melee scene in 2007 marked the transi-
tion from the Golden Age into the era of the “Five Gods”, which would see its peak between 2013 to 2018. During this time, every major tournament with at least two Gods in attendance would be won by one of the five. The Gods included: Mew2King, known for his self-described “optimal” playstyle, as well as his fearsome Marth and Sheik play. Mang0, known for his flashy but risky Fox and Falco play, and brash personality. Hungrybox, known for his explosive pop-offs after a win, and for primarily playing Jigglypuff, a character that some would consider the antithesis of Melee. While the community prides itself on its game’s speed and exciting combos, Jigglypuff is slow, defensive, and lacks any major flashy combos. The fourth God Armada was arguably the most successful of all five. Hailing from Sweden, Armada would revolutionise Peach as a top tier character, and sustain one of the greatest tournament win percentages of any of the Gods. PPMD was the final God and was known for being an excellent Falco and Marth player, with a conservative playstyle and arguably the best neutral play of anyone. This period saw another explosive growth of the scene, thanks to further Evo appearances and the organisation of other high-profile tournaments.
Additionally, the release of a 9-part documentary series, The Smash Brothers, detailing the early history of the competitive scene, helped to introduce many new players to the game. Yet still, the community received very little support from Nintendo, most notably demonstrated when the company attempted to block the streaming of the game at Evo 2013. In time, the Gods’ reign would come to an end. They faced increased challenges from players such as Plup and Leffen, and by 2020 some had retired from Melee entirely. As we know, 2020 also brought unique challenges which necessitated the halt of in-person competitive tournaments. One might think this would spell doom for the competitive scene of a game from 2001 with no online functionality, however a new tool developed for the Dolphin GameCube emulator would prove to be the scene’s redemption. Using a program called Slippi, players from across the globe could compete against one another without suffering from extreme latency issues, which allowed the scene to continue to thrive despite the lack of face-toface events. It was not long before
31
large tournaments were held using the tool with hundreds in attendance, including many top players. However, with increased attendance came the displeased gaze of Nintendo. This culminated in November when The Big House, one of the largest Melee tournaments, was forced to cancel its online event due to the receipt of a cease-and-desist notice from Nintendo, as they were unhappy with their IP being used in this way. Within hours of the announcement, #FreeMelee began trending on Twitter as fans expressed their outrage at Nintendo for preventing competition for their beloved game. It was clear that even in 2020, the company still had no intentions of supporting the Melee scene. And yet, this is the story of Melee: Exclusion from the wider fighting game community and abandonment by Nintendo. Mew2King once said; “Melee is never dying, it’s always going to be approximately this size, never much smaller and never much bigger”. Perhaps he is right. The scene will be carried not by the game’s creators, nor by big organisations, but as it was in the beginning: on the backs of the players who love their game the most.
Fashion
32
Simone Rocha Collaborates with H&M WRITES Maeve O’Sullivan, Fashion Editor London-based Irish designer Simone Rocha has announced she will be releasing a collection with H&M on March 11th, 2021. The collection, which has been in the works since Summer 2018, caters not just for women’s fashion which Rocha is known for, but also children and menswear. The collection encompasses an influence from the Rocha archives, many of which give a nod to her own heritage: Ireland and Hong Kong. The 34-yearold designer and Dublin’s NCAD graduate is celebrated for her modern femininity and consistent vision. She joins names such as Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Comme Des Garcons (2008), Versace (2011), Marni (2012), Maison Martin Margiela (2013), Alexander Wang (2014), Balmain (2015), Kenzo (2016), and Moschino (2018). Rocha says “it’s such an amazing list of alumni to be a part of’’. You can say that again!
The collection is in true Rocha style with broderie anglaise, tartan seersucker, tinselly tweed, puffy cloqués, plump bows, pearl embroidery and of course, intricate detailed headbands, a classic for the designer. Keeping in tune with her style was imperative for Rocha: “It felt important to pick out pivotal moments that you could recognise as my codes, to share my identity’’, said Rocha to Vogue’s Sarah Mower. Featured in the collection with the Swedish high street brand is the sequin
bralettes from her Louise Bourgeois-inspired Spring 2020 collection and the tartan trousers from Spring 2014. The underlying message of the collection brings to force the idea that iconic house collections will never go out of style. The collection claims to be ‘pan-generational and size inclusive’, with a combination of femininity with masculinity. Originally, H&M said that the range would not be available beyond a size 14 in its European stores. However, the company has since retracted this comment, explaining that there will in fact be a size range of XS-L, with L being the equivalent to a UK 16-18. ‘’I translated my Aran knits in cotton yarn, some with pearl embroidery. I just wanted it to be boyish, cool, and real.’’ With a company as big H&M, resulting in a wide environmental footprint, the aim of sustainability came in the form of the design and fabrications. Therefore, the designs used organic cotton, recycled polyester, and a new compostable yarn, while keeping the quality of the designer standard. “I hope that the items in this collection will be worn and treasured for years to come. They were all informed by ideas and inspirations that have shaped me and my brand over the last 10 years,
and I am so excited to see them worn out-and-about and interpreted and styled in new ways,” said Simone Rocha. Simone said the collaboration means
a huge amount to her. “Being able to do something and share it with so many people across all ages, all sizes, all nationalities, it was really important for me that the collection brought femininity, strength and modernity.” The campaign, which was shot by Tyler Mitchell, includes Daisy Edgar-Jones of Normal People and Michael Ward as well as a short documentary with the designer and Adwoa and Kesewa Aboah shot by Rocha’s partner Eoin McLaughlin. The range includes everything from occasion wear with tulle dresses and tailoring, to knits, shirts, outwear, casual t-shirts and accessories. Prices start at €6.99 for socks, with dresses and trench coats €179. Pearl-decorated brogues are the most expensive items at €249.
Editor: Maeve O’Sullivan
33
Naomi Sims - the first African American Supermodel writes Selina Dufner “Naomi was the first. She was the great ambassador for all black people. She broke down all the social barriers.” - Halston February is Black History Month and that is the perfect occasion to write about an outstanding and influential, yet kind of forgotten model - Naomi Sims. She is often seen as being the first African American supermodel, while others argue that Donyale Luna is more deserving of the title. Regardless, Sims definitely broke racial barriers in the fashion and beauty industry. In 1966, she won and accepted a scholarship at the Fashion Institute of Technology located in New York City. After moving there to attend the institute, Sims realised that, in spite of the scholarship, she had to find a way to earn money. She was highly interested in the world of fashion and decided to pursue her dream of becoming a model. The start of her career was rather difficult and she had to face many obstacles, such as dealing with rejections from agencies due to her race and the colour of her skin. However, Sims never gave up and began to look for a different approach. She stopped contacting agencies but tried to get in touch with fashion photographers with the goal to get booked for a photo shoot. She found a photographer in Gösta Peterson, who worked for The New York Times, and whose wife was the fashion editor for The New York Times as well as its supplement, Fashion of the Times. Sims’ determination paid off and Peterson used her for a photo shoot. In 1967, Sims became the cover girl for the August issue of Fashion of the Times and was the first black model ever to accomplish that. This gave her the confidence and motivation to seek out representation by the top agencies in the industry - Ford Models and Wilhelmina Models. Sadly, she got rejected again. Eileen Ford didn’t even bother to inform Sims personally about the decision and gave the task to her assistant. The reason was that they already had enough models of “her kind.” Sims got lucky with Wilhelmina Mod-
els and they convinced her to agree to the following deal: Sims sent out copies of Fashion of the Times, alongside her contact details, to one hundred advertising agencies; if Sims managed to find work, the company would receive a commission. The plan was successful and the response enormous. Sims was in high demand and simply unstoppable. By 1968, she was earning roughly $1,000 a week. In the same year, she made history once again by gracing the cover of the October issue of Life and the November issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. However, her most famous cover is most likely the August 1973 issue of Cosmopolitan. Sims modelled multiple times for the American fashion designer Halston, was photographed by the legendary Irving Penn for Vogue,
was featured on Andy Warhol’s magazine Interview and received two Model of the Year awards – in 1969 and 1970. Sims succeeded not only as a model but also as a businesswoman. In the early seventies, she founded her own company that focused on creating wigs and beauty products specifically for black women. She is also the author of several books, including: All about health and beauty for the black woman; How to be a top model; All about success for the black woman and All about hair care for the black woman. Sims had to create her own makeup during her time as a model as it was hard to find makeup for her skin tone in those days. Bethann Hardison, an African American activ-
ist and model, said that when her career started in the early seventies, “girls knew how to make their own makeup. They learned from Naomi Sims. If the makeup artist didn’t have [their shade], they knew how to mix [foundations] together to get their exact color”. On August 1st, 2009, Naomi Sims passed away due to breast cancer. Yet, she remains an inspiration and idol to many, and is dearly missed and remembered. “I am saddened by the passing of the legendary supermodel Naomi Sims, but I take comfort in knowing that she has left us a proud legacy that all of us black supermodels have benefited from” - Iman
Arts & Literature
34
“In a room, hidden away” Sonder was Born – UCC’s Newest Creative Publication writes Imasha Costa, Arts & Literature Editor Sonder: the realisation that each passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. To a group of emerging writers in UCC, this was the perfect title for their newly published zine Sonder, which showcases poetry and short fiction, and reflects the mentality of empathy and compassion that is important to the writers within the group – a mentality which may resonate with a lot of people at this current moment.
writes Imasha Costa, A 1. Girl, Woman, Other– Bernardine Evaristo Winner of the Booker Prize in 2019, this book dives into the lives of twelve British women, most of them black, as they move through the world in different decades. The novel looks not only at their struggle, but the love and joy shared between different characters as their lives intermingle with each other. It is an exploration of how race, gender, history, and economic status affects the experiences of these women.
Lara Ní Chuirrín, editor of Sonder, comments that “we first came together as a group under the guidance of writer-in-residence Danny Denton, in the winter of 2019. Since then, we have been working together, reviewing each other’s work, and getting pieces ready for publication. Collaboration during lockdown was a challenge, but finally in January 2021, Sonder was published”.
2. This Hostel Life – Melatu Uche Okorie Melatu is a writer and a scholar, who was born in Nigeria before moving to Ireland in 2006. Whilst living in Direct Provision for nearly eight-and-a-half years, she began to write. This book tells the stories of migrant women who live in a hidden Ireland. It depicts the everyday struggles of a migrant woman – from living in Direct Provision to experiencing racism in Ireland. Her writing depicts the injustices of the Direct Provision system that are present in the country and also the racism that migrant women experienced whilst living in Ireland.
Danny Denton writes in the preface to the zine of how he met this group of writers that collected themselves “in a room, hidden away – in an attic somehow”. He also remarks that he was very aware that he was spending time with a bunch of “free minds, serious readers, passionate practitioners”. Together with contributors Bridget Reilly, E. Monroe, Jack Roche, Joy Curtis, Mark O’Leary and Lara Ní Chuirrín, the zine presents a mishmash of style, genre, and theme which, when combined, presents a refined design that is a feast of the eyes, imagination and the heart alike. In bringing the zine together, the contributors also wanted to make an impact outside of the Cork literary scene and had decided that all proceeds made from the zine would go directly to MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland), which is Ireland’s only self-recognised refugee rights organisation. Not only has this year been difficult for the arts in Ireland but also for those
A Recommended Rea History
3. Children of Bone and Blood – Tomi Adeyemi
who are trapped within the country’s Direct Provision system, where they are experiencing deteriorating, dehumanising conditions due to the disregard of the state during the Covid-19 crisis. Sonder, through this little gesture, hopes to fly the flag of solidarity in its own way.
To view more information or to buy the zine, which is only 10 euros, visit this website: SonderUCC.com
If you’re interested in reading a young adult fiction series, Adeyemi’s debut novel might be of interest to you. Drawing inspiration from West-African mythology and the Yoruba culture, this coming-of-age story allows the characters to discover their abilities that eventually help them shape the world with their actions. It is a world of magic
Editor: imasha costa
35
ading List for Black Drag Queens in Lockdown: Recognizing Our Queer Culture Through Performance Art y Month Writes Mia Poland
Arts & Literature Editor
and mythology that also examines racism, oppression, slavery and the separation of caste. 4. This Mournable Body – Tsitsi Dangarembga Written in the second person, this novel channels the hope and potential of a young woman and a growing nation, leading readers through a journey of what happens when hope is gone. This is the final book in a trilogy that started with Nervous Conditions in 1988, and has been longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. 5. The Sun is Also A Star – Nicola Yoon Written by a Jamaican-American author and already having been turned into a film, this story follows a young couple who fall in love whilst the family of the main character – Natasha – faces deportation. It may seem like a cheesy Young Adult book where the depiction of falling in love may not be realistic, because it is. However, it depicts the story of illegal immigrants who have lived in a country for most of their lives before being asked to leave again. This is reality for many people. Originally written as a short story, this highly acclaimed novel covers police brutality and a fraction of what is happening within the United States to this day. This novel brings to light the controversy between police brutality and the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which comes alive within this story highlighting how police brutality affects the community.
One thing that David Attenborough has not reported on this year is that the LGBTQ community has been stripped of its natural habitat. The clubs have been closed due to an invisible enemy leaving the Irish queer community at an awful loss. The performance arts have been heavily impacted by the fluctuating degrees of lockdowns we have been experiencing over the past year and it is important that we acknowledge this. One group that often falls to the wayside when we think of performative arts, is the art of drag and performance arts within queer spaces.
While many LGBTQ performers have tried to replicate drag performances through Zoom (which I am sure we are all sick of at this stage), the key elements of live performances have been lost. The energy felt by both performers and crowds are lost. If you ask a drag queen how long it takes them to prepare for these performances, the answer is usually over the three-hour mark. From wigs to outfits to make-up to choreography – much of which is all done by individual drag queens themselves – their preparation is underappreciated.
A new pet-peeve of mine that I have discovered this year is that I cannot cope with a poor drag queen frozen on screen mid death-drop. Buffering and live online performances simply do not mix. That spark of live perfor-
mance is just lost. They are giving it their all from their living room and all we get is a disjointed video with poor audio quality. In the beginning, many performers were motivated to make the transition to online, but I think we all soon realised that this would be quite the let-down.
Often these high-energy drag performers feed off the energy of the crowd, creating an atmosphere that is yet unmatched. Robyn Hearts, a local Cork queen, spoke to me about her experience of trying to make this transition to performing online. “I’m not gonna be doing a shablam in my bedroom, I’m not gonna be doing a deathdrop in my kitchen, having nobody in the background like ‘Yes honey, work!’, like that’s something that I really miss”.
When we think of Irish culture, the last thing that springs to mind is downing rainbow shots in Chambers on a Thursday night. But, especially now, it is so important that we recognise that this is part of our culture, and only now can we begin to realise how important these LGBTQ spaces are for the Irish LGBTQ community. The venue itself for these performances, as we now know, has a huge impact on performance delivery and is something that cannot be replicated online. This is a cultural loss for our LGBTQ community and has really shed light
on the fact that clubbing is an essential part of our culture. It seems that it is often dismissed and not given full credit for the impact it has on our queer communities, and online ‘equivalents’ just aren’t cutting it.
Unfortunately, not much can be done in the meantime regarding getting back into the clubs, we just have to wait it out. But what we can do is recognise the importance of clubbing and recognise that it is part of our culture. To shed some light on this, a new Irish, mini documentary has just been released on YouTube called Clubbing is Culture, with a few familiar Irish faces talking about clubbing as culture in the broad Irish context.
Without an outlet for queer communities to gather and express themselves, lockdown has become increasingly isolating. We must recognise that heading out to Chambers to see our local queens while enjoying the live atmosphere is a key part of Irish LGBTQ culture and that, essentially, we have nothing to replicate this during lockdown. This aspect of our culture is under threat as this loss is predominantly overlooked. We must recognise clubbing for what it is: a part of our culture, and we must do our best to keep it that way.
36
Sports
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
2021 Crystal Ball: Sports Predictions writes Liam Grainger, Sports Editor and Sam Curtin, Deputy Sports Editor
With a massive sporting year ahead, which includes the postponed European Championships and Tokyo Olympics, the University Express Sports Team give their not so expert predictions for 2021. Six Nations Sam Curtin: Deputy Sports Editor At the beginning of the tournament, I fancied England but with their surprising no show at home to Scotland, I’m leaning towards the French. They have an exciting, young team led by Head Coach Fabien Galthie who is a legend of French Rugby. Defence coach Shaun Edwards is a hidden gem and provides a superb IQ to combine with the French flair. Although their main focus is on their home World Cup in 2023, their development seems to be ahead of schedule. As for Ireland, my main hope is for the blooding of some young players such as Harry Byrne and Craig Casey as our age profile is worryingly high. Ireland will do well to get 3rd place with 5th a distinct possibility. Liam Grainger: Sports Editor At a time when a solid Irish Six-Na-
tions performance was needed more than ever, both to compensate for the mishaps of 2020 and for national morale; it seems we’ll have to wait another while for Irish rugby silverware, following a lacklustre opening weekend performance against Wales in Cardiff. Instead expect to see the first French championship win in over ten years. Since Fabien Galthie took the reins as head coach with les Bleus in 2020, his side have gone from strength to strength, with impressive outings in the recent Autumn Nations League. With a nice blend of youth and experience, and with big players like Antoine Dupont hitting form at just the right time, this year’s competition is theirs to lose. Champions Cup Sam: Hard to see past Leinster at the moment but with the future of the tournament up in the air due to the pandemic, anything could happen. Munster will fancy a deep run after their fantastic win away to Clermont and have appeared to have turned a corner. It’s Toulouse for me however who are mirroring the national team in their style of play and young talent. In Cheslin Kobe they have the most exciting player in world rugby,
and I fancy him and the four-time winners to ascend to the throne once more. Liam: Before the hiatus, Leinster were topping Pool A, with recent outings against Scarlets and Munster highlighting the depth of talent in Leo Cullen’s charges. The large contingent of Leinster players lining out in the 6-Nations will no doubt benefit from the game-time there, and with Gloucester awaiting them in the last-sixteen, it’d be great for Irish rugby to have them return to the top-table of European rugby. Premier League Sam: While the start of the season was as exciting and unpredictable as ever, it appears Man City are going to run away with the league. Yes, they’re an excellent team and have surprised me this season but the lack of a real challenger behind them is most disappointing. City by 10 plus. Liam: While Premier League traditionalists romanticise a Liverpool - Manchester United title race, it’s easy to ignore the other big names hitting form. Manchester City are making serious strides each weekend, and with Liverpool hitting a poor run of form and the inevitable de-
mise of United’s winning streak, it’s looking like City’s year. Their 10-week winning streak which was capped by a 4-1 dismantling of Liverpool will only be added to by the imminent return of an injured Kevin De Bruyne. Champions League Sam: Always a difficult one to call. Bayern will be there or thereabouts again. As for City, I still think they are jinxed at this level and lack of know-how was evident in last season’s loss to Lyon in the last 8. I have a hunch that Simeone and Athletico will get over the line this year. They should have enough nous to get past a young Chelsea side and with most of the other usual contenders not at the races this season, combined with their superb form in La Liga, It’s the mattress men for me. Liam: Bayern look like they’re continuing where they left off last year, with dominant displays in the Bundesliga to date, racking up 48 points out of possible 60. Currently competing in the Club World Cup, the side look just as capable in retaining European honours this season.
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express Euros Sam: There’s a lot of talk around England at the moment and they do possess one of the most exciting young squads in the world at the moment. I just don’t think Gareth Southgate has the nous to get them over the line combined with a difficult last 16 draw where they will face either France, Portugal or Germany. The former two for me will be favourites and I’ll go with the World Champions France injury permitting to continue their trophy run. Liam: The bookies have tipped England for this year’s title but knowing their luck at major competitions it’d be foolish to put any money on Garreth Southgate’s men. Instead look more closely at the Spanish charges, who under Luis Enrique have injected new life into a team that had failed to reach their heights of the early noughties. Impressive Nations League victories, including a 6-0 drubbing of Germany, put Spain in a great position ahead of the competition. With youngsters like Ferran Torres, and the experience of Ramos, expect big things from the Spaniards this summer. Hurling Sam: The easy answer is Limerick, and it does feel as if we are experiencing a new era of dominance for the first
time since the great Kilkenny team of the late noughties. However, my dark horse is Cork. Yes, they are going through a period of transition but there is enough young talent coming through along with the likes of Pat Horgan and Darragh Fitzgibbon to contend with many of their rivals not looking to be in a position to do so. It will also be interesting to see if Waterford can continue to progress under Liam Cahill while the romantic in me would love to see Wexford claim Liam in Davy’s final year at the helm. However, it’s Limerick for me. Liam: It’s hard to look past the Treaty County to retain their All-Ireland honours in 2021. They cruised past a much-favoured Tipperary team in Munster, and then never left third gear in their routing of Galway in the All-Ireland Final. Limerick have youth on their side and expect many of their old reliables such as Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, and Kyle Hayes injecting the same direct, flashy hurling again this year. Football Sam: Dublin. The main question is who can run them close? Believe or not, I think there is hope for the likes of Mayo, Tyrone, and my dark horse Galway. Three exciting young teams with plenty of football ahead of them. Donegal are gone while Kerry aren’t the team many believe to be in my opinion.
Sports Cork? A Munster title would go a long way towards their development and I believe there are bright days ahead. Liam: For the sake of boring readers with the infinite qualities of the Dubs and how they’ll continue their quest for 10-in-arow in 2021, let’s tip Mayo for Sam. This winter saw a spate of retirements from the westerners, with stalwarts such as Seamie O’Shea, Keith Higgins, and Donal Vaughan calling time of their careers. Last season saw Mayo bring a new lease of life to the team with the introduction of players such as Tommy Conroy and Oisín Mullen, who were their standout players for much of the All-Ireland series. With the winter exodus leaving space for even more youth to enter the fray, could this finally be Mayo’s year? Olympics - Will Ireland win any gold medals? How many medals in total? Sam: Even though the postponement of the games will be a setback for many athletes, I believe that this could be one of the best Olympics we have had. There are two real Gold medal chances in the rowing including UCC’s own Paul O’Donovan and whomever his partner will be. Rhys McClenaghan is a fantastic prospect and gymnastics will explode in this country should he get on the podium. Jack Wooley is another exciting prospect in taekwondo along with the boxers. Watch out for the modern pen-
37 tathlon too. Best case scenario 8-10 medals with possibly 3 being gold. Liam: Olympic predictions can be difficult, especially when one’s not certain that Irish athletes will even travel to Tokyo this summer. Qualifiers are yet to take place in many disciplines, but of those who have already booked their seat on the plane to Tokyo we can be confident in a number of Irish athletes taking to the podium. Between O’Donovans and Sanita Puspure in rowing, Kelly Harrington in boxing and Rhys McClenaghan in gymnastics, we’re spoilt for choice at this year’s games. We can improve on our 2016 tally of two silvers from the O’Donovan Brothers and Annalise Murphy, but I still don’t see us causing any shocks either. Between a larger rowing squad, Kelly Harrington’s form, and the outside chances of Natalya Coyle and Rhys McClenaghan, here’s hoping for at least 5 medals heading back to Ireland. Golf - Will there be an Irish major winner this year? Sam: No. McIlroy is too inconsistent and so is Lowry. An Olympic medal would be a nice tonic, however. Liam: Nope!
38
Sports
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
K2 Winter Summit: The Last Great Feat of Modern Mountaineering Writes Liam Grainger, Sports Editor Some stories have gotten lost in the headlines the past few months, and it’s not surprising. Between the chaos surrounding the Australian Open, a tightening Premier League race, and big decisions being made concerning international competitions for 2021, it’s easy to lose focus in the endless news cycle of pandemic Ireland. The Winter summit of K2 mightn’t have received many of the coveted front page spots, but that should in no way mitigate the immense achievement of January 16th last. Standing at 28,251 feet, a mere 200 metres shorter than Everest, K2 has been the most elusive of climbs for mountaineers since it was first summited in 1954 and while more than 5,000 people have stood on top of Everest, less than 400 have climbed K2; it’s glaciers and seracs demanding the most technical maneuvers out of the seasoned climbers that attempt it each year. In fact, more people have stepped foot on the moon than on the summit of the mountain. Specific locations on K2 are notorious amongst the climbing community for the lives that have been lost there, the infamous bottleneck serac and chimney which stand just below the summit ridge, are regularly prone to avalanches that have seen the most skilled climbers tested. In 2008, 11 climbers perished in a single day on the mountain when part of the bottleneck collapsed; cutting the fixed ropes which climbers clinged to as they ascended. Limerick man Ger McDonnell was one of the fatalities after he left his position of safety lower down the mountain to help other climbers in difficulty higher up. The technicalities are just a microcosm of the challenges posed on a winter ascent; temperatures can drop to as low as -40 degrees celsius, and expedition data will tell you that for every four climbers that set out on a summit attempt, only three will return to camp. Climbing the mountain in any season is a challenge, but in winter it’s a death sentence. This year’s winter climbing season on K2 was not without casualty, with the passing of Spanish climber Sergi Mingote,
who fell down a crevasse at lower altitude on the mountain the single fatality. After a month spent fixing ropes and making camp on the mountain, it was fittingly a 10-person team of Sherpas who would reach the summit on January 16th, marking the first winter ascent of K2; an accolade attempted by countless climbers over the past half-century. Led by Nirmal Purja, who made headlines last year when he climbed all fourteen 8,000-metre peaks in just under six months, the team had competition from the more than 60 climbers congregated at K2 base camp this season with the same objective in mind. Local news sources accounted for a 5pm summit time, in which the team members walked in unison towards the prayer flags on the summit, singing the Nep-
alese national anthem as they finished their gruelling 18-hour summit push. In a post on his Instagram page, Nirmal Purja announced that “the impossible is made possible”, declaring “history made for mankind, and history made for Nepal”. The feat was made all the more impressive considering no bottled oxygen was used at any stage during the expedition. Winds of over 120 kph impeded the team’s summit push, as they finally broke the previous high-altitude record set on K2 in winter almost two decades ago of 7,750 metres by a Polish expedition. Up until the successful Nepalese summit this January it was the last remaining peak of the 14 above 8,000 metres to be ascended in Winter. The team which was composed entirely of sherpas hailing from the region, attained deserved recognition and testament to the enduring work they com-
mit to in the Himalayas, mostly to make the dreams of others a reality. Heads now turn to what the next record to be broken will be. The mountaineering world is starting to run out of the next-best thing at high-altitude, and the perennial race to outdo one another means the risks will get bigger and the challenges of previous decades are boring; climbers are running out of “firsts”, and the stakes are getting desperate. For the time being we can appreciate the historic efforts of January 16th, and the breath of fresh air that a team of sherpas has brought to a sport so saturated with brand endorsements, greed, and rat-races to be first on top.
Sports
Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021 | University Express
39
“The Moneyball Effect” – how data is revolutionising sport Writes Joseph Murphy
The term “Moneyball” has become popular within sporting circles, mainly referring to the use of advanced statistics and analytics to drive decision making within teams – whether it be in terms of playstyle or recruitment. Its origins lie with the Oakland Athletics, an MLB baseball team that pioneered the use of in-depth statistics to create an advantage over other teams. This story was then adapted into Michael Lewis’ best-selling book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game”, and eventually into a 2011 film adaptation starring Brad Pitt. The Oakland “A’s” had struggled in the MLB, lacking the funding to bring in the best available talent in terms of coaches and players. Upon deciding that outspending their opponents would not be possible, the A’s aimed to outthink them; eventually putting together a completely new team of low-value players who had been cast aside by other teams. Though these players had fallen out of favour around the league, the A’s metrics assured them that these acquisitions would be valuable in the right situation. The new-look A’s eventually proved their worth, going on a famed 20-game winning streak during the 2002 season,
and coming very close to an appearance in the American League Championship Series (i.e., the MLB final). This is a common feature of the use of data analytics throughout sports, as talent can easily fly under the radar. Often, a player is in a situation that does not suit their own strengths, and are disregarded as simply not being good enough – data can help to assess compatibility between club and player. Take the example of Dutch footballer Memphis Depay. Then widely regarded as one of Europe’s most promising talents, Depay arrived at Manchester United from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in 2015. United paid £25m for his services, and he was handed the club’s iconic number 7 jersey. However, things did not go according to plan – Depay seemingly did not fit in at United, leaving a lot to be desired and receiving criticism in the media for his poor performances. In January 2017, Depay’s nightmare ended as he was sold to French club Olympique Lyonnais. In Lyon, Depay has rediscovered his form, registering 54 goals and 39 assists in 123 Ligue 1 appearances, compared to 2 goals and 1 assist in his 33 league games in England. How did this perfect marriage between club and player come about? The answer is through mathematical
modelling. One of the first transfers of its kind, Depay and his agent employed the services of data intelligence firm SciSports to help them decide on a transfer destination. To simplify what happened, SciSports conducted an analysis of Depay’s style of play in order to evaluate which European team may be a sensible fit for him. They then collected data regarding various clubs and managers, identifying their preferred style of play in order to find a situation where his talents could be maximised. Lyon became the frontrunner, and after Depay’s agent approached them with the prospect of signing his client along with the numbers to back it up, the transfer was quickly completed – and neither party has felt the need to look back since. There are plenty of similar stories regarding data-driven decision making in sport that are worth reading about. Daryl Morey’s revolutionary “Moreyball” playstyle in basketball – a tactic which encourages teams to focus on high-value (3-point shots), and efficient (close to the basket) shots to maximise output. The rest of the NBA has already taken notice, evident by the contrast between the top 200 shot locations during the 2001-02 season in comparison to the 2019-20 season. Matthew Benham was one of the earliest proponents of advanced analytics in
football, using this to understand the game at a deeper level, and making a fortune from it as a professional sports bettor. He has since moved into the sport as an owner with Brentford FC, as well as FC Midtjylland in Denmark, taking his methods with him. In that time, Brentford have risen from League Two (4th tier) to the Championship (2nd tier) in England, now battling for promotion to the top flight. Brentford’s ability to identify “diamonds in the rough” in terms of undervalued talents has been much to their benefit, both to their performance on the pitch, and also as a “buy low, sell high” tactic to make money from the transfer market. FC Midtjylland have won 3 league titles since Benham’s arrival, having never been champions prior. Their focus on data goes as far as having analysts and number crunchers contact the coach at half-time during games to relay any inefficiencies that they noticed in the first half. These are just some of the notable examples of the widespread data revolution across sport. For more information and writing around the topic, check out www. ballandbriefcase.com and Instagram account @ballandbriefcase.
University
Volume 24 | Issue 7 | Tuesday 16th February 2021
Sports
UCCExpress.ie
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BOXING Writes Sam Curtin, Deputy Sports Editor Welcome to the biggest story in sport right now. This might be an unusual way to start an article as for many, boxing and Daniel Kinahan are not topics discussed over the dinner table or Zoom. This story however is bigger than boxing. Who is Daniel Kinahan? He is a man born and raised in Dublin who has managed to become one of the biggest playmakers in the sport of boxing, organising over 20 world title fights. He founded MTK Global and has become one of the biggest and most powerful management companies in the sport and represents over 30 fighters from Ireland alone (over 100 altogether). MTK CEO Sandra Vaughan insists that Kinahan is no longer involved with the organisation but according to a statement released by Talksport last week, he is still involved in making some of the biggest fights in boxing. The moment which really raised eyebrows was when Tyson Fury announced via Instagram that he had just gotten off the phone with Daniel Kinahan, confirming the decision of a fight with fellow British boxer Anthony Joshua; which would be the biggest fight in world boxing. Kinahan however is widely believed to be the head of the largest crime organisation in Irish history and has been involved in the largest Irish gangland feud with the Hutch cartel. A feud started by the Regency Hotel shooting in 2016 at a boxing weigh in and the main reason why no major boxing event has taken place in the Republic since. It is a feud which has ruined hundreds of lives both internally and externally, destroying towns in the process with many people, particularly young men turning to crime as they see it as the only way out of poverty, caused by the gangs themselves. As of now, Daniel Kinahan has no convictions in any country and has
not been arrested or faced any trial. Why would so many boxers join forces with a man with so many asterisks beside his name? MTK are a company known for financially supporting their fighters, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. They also do not take management fees and instead make their money off the fights themselves such as through gate receipts and so forth. Kinahan has reiterated that he is not involved with the company but merely acts as an advisor to fighters. One could argue that the sport itself is arguably in a bad place. The amateur scene has been plagued by bribery and corruption as witnessed during the 2016 Rio Olympics and was barely allowed into the Tokyo Games. If one was to ask a stranger or even a sports fan on the street and ask them to name an active boxer outside of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor, it would be a difficult question to answer. The sport lacks household names to match previous generations such as the Chris Eubanks, Mike Tyson’s and Floyd Mayweather’s of this world as polaris-
ing as they were. Hence why the Joshua-Fury fight is so critical for propelling boxing back into the mainstream. It causes huge problems for broadcasters such as Sky and BT Sports who will not want to be associated with a fight where millions of its revenue will be going to an individual hiding in Dubai who is allegedly the head of an Irish crime mob. Journalists such as Kieran Cunningham and Nicola Tallant who have been covering this story since the beginning have been disappointed with the lack of support among the boxing community for the BBC Panorama documentary aired two weeks ago. Barry McGuigan was the only prominent figure willing to be interviewed for the programme and suffered a huge backlash after the show aired. Many boxers such as two weight world champion Amir Khan have declared their support for Kinahan while many others have stayed silent out of fear for their livelihoods if they were to speak out. This is before mentioning that boxing has begun to stage some of its biggest
fights in countries such with appalling human rights records. Take the Joshua vs Ruiz rematch in 2019 for example, which took place in Saudi Arabia. Eddie Hearn has already confirmed that at least one Fury-Joshua fight will also take place in the Middle East. ‘Sports washing’ is the term used in nation states using sport as a means of legitimacy and providing an alternative view of their regime through sporting prowess. Now more than ever, in the world of fake news and cancel culture, boxing faces a fight for its credibility, future and most importantly, safety. Yes, Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua is enticing for even the most casual of fans but at what cost? There has to be a desire from broadcasters, fans, and those within the sport to ensure transparency and legitimacy for a craft which has transformed lives for the better and can continue to do so. Only however, by weeding out those who are in it for the wrong reasons. Will this happen? Money talks. As always.