University Volume 25 | Issue 8 | Tuesday 1st February 2022
Express
UCCExpress.ie
When Will Ireland Change its Ways, Stand Up, and Fight for Women’s Safety? CIARA BROWNE Deputy News Editor
This article includes news on sexual assault Garda Headquarters said detectives in Sligo allegations and the murder of Ashling Murphy. want to speak to anyone who “noticed any Please do not read if you feel you may be triggered. activity which caught their attention”, (The Irish Times), between 8pm and 10pm in Ballydoogan, Gardaí are investigating an alleged sexual assault Oakfield and Maugherboy County Sligo. Gardaí on teenage girls in Sligo with several scenes have also pleaded to any road users, and those sealed off and extensive appeal for information who were recording dash cam footage to contact issued from the Gardaí. The alleged assault is said the investigation team and to make the footage to have been outside Sligo town, Saturday night, available to them for investigation purposes. This January 22nd 2022. A number of scenes have been news comes ten days after the attack and murder sealed off as part of the criminal investigation. of Ashling Murphy, 23 year old Irish primary Detectives believe the suspect may have left Sligo school teacher from Tullamore, County Offaly. after the alleged attacks, but have since taken Ashling was attacked and killed while jogging complaints from the teenagers, and undertaken along the Grand Canal, just outside Tullamore on forensic examinations of several scenes. An area Saturday 12th January 2022. The murder caused of the Maugheraboy GAA grounds has been women and citizens of Ireland and London to sealed off since Sunday, January 23rd, as well take to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook sharing as a house less than 1km away, as it is said to be the caption, “she was going for a run”, on their a potential crime scene. Gardaí are appealing social media accounts. Vigils took place for for information from people who were in the Ashling all around Ireland, in London and in area and surrounding areas where the assaults surrounding areas. The devastating news has led are alleged to have taken place and where the people of Ireland to question the society that other potential scenes of interest are located. we live in, stating that men “need to do better”,
(Irish Examiner), and how “every single one of us must call out misogyny”, (The Irish Times). The Minister of Further and Higher Education, Mr. Simon Harris, told a vigil held in memory of Ashling Murphy on the grounds of Mary Immaculate College that politicians, particularly men, need to stand up and take action against misogyny and violence against women. Mr. Harris told thousands of people gathered with candles on the grounds of Ms. Murphy’s alma-mater, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick: “I wanted to be here because I’m a man, a farther, and a politician, and I know that our gender, and our profession, need to do better, we need to do much more.” Mr. Harris went on to state, how as fathers, “we have a duty in how we raise them, in how we ensure they are part of a cultural change: as politicians we have got to change the system.” This change includes a duty to ensure that thirdlevel is safe, and that “every single one of us, as men, must call out misogyny and we must stand Continued on Page 2
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EDITORIAL Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief – Imasha Costa (Editor@UCCExpress.ie) News Editor – Orla Leahy (News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer – Aoife E Osborne (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor – Maeve O’Keeffe (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor – Sam Curtin (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor – Claudia Zedda (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie) Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Caitríona O’Connell (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie)
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
ON THE VERGE OF A BURNOUT The past week has been one of the hardest weeks for myself and for almost every other person that I know. The final year is really crushing my bones and I can feel the exhaustion of trying to keep up taking me apart slowly. My mind is so tired, and I just can’t seem to be able to breathe sometimes. With restrictions being lifted completely, it seems as if the country has forgotten that we are still living in a pandemic. It’s scary yes, but also, I think people have forgotten what it is like to be alive, to have fun, to enjoy their time. I forgot what it was like to feel that way. I am desperately trying to place everything that I have missed out on in the last 2 years of my degree into one semester, friends, socials and family. I feel like I will be burnt out come week 4, but I guess it is what it is. This issue tackles a fantastic article by Cian Pierce about Black History Month and how to be a better ally, with an interview with Raphael Olympio. We also have a few pieces about Gender-Based violence, which could be triggering to a few readers, and if you feel so, I would recommend skipping reading them. We are back with Issue 8, and 4 more issues to go.
Love and Solidarity,
Imasha Costa
Online Editor – Edel Lonergan (Online@UCCExpress.ie)
Editor-In-Chief
Marketing Executive – Imasha Costa (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Photographers – Méabh Lonergan; Jack Murphy (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Byline Editor – Jack Coleman (Byline@UCCExpress.ie) (Deputy Editor) Food & Health – Nathan Carey (Food@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor – Cian Pierce (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor – Chloe Barrett (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor – Florrie McCarthy (Music@UCCExpress) Fashion Editor – Claire Watson (fashion@uccexpress.ie) Film & Television Editor – Cormac McCarthy (Screen@UCCExpress.ie) Sexpress Editor – Emily Osborn (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie) Deputy News – Ciara Browne (Deputynews@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Features Editor - Sarah O’Mahony (DeputyFeatures@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Sports - Atakan Uzun (deputysports@uccexpressie) Staff Writer: Billy O’Connor
editor@uccexpress.ie
ACORN TO OAK I hope that this semester has kickstarted off well for you, readers! I would like to wish all of you good luck as you receive your winter exam results this week. In Issue 8 news, Ciara discusses the safety of women across Ireland, and highlights the important counselling and bystander services UCC offers, in light of recent times. I team up with student contributor, Gold Gaisce participant, and UCC Gaisce Project PRO, Ronan Keohane to consider opportunities for students and staff to engage in Gaisce - The President’s Award at UCC. I also take a look at COP26’s legacy in early 2022. For this issue’s editorial, I thought I’d share my own experience with the Quercus Talented Students’ Programme in advance of Thursday’s closing date. Quercus, originally founded by current President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran, is, “aimed at supporting and promoting excellence in academia, sport, creative and performing arts, active citizenship and innovation/entrepreneurship for both prospective undergraduate/ level 8 students and students already registered in UCC.” Current and prospective students may apply for sport, creative and performing arts, active citizenship, and innovation/entrepreneurship scholarships by 16:30 Thursday, February 3rd. If you have the opportunity to apply to one of the open fields in advance of Thursday, and have not already done so, I would highly recommend filing an application. You have nothing to lose by applying, and it is true to say that a world of opportunity awaits. In addition to possible benefits such as fee waivers, bursaries, and campus accommodation, scholars are provided with the resources to grow in their field and to excel. As a Quercus University Scholar, I have been fortunate enough to be paired with an academic mentor, and a life coach, who both offer invaluable support, in addition to the incredible team at Quercus. The strong network of Quercus scholars spanning across all four colleges and the friends I’ve made through Quercus has been one of my highlights so far. Quercus is the Latin word for oak, and Quercus at UCC is designed to symbolise one’s journey growing from acorn to oak. This time last year, I never imagined myself as a scholar, so I’d encourage you to believe in yourself. Who knows, you may be on your own Quercus journey in a few months time?! Wishing you the very best of luck,
Orla Leahy News Editor
news@uccexpress.ie
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
Cover story continued up and speak out”, (Breaking News). The Minister encouraged those of Ms. Murphy’s generation and future generations to continue to demand change. Student Counselling and Development (SCD) is a free confidential service to all UCC registered students, providing individual counselling to students with emotional, psychological, academic or personal development needs. Due to Covid19, the UCC SCD is operating remotely. To arrange an appointment, students can email counselling@ucc.ie. UCC also has 24 hour campus security to ensure a safe environment for all students, staff and visitors using the campus, and UCC Niteline is a telephone service for students. Students can contact Niteline on 1800 32 32 42. UCC Bystander Intervention are encouraging students to join the programme to learn how to, “be an effective Bystander.” UCC Bystander took to their Instagram account on January 13th, stating how we are “running out of excuses for sexual harassment & violence so let’s stop it now.” UCC students and citizens of Ireland stand in solidarity with the women of Ireland. CIARA BROWNE
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COP26’s Legacy in Ireland, 2022 ORLA LEAHY News Editor
itself nor the blue accessible parking, but will culminate in what Senator O’Reilly has termed, “a beautiful view out to the sea that is not obstructed.” On the other hand, this year’s Cork City Marathon is teaming up with An Dúlra to encourage its participants to opt for planting a tree instead of a t-shirt upon registration. The Cork City Marathon has acknowledged that, “Making a t-shirt has a significant environmental impact. A single cotton t-shirt requires the same amount of water that a human drinks in 2.5 years, as well as over 2kg of eCO2.” Participants who have already registered have the option to change their t-shirt in favour of planting a tree instead.
In the aftermath of COP26, which constituted the 26th ‘Conference of Parties’ on climate change since 1990, many questioned the level of action that would follow the landmark conference, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres stating that COP is “an important step, but it is not enough.” Ireland has witnessed a number of green developments in the past month, which suggest that climate justice remains an ongoing topic following COP. One major one, though applicable to the city of Galway, still impacts students and staff that hail from, or visit the city. Galway City Council have released a public notice: “in accordance with the Road Traffic Act 1994 (Section 38) as amended by the Public Transport Regulations Act, 2009 (Section 46) Measures to enhance public bus services — traffic calming measures, Galway City Council hereby gives notice of its intention to provide the following temporary cycle lane provisions on the R336 Seapoint Promenade, R336 Salthill Road Upper and R336 Knocknacarra Road.”
Mary Walsh, Cork City Council’s Environmental Awareness Officer, has issued support for the initiative, by congratulating, “the marathon organisers on taking another step forward to making the event a greener and more climate friendly one…The partnership [with An Dúlra] not only prevents waste but also delivers in terms of biodiversity and climate change.” Ultimately, An Dúlra collaborates with Irish Tree Planting organisations and The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure the redevelopment of native Irish woodland following almost complete deforestation of our woodlands over past centuries. Addressing the University College Cork Law Society last Wednesday on the topic of climate justice, former Presudent of Ireland, Mrs. Mary Robinson concluded her speech with emphasis on the importance of “collective” actions and initiatives in addressing the climate crisis.
Both Galway’s new cycle lanes, and the changes in Cork City’s Marathon, are examples of such collective actions, and indicate that COP26 did not fall on deaf ears. Both increased cycling infrastructure, and the redevelopment of Irish Senator Pauline O’Reilly has issued support for this woodlands will play a role in meeting Ireland’s initiative, and has expressed concern for Galway City commitments under the Glasgow Agreement to councillors lack of action regarding the initiative, slash carbon emissions and to end deforestation. “we have a council and many councillors living in the past. While the rest of the country is getting on with cycling infrastructure Galway is lagging behind.” Recent cycling infrastructure developments in other parts of the country include the €8,731,000 package for the Cork County Council, “under this year’s Active Travel Investment Programme for the development of cycling and walking projects in Cork East constituency”, according to the Cork.ie. Minister for Climate, Transport and the Environment, Mr. Eamon Ryan, “gave the final go ahead with €1 million funding to the Council for the temporary cyclelane, as he promised, as part of a package of €23 million for Galway” last week, Senator O’Reilly notes. Ultimately, the six month temporary cyclelane in Salthill will not detract from the promenade
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NEWS Gaisce - The President’s Award at UCC
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
ORLA LEAHY News Editor
RONAN KEOHANE Student Contributor
The University College Cork Gaisce Project, recently established in UCC, has been spearheaded by a number of students, many of whom are Gaisce Awardees. The UCC Gaisce Project’s mission is to promote Gaisce - The President’s Award, and it’s values, to the student body, and to act as a support network for students interested in achieving one or more Gaisce Awards during their studies at UCC.
Students between the ages of 15-26 may register for a Gaisce Award, with the support of a PAL (President’s Award Leader), who acts as a mentor, and guides students through their Gaisce journey. Students and staff who are interested in giving back to their community, and training as a PAL to help students achieve their Gaisce Award, may register their interest with the UCC Gaisce Project Team, Gaisce - The President’s Award is, “the most prestigious youth award uccgaisceproject@gmail.com. Similarly, students looking to sign in Ireland and is a challenge to young people from the President of up for a Gaisce Award may also contact the UCC Gaisce Project Ireland, Michael D. Higgins to dream big and realise their potential.” Team via email, or through their socials, to be paired with a PAL. There are three Award levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Participants commit to engaging in the challenge areas of community involvement, physical recreation and personal skill over a set period of time dependent upon the Award they are striving to achieve. For example, the Bronze Award requires a minimum of 13 weeks of one hour of meaningful activity per week, whilst Gold requires a minimum of 52 weeks. The weeks do not need to be consecutive, nor do the activities need to be new. Students can use activities that they are engaged in prior to starting their Award.
‘The UCC Gaisce Project’s mission is to promote Gaisce The President’s Award, and its values, to the student body’
Participants also take part in an adventure journey at all three Award levels, involving either a hike, a cycle, or an expedition. At Gold, participants are also required to undertake a residential project, and to design a portfolio (a scrapbook outlining their Gaisce journey) for submission. Gold Awardees have the honour of meeting Uachtarán na hÉireann, Mr. Michael D. Higgins, at the annual Gold Awards ceremony in Dublin Castle.
Speaking on her experiences of Bronze and Silver Gaisce, current Gold participant, Andrea Spoerri has said that Gaisce, “has not only allowed me to have great and long-lasting connections but it has also allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new.”
At UCC, Gaisce, “promotes the development of lifelong friendships, the learning of key skills, and the development of the Graduate Attributes. Participation in Gaisce allows students to achieve both their Gaisce Award and one or more UCC EmployAgility Awards. Gaisce promotes positive mental health, and offers students an invaluable experience.”
James O’Neill, current Gold participant claims that, “when I encounter difficult times in life or in my degree I think back to that [adventure journey] in Doolin, putting one foot in front of the other - to keep pedalling, and I know that if I can do it for Gaisce, I can do it for life, and get through those tough times.”
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express Joel Rajesh, Gold participant, has stated that, “overall, the Award journey gives me the chance to make a real difference to other people’s lives while also making new friends, developing new interests and skills, and then at the end of it, ultimately getting a medal from the President of Ireland to prove it!”
Every Monday morning at 10am, there will be a new live hour-long show on UCC98.3FM, hosted by the UCC Gaisce Project. The UCC Gaisce Project was officially launched on Monday, October 11th, as part of Community Week 2021, with formal recognition by the President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran, who was a guest speaker at this event. The official launch also included guest speakers, CEO of Gaisce, Yvonne McKenna, and UCC alumnus and member of the Gaisce council, Dr. Ali Khan, who both delivered insightful and important speeches on the importance of Gaisce and the Award’s benefits for both participants and the community at large. The launch was recorded, and has since been developed into a podcast series with the support of UCC98.3FM. The podcasts can be found on UCC98.3FM’s Features and Docs Spotify.
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All updates in relation to Gaisce - The President’s Award at UCC will be publicly announced through their Instagram page @ uccgaisceproject, and Twitter page, @uccgaisceproj, including regular updates on the events, the committee and student life in general. There will also be a considerable amount of activity on their socials including Instagram takeovers where current participants discuss what they’re currently undertaking as part of their Gaisce Award. Every Monday morning at 10am, there will be a new live hourlong show on UCC98.3FM, hosted by the UCC Gaisce Project. Everything Gaisce related will be the topic of conversation. If you. are a current participant, PAL, or previous Awardee, and would like to come on the show, the Team would love to hear from you Finally, the UCC Gaisce Project is working on the alignment of Gaisce into modules and programmes across the university, and is currently trialling the integration of the Gaisce Bronze Award into MX1009, the History of Medicine, with the support of Dr. Aislinn Joy. For lecturers and module/programme co-ordinators keen to learn more about Gaisce, and the possible alignment of Gaisce with academic coursework, please email uccgaisceproject@gmail.com. The UCC Gaisce Project aims to recruit as many new students as possible to start their Gaisce journey, to inspire students, and to act as a support network for participants and PALs alike. Gaisce, meaning “great achievement”, was founded over 35 years ago by former President of Ireland, Mr. Patrick J. Hillery, and has since grown significantly, with over 20,000 young people achieving a Gaisce Award annually.
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BYSTANDER FEATURES
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
Interview with Professor Louise Crowley, on her Work in Developing and Expanding Bystander Intervention. MAEVE O’KEEFFE Features Editor
Maeve O’Keeffe (MOK): The murder of Ashling Murphy has been described as a watershed moment in prompting discussions about violence against women. How can we collectively ensure that this tragic event is a catalyst for change, and not just a news story that dies away after a couple of weeks? Louise Crowley (LC): Historically, that has been the problem. This is not a one-off incident unfortunately, and whilst it’s not hugely common, it does happen and has happened, we know the number of women who have been murdered, typically by someone they know, though in this instance it was by a stranger. The conversations have started quite vociferously and with new people. There are new elements; men are more engaged and are more willing to consider their own roles. From that perspective I think that there has been a greater response with regards the breadth and the awareness of the conversations, it’s so important that that momentum is maintained, and doesn’t just become part of a news cycle. The passion and appetite for change – which I certainly have experience of first-hand in the appetite for Bystander training - we have to act now if we want to sustain it. We need to provide the opportunities for people to learn, we need to provide platforms for people to engage with the problems that underpin this type of behaviour. While the killing of Ashling Murphy was the most extreme manifestation of gender-based violence, that should not prevent us from addressing all types of abuse. I think that the momentum that did develop in the days after the murder, we need to hold onto it, and we need to engage all of those people who asked the questions on those days after the murder. It is important that those in a position to do so bring the opportunities for learning to them, whether it be in sports clubs, workplaces or educational settings and I think that collectivist approach is so important that shared collective desire for change. For too long it has been siloed – there have been groups, typically women, shouting for change - but this needs an all of society buy-in and an all of society effort to really effect change, otherwise we’ll just continue to talk to ourselves.
MOK: You’ve previously described the idea of the “pyramid of abuse” to explain how everyday catcalling, sexist jokes, and leering are related to more extreme acts of violence. Could you explain this idea, to those who might still think of this murder as “an isolated incident?” LC: I suppose it is really important to recognise that this is an extreme situation; it is the ultimate manifestation of gender-based violence, but it doesn’t mean that we can dismiss it as a once-off incident. There is a spectrum of behaviours. […] Gender-based violence exists in our everyday world, not necessarily like this, but in ways that impact the society that we live in. This incident causes us to reflect on this issue as a society. It reflects, albeit in an enormous way, the capacity for women to feel threatened, to be threatened, and to be abused. And the message needs to be developed that all forms of abuse are unacceptable, because if we tolerate a society that accepts less horrific but still unacceptable forms of harassment, hostility or violence, we are giving a form of implicit permission for this behaviour. The people inclined to behave in this way will [go unchallenged], and we cannot predict the extremities to which these people will go. The message needs to be a blanket zero tolerance, a blanket ban on all forms of hostility and abuse. And that message must permeate then to all members of society, whether they are complicit in the behaviour, whether they perpetrate it themselves, whether they see it and ignore it. That becomes unacceptable, and we have a shift towards healthy relationships based on respect. We won’t reach everybody, we cannot reach everybody, but anybody we can reach, we must. MOK: I think one of the most common misconceptions about Bystander training is that the people who really need the training aren’t the ones signing up. How would you respond to this? LC: I think what’s really valuable about the bystander intervention approach is that we’re speaking to everybody because everybody has a capacity to make a difference. We’re not speaking to anybody as a perpetrator or as a potential
perpetrator, or even to survivors or victims, we’re speaking to everybody in their capacity as a member of society who may witness or be party to acts that are unacceptable and that they can call it out, ask for change, and ask for better. In doing so they are contributing to a safer society. I like to think that it is inclusive and acceptable to all. And if we do have participants who are complicit or conducting acts that are unacceptable, it’s a way to help them better understand why these behaviours are unacceptable without accusing them of anything or targeting them, but rather using education. […] Education allows people to be better informed and hopefully make better choices. I believe [Bystander] can bring the community together. Although it might be an individual intervention, it relies on community, and being supported in your intervention. And the other side of bystander intervention is that it empowers people with the language and the sensibilities to respond when somebody has made a disclosure to them. So, if somebody tells you that they’ve been raped or sexually assaulted that you are better able to respond and say, “I hear you and I believe you, let me bring you the supports that would help you. I’m not qualified but I can bring you to the supports.” Equally, to be able to speak to an individual after an incident has occurred, and talk to them about their behaviour. You may not have intervened at the time, but you may have that conversation maybe at a safer time when you feel better able to talk to them. It is very wide-ranging but also very inclusive and that has been the feedback I’ve received from those who have participated in the training. MOK: Can you tell me about your work in developing Bystander training for secondary schools? LC: I started working with some Cork City and county schools in 2019 – seven of them. We went through the whole Bystander UCC training and changed practically every slide to make it age-appropriate and relevant to second level students – TY students in particular. Though it was
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
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by covid, we received positive feedback from students and teachers. I’ve received Irish research funding to develop a new pilot that will be targeted at TY students and will focus on six key themes of the bystander training and will be delivered in six 40 minute classes and we will provide through video recording, (which makes it accessible to all schools) 10 or 15 minutes on each key theme and support teachers in a workshop approach to help students themselves to consider the issues that have been raised and then in turn respond. We had seven schools to begin with, and now we’ve had 45 in the last two weeks. And we’re very happy to take those schools on because I really believe that we have the capacity to reach students and to reflect their lived realities in this training; to allow them the safe environment to discuss issues that perhaps it’s difficult for them to raise by themselves. This is a very important and safe way of introducing these issues, and of course, it’s a classroom, so there is a shared learning and a shared recognition of a) the need for change and b) their capacity to do it, to change the culture within that class and that school.
and they don’t even recognise it as unacceptable. You’re never going to make an intervention unless you realise that something is problematic. I even hear it from UCC students who tell me, “Well, I go to a nightclub, of course I get groped, because that’s what happens.” [People dismiss it and] go “Yeah, yeah, that’s part of growing up,” when it’s actually completely unacceptable and you need people to realise that it’s unacceptable and you’d be surprised how many people don’t. You need people to say, “No, I don’t want to live like this,” and that’s ultimately what bystander is trying to do. It’s not just knowing how to intervene, it’s to understand your right to demand a safer society and to have a safe university experience or second level experience and to see your role in demanding that. I’ve always said we need a new normal; we need people to expect and experience a respectful society and respectful engagements.
they live. So, from a learning perspective I think that mixed schools are far healthier, and from a social perspective they’re far healthier. Now let’s be honest. They’re also breeding grounds for sexual harassment, and I’ve spoken to teachers from mixed schools who are telling me about what happens up against the lockers or passing along the corridor, but that is just a reflection of society. I don’t think it’s enough reason for mixed schools not to exist. It creates a learning environment that allows these issues to be addressed and improved, so my view is that for healthier and more awareness, mixed schools are a better environment.
MOK: Have you noted much difference between co-educational and single sex schools in rolling out Bystander?
MOK: How do you think that unacceptable behaviours have become so normalised so young?
LC: I have to say, irrespective of whether it was all boys, all girls, or mixed schools, the reception of the materials was really brilliant. You might think that an all-boys school would not receive it so well, but actually, they’ve been our strongest advocates and the student feedback has been really positive. I think that’s really important to recognise. However, from my studies in UCC, was for the male students to hear first-hand, the female students’ lived experiences; what happens when they go out on a Saturday night, what they receive on their phones. The male students are agog, they’re shocked to hear what their friends are experiencing. I think that there is something very artificial about boys and girls, whether it’s in a workplace or third level, only interacting at 18. […] With that approach you have ingrained and embedded views, and it can allow toxic views to develop without as much capacity for those views to be challenged, not only in words but also by engaging with the other gender but to see how
LC: The principles and the learning of bystander are the same wherever it is taught. And it also extends beyond sexual harassment and violence to all forms of unacceptable behaviour whether it’s bullying, racism, homophobia, whatever the case may be. The key learnings are crucial for all workplaces, all organisations, all environments. So how do we respond to the appetite for learning? Obviously, the training on UCC was designed for the students, but equally people are taking the training externally, and really benefiting from it, and so the messages are still the same even if the scenarios are more student-focussed. I do think that there’s scope for a universal tool kit to be developed that could be available and adapted quite easily, depending on the environment, the context. It could be supplemented by workplace workshops, again, depending on the environment, because of that combination of online delivery and engagement. Those conversations will happen organically from people who have taken the training; they will want to talk about it with some sort of structured facilitated workshop because it is also important to progress the learning and to share the learning from a peer-based perspective.
LC: We know that a significant percentage of young people - particularly boys - are accessing porn and accessing it very young and very easily. Even primary school children are accessing porn, so that’s one issue. I suppose the broader sexualisation of encounters at a young age […] I think that they are living in a very sexualised environment. Also, the ease of access to phones and their capacity to send images to each other or access inappropriate material and share that becomes so normalised. I think it’s fair to say that the RSE curriculum in schools hasn’t caught up with young people’s lived reality and so what they’re learning and what they’re reflecting on perhaps does not address the realities that they face outside of school. That is one of the reasons that we are bringing bystander to schools. The problem is that the behaviour becomes ingrained at such a young age that it becomes normalised,
MOK: In the past few weeks, there has been an insatiable demand for Bystander programmes to be expanded for different environments such as workplaces and sports clubs. Could you talk about the scope to develop Bystander training in these contexts?
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FEATURES Being An Anti-Racist
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
CIAN PIERCE Arts & Literature Editor
Just over a year after the tragic death of George Nkencho at the hand of the Gardai, Alanna Quinn (17) suffered an attack by a group of tormentors that had targeted her for the last five years. The attack, which occurred on the streets of Ballyfermot in Dublin, left her with serious injuries. Racist attacks in Ireland are not unusual, I have had to deal with my fair share. However, every February Black History month is celebrated worldwide, but how can each individual person work to become an anti-racist? To answer the question of what can be done I interviewed Raphael Olympio, previous Chairperson of the UCC Africa Society.
Do you think Ireland is becoming less racist? What role does education play in the process of raising awareness? Personally, I don’t believe that Ireland is a racist country. There’s just people in Ireland that are racist. It’s hard to say if it’s becoming more or less racist but I do believe people are speaking up about it a lot more and more every day. I think of education as an extra parent if that makes sense. The role of education is to teach individuals within society, not only about how to get a job and the skills necessary, the formal education per say but this includes moral education which is helping children and young people to know their rights from their wrongs, integrating values and beliefs which guide their intentions towards others and their environment. Education for me has given me an open mind
and a greater understanding of our society and the people within it. The first step in becoming an anti-racist is to educate yourself. Anti-racist scholar Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist, has argued that the foundation of racism is denial. Educating oneself on the reality of racism as an ever-present threat to the lives of many communities is integral. Acknowledging this reality sets the foundation for seeing racism as a systemic issue. From the dehumanization of minorities to laws and policies and everyday microaggressions, racism in our society has become unconscious and automatic and it is integral that we realize that. The worsening of systemic and structural racism creates conditions that make individual racism seem normal and acceptable, making discrimination and violence more likely.
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express What, in your opinion, makes a good ally? I feel like a good ally is someone who is ready to listen and educate themselves and then act on what they have learned, respectively. If you see something, say something. Someone who is motivated by wanting justice. Someone who is willing to stand in Solidarity with black and minority groups not just for a day or a week but because it’s morally the right thing to do. Someone with compassion and love for others who wants equality for all. Someone who can own their privileges and use them for good. The second step is that of setting intentions to your allyship. Anti-racism is a way of life, and as such it requires a conscious decision to pursue the goal of working on yourself and being an ally to those around you. Studies suggest that internal motivation help in making lasting changes. To be an ally is to willingly make yourself uncomfortable. It is to take on a struggle as if it were your own, using your position of privilege to center the attention on those in a less fortunate position than yourself. It is important to note that allyship can be performative even if it is well meaning, we all remember the BLM black square Instagram posts, so when being an ally to communities it is important to focus on not speaking over those communities. The third step is to put your anti-racist mentality to work. In the context of one’s actions, “anti-racist” is defined by the actions one takes. As Kendi writes, an anti-racist is “one who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an anti-racist idea.” Anti-racist work involves not only acting to try influence the creation of anti-racist policies, but other examples of practical anti-racist work also include supporting and investing in local minority groups, using your position of privilege to elevate others, and standing up to authority when they’re abusing their positions of power. Another goal when putting your new mentality to work is to cultivate empathy. Empathy is the key to rehumanizing those who have been dehumanized. Empathy has been shown to help break down the “us and them” divide that creates the foundation of racism. Speaking on the importance of empathy and any advice he would give allies, Olympio commented: “Don’t make assumptions that you should treat people how you would like to be treated but how they would like to be treated.” The momentum of the recent years does inspire hope, I can sincerely say that I can perceive a change a in the psyche of the whole country, we are at a stage where communities are hungry for change. At recent protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the crowd gathered was a beautiful kaleidoscope of races, genders and ethnicities, a mix of people representing a unity that will bring this country forward. The most important thing to remember is that when faced with the reality of racism, it is not enough to be non-racist, you need to be anti-racist.
FEATURES
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FEATURES
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
Rental Fraud Scams: An Issue on our Doorstep DAVID GILES Student Contributor
contents were legally sound and matched the description of the property he had been describing. Even his knowledge of the area and how far Highfield was from nearby landmarks was spot on. The straw that broke the camel’s back and his plan’s fatal flaw, however, was a photocopied Irish passport he sent on to ‘prove himself’- a plan which backfired as while the name matched that which he introduced himself as, and the year of birth matched that on his email address, his passport was missing several of the key security features that feature on all Irish platforms. That said, had I not gone about looking for these, the passport could’ve fooled someone slightly more trusting and slightly less sceptical. I finally conceded that I would not be sending my month’s deposit to his kindly supplied Revolut IBAN (yes, another red flag I know).
As we drew to the end of the second semester, I, like seemingly every other college student in Ireland sat before my laptop- desperately refreshing the screen for a room, any room, on Daft.ie for the coming year. Accepting that each email I sent to an agent via the chat box was very unlikely to ever yield so much as a call back, I settled into the acceptance that I had no right to be fussy with this search and that any box room going would be absolutely lovely. The one, and only email that I heard something back from in my first fortnight of searching was from a pictureless profile of a room going on Highfield Avenue, a location that I really could not turn down. Blinded by desperation, I read in awe as the supposed landlord, who went by the name Greis, told me of a spacious, recently furnished apartment for only €450 a month- one which he would keep on hold for me. I tend to be someone who will stubbornly see the best in another person, even to a fault- but as the saying goes, when something seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. It was only at a much later stage that I would come to realise that Greis did not own the property whatsoever, for all I know he may never have set foot on Highfield Avenue in his life- but was operating an elaborate rental scam scheme with students the target victim. Naturally, my first step was to ask for a viewing of the room but all of a sudden, Greis was unavailable to meet. Rather than an opportunity to see this dream house materialise, I was bombarded with winding stories and sorrows of his rushed travels back to Paris to visit his sick mother and to save his sister’s belongings as her house flooded but to name two of his troubles. Thinking back, I wanted to pity him, to believe that he had somehow been wrapped up in a series of unfortunate events because this man represented what seemed like my only option. In standing my ground and saying that I would not pay a deposit until I got to see the house myself, I was told how he would have loved to show me the house had it not been for his family emergency and all he wanted was someone he trusted, ‘like you’ to pay up and take the place off his hands. For every red flag, there were elements of his approach that were so well executed they reinforced my wish to trust in his agenda. When I asked for more pictures, he had them at his disposal. When he sent on a contract for me to review, the
While entertaining Greis for so long didn’t result in a roof over my head, being able to see through his plans (albeit not initially) saved me quite the sum of money. When I later (a much longer story I won’t go into!) uncovered who the real owner of the house was and told her about my experience, it all made sense to her why several students had arrived to the house in question to be let in, clearly led on by a rental scam very like mine. What is now an overtold anecdote that my friends and I often laugh about, is on the flip side, a dark insight into the reality of fraudulent schemes that are curated to attract innocent students who know no better than to pay up. Between February 2019 and March 2021, the reporting period in which I was exposed to this rental scam- Gardaí report that over €900,000 in total was stolen across 503 cases in the Dublin region alone. 42% of those subject to these rental frauds were under the age of 25, primarily university students. For those who orchestrate these schemes, to convince a handful of people from a much larger pool of those who they may be talking to, ‘catfishing’ even, at any one time- can be a very lucrative crime. As the rush for accommodation heats up again, be mindful that those who may seem to be offering you the key to your house of dreams- may never have such a key in their possession in the first instance. Let vigilance accompany your desperation- should it get to that point and if you recognise suspicious behaviour Threshold. ie have great resources to advise you on all-things-accommodation.
FEATURES
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
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The Hunt for (Decent and Affordable) Student Accommodation MAEVE O’KEEFFE Features Editor
to long commutes to college, living in box rooms in digs, and even staying in B&Bs around the city until a room becomes available Why are students left with such abysmal options when it comes to putting a roof over their heads? Maeve Richardson, Communications and Engagements Officer for the UCC Students Union places responsibility on the government, stating, “Students in line with the rest of young people in Ireland are struggling with the housing crisis. This can be accredited to a lack of higher education funding from our governmentin the most recent budget the Irish Government added an extra 3320 CAO places with no accounting for additional accommodation being built.” Amid ongoing discussions about hybrid or traditional Leaving Certificate exams, it is baffling that so little has been said about the providing accessible and affordable accommodation for all of these soon to be university students. Third level education is not accessible until it is made affordable, and expensive accommodation acts as one of the most significant barriers to students seeking a higher education. It’s coming close to that time of year when finding a place to live next year becomes a priority. Scrolling on Daft.ie, ringing landlords, and scrambling to get a group together that you’d (hopefully) be happy to live with become all-consuming. Complacency and a laid-back attitude will get you nowhere. When it comes to finding accommodation, being proactive is of utmost importance. That said, even the most organised of house-hunters can end up living in abysmal conditions. Spots of mould blooming on the ceiling and walls, dampness invading your wardrobe and bedding, condensation on windows, broken sinks and toilet seats. That salt lamp you bought to bring good vibes to your new gaff? Decidedly less zen when stacked on newspapers to absorb its persistent weeping from the dampness of the room. There are countless horror stories from friends I could recount, from infestations of rats, rodents, and slugs, to gas leaks and simultaneously invasive and negligent landlords. It’s important not to dismiss concerns about the quality of student housing. There is a common assumption that mould, dampness, and general squalor are simply part and parcel of student living, but there are consequences for your health that accompany these conditions. In fact, the WHO have reported that there is sufficient evidence to show that individuals occupying damp or mouldy homes are more at risk of respiratory infections, wheezing, coughing, and exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Aside from the potentially serious health ramifications, mould can cause irreparable damage to your personal belongings, and generally make your living situation feel bleaker. After all, who wants to return home from a long day of work to a room that is damp and mouldy? It’s not character-building to dismiss your wellbeing for the sake of cheap rent, and it doesn’t make you a diva to expect more than squalor during your college years. It can feel as though the choice is limited to either extortionate rent and a decent house, or (relatively) cheap rent but unregistered landlords and poor living conditions. The inaccessibility of adequate, affordable housing has become part of the reality of being a student in Ireland. The high demand for accommodation in Cork can leave many students feeling reluctant to tackle landlords for fear that they will end up with nowhere to stay. Some students are left resorting.
These sentiments were echoed by the SU’s Welfare Officer, Caoimhe Walsh, who tells me, “The race is on for September accommodation already, but most landlords have indicated they prefer contact later in the semester- another frustration for students looking for security with their housing situation.” She explains that “This panic is caused by the lack of affordable accommodation in the city. New accommodation blocks are being built but are not unaffordable, the profiting off students is simply ridiculous.” Aside from the fact that the new accommodation being invested in is not set to be affordable for most students, Richardson also highlights the lack of funding in the infrastructure around UCC, stating, “The areas surrounding UCC simply do not have the amenities to support an ever-growing population of students.” UCC’s Students Union have witnessed how the housing shortage is affecting students. “In UCCSU we’re already receiving enquires about accommodation,” says Richardson. “Rent is reaching rates of up to €800 a month in some houses, out of reach of any part time working student,” she elaborates. One is reminded of the high volumes of students who need to avail of the UCC’s food bank service due to financial hardship that is certainly exacerbated by the housing crisis. It’s abundantly clear that too many students feel exploited by current accommodation arrangements. But what can we do about it? I reached out to David Giles, chairperson of UCC’s Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) for tips to help students find trustworthy and affordable housing around Cork. He recommends the Threshold.ie website as “a great resource for all of your accommodation-related queries and they operate a freephone helpline at 1800 454 454 from Monday to Friday, 9.30- 5pm.” Despite the bleak housing crisis, Giles is encouraging, reminding students of the supports available. “While at times you may feel like you are merely a pawn in a game dictated by overbearing landlords, it’s important to remember that you have rights as a tenant that you can exercise,” he tells me. “Whether you have a written agreement or living with a more informal arrangement, using Threshold’s resources can help you to understand where you stand in your tenancy relationship. UCC also has a free legal advice centre where you can get practical, professional and confidential advice from local solicitors on campus about a range of issues including accommodation. If you email flacclinics@uccsocieities. ie, they will arrange a free consultation for you,” says Giles.
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OPINION
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
Female-based Violence: As Shocking as it is, it’s all too Real Béline Chan Student Contributor
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of gender-based violence and assault. If you feel that you may be triggered please refrain from reading this article. Supports are mentioned at the end of this article. I am sure that most people are aware of the tragic event that happened recently, the death of Aisling Murphy, a young Irish school teacher. My deepest sympathies are with Aisling’s family and friends, and all those who knew her. It is horrifying that a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her, had her life cut short. Aisling Murphy was going for a run along the riverbank in Tullamore, Co.Offaly, as anyone would do, and in broad daylight, she was murdered. Regardless of the gender or sex of a victim, the situation is horrific, but it can’t be ignored that women, in particular, are targeted. The fact that Aisling was murdered in broad daylight, in a public area just shows what lengths attackers will go to, to attack innocent women. Women shouldn’t have to be afraid or cautious during the night, let alone during the day while doing everyday things. It has become “the norm” for women to be cautious at all times. Why should we live like this? Why can’t we live our lives to the utmost fullest, instead of living in fear that someone will attack us? As women, we have to change our habits and routines to ensure our own safety. As women, we don’t feel safe walking around alone. As women, it is our fault if we get attacked because our outfits “asked for it”.
As women, we aren’t safe at night. As women, we’re just “being dramatic”. The truth is, women are targeted, we always have been and there has been no change. Our voices aren’t heard, our experiences aren’t valid. We have to stand against gender-based violence. Society needs to be safer for everyone, especially for women. It shouldn’t take countless murders and assaults, for society to make a change. Upsettingly, I’m sure that all of us women can relate to a situation where we have either been attacked or assaulted in some shape or form, by a man because we are women. Whether it’s by being spiked on a night out, being catcalled on the street, or being groped in a club. As an example, 2020 Irish statistics from Women’s Aid show that every 1 in 4 women was suffering in an abusive relationship, that there were 29,717 contacts with Women’s Aid, 26,400 with the Women’s Aid 24hr National Helpline, 290,586 visits to womensaid.ie, and 30,841 disclosers of abuse. The prejudice against women has always been here, women have to deal with this fear and treatment daily, but how can we change this? Everyone, especially men, needs to educate their children, their families, even their friends, on gender-based violence. Men need to stand up for women as their support contributes to the safety of women in Irish society. Gender-based violence isn’t just a problem that women should be dealing with, it’s a serious issue that everyone needs to deal with.
Photo Credits: Jack Murphy
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
OPINION
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If men take these steps, they’re taking steps in the right direction, by supporting and helping people fight against gender-based violence. The issue goes so much further than violence and prejudice, but there are consequences and aftermaths to these situations, which often lead women to feel guilty, isolated and ashamed. The mental aspect of being attacked, abused or target can be just as difficult as the physical aspect.
Photo Credits: Jack Murphy Ways that men can help towards ending gender-based violence, or ways to support women who are in fear of being victimised: •
Create a safe listening space for women. Try and understand, listen and support women who are going through some sort of abuse, or have been abused. Be present and attentive to women who are in fear of being attacked. Understanding and going against gender-based violence means listening to women about it. What not to do, is dismiss how women feel.
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Support communities and organisations that actively try and create a safe space for women. There are plenty of services that offer hotlines, counselling etc that men can help support, in order to create a safer space for women.
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Spread awareness to others by sharing information on violence towards women, sharing resources and use your voice.
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Stand up for women. If you see a woman being attacked or know someone who has assaulted a woman in any way. Don’t dismiss it, don’t brush it off, confront the person and take action. We can’t let people get away with attacking women, otherwise, it will be an endless cycle.
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Understand that gender-based violence doesn’t only mean murder or rape. This includes everything from verbal abuse and physical abuse. Everything from cat-calling, to non-consensual touching, is assault.
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Assaults and violence such as rape “rape culture” can often be minimised or normalised through “jokes”. It’s important that you confront the person or people involved in these jokes and that it’s not acceptable. Don’t take part in things that bring down women or support violence towards women. There is nothing funny about female-based violence.
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Understand and educate others on consent!! If someone hasn’t consented, then it is violence. There are plenty of resources online, or adults you can talk to that can explain to you what consent is. Consent is vital, and this is something that everyone should be learning and teaching others about, and this can make a difference towards female-based violence.
Society itself needs to be a safe space for women, to not only be safe from violence but a safe space for women to feel comfortable enough to open up about their experiences. It is difficult enough to open up about a painful situation that has happened to you, let alone be shamed or ignored because of it. The aftermath of an attack, can lead to mental health issues, and also make the victim feel like they are alone and misunderstood. Victims often blame themselves for what happened, and this should not be the case. There is no denying that women frequently get blamed when they are attacked. Whether it’s the clothes we wear being “too revealing” or the fact that a man “can’t be turned down”, there is always an excuse for the attacker, and the victim is easily blamed. Victim blaming can be just as hurtful and difficult to deal with as the attack itself. Women need people around them, a society that accepts and deals with gender-based violence appropriately. There is never an excuse for violence towards women. It is crucial that women get the aftercare they need after experiencing something traumatic. It’s also important that victims aren’t pressurised into talking about their experiences, which can lead to further stress and fear about opening up. Instead, offer support and comfort, let them know that they are in a safe space to talk with you about the situation and that there is professional help available to them if they need it. Everyone is different, and everyone deals with these situations differently, so it’s important to support and help victims, not control and pressure them. When it comes to supporting and spreading awareness against genderbased violence, we often think our efforts will go unnoticed, that our support won’t bring an outcome because “I’m just one person”. Who will notice? Every person matters, and so is every effort that you make. You might think that sharing a post about helplines or an article on gender-based violence can’t do much, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every time you speak up, educate or share something, it spreads awareness to others. If everyone believes that their efforts aren’t worth it, then there won’t be enough people to fight against the issue, and we won’t be able to achieve our goal. An issue as serious as female-based violence won’t disappear on its own. Hopefully one day we can live in a society where women don’t have to fear for their lives when they are going for a jog, or don’t have to worry about being attacked when they’re walking home. Regardless of where you are or who you are, there’s no excuse for women being targets. If we all work together and carry on to spread awareness to others, we are actively making a change in the right direction. The tragic death of Aisling Murphy has evidently touched many people in and outside Ireland, especially women. All of us, regardless of gender or sex, need to make society a safer place. The inequality needs to end, now.
If any women need to reach out to someone, here are some resources: Women’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.ie/about/policy/natintstats. html Safe Ireland: https://www.safeireland.ie/get-help/
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BYLINE VOLUME 7 ISSUE 6
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EDITORIAL
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Issue eight Hello there! Welcome to week (my first interview Scattergood, a legendary developing arcade hits in independent development more space to showcase
another edition of Byline! For my interview this in a while), I sat down with Damien “Mr Z80” Irish game developer. We talked about his time the 1980s and his future plans as the head of an studio. It was a fascinating chat and I wish I had all his thoughts but unfortunately, word counts exist.
For our cover this week, we have a piece by Bantry-based artist Danny Vincent Smith. Danny has a very distinctive style which should be obvious to anyone who takes a look at his work and many pieces of his appear in art galleries around Cork. If you’re interested in purchasing one of Danny’s pieces, you can do so at dannyvincentsmith.com. The name of the piece displayed as our cover this week is “The Box Player”. In this edition of Byline, you can read a submission from guest writer Daniel about the psychology of The Last of Us Part II. Or perhaps a scathing indictment of Molly Mae’s recent comments from Claire interests you? Maybe Cormac’s call for supporting the BBC catches your fancy? All this and more is just a page turn away!
Jack Coleman Byline Editor
byline@uccexpress.ie
photography
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Film Class Portraits photos by Jack Murphy
Gaeilge
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Abair: Saoldearcadh na Gaelainne Le Gormfhlaith Ní Shíocháin Ní Bheoláin
‘Abair!’ Cad is brí leis seo? Is mó focal Béarla a fhreagraíonn don mbriathar ‘abair’ sa Ghaelainn: say, speak, tell, recount, chant, sing. Abair liom, abair leat, abair amhrán, bíonn ‘abair’ de shíor ar ár mbeola againn. I measc na nGael iarrfar ort canadh mar seo: ‘ABAIR AMHRÁN!’ – say a song. Ní deintear an t-idirdhealú céanna idir sing agus speak agus say an Bhéarla, ‘abair’ is ea iad go léir. D’fhéadfá scéal a rá le duine, chomh maith is a fhéadfá amhrán a rá dóibh. Mar a dúirt Will Ferrell in Elf: “singing is just like speaking, except louder and longer and you move your voice up and down”. Tá smut de seo ag baint leis an nGaelainn! Ach amháin gur seanfhocal eile a bheidh ag an bhFearghaileach: ‘is ionann rá agus rá, ach amháin nuair nach ionann’ nuair a thiocfaidh an leagan Gaelainne, Ealbh amach in 2022. Ach ní haon chúis mhagaidh é. Cuireann an débhríochas so mearbhall ar alán. Bhí an ‘dán’ An Spailpín Fánach ar an Ardteist, ‘dán’ gur amhrán leis é, agus go bhfuil leaganacha de ar fuaid na hÉireann. Nuair a dúradh liomsa an ‘dán’ áirithe sin a rá, bhí fonn ormsa tosnú ag amhrán! Agus cé a thógfadh orm é? B’in é a dúradh liom a dhéanamh. Is deocair an meascán brí seo a sheachaint. Dá ndéarfadh an scrúdaitheoir liom An Spailpín Fánach a chanadh, is cinnte ná déarfainn lem’ ghnáthghuth labhartha é. Dhéanfainn é a chanadh. Ach ní fhéadfadh éinne a rá an singing nó chanting ba chóir dom a dhéanamh: tá an dá bhrí ag baint leis an mbriathar ‘can’. Do theipfeadh ar an scrúdaitheoir an bhrí a dhéanamh soiléir dá ngabhfaidís an bóthar áirithe sin. Tá an dá chanadh, an singing agus an chanting meascaithe sa traidisiún Gaelach ar aon chuma. Deintear na Laoithe Fiannaíochta (Fenian Lays), ina n-ínsítear na heachtraí a bhain dos na Fianna fadó, a chanadh sa dá shlí. Cuid dóibhsan a chleachtann na Laoithe, deinid chanting orthu, is
é sin, deirid iad gan fonn, ach i slí atá difriúil ón ngnáthchaint. Cuid eile bíonn fonn acu leo (“louder and longer and moving their voice up and down”). Deirtear gurbh amhlaidh i dtraidisiún na caointeoireachta chomh maith. Is fiú a lua gur bheag idir canadh (singing) agus canadh (chanting) sna comhthéacsanna so go minic. Cá bhfios cá dtagann deireadh le canadh amháin agus cá dtosnaíonn an canadh eile? Ceist fhealsúnta agus cheoleolaíoch í sin. Ach tá an méid seo ar eolas agam: déarfadh aon eitneacheoleolaí gurbh fhiú éisteacht leis leat gur chóir féachaint ar an dtéarmaíocht dhúchais. Deirim nár chóir scrúdú a dhéanamh ar an dtaibhiú so (‘performance’, téarma níos leithne ná ‘ceol’) trí lionsa cheoil Iarthar Domhain, ná lionsa an cheoil chlasacaigh. Ag tarrac ar an modheolaíocht san (táimid éirithe an-ardnósach go tobann), is dócha gur mór an chabhair í gur aon fhocal amháin atá ann don ndá cheann. Níor ghá do lucht canta na laoithe, nó lucht caointe corp, aon bhuaireamh a dhéanamh fén sórt cantaireachta a bhí ar bun acu, nó cén áit ar an speictrim idir singing agus chanting a bhíodar. Mar is anso a thagaimid go heireaball na ceiste: baineann deighilt a dhéanamh idir ghníomhachtaí so an ghutha le teanga an Bhéarla, seachas le teanga na Gaelainne. Ní dheineann an Ghaelainn deighilt idir say, speak, tell, chant agus sing. Mar d’fhéadfaí a rá le duine laoi a ‘rá’ nó a ‘chanadh’. Agus cé go bhfuil raon difriúil bríonna leis an ndá bhriathar, baineann siad araon leis an nguth daonna, leis na fuaimeanna a dh’fhéadfadh téada gutha agus beola agus aer a dhéanamh. B’aon bheart mór amháin na nithe go léir a dh’fhéadfaí a dhéanamh leis an nguth. Tá sé ráite go minic go bhfuil saoldearcadh ar leith ar fáil i ngach teanga tríd a comhréir is a friotal. Seo chúibh, más ea, saoldearcadh na Gaelainne: abair! Líonaigí na hallaí is na spéartha le bhúr nglórtha daonna. Is ná deiníg buairt fén mbrí.
gaeilge
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Erasmus sa Ghearmáin Le Michael Power
Haigh a chairde! Is mise Michéal agus táim sa tríú bhlian ag déanamh mo chéime i nGeailge agus nGearmáinis, ach nílim sa COC i mbliana toisc go bhfuilim ar Erasmus sa Ghearmáin! Táim díreach tar éis mo chéad seimeastar thar lear a chríochnú agus ba mhaith liom mo thaithí a roinnt libhse! Beadh sé an-éasca a scríobh go raibh gach rud go hiontach agus go raibh mé i gcónaí sásta ag dul amach agus ag taisteal ar fud na hEorpa, ach chun an fhírinne a rá bhí mo shaol ann saghas deacair ar dtús… ní raibh go leor chairde agam is ní raibh aon aithne agam ar an gcaithar. Bhí mé an-neirbhíseach mar cheap mé go raibh mo chuid Gearmáinise go huafásach agus cé gur rinne mé mo dhícheall í a labhairt, bhí eagla orm gur ndeirfinn an rud mhícheart nó tosnódh na daoine eile ag caint as Béarla liom! Ach tar éis cúpla seachtain fuair me féinmhuinín – thosaigh mé an Ollscoil, fuair mé post agus rinne mé chairde! Is aoibhinn liom mo shaol anseo anois...seo é mo scéal: Táim ag frastal ar Fredrich-Alexander Universität ErlangenNürnberg i mBaváir, agus roghnaigh mé í toisc gur aoibhinn liom an ceantar ina bhfuil sí suite! Is cathracha áille agus stairiúla iad! Tá campus álainn againn scapaithe amach ar fud trí cathracha agus freastlaíonn mic léinn ó ngach áit uirthi, ach Ollscoil saghas seanaimseartha í, afách, agus déanann muid staidéar ar rudaí traidisiúnta. Bíonn na ranganna go hiomlán difriúil agus déanann na mic linn anseo níos mó oibre ná muidne in Éireann. Bhíos caillte nuair a thosaigh mé, bhí gach duine eile abálta labhairt sa rang faoi gach rud agus mise i mo shuí gan cliú dá laghad agam! Mhothaigh mé an-seafóideach nuair nach raibh mé ábalta páirt a ghlacadh sa comhrá, ach i m’Ollscoil caithfidh gach duine páirt a ghlacadh sa rang agus tar éis cúpla seachtain thosaigh mé ag caint sna ranganna agus cé go bhfuil mo chuid Gearmáinise go huafásach, d’éirigh sí i bhfad níos fearr! Tá
eagla fós agam fé na scrudaithe agus na haistí (scríobhann siad fiche leathanacha le haghaidh modúl amháin!!!!!!) Ní rabhas sa Ghearmáin ach dhá seachtain nuair a fuair mé post mar freastalaí! Rinne mé imeacht le mo ghrúpa Erasmus sa teach tábhairne Éireannach, agus chuala an t-úinear gur as Éire mé agus thug sé chuireadh dom teacht isteach arís chun agallamh a dhéanamh! Rinne mé an t-agallamh trí Bhéarla agus Ghearmáinis agus bhí ionadh an domhan ormsa nuair a fuair mé an post! Bhíos an-neirbhíseach nuair a rinne mé mo chéad seal ach tá mo chomhoibrithe an-deas agus i gcónaí ag caint liom as Gearmáinis agus tugann siad cabhair liom nuair a dhéanaim botúin nó nuair nach bhfuil aon focail agam! Is aobhinn liom a bheith ag obair ann anois, is cosúil le m’athbhaile! Bhuail mé le daoine ó fúd an domhan agus táim abálta caint leo as Ghearmáinis nó Béarla (ach is fearr liom gearmáinis dar ndóigh!). Táim ag foghlaim níos mó ná an teanga, táim ag foghlaim fé beoracha Gearmánacha agus conas iad a ullmhú – rud an-tábhachtach i gcultúr na Gearmánaigh, go háirithe i mo cheantar. An rud is fearr liom a bhaineann le mo thaithí Erasmus – cairde! Rinne mé chairde ó ghach áit ar domhain agus táim an-bhuíoch as bualadh leo, toisc go creidim nach mbeinn abálta Erasmus a dhéanamh gan iad! Is duine saghas cúthalach mé agus nílim i gcónaí compordach ag bualadh le daoine nua, ach shocraigh mé go ndéanfainn mo dhíceall chun rudaí as mo chrios chompord a dhéanamh! Bímid ag foghlaim fé cultúir eile nuair atá muid ag teastail trí na Ghearmáin nó go dtí Prág agus caitheann muid go leor ama le chéile ag caint agus ag cócaireacht! Sé seo mo scéal! Cé gur thosaigh sé saghas decair, bhí gach rud go hiontach ag an deireadh! Tógann sé beagáinín ama, ach tar éis cúpla seachtain éiríonn tú níos compodaí leis agus is fíor a rá gurb é Erasmus an t-am is fearr i mo shaol!
Byline focus
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Meeting Mr. Z80, an interview with Damien Scattergood JACK COLEMAN Byline Editor
time job on its own and super exciting. In that time I learned multiple languages 6502, Z80, 68000, C, Basic, Forth and multiple OS’s. Most of our code was at chip-level – so you had a steep learning curve and every single day was a new challenge. My first bit of crazy coding was writing a Z80 to 6502 cross compiler. Don’t even ask!” I am someone who is avidly interested in this era of the gaming industry. It was a time when developers were like explorers, carving out new paths in technology and pushing the limits of their hardware. Hearing Damien talk about his experiences during this era was fascinating: “Remember at this time we had no Internet! There was very little information or resources available either. We had to learn by trial and error, reverse engineering code and ROM disassembles and just by talking to other developers. I remember spending hours on the phone talking to other developers about how we coded routines. We’d met up in hotels, computers clubs and exhibitions to share ideas, code and reference information. Handwritten notes were the big thing back then. Printers? They were for the elite developers only. The competition was pretty fierce too. We always wanted to show off our latest bit of code that pushed the machines that little bit further. At the time we didn’t have a lot of tools, game engines like today were just in our imagination. We had to develop our own coding platforms and engines ourselves. My first few games were developed on pen and paper. I wrote the assembler mnemonics beside the code and then painstakingly typed the numbers into the spectrum to run it. I still keep some of the code to remind me of those days. I think I got my first official assembler in 1985…”
For those who are unfamiliar, Damien Scattergood is a legend among Irish game developers. Known as “Mr. Z80” (named for the Z80 assembly language), Damien developed a multitude of games during the 1908s, the golden age of game development. Working for a studio full of young and hungry developers like himself, Damien helped develop beloved games like Vigilante (1989) and most famously Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1989). Recently, I caught up with Damien for a chat. Now running his own independent studio, Scattergood Studios, I was eager to pick his brain about And what keeps Damien developing games to this day? “Gone are his future plans as well as reminisce about his work in the ‘80s. the days of simple graphics and beeps. If I can imagine it I can create I opened up by asking Damien to give me a more detailed account it. I play keyboards too – so I can get very creative with my music and of his history in the gaming industry as well as what keeps him going sound effects. As a creative artist, I have lots of avenues to explore – over forty years later. “In 1980 computers were pretty much unheard sometimes too many. This has really expanded the potential for games a lot. I actually think the big game companies still have a long way to of. My dad was a mechanic so I was always interested in machines go, they are really only starting. We are still in a very exciting time. and tinkering with things. I was able to get a few hours here and Gaming is more about creative media now. All forms of media are now there on a TRS 80 in one of my friends’ schools and I got hooked. merging – Music, Film, Gaming, Storytelling. Look at the development When the ZX80 was launched I begged my dad to buy me one. It of video production techniques in Disney’s The Mandalorian. took me a year but eventually, he bought me a ZX81! We used it to The film sets and the StageCraft Graphics Engine they use – are play games. There was only a handful of games so we all started to straight from the gaming industry. The technologies are the same”. write our own small games. We just got hooked. You’d write a game share it with friends and have fun together. I found I was pretty good I was curious to know more about Damien’s time at Emerald, and after a while, I thought I could make a living doing it – so I tried. the studio that created hits like Moonwalker and Vigilante from a At the time most commercial companies were actually set up and run townhouse in Waterford: “Emerald was amazing. For the first time, out of back bedrooms. The machines were cheap and you had an someone believed in us as developers. We were a bunch of kids, 14 of us, who wanted to take on the world and win. We pretty much did open market with a hunger for new games. The rest is sort of history”. that for the time we had. We were living the dream. We had to create “The ’80s were really exciting, you could play games and say a lot of code and tools as well. In my first six months there I wrote you had a job for a start! The pace of development of machines my game engine for the Spectrum. I then wrote a set of software was incredible. It was a golden era of development. In the five routines that converted Spectrum graphics code to the Amstrad. years from 1980 to 1985, we went from the 1k ZX80 to 128k ZX So I actually wrote for Spectrum and Amstrad simultaneously. I Spectrum. You then had the introduction of the Amiga, Atari ST, developed a sound processor and secure tape loading system NES and more. Keeping up with the new developments was a full- for our games too. As Senior Z80 Developer I got to help
21 other people out too. I wrote the music routines for “The Running Man”, the Arnold Schwarzenegger film. That was fun. The industry was very competitive and tough. After Moonwalker, Emerald tried to develop a number of their own games but the financial stretch was too much for the company and they eventually folded. It was a pity as we had some amazing talent. At the time the games industry was still frowned upon by big businesses. We had always been told to get proper jobs – so raising capital was a tough challenge. I could tell you plenty of stories about that!”. Damien’s future plans for Scattergood Studios involve a multimedia approach, he wants to bring creatives together to combine music, film, storytelling, games and art to create unique experiences for fans. One of the studio’s current projects is a game called Zoro Zombies. When asked about the game’s development progress, Damien responded with: “This is our first foray into the Defold Engine. It is coming along slowly. I’m learning the engine and writing the code at the same time – which means everything is a little slower. For this game, I’m trying to differ the development model slightly as well. I’m developing the graphics last, which is a bit odd. So what you see on my social media channels are only prototype graphics. The principle is to develop a working game model quickly – with all the basic code elements and then flesh it out later”. Scattergood Studios has a lot of content in the pipeline. Games like Zoro Zombies and Bubble Trouble are currently in development, a short film titled “The Explorers” is in production and an app and book are also planned. Damien hopes to hire some freelance Defold developers soon if any of our readers are familiar with the engine and
byline focus are interested. In addition, Damien also has an investing project called “Baby Dragon” which he hopes to use to invest in small projects. At the conclusion of our interview, because I was curious, I asked Damien which games that he’s developed were his favourites. Additionally, I also asked what his favourite games were in general. For development, Damien cites Moonwalker as his favourite because “it pushed me to my limits”, he also mentioned, “SuperTed: The Search for Spot” (1990) because he was a fan of the cartoons and “Vigilante” because of the rivalry he had with the developers of a competing beat’em up “Target Renegade” (1988). As for his favourite games that he’s played, Damien is partial to “Jetpac” (1983) because “This is the first big game I owned and played to death. At the time it was simply amazing. It’s very simple but for the time it was lightning fast and super playable. There isn’t a lot to the game, but the playability is awesome. You don’t get that in many games today”. He also enjoys Uridium (1986) and Trantor: The Last Stormtrooper (1987) because of their amazing soundtracks and visuals that seemed to push the limits of the technology of the time. As for modern games, Damien is a fan of “Little Nightmares” (2017) because of its stunning graphics and atmosphere. I feel you, Damien, that game simultaneously terrified and mesmerised me. It was an absolute pleasure talking to Damien and I’m very excited to see what he produces in the future. He would like me to leave this interview off with the motto of Scattergood Studios, “Create, Inspire and Play”, if you want to get into games then just go for it.
FILM & TV
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Help, I’m Trapped in an Online Printing Press CORMAC MCCARTHY Film & TV Editor
Now reader, before you start to agree with the our Nadine, I’m going to have to stop you right there. The BBC is not and should not be thought of as a streaming service. It should instead be thought of as something similar to the health service. They are both under constant scrutiny. However, even if we only go to the GP once, the majority are happy to pay a large price for it in taxes, because those on the fringe of society and those who need it most will get the most benefit out it. The BBC is the same. Do you think that Netflix, in the event of a pandemic induced lockdown, would ever roll out daily educational programming for months on end? Would Amazon Prime ever dedicate half an hour every day to local news stories?
The British. What are they like? The mad cats. After years of the desire to return to the empire of the past, they only go and destroy the very thing that kept any glimpse of their empire in the cultural mindset throughout the 20th century. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The concept of culture for many Western countries is heavily predicated on the media and the public’s very interaction with it. This is especially true for the Brits who have long been one of the largest exporters of culture with their music, drama, literature, etc. At the center of this cultural behemoth was the BBC. To us non-Brits, they are just the tv station that used to make Sherlock and the Great British Bake Off. But to them they are much more than that; they also do the Olympics. Supported by the television license for nearly a hundred years, its quite incredible the services that are offered for just 49 pence a day. 8 TV channels, 16 radio stations, children’s programming, regional channels, news. This doesn’t even include services that are not as highly promoted such as an actually working player, podcasts, recipe databases, educational programming, international communications and human interest stories. They provide round-the-clock fresh and original programming that isn’t just repeats of The Big Bang Theory. But in recent years, its news content has been the subject of controversy. After being accused by the Conservative party, and subsequently the public, as being utterly biased towards a left-wing political perspective, the necessity of the TV license was brought into question. In this politically divided modern landscape, if you’re not with us then you’re against us. This bone of contention was tossed around for years as a means for the neo-conservatives amongst the Tory party to hand over another public entity to the private sector. And so, last week the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, announced that the institution would undergo a funding restructure. It would become more closely attuned to those of Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO by having a subscription based service. Those in favour of the decision pointed to the fact that those who do not use all of the services should not have to pay for the full subscription.
The license fee is expensive yes, there is no doubt about that. Yet, I don’t think that any other media provider has such value for money. Sky Sports alone costs roughly 50 euro a month. It’s a sad thing to see when an incorrectly perceived bias in some of its news stories tarnishes the legacy of a service that is rooted in the cultural foundation of the United Kingdom. This is a true of the decline in the public’s respect and reverence for public entities. However, instead of dismantling it completely it instead should be open to restricting and answering the public’s concerns. As Mitch Benn once sang, “I’m proud of the BBC, they’re a part of you me. Apart from this awful weather, it’s the only thing that keeps us together.” Here, in Ireland, it is the same story. Its easy to see the slow dwindling of interest in RTE now that viewing figures have declined and there is less of a need for such an institution. Yet, apart from TG4, it is the only station that is constantly pursuing Irish interests. We are a small island, and I firmly believe there is a definite need for the channel. It may not be perfect but it’s better than the alternative of having imported channels that only serve as distraction pieces for the masses. While the future of RTE is an article for another day, let us not go the way of the BBC and instead focus on how it can progress better and more suited to the modern media landscape.
FILM & TV
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20 Netflix Films and TV Shows That Are a Decent Watch CORMAC MCCARTHY Film & TV Editor
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13th – Ava Duvernay’s gripping documentary won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The powerful film chronicles the history of America after the 13th Amendment to America’s constitution abolishing slavery.
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Black Books – Underrated comedy from the writers of Father Ted and the It Crowd about a bitter Irish bookshop owner and his inability to deal with the public.
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Derry Girls – With the third season set to be aired later this year, refresh your mind with this comedy series from Lisa McGee about a group of five growing up in ‘90s Derry.
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Don’t Look Up – Adam McKay’s biting satire of the modern political landscape when a meteor threatens to destroy the earth as we know it.
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Easy A – Emma Stone delights in her breakout role about a student, attending a religious school whose lies spin out of control
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Ferris Bueller’s Day off – Another classic coming of age comedy. Starring Matthew Broderick, it concerns a high school student going to great lengths to have the best possible day off
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Fresh Meat – Comedy-Drama series from Channel Four starring a young Jack Whitehall about six college students sharing a flat
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Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened – Docuseries about the disaster that was the Fyre Festival. With such highlights as paying Kendall Jenner a quarter of a million to post an orange square to create buzz.
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Icarus – Aptly named documentary about the Russian doping scandal that begins as a simple experiment and sparks completely out of control
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Inside Job – Documentary narrated by Matt Damon. A concise and near perfect chronicling of the collapse of the housing market and the aftermath that ensued.
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Into The Wild – Sean Penn’s directorial debut is a heartbreaking coming of age film about a young man going off on journey of self-discovery. Includes a fantastic soundtrack to match
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Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich – Although with no update concerning Mr. Andrew Windsor, this shocking four-part docuseries gives a deep dive into the downfall of Jeffrey Epstein
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Ocean’s 11 – Now 20 years old, this caper boasts an all star cast and an edge of your seat pacing to give you the heist movies to steal all heist movies
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Okja – Dark but quirky story of a young girl’s relationship with her pig who are torn apart by greedy corporations who wish to use the pig’s large stature for profit. Directed by Bong-Joon-Ho of Parasite fame.
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Rocks – Black Comedy about a young girl, nicknamed Rocks, and her younger brother who try to avoid social services after the untimely death of their mother.
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The Lighthouse – Surreal drama about two lighthouse keepers in the early 19th century. Filmed in a 1:1 Aspect ratio, the film is as odd as is it enjoyable.
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The Pianist – Based on the Holocaust memoir by the PolishJewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, this powerful World War 2 film starring Adrian Brody is a bleak drama that won’t leave a dry seat in the house.
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The Power of the Dog – Netflix’s recent spur of films have been gem after gem. In particular, this western starring Jesse Plemons and Benedict Cumberbatch. Written and Directed by Jane Campion, it’s a thrilling film that deals with themes of jealousy, grief, and greed.
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The Truman Show – Comedy drama starring Jim Carrey. A personal favourite of my own and recently brought back to Netflix. It’s a charming film with a career-best Jim Carrey performance to boast.
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The Witcher – Based on the immensely popular game that our two resident game experts, Jack, and Chloe, have informed me is a damn good game. This fantasy-based series starring Henry Cavill manages to throw off all accusations of being a Game of Thrones clone by having a distinct tone of its own. With a tantalizing story and incredibly likeable performances, it’s the series to watch.
FOOD & HEALTH
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moo-ve over dairy NATHAN CAREY Food and Health Editor
It’s 2022 and you’re still drinking dairy? The rise of alternative plant milks seems almost unstoppable over the last 5 years, and while here in the West the endeavour may appear like a new craze, Eastern countries have been using non-dairy ‘milks’ for centuries. The earliest record of a plant based milk dates back to a n Iraqi recipe book written in the 1200’s. The book makes mention of almond milk as an ingredient in a number of recipes. Just like today, the method of making the milk involves crushing the almonds into a fine powder and immediately mixing with water to create a homogenous liquid. In the early 1600’s there are records of many districts in China consuming soy milk and in the 1800’s Frenchmen visiting China wrote of the dairy alternative. In 1910, the first soy milk factory was established in Paris, with the first patent filed for such a product. The ever popular oat milk was first created by a food scientist studying intolerance to lactose in the 1990s. This creation led to the start of the best-selling oat milk brand ‘Oatly’. In the last five years the plant- based
Homemade Oat Milk: Ingredients
- 100g oats - 750ml Water Method - Submerge oats in a bowl of water to soften overnight (or at least 5 hours) - Drain and add to a blender or food processor along with 750ml water - Process for 2-3 minutes until smooth - Filter through a fine mesh sieve (a muslin cloth or coffee filter can be added for a smoother texture) - Will keep in the fridge in an airtight bottle for up to 4 days Note: try experimenting by adding other flavours to your milk. Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder or some vanilla while blending to make tasty variations!
milk market has grown by 130%. In the last half year alone, it is estimated that the non-dairy milk market has increased by a whopping 16%. Many peoples motivation for the switch to non-dairy milks stems from the increasing awareness that cow’s milk may not be the health elixir it was once promised to be. Scientists suggest that over half the world’s population are unable to properly digest dairy, and consuming it can lead to host of digestive issues. Another reason for the switch has to do with rising levels of veganism. According to The Vegan Society, google searches for ‘vegan food near me’ grew by over 5000% in 2020. Consumers are also becoming more aware and selective with their purchases regardless of whether they are vegan or not. This is especially true when choosing a preferred milk as the traditional dairy industry contributes to more than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Ireland alone there was a 50% increase in dairy cow numbers in the last decade. Although groups such as Teagasc have vowed to decrease emissions in the next few years, switching to a plant-based milk option still stands as a better alternative. Another great perk of plant-based milks is that they are relatively easy to make at home. If you’re in a pinch, why not try whipping up your very own batch! I’m going to share the procedure for homemade oat milk, but most variations are made in a similar fashion.
FOOD & HEALTH
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Chicken Katsu
NATHAN CAREY Food and Health Editor
Katsu may just be one of my favourite dishes to make at home. While it was once daunting, modifying the recipe for a home kitchen made it so much more approachable. Traditionally Katsu is a piece of protein that is coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried (sounds good right?). In Japan you will find most variations centring around a pork cutlet named Tonkatsu, although chicken and seafood varieties also exist. My personal favourite is chicken katsu as chicken is easier to find and is usually cheaper. This recipe is a great mid-week meal as the meat can be marinated overnight and be ready to cook when you get the time. While it can be served on its own or with a side salad, I like to make it a full meal with some rice and a Japanese style curry sauce. Ingredients: Method: 2 chicken breasts • Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthways so that you are left with 4 evenly sized pieces of 400ml buttermilk (any plant based chicken. milk can also work here) • Place the chicken in a large bowl with the milk and 2 tbsp soy sauce. Mix well and place in the 4 tbsp soy sauce fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). This step ensures the chicken will be super juicy. 100g flour 2 eggs • To make the Japanese curry sauce, add the chopped onion, carrot, ginger and garlic to a pot 2 tsp chilli powder with a spoonful of vegetable oil. Fry until the vegetables are soft then add a tsp of miso paste along with the curry powder, chilli powder chicken stock cube/pot and the remaining 2tbsp of 2 tsp cracked black pepper soy sauce. Top up with about 600mls of water and stir until combined. Simmer for 20 minutes 2 tsp salt then blend using an immersion blender. Keep warm. 200g panko breadcrumbs Vegetable oil • When you are ready to cook the chicken, place the panko breadcrumbs, flour and beaten 1 onion chopped eggs into 3 separate dishes. Whisk chilli powder, salt and pepper through the flour. Dredge the 1 carrot chopped chicken first in the spiced flour, then the egg and finally the panko. Be sure to firmly press the breadcrumbs onto the chicken so that no area is left uncoated. 8 cloves garlic chopped 2cm piece of ginger minced • Once all the chicken is well coated, pour vegetable oil into a frying pan or shallow pot. I suggest 2 tbsp curry powder (mild or hot) pouring until you full coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it reaches a temperature of around 180°C. Once hot enough gently lay two pieces of chicken 1 tsp miso paste into the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown (around 3-4 minutes per side). Chicken stock cube/pot Rice to serve
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Slice the fried chicken into strips and serve alongside rice and your homemade curry sauce.
As always if you make any of the recipes featured in the Express, we would love to see them! You can post a picture on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ExpressCooks.
MUSIC
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On Best Practices FLORRIE MCCARTHY Music Editor
I would say there are quite a few of us around Ireland who were sent to music lessons for a portion of our childhood by our parents(as a warning, this article is going to be basically fully directed at these people). Regardless of whether we were prodigies destined to become rockstars, showed the slightest inclination to bang a few pots and pans together or couldn’t tell a harmonica from a toy tractor, some parents around the country will see baby virtuosos through their rose-coloured glasses no matter what was really there, and so they took the notion to go to the lengths of finding a teacher with the patience to drill three blind mice and other favourites into a snot-nosed tot. I understand that this would probably be regarded by many as a fairly privileged position to be in, what with music lessons generally being very expensive, so many would see it as a luxury. While this is true, and I understand how I and many others across the country were lucky to have this as part of our growing up, it is a lot harder to see these occasions as opportunities when you have the combination of the small, childish short-sightedness that only sees what you want right now and what is easy along with the fact that cartoons are on TV at home right now and you could be watching them or playing outside instead of squeezing your very soul out through a battered trumpet. Maybe that last sentence hints loudly enough(no pun intended) how that particular image is personally anecdotal - indeed, I was pushed through lots of different structures in music around Cork between the ages of six and eighteen – first taking a little plastic recorder into music appreciation lessons, upgrading to the piano in second class, going through a guitar phase in third class and getting a cornet (small trumpet with a mellower sound, NOT just for small people) in fourth class and having to stick with it up to sixth year. While I might see now that summed up to bring immense value to my life, in the form of the enjoyment I get out of music as a more developed individual, I know that ninety percent of those lessons I took were spent in misery. The amount of homework I had done rocking up to my recorder lessons? Minimal. The ache in my fingers trying to play the scale of C major on guitar for the first time? Excruciating. The wrenching agony in my gut while feeling the seconds tick by sitting in the waiting rooms outside the piano exam halls? Horrible, indescribable. The dread I felt going into cornet lessons knowing my teacher would see straight away the lack of practice I had done? Absolutely overwhelming. And the trouble all stems from that last, greatest sin for musicians – having no practice done. You see, as I said at the start, all these music lessons were undertaken essentially against my own will. Sure, it ended up being a great idea, but at the time, practising music was the most painful process I had to deal with in my insignificant, silly little life. I already spent way too much time on my homework every day, having an absolutely shocking attention span, and so it’s not like I needed anything else to eat away at my free time in the evening. So, when it was time to take out the books, go through the scales, go through the hard bits of recital studies and go through all the foundational elements of good playing technique, I would mope and moan endlessly to myself. Taking all this attitude into account I think you’ll believe fairly easily that, especially when I was younger, not
a lot of practice got done when it was meant to. If I was being paid hourly to practice the cornet in sixth class, I’d be a very rich man, considering the number of times I became bored with scales and put down the instrument “just for two minutes” to wander into the TV room and see try and get a glimpse of my brothers’ envious freedom, subsequently forgetting I was on the clock. No, with my unfortunate lack of ability to focus as a child it was a tough task working through a process that I didn’t really want to be a part of. Funnily enough though, now I can’t help but wish I had done more practice when I was younger. I like being good at music for the sole reason of being able to hear cool music when I play for myself. Obviously, there’s work I can still do now, but there’s some of that time that I wish I could have back. However, the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago and the second best time to do it is now. So, when I get the time these days, I do a bit of practice. It’s a hard mental wall to get yourself over, to sit down and pick up the guitar or open the piano and prepare yourself to do things slowly and badly but if you turn it into a routine it can be therapeutic and enjoyable. It starts out tedious, and you might procrastinate it forever if you think it won’t be that fun but there are a few things that I like to do to make it easier.
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MUSIC
most tedious thing I find about practising when it feels detached from the actual music you’re playing, but it will help you play properly, and with better technique. It is very easy to be impatient, and run up and down roughly through a cool solo after only trying it for the first time, but trust me when I say that if you make mistakes when you’re learning something, and you keep learning that way, then you will learn with the mistakes and they’ll come out when you play. Good technique is important for clean, smooth playing. If you ever get tired or it feels like time to stop, then maybe it is just time to stop or take a break. You can practice as hard as you like but your hands will need time to rest, as will your mind. Practising can be really mentally exhausting so it is very important to know when to stop. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly – use a metronome! This is the most painful type of practice for a lot of musicians, and understandably so, but it will make you a better musician. If you Then, when it comes to doing the actual practice, it will of course keep messing up, it can be really annoying to wait for the first click vary from instrument to instrument, but there are many concepts to come around – try turning off the 4-beat setup so you have a about general practice and about music theory that is applicable constant click to practice to that doesn’t have bars/measures. to all musicians. A huge one for me is to practice slowly. This is the Happy practising! For example, you don’t need to be practising for hours. Setting aside a half-hour slot a day, whenever you can fit it in, or even just twenty minutes whenever you can build up a lot faster than you think. A psychological concept that I find myself fascinated by is the power of habit, and what it can make you do. If you can build good habits to practice often, and make sure you practice well, you set yourself on a steady track to becoming better and better, slowly and steadily. So, leaving your guitar out on a stand in the corner where it is easy to grab makes the process of building that habit of practice that little bit easier, if that’s what you’re trying to do; and then, getting into the habit of only practising for a half an hour day when you want to will help you always remember that even if you are not enjoying your practice, that it won’t last long and that it should be easy enough to power through.
GAMING
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The Unconscious Influences of The Last of Us Part II DANIEL GAVILOVSKIS Student Contributor
Video games are considered the second most effective form of mind control after narco-hypnosis and, like narco-hypnosis, much of what makes games powerful goes on in the mind’s unconscious. This is true of any story. Have you ever noticed how in The Matrix, while Neo is getting given out to by his boss, the window cleaner’s sud trickles like falling code? Or how in Casablanca, our libertine is shaded by shadows that resemble prison bars, almost as if he feels jailed by his surroundings? These are motifs that are so hidden you don’t even register them. But your brain does. Pile up enough of them and they can make all the difference, breaking a game, with you left scratching your head as to why you dislike it. One pandemic-era game, in contrast to its predecessor, was incredibly divisive: The Last of Us Part II. Each person who loves/hates the game could write you an essay on why the coprotagonist is profound/bland, or how director Neil Druckmann’s social commentary is so relevant/obvious. There have been controversial stories before. But the game’s detractors struggle to put a finger on what it is that’s so wrong with the story. Because they only look at the surface story, they can only point to non-sequiturs and elements that work perfectly fine in other stories. What gives the game its identity on the subliminal level? The CNN/Fox divide: Certainly, moral ambiguity was a part of the 2013 original. But the meat of TLOU consisted of killing enemies that were fairly unequivocally - and in typical game fashion - bad. When it wasn’t hunters looking to steal your shoes and burn the body it was pedophilic cannibals or faceless stormtroopers. The ending served almost as a ‘gotcha’ twist, making us reconsider the protagonist’s brutality in a new light. But in Part II, enemy NPCs have names. They gossip about food rations before begging for mercy or mourning their dog. A kind of post-truth moral greyness clings to the story and gameplay. Druckmann himself said the game is about “tribalism, trauma”, and how political opponents get dehumanized in the pursuit of ‘justice’. To anyone who was paying attention to Druckmann’s home opponent. As Renoir said (and here’s a quote to win brownie country, it all seems eerily similar to the political savagery that
was burning through the States during the game’s production. Partisan rifts, conflicts arising from accidental escalations or the brainlessness of leading higher-ups. A common theme is people being unable to see that they’re all driven by the same familiar old feelings - comradery, revenge, pride. At the best of times, characters will see the enemy faction as hopelessly ignorant. It’s THEM that started it. If only they could come to their SENSES. The Truce was a ceasefire broken in retaliation to the Seraphites stringing up an entire squad, in retaliation to shooting those kids, in retaliation to them shooting our guys etc etc etc. Sounds like how Twitter threads escalate. Halfway through the game, our perspective shifts to that of the previously irredeemable villain, whom we play as for the rest of the story. By doing this, the game compels you to empathize with them in a way that feels remarkably like scrolling through the social feed of a partisan points with your professor): “in this world, there is one awful thing: everyone has their reasons”. Time and again we see the same hopeless patterns of recrimination and tit-fortat spurred on by miscommunication and misunderstanding that Druckmann would be privy to every 6 o clock, and it shows in a story with a hectic new preoccupation. Is this the reason some players felt so detached from the story? A common complaint about Part II is that it doesn’t feel like a Last of Us game, and it’s hard to pin down why. And yeah, looking back at the fresh-faced 2013 original, the difference in how enemies are portrayed is striking. On the other hand, some have praised Part II for its relevance. But it’s important to remember that what is relevant at one point may seem outdated in the future. Only time can tell. 2013’s Fan reaction: More than anything else, the aesthetics of Part II takes cues from the fan reaction to the original game. Recall the announcement trailer in 2016. The scene: A bloodied hand, presumably Ellie’s, reaches into the frame, vermeiled with an intricate floral tattoo. The first thing it does is reach for the kind of acoustic guitar a school kid would have gathering dust in a corner, and, surrounded by bloody viscera in a room that resembles the original’s start screen, begins playing a morose
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country tune. Coming Soon. The fan reaction to the trailer was overwhelming, and it turned out to be a perfect summation of the game’s aesthetics, which included an innovative guitar playing mini-game. At first glance, it seems to make sense, doesn’t it? Wasn’t there a cutscene of Ellie playing the guitar in the original? Well no, but Joel did mention he wanted to be a singer. Another line towards the end has him suggest he teach Ellie to play the guitar. And of course, there’s Santoalla’s guitar score. And that’s about it. Again, The fan reaction, largely on the internet, after the release of the first game was unmissable, certainly to the developers. Just YouTube search “Last of us cover before:2016” to see the evidence. A literal avalanche of fingerstyle covers, fanart, fanfiction, spoofs, theories, discussion about the ending. Hundreds of hours informed the next instalment, in which one scene has Ellie playing the entirety of Take on Me (sad version) in the vein of a bedroom Youtube cover. Sure enough, clipped and wrenched from its context the scene’s pulled in 11 million views. Not logically but aesthetically, a floral tattoo would seem out of place in any zombie-infested post-apocalypse, but it makes more sense as an unconscious continuation of the fanbase’s aesthetic, which had fans getting tattoos of iconography and characters and fireflies and then sending it to Druckmann, who absorbed these cues as unknowingly as he utilized them. (Writing a 20-hour story isn’t easy, after all. And you can’t help but take cues from whatever dominates your own life.) Those same firefly sigils you can now see in Ellie’s journal, an all-new mechanic that houses pencil sketches of characters that look eerily similar to the same fan art that fans were sending Druckmann. Being 19 at the story’s outset, Ellie is finally old enough to play the original game. Not only that but she’s also morphed into the
GAMING
exact demographic of said game. And while Part II’s aesthetics seem to connect back to Part I, this is only an illusion and causes some cognitive dissonance in the player’s mind. There’s something to be said here about the trend of modern franchises rolling around in the muck of their legacy. If it isn’t enough for a Halloween film to bring back ageing extras who had 5 minutes of screentime in 1978 rather than risk a new idea, or a Matrix reboot to have Keanu WATCH a projection of the 1999 film, then maybe remember the near-forgotten Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Soppy violin stings and shots that ooze over ghost-traps and dusty uniforms like an ectoplasm on a pornographer treat these props with such reverence that you’d almost forget that Ghostbusters was never a particularly sincere film. Words to describe it would include dry, sarcastic, detached. Flat shots lingered on Bill Murray’s cocaine addled ad-libs in the throes of an absurd premise. So then 2021’s Afterlife doesn’t even celebrate the 1984 film. It celebrates the memories of toys, merchandise, Slimer twinkies (Americans). A monument to nostalgia. That’s the state of American media production in a nutshell. And I think most can feel that it’s not conducive to original, exceptional storytelling. It’s like a mirror reflecting a reflection of a reflection endlessly until all you see is a crude green blur. I won’t say The Last of Us Part II is on this level. It’s still an exceptional game that, if nothing else, tries to subvert expectations, which is more than can be said for most of the aforementioned SeaBoots. But it’s a tendency I’m diagnosing right now in case it spreads. If it keeps up, what would the third instalment be about? Ellie learning to cope with survivalists who make consumer decisions based on leaks? Hopefully, TLOU doesn’t become a snake eating its own tail like so many franchises. It never ends well for the snake. It either throws up over itself or disappears.
SEXPRESS
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Sex Miseducation EMILY OSBORN Sexpress Editor
*This article has mentions of homophobia, transphobia, sexual assault, and other topics that may cause upset, please proceed with caution* “When a man and a woman love each other very much…” Most of us are familiar with this wonderful opening line from sex education talks in schools across the country. While education about relationships and sex has improved leaps and bounds in recent years, a lot tends to be left to the imagination when it comes to learning about the birds and the bees. Many young people are left learning about what an orgasm is on PornHub, and even more are left without learning what consent is. This has led to a deficit of knowledge among generations, leading to urban legends about ways to avoid pregnancy and horror stories of first sexual encounters gone wrong. Let’s look at some of the ways poor sexual education in Ireland has impacted us and try to figure out where it all went so wrong.
“Our teacher made us watch Juno,”- Jessica, 23. While asking people about their sex ed experiences growing up, the movie Juno came up several times. I was also forced to sit through this, which our teacher pausing every so often to explain to us how ‘horrific’ teen pregnancy could be. Oftentimes, teaching sex education makes teachers feel embarrassed and awkward, so movies and other supplementary material are used to fill in the gaps, regardless of their actual educational content. In more recent years, teachers and groups from outside the school can be brought in to talk about sex and relationships, but when the school has control over what groups or organisations are chosen for this, the results can be poor. While there is an RSE curriculum set by the state, each individual school has control over what they choose to teach, and what they choose to leave out. Many people I spoke to mentioned having talks by Pro-Life organisations, Catholic chastity groups, and groups that didn’t acknowledge LGBTQ relationships as part of their programme. This can be traumatising for many students, can alienate them from their peers and ultimately reinforces the stigma around all these things. While talking about sex to a room full of twelve-yearolds can be embarrassing at best, teachers need to acknowledge and teach this as just another subject on the syllabus. Failing this, groups and organisations invited to schools to teach sex ed should be totally inclusive and non-judgemental and cover a range of topics suitable for the age range of the students they’re teaching, to avoid making the topic of sex any more taboo than it already is.
“We were made write down the definition of an STD ten times in our copies,”- Megan, 21.
Traditionally, sexually transmitted infections have always been a massively taboo subject. I didn’t learn about the symptoms of any STIs until I was in my first year of nursing college, and many people don’t learn about these until they visit the doctor’s office with a rash or an itch ‘down below’. The way STIs are taught in the Irish school system is that you must avoid them at all costs; with no mention of how to do this, or what to do if you get one. As a result, it’s hard for a lot of people to believe that most common STIs can be cleared up with a course of antibiotics. The sub-par education around sexual health leads a lot of people to believe into adulthood that STIs are ‘dirty’ and that anyone who has one must also be dirty. Contraception is another area of sex education, with many people walking out of RSE class knowing how to put a condom on a banana, but not about other birth control options such as the coil or the IUD. Several studies found that there was a direct correlation between poor education on contraceptives as well as poor sex ed in general, and high levels of unplanned pregnancy in young people. It’s clear that our current sex education system is failing us, and serious change needs to happen to make sure that proper sex ed is implemented in every school in Ireland.
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“Sure, you all know what consent is surely?” This quote was said in a 5th-year sex education talk. This illustrates how sex ed is often considered an optional topic in many schools; you wouldn’t hear a teacher say the same about any other subject, such as “Sure, you all know what calculus is surely?”. The first mention of consent in sex ed for most people comes in around 4th or 5th year, with no mention of consent in any discussion about sex in younger years. For many people, the extent of their consent education consists of ‘both people having sex must say yes to the act beforehand’. This is a poor explanation in many regards. Most people aren’t taught that consent should be freely given, without coercion or fear. Most people also aren’t taught that consent can be withdrawn at any time, regardless of how far into the act you are. People definitely aren’t taught that saying ‘yes’ to sex when you are heavily under the influence of drugs are alcohol is not consent. This has many knock-on effects on people’s sexual experiences later in life. Many people who have continued with sex acts that they were uncomfortable with, or when they would rather have stopped, didn’t feel that they could say no after initially saying yes. Not teaching kids about consent from an early age can lead to extremely traumatic outcomes and perpetuates rape culture in future generations. Basics of consent should be taught from an early age, and by the time a person reaches college, there should be absolutely no question regarding what is and isn’t consent. The way consent is taught in Irish schools is simply not good enough.
“You either feel like you’re a fetish, or a joke”- Síofra, 23. The lack of LGBTQ inclusion in Irish sex ed has become an extremely relevant topic in recent years. Before the marriage referendum, with the majority of public schools in Ireland being Catholic-run, this was intentionally left out of the sex-ed curriculum, and any questions directed at teachers about LGBTQ sex and relationships
SEXPRESS were dismissed. Nowadays, where LGBTQ sex ed is included, as it unfortunately still is not in many schools, the information given is substandard, with a lot of LGBTQ youth left with more questions than answers. Many people were left learning about these relationships from both pornography and from movies, which did not offer proper information about contraception, hormones, bodily changes, or portray relationships in a good light. In movies, LGBTQ characters are stereotyped, and the butt of the joke, whereas in pornography, LGBTQ relationships are highly fetishized, which can lead many LGBTQ youths who are forced to use these as a stand-in for poor sex education having poor ideas of sex and consent, as well as their own body image. The lasting impact this has on young people is prevalent, with many people growing up in the closet, unable to come out because of the fear that they’d be alienated by their peers, their teachers, and the people around them. The Catholic influence on schools’ sex education programmes further alienates LGBTQ youth, with many young people prior to the marriage referendum thinking they were living in sin for fantasizing about the same gender. Like many things, when it comes to sex education, the church should have no place when teaching children and young people about their bodies, their identities, and their future sex lives. The quotes used in this article are all from people’s real experiences of sex education in the Irish school system, and there were so many more that I would’ve loved to include if I didn’t have a word count to adhere to. Many readers will relate to at least one of these included narratives, and most people have a sex-ed horror story of their own. This illustrates that across the country, sex and relationships are taught in a way that doesn’t educate, but rather, stigmatises, alienates, and fails young people all over Ireland. For a comprehensive sex education curriculum, the Irish government need to take control over the kind of sex ed that’s taught in schools and mandate proper and extensive education on consent, contraception, LGBTQ relationships, and everything in between. No longer should we have students with stories of having to sign waivers promising to ‘wait until marriage’ or students who arrive in college who don’t know what sex is outside of pornography. As mentioned above, there have been many improvements in recent years to sex education, especially with many public schools no longer being Catholic-run/ owned. We still have a while to go before our curriculum is perfect, but if I were to give one take-home message from this article, it would be “Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant, and die.”
FASHION
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A Different 24 Hours CLAIRE WATSON Fashion Editor
Reality star Molly-Mae Hague says “if you want something enough then you can achieve it. It just depends to what lengths you want to go to get where you want to be in the future.”
The Workers and the Star Late June 2020, it is revealed that at the height of the pandemic and in a city-wide lockdown, factory workers are forced into unsafe working conditions, all while working for £3.50 an hourless than half of the UK’s minimum wage. According to a report by Labour Behind the Label, this Leicester site is a source for 6070% of Boohoo’s production, with this increasing to 80% during this time. To maintain a fast production of clothes, workers were forced to work while sick with the virus. The local outbreak of the virus was traced to factories such as Boohoo’s that had stayed open throughout the pandemic. During this time Boohoo had a market value of £4.6 billion, with shares increasing by 22%. This report also draws attention to the fact that the majority of the workforce are from vulnerable ethnic groups, with 33.6% being born outside the UK. Corporations often take advantage of the vulnerability of these workers using any language barriers, immigration status, and unemployment rates to abuse and subject these workers to horrible working conditions and unjust pay. While Molly-Mae says we all have “the same 24 hours in a day,” many have no choice in how those 24 hours are spent and are forced to work themselves to death, so that higher-ups, including Molly-Mae Hague and shareholders, are able to turn a profit. In August of 2021, Molly-Mae Hague became the creative director of Pretty Little Thing, (owned by Boohoo) after being a brand ambassador since 2019. On leaving the villa she signed a £500,000 deal, and the following year she signed for £600,000. These enormous payouts come while workers are subjected to the worst of the worst. Hague’s latest deal is alleged to be in the millions. On receiving backlash, Hague apologises to those who “misunderstood” her comments and doubles down on her “24 hours” statement. Also, Nigel Farage defended her, which really says it all, doesn’t it?
Love Island Hague is not the only star to sign such insensitive deals and be posed as a successful entrepreneur. Maura Higgens also signed a deal with Boohoo on leaving the villa, along with India Reynolds. Olivia Bowen signed with MissPap, another brand owned by Boohoo, as well as Amber Gill. Curtis Pritchard had a deal with Debenhams, and Ovie Soko had a collaboration with Asos- with both companies having similar allegations of abuse. While the reality series may be entertaining for those watching, there are many hidden faces suffering, so that those who are young and conventionally attractive are able to succeed. All of this for the purpose of selling clothes.
Ultra Fast-Fashion You’re watching the telly, the ad-break come on. You don’t want to sit through all that, do you? So you take out your phone and start scrolling through social media. There, you see everyone talking about the dresses or the swimsuits that the contestants were wearing. Everyone, including yourself, wants to know where they can buy them, and so the brand swoops in, send you an ad whether by promoting their own account or by use of influencer and voila- they’ve got you. Boohoo is now an online store, using social media and reality TV as its main sources for advertisement. It latches onto what is relevant and uses this to control trends on a wide scale. Through the use of influencers, such as ex-Love Island stars, Boohoo has been able to double its profits. By dominating social media, companies are able to control what people are seeing, all under the guise of “relevant ads.” If the analytics sense you’re a possible buyer, they’re going to target you in their marketing as much as possible, keeping themselves relevant in your life. In doing so, brands like these are able to control trends. To ensure a constant flow of profit, new trends are introduced at an alarmingly rapid rate, creating this environment of single-wear fashion. These disposable garments need fast production rates, which leads to dire situations as seen in the Leicester factory, and produces incredible textile waste both at the supply chain and at home. It is the hidden price of cheaply made clothes. Because of such a strong online presence and connection to social media, it isn’t difficult for these brands to cover up their scandals. If not for Hague’s incredibly insensitive comments, this scandal wouldn’t have resurfaced. While Boohoo had done little to improve the conditions of its workers, In June of 2021, 15 key managers were ready to share a £150 million bonus. Workers had not been compensated for their lack of adequate pay, and the company refused to engage with workers’ unions. From 2019 to 2021, Boohoo’s revenues increased from £1234.88 million to £1745.3 million- the biggest increase it had seen yet.
33 Online Brands Workplace abuse is not the only issue with online brands. The environmental impact fast fashion has is egregious, and it’s not just down to textile waste either. Shein has refused to disclose information about its carbon footprint, however, the website admits to hosting production on a large scale for popular products. The company’s supply-chain transparency is poor, meaning it is difficult to determine the conditions of workers and the sourcing of materials. While on their website Shein states they do not engage in child labour, and “proactively campaign[s] against unethical practices,” there is little information to back these claims. The company also claims to use recycled materials where they can, yet very few products are made with these materials. It is the shipment of these products that have a severe impact on the environment, as Shein states that products “are loaded onto a cargo plane for a speedy transcontinental voyage,” Another issue with online brands like Shein, Cider, Yesstyle, Asos, and Boohoo is how often their trendy, aesthetic pieces are stolen designs. It’s not that they are creating dupes of designer brands like Gucci or Dulce & Gabbana, it’s that they’re stealing designs from small, indie artists as an attempt to seem trendier and more in touch with millennial and gen Z aesthetics.
How do we fix this? It’s easy when reading about these scandals to distance ourselves from the issue, and truthfully, consumers are not the issue. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, after all. But by turning a blind eye to the abuse of human rights, and the disastrous impact of these corporations on the environment, we play right into their manipulation. The thing is, this industry doesn’t want you to think you have power. At the end of the day, you are the one buying their products. We, collectively, have the power to demand better. Boycotts can be an effective way of giving the finger to a business, and telling them you won’t accept their actions any longer. I’d like to reiterate: Boohoo’s revenue increased after their controversy. They knew they could get away with it, even after everything surfaced. Now, we have a second chance. Refuse to buy from Boohoo, and all brands owned by them. Find alternatives, that are transparent about what exactly is going on in their supply chain. For a quick check, Good on You is a website that rates brands based on a series of ethics: People, Planet, and Animals. By putting a brand through their directory I can skip all of the tough stuff and learn if they’re a company worth supporting. For example, Boohoo scores the lowest with a “We Avoid.” This is mainly due to a lack of sustainable materials, a lack of transparency on gas and chemical usage within the supply chain, as well as a lack of policy to ensure workers are paid a living wage. But for those wanting to do more in-depth research, I’d highly recommend checking out Labour Behind the Label and Remember Who Made Them. Both organisations have a plethora of resources, whether that’s reports, articles, a dictionary, or theory, to make the subject more accessible to the individual. These abuses can continue because brands purposefully withhold information from their consumers, but through stubbornness and with a bit of reading, we can take a firm stand against them.
FASHION
arts & literature
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BLACK IRISH CREATIVES TO CHECK OUT THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH Cian Pierce Arts & Literature Editor
This Black History Month, I thought it only appropriate to highlight some Black excellence through the following creatives you should check out! Boni Odoemene
Emma Dabiri
Boni Odoeme (@bonbonod14) is the co-founder of the Black and Irish Podcast. On TikTok, he creates content covering topics from Black History to the legacy of black Irish around the world.
Emma Dabiri is a TV presenter, author, PhD researcher and teaching fellow in the Africa department at SOAS. Her book ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ is an incredible investigation into black women and their hair as it pertains to race, gender, tradition, politics, and history among many other perspectives.
Lydia Gratis Lydia Gratis is an advocate for the inclusion and understanding of deaf people in Irish society and in the hearing world. Gratis is now a youth and diversity board director with the Irish Deaf Society, and she says in line with the organisation’s values, her focus is to promote the equality and rights of deaf people in Ireland.
Pints of Malt Podcast A podcast where “four Nigerian/Irish lads share their experiences growing up in Ireland.” The podcast is hilarious from the start and covers a range of interesting topics.
Celaviedmai
Zithelo Bobby Mthombeni
Maimouna Salif (stage name Celaviedmai) is a Galway-based rapper who has been performing for the past seven years. The 27-year-old has opened for Lil Wayne at the O2 Arena, Mac Miller, Tinchy Strider, Sneakbo and Irish rapper Jafaris. Celaviedmai has been advocating to have black female voices amplified in the music industry in Ireland. “I want to see the push of women in music in Ireland,” she says.
Zithelo Bobby Mthombeni is a Dublin-based photographer and filmmaker who directed ‘This Land’, a documentary about race, immigration and Irishness now featuring on Youtube. The piece also explores the impact of racism and Direct Provision through the people interviewed.
Jeanne Nicole Ni Ainle
Mona-Lxsa
Jeanne is a 21-year-old model and aspiring actor. She has modelled for Confetti Magazine, and has had acting roles in the feature film Lily by Graham Cantwell and Amy Huberman ‘Finding Joy’. Her advice to black Irish women interested in modelling is to “not be afraid of your difference” and to embrace the features that “make you stand out”.
Mona-Lxsa is a DJ that has successfully progressed in the Irish music scene, playing many times at both Electric Picnic and Longitude. The 26-year-old also launched GXRL CODE, a collective of Irish creatives who provide a cross-industry platform for women.
DOUGLASS WEEK 2022 and the Cork Migrant Centre This February 10th-15th marks the second annual celebration of #DouglassWeek! Frederick Douglass moved his family to Washington, D.C. from Rochester, N.Y. in 1872. 150 years later, #DouglassWeek will remember and celebrate the importance of the Douglass family. Douglass week is a collaborative event series that celebrates the arrival of Frederick Douglass in different countries around the world. The week is marked by a variety of performative events, creative installations, and critical discussions, offering a collection of responses to address the footprint of Douglass in each country. For more information on Douglas Week, please visit https:// www.douglassincork.com/.
Many activities and projects for Douglass Week in Cork are being organised by the Cork Migrant Centre. Located at Nano Nagle Place (off Barrack St.) the Cork Migrant Centre is a local Charity in Cork that was established to provide free, confidential and current information on access to services and immigration issues. The Centre is committed to advocating on behalf of migrant children, families, and communities, and to ensure they have access to the services and supports they need to alleviate the day-to-day challenges and provide them the best possible opportunities to empower them individually and collectively. For more information on the Cork Migrant Centre, please visit https://corkmigrantcentre.ie/ .
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arts & literature
We Should Retire The “Magical Negro” Trope Cian Pierce Arts & Literature Editor
One of the main characters of the Stephen King novel ‘The Green Mile’ is John Coffey (played in the movie adaptation by the late Michael Clarke Duncan). Coffey finds himself on death row, wrongfully convicted for the “killing” of two white girls, but he possesses enormous supernatural powers. While in jail he performs a multitude of miracles including curing the main character’s bladder infection, curing the warden’s wife of her brain cancer and bringing the mouse, Mr. Jungles, back to life. Regardless, by the end of the novel, Coffey feels he is tired of suffering from his heightened awareness of the world’s suffering and of his disadvantaged position in the world as a poor black man, requests they go through with his execution. The end of Coffey’s story is him thanking the jailers that never questioned his guilt or that have done anything to try help or convince him to try get out of jail. Coffey is a textbook example of the trope known as ‘The Magical Negro’, a trope that should be retired. The Magical Negro is a trope in literature, television, and cinema; popularized by director Spike Lee (known recently for BlacKkKlansman in 2018 and Da 5 Bloods in 2020) in 2001 while discussing how Hollywood continues to employ the trope. The “Magical Negro” is a black character whose sole purpose is to help advance the desires and plot for the white protagonist(s), they are usually old/poor and possess a deep spiritual wisdom, and sometimes, actual magical abilities. The existence of a magical black character who selflessly helps white people harkens back to the stereotypical “noble savage”. Another more commonly known example of the Magical Negro trope is almost every Morgan Freeman character. Most well known is his portrayal of God in the Bruce/Evan Almighty films, here Morgan plays a literally magical neigh-omnipotent being whose sole purpose in the films is to assist the selfish white main characters in finding wisdom. In Batman Begins, he plays the character Lucius Fox, a tech genius who happily agrees to make and give Bruce Wayne all the gear he needs, no questions asked. The Magical Negro often serves as a crutch for a character playing the part
of the trope known as ‘The White Saviour’, a problematic trope where a white character is presented as a knight in shining armour coming to save a non-white group (Green Book, the 2018 movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture, is built around this trope). Why has this trope survived in Hollywood? One possible reason is that by turning black people into a supernatural character, they become no longer entirely human. As Jonathan Braylock, co-host of the “Black Men Can’t Jump (In Hollywood)” podcast said: “Even 150 years after slavery has ended, white people still feel more comfortable with a black person if they don’t have to recognize their full humanity. […] They only explore the outer edges of the black experience and refuse to recognize that being black is normal.” The exoticization of black people in media functions primarily to lessen the impact of the audience’s white guilt, this occurs also in other industries, notably in the beauty industry where historically, from Sarah Baartman to Beyonce, black bodies have consistently been over-sexualized. In the incredible short story “The Magical Negro”, Nnedi Okorafor attempts to dissect the mythology surrounding the ever-present stock character in the white imagination and literature. For far too many black people, the trope reflects an uncomfortable reality, as suggested by research on the deadly effects of super-humanization bias. Researchers Adam Wyatz, Kelly M. Hoffman and Sophie Trawalter wrote: “a subtler form of dehumanization of [black people] persists [that] increases endorsement of police brutality against [black people] … and reduces altruism toward [them].” The ’Magical Negro’ trope has acted as a tool to reinforce antiquated beliefs, beliefs that directly affect the perception of black people’s humanity. Through literature and cinema, the Magical Negro aids in the systemic dehumanisation of the black community, and in this day and age, it is an outdated trope that should be retired. The African diaspora has so many unique and interesting stories, it is truly a shame that for so long we have only served a supporting role in the stories of perceived white saviours.
Photography
Aisling Murphy Vigil photos by Jack Murphy
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SPORTS
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
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Green light given for new football championship proposal to be sent to congress SAM CURTIN Sports Editor
As the National Football Leagues kicked off at the weekend, the build was arguably muted due to the new proposal for championship restructuring. The proposal ‘Green’ as it’s known passed through central council and will go before congress next month. This is the latest proposal to go before congress as back in October, both proposals A and B were rejected after failing to receive the two thirds majority required to be accepted. Among the key findings to emerge from October were that whereas everyone was fed up with the current structures, nearly half still wanted the provincial championships to retain their central role in the All-Ireland. A task force was set up in December and delivered two proposals within weeks. Members had reviewed around 50 documents or proposals – some submitted after special congress – and also taken on board points made in October. What is proposal Green? It is in essence an attempt to please all parties involved be it the players, weaker counties and provincial councils who were scared of losing their power last year and is seen as one of the main stumbling blocks to reform. The green preserves the centrality of the provincial championships and makes their finals the basis of a roundrobin All-Ireland structure of four groups. It caters for three counties per group progressing – winners into the quarter-finals and second- and third-placed into preliminary quarter-finals. This proposal also means that the league is essentially merged with the championship with a team’s league position potentially having a significant effect on their championship prospects. For example if a team from division two is relegated to division three than they could be playing in the second tier competition. This leads us to the Tailteann Cup, newly formed for the purpose of giving the division three and four teams more games against opposition of a similar standard. What this reflects is that the green proposal ticks the boxes of ‘fairness, development and change,’ which the players identified as key criteria. It gives a greater number of matches during the summer and allows access for all to the Sam Maguire.
Based on the noises going around the past few days, the proposal looks likely to pass with and will run for an initial three year trial period. The advantage of this being that any kinks can be ironed out if needs be. What have some of the key figures in the game said about it? Donegal’s Ryan McHugh has come out in support of the proposal saying that “change is a good thing. As a player, what you want to be doing is playing games and with the new proposal you’re literally going to be playing games every week which is great and that’s what you want to do. “ Another important perspective is from The GPA headed by former Mayo footballer Tom Parsons who’s also in favour of the proposal and says that it has broad support among the players. “Players agreed that the Green proposal was easy to follow and gives more value to the provincial championships while maintaining the pillars of development i.e. ensuring all counties are guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games, which supports a balanced approach in the development of teams throughout the season.” There have been some criticisms however with many pointing out the lack of jeopardy in the group stages with three of the four teams able to advance to the next round and the number of games it will take just to eliminate a handful of counties. It could also costs supporters a lot more money in order to attend all of their counties games which for many, is the highlight of their summer. Overall, it looks like the football championship will enter unprecedented territory over the next couple of years. Regardless of whether or not people are in favour of proposal green, it is crucial that it works or the sport could very well be at risk at the highest level. One thing is certain however, the times they are a changin’, hopefully for the better. The full details of the green proposal can be read below: Green proposal: League in spring; provincial championships in early summer – as is. Provincial winners and finalists to be seeded into four groups with the eight remaining places allocated to highest-ranked counties in the league not already qualified. Winners straight to quarter-finals and second- and third-placed teams to contest remaining four places. Next 16 counties, based on league ranking, to go into four groups for Tailteann Cup.
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SPORTS
Issue 8 | TUESDAY 1st february 2022 | University Express
The Relentless Rise of Séamus Power ATAKAN UZUN Deputy Sports Editor
Irish golf is becoming increasingly competitive. While a couple of years went by, without an Irish major winner, after the height of Pádraig Harrington’s three major championships in 2007 and 2008, Shane Lowry won the Open Championship in 2019, at Royal Portrush. But I would argue that for a small nation on the golf radar, we have produced some solid players on the PGA Tour events. However, arguably, we are currently witnessing an Irish player with even greater potential to go on and win major championships and PGA Tour events, and that is Séamus Power. Born in 1987 in county Waterford, Power began to play college golf at East Tennessee State university, where he won five times, including the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in 2007 and 2010. After an amateur career, he turned professional in 2011. After turning professional, he earned his Web.com tour card in 2015 through qualifying school. As golf made its return to the Olympics in Rio in 1916, after a 112-year absence, Power looked set for a medal position, representing Ireland. Going into the final day, he slightly trailed behind eventual champion, Justin Rose, runner-up Henrik Stenson, and Marcus Fraser. However, after a tumultuous final round, on the final day, Power was forced to settle for a tie of 15th place. Power struggled to replicate the form that he showed in the opening rounds of the Olympics, in the years to come. His bid to become a regular and consistent performer in the major events was threatened as he contracted Covid-19, almost nine months ago, and feared for his future in golf. However, he began to show the metronomic form that he is currently showing in the game. After battling through and recovering from Covid-19, Power secured three top 10 and two top 20 finishes in five torrid weeks from the Waterford man. He continued to back up that form as he started the 2021/2022 season with five top 25 finishes in his first seven tournament starts, and continued to better that form. The Waterford-born player won his first PGA Tour event at the
Barbasol Championship in July 2021. In doing so, he became the fifth player from the Republic of Ireland to win a PGA Tour event. Previous winners include Pat Doyle, Peter O’Hara, Pádraig Harrington, and Shane Lowey. Having ranked in 434th, in January 2021, Power’s brilliant form on the tour events, brought him up to 72th place in the world rankings by the end of 2021. A year which started horribly ended in brilliance. He also began the 2022 year, as he left off in 2021, tying for third place at the Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, alongside Kevin Kisner on 19-under-par. As a result, after ending 2021 in 72th place, Power rose to 63rd place, which became 49th place, after his top three finish at this event. This meant, he was just one place behind his compatriot, Shane Lowry. Despite a disappointing final round at the American Express Open, Power finished in a tie for 14th place with 14-underpar. As a result of these continuing consistent performances, he has moved up to 47th in the golf rankings, which moves him past compatriot, Lowry. If he is to maintain a top-50 ranking by the end of March, he will secure a place in the first major event of the year, the Masters at Augusta, which will be his debut at the prestigious event. He is also currently ranked in 12th in the FedEx Cup standings and is guaranteed, a place in the August FedEx Cup play-offs, as he has racked up enough points to take part in the event. His relentless rise in the world rankings and FedEx Cup rankings will surely be a delight for the Waterford man, whose career was under threat, less than a year ago. Without any doubt, if Power is to replicate such form that he has shown, which led to his maiden PGA Tour title in July 2021, and has rescued his career in the past 12 months, he will be in contention to win a major event. If not in 2022, Power will be in contention to win a major event in the near future, as he has many years ahead of him to produce some major-winning performances. Let’s hope we see him in contention for some majors in the months and years to come, and see the next Irish major winner at the major tournaments, soon.
Issue 8| TUESDAY 1st February 2022 | University Express
SPORTS
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Craig Breen Impresses On M-Sport Ford WRC Debut At Rally Monte Carlo ATAKAN UZUN Deputy Sports Editor
For many years, Waterford-born driver, Craig Breen had been aiming for a full-time WRC seat. While he drove for the factory Citroen team from 2016-2018, this was on a part-time basis. Despite competing on most rallies throughout the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he missed numerous rallies on both seasons. After being dropped by Citroen at the end of the 2018 season, Breen joined the factory Hyundai team in 2019 and competed at two rallies in that season. In a reduced and shortened 2020 season, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he competed in two rallies in 2020, securing a first podium for the Hyundai team at Rally Estonia, taking second place. Breen impressed thoroughly in the 2021 season, as he secured 3 podiums, despite just competing in 5 rallies. Rumours began to mount that the Waterford driver was to secure a full-time seat for the 2022 season, which would be a new era for WRC cars, as new Rally1 regulations would lead to hybridpowered cars being built by the main teams. Rumours were that he would secure a seat with the Cumbria-based, M-Sport Ford team. Breen achieved his lifelong dream. In October 2021, it was announced that he would sign for the M-Sport squad on a twoyear deal, starting in 2022. His team-mates would be British driver, Gus Greensmith, and young French driver, Adrien Formaux. His co-driver would be the Killarney based, Paul Nagle. For the first rally of the season in Monte Carlo, WRC legend and nine-time world champion, Sebastien Loeb would drive a fourth M-Sport Ford. Lots were expected ahead of the hotly anticipated 2022 season. It was expected that performance differences between the various cars would be marginal, meaning, the driver had a key role in making up time on other drivers. As the action got underway on Thursday evening, on the 20th of January, it appeared that the new Ford Puma would be a competitive car, compared to previous years. Under its predecessor, the Ford Fiesta, it struggled to compete with the factory-based Toyota and Hyundai squads, and failed to win a rally since the Rally GB in 2018. Breen ended day 1 in seventh place, but slightly trailing Hyundai driver, Thierry Neuville. Further, he ended Friday, and day 2 of the rally, in sixth place, just under 12 seconds behind fourth-place driver, Neuville, and less than three seconds behind Hyundai driver, Ott Tanak. The best day of the rally for Breen came on Saturday. He held position throughout the day, and slowly climbed up the leaderboard. After Tanak suffered a puncture on the opening stage of day 3, on Saturday, and Neuville suffered car trouble throughout the day, Breen moved up to a strong fourth place on debut for M-Sport. The podium places appeared too far ahead for him. However, on stage 11 of 17, in a dramatic stage in which snow and ice was present, thirdplace Toyota driver, Elfyn Evans, crashed his Toyota. This moved Breen into the podium positions in third position. As the end of day 3 approached, he was over 37 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Toyota driver, Kalle Rovanpera. The M-Sport driver had just 4 stages left to clinch a spectacular third-place finish on debut for M-Sport Ford. Ahead of him, were WRC legends, Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb, who were both only competing in the WRC on a part-time basis. This meant that Breen was the highest ranked full-time driver.
He held his position throughout the Sunday stages and secured a third-place finish, finishing, 1 minute and 39.8 seconds behind Loeb, the winner of the rally. This was his seventh podium in the championship. Sebastien Loeb became the oldest driver to win a rally event, as he took the lead in dramatic circumstances, because Ogier suffered a puncture in the penultimate stage of the rally. He suffered a 10-second time penalty on the power-stage, due to a jump start. In the power-stage, as fourth-place driver, Kalle Rovenpara secured more power-stage points, this meant that Breen ranked in fourth-place in the championship. However, it was a welcome start to a maiden full-time season in the WRC for Breen. Recognition must also be given to his co-driver, Nagle, who has formed a great driver – co-driver relationship with Breen. Undoubtedly, it was also an impressive debut for him at the M-Sport squad. Having not driven at the Rally Monte Carlo since the 2018 season with Citroen, his knowledge of the Monte Carlo stages was far behind the experience of Loeb, Ogier and co. It was also an impressive start to the season for M-Sport, who secured a double podium finish with Loeb and Breen. It was their first victory since 2018, and first podium since 2020. The Waterford man’s next target must surely be to end his winless period in the WRC and secure an elusive win. Rally Sweden represents a realistic chance of another solid finish. This event takes place from the 24th-27th February. However, road position may be against the Irish crew, as road driver in this rally, which is the next scheduled 2022 WRC event, will be based on road order. Hence, Breen and Nagle will be second on the road, as they are currently the second-placed full-time crew for the 2022 season, while Loeb and Ogier are only taking part in selected events. Regardless of this road order, if Breen and Nagle continue to show the impressive form that they have shown at Rally Monte Carlo, it is likely that an elusive win will come. If so, Breen, himself, will become the first WRC driver from the Republic of Ireland to win a WRC event. Nagle, himself, was a co-driver to former driver, Kris Meeke, and together, the pair won five rallies in the WRC. It will be intriguing to continue to follow their progress throughout the season.
University
Sports
UCCExpress.ie
Volume 25 | Issue 8 | Tuesday 1st February 2022
UCC Sports roundup- Contrasting Fortunes for Basketball and Football teams SAM CURTIN Sports Editor
It was claimed National over a
a memorable evening last weekend as UCC Glanmire a dramatic National Cup victory over DCU Mercy at the Stadium in Dublin. The Cork side were 72-65 winners team who were chasing their 4th national cup in a row.
Áine McKenna made a fast start landing two threes early on to give UCC an 8-0 lead which eventually grew into a 13-2 lead although DCU began to grow into the game through Megan Connolly and Alarie Mayze and went 25-17 in arrears at the end of the first quarter. The Dublin side really began to get on top in the second quarter after scoring seven points on the bounce with sub Nicole Clancy’s three pointer the pick of the bunch. Mayze along with her American compatriot Bailey Greenberg made their class tell by taking control of the rest of the quarter ending the half with 10 and 13 points respectively. This put Mark Ingle’s side 34-31 ahead at half time. Ingle is a legendary figure in Irish basketball and has coached professionally in the UK along with being a major influence in Dublin’s five in a row success under Jim Gavin when coming on board as coach in 2017. Although UCC Glanmire faced a stiff challenge heading into the second half, Irish international Claire Melia managed to keep them in touch and put in an inspirational performance all afternoon which resulted in her scoring 21 points and the MVP award. DCU continued to be on the front foot however and built a 14 point lead early in the final quarter to go 58-44 ahead mainly through the exploits of Greenberg who was making three’s for fun. UCC’s own international star Melia put on a show in the final quarter however, showing true talismatic qualities and began to pull the strings including nailing an astonishing three pointer with the shot clock about
to go. This left it at 60-60 apiece with four minutes remaining with Mark Scannell’s charges beginning to believe that the title was there for the taking. Mckenna rediscovered her early game form by hitting another three while Melia continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over form the free throw line which effectively helped UCC see the game out with 7 free throws in total being the ultimate difference between the sides. 7265 it ended with individual brilliance along with a never-say-die attitude saving the day resulting in an eight national cup for the UCC Glanmire. After the game, a jubilant Scannell said “I hate when we get 10- and 12-point leads, because I find when we do that we kind of switch off because we think that it’s going to be easy, which we all do.” I must say I said a few prayers to my mother and father today in the middle of that game.” On his team’s performance, Scannell praised his leaders in the group. “Claire’s shot – sometimes you need something special in a big occasion to make it happen and she did and then Áine (McKenna) backed it up. Áine had a fantastic start and then she cooled off, but down the stretch when we needed a captain and we needed a leader (she stepped up). Meanwhile, there was disappointing news from a footballing perspective as UCC made an early exit at the group stage after losing to MTU Cork and IT Letterkenny. The games two place over the past two weeks and is the earliest stage the college has bowed out in the Sigerson Cup in over a decade. There was some joy for the hurlers however who opened their three in a row campaign with a 3-22 to 1-14 victory over UCD at the Mardyke. The 14 point win all but assures them a place in the knockout stages.