University Express- Vol.24 Issue 2

University

Express

Volume 24 | Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th October 2020

“Critics also claim that online activism undermines the genuinely interesting and important work of “true” activists.”

- pg 6 The Revolution Will Be Televised

UCCExpress.ie

“He describes himself as still being in his experimental phase, playing with influences in search of his unique style.”

- pg 24 A Sound You Can’t Predict: Rising stars from Direct Provision.

“I pushed myself to the last and it may not have been healthy, but I made my favourite project I’ve ever made” -pg 18 From Central Hall to Centre Stage Alex Gough, Interviewed.

UCCSU VIRTUAL FRESHERS’ WEEK GOES AHEAD, CAUSING CONTROVERSY nority of students who weren’t following guidelines, so we decided to continue on with our schedule as planned.”

Coverage across national and local media from The Irish Times and RTÉ, to REDFM’s Neil Prendeville Show upon which UCCSU President Naoise Crowley later appeared, fronted the story of UCC Freshers’ Week with heavy criticism from local residents.

Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor Government advice at the beginning of October asserted that all counties would go to Level-3 of the National Health Plan until October 27th. Since late September, universities across the country have operated under Level-3 conditions - effectively closing UCC with minor exemptions.

Under these restrictions, UCC Students’ Union understood their planned Virtual Freshers’ Week of Twitch-streamed DJ sets and online events as a safe way to connect the student body while apart. It has been an ongoing source of criticism and controversy in the local and nation-

al media as coronavirus cases continue to rise in Cork and across the country.

digitise Freshers’ Week, and launched the first event on Monday September 28th - the original date for the return of students to campus. Beth O’Reilly, UCCSU Commercial and Fundraising Officer, told University Express that the request to cancel or defer the event “was clearly not made in the best interest of students, rather to placate the Residents’ Association that had been growing more and more frustrated with gatherings as the year has gone on, which I do empathise with.”

A letter from Interim President John O’Halloran to all students on Saturday September 26th appealed to UCCSU “to cancel or defer Virtual Freshers Week” for the reason that it may encourage “gatherings at a time when our country needs us to minimise our contacts.” The Interim President advised students to “not take actions now that could impact your futures,” detailing that any breach of public health guidelines would be met with sanctions up to and including expulsion. “We knew it was unfair to cancel a digital schedule of events,” Beth UCCSU pressed ahead with their plans to continued, “because of a tiny mi-

“There is no such thing as a virtual Freshers’ Week, or a virtual queue outside our local shop, or students ‘virtually’ passing us with slabs of beer in their arms, it is very real for us,” said Catherine Clancy, Chair of the Magazine Road Residents’ Association on Monday. “We saw it last night.” When levelled with this claim, UCCSU said on Twitter that no virtual events had taken place on the night in question, and spoke about the Residents’ Association releasing a statement which they said was “a flagrant misrepresentation of the truth” for its implication that Freshers’ events were being held in person, in breach of public health guidelines.

Appearing alongside Ms Clancy on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM, UCCSU President Naoise Crowley alleged that the Residents’ Association has “created hysteria” through their statement which implied a correlation between the virtual Freshers’ Week, anti-social behaviour and house parties in the area. Ms Clancy purported the UCCSU President of a lack of empathy for the locality as she detailed her association’s experience of disruption and disorderly conduct.

Story Continued on Page 3...

Editorial

2 Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief – Fiona Keeley (Editor@UCCExpress.ie) News Editor – Maeve McTaggart (News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer – Fiona Cremins (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor – Elisha Carey (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor – Liam Grainger (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor – Rían Browne (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie) Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Édith De Faoite (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie) Online Editor – Edel Lonergan (Online@UCCExpress.ie) Marketing Executive – Fiona Keeley (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Webmaster – Jonathan Hanley (Webmaster@UCCExpress.ie) Photographers – Caoimhe Leahy, Célem Deegan (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Byline Editor – Fergal Smiddy (Byline@ UCCExpress.ie) (Deputy Editor) Food & Health – Maeve O’Keeffe (Food@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor – Imasha Costa (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor – Hugo Blair (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor – Cathal Donovan O’Neill (Music@UCCExpress) Fashion Editor – Maeve O’Sullivan (fashion@uccexpress.ie) Film & Television Editor – Kyran Leahy (Screen@UCCExpress.ie) Sexpress Editor – Jack Wrixon (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Sports – Sam Curtin (Deputysports@uccexpress.ie) Deputy News – Maebh McCarthy (Deputynews@uccexpress.ie)

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

The Necessity of Human Spirit Writes Fiona Keeley, Editor-in-Chief

The impact of the dark mornings is starting to become a regular part of my day once again. Waking to my alarm at 6am each morning I often wonder where did the bright mornings go and why all of a sudden am I faced with the prospect of waking up to be greeted by a dark sky even though my day has already begun. The only hint that it is morning is the sound of my radio, a comforting constant that tells me it is time to start another day.

Yet despite my radio being a comforting constant in the mornings, that is not and should not be the only function of the media. Media is there to inform, educate and provide a level of comfort but above all it is there to make consumers uncomfortable; to bring stories to light and ask the public if they would like to change the reality they are living in right now. It is never an easy question to answer; idealism fights with realism, unwilling to marry into a compromise. So where do we go from here? When we have to ask probing questions of ourselves and when our world demands answers.

This issue of the paper provides uncomfortable but necessary reading across many different sections. News, features, music and many other sections this week provide striking observations that will leave lasting impressions and possibly leave lingering questions unanswered.

The need for some quiet time to find a bit of headspace and find that human spirit to face these truths in our world is a must. For me this week, it took the form of a walk and ended with me bringing home a few bags of handpicked blackberries, my fingers stained purple from the juice. I walked home to nurse my sore hands which had been pricked and stung during my efforts. Despite the nettle stings I arrived home with a smile pasted across my face, proud of what I had accomplished over the space of a few hours. But lets call a spade a spade, this story was never about picking blackberries; like a game of chess it was about deciding my next move after reading pieces that shook me to my core. However, this chess game has a time element - or zeitnot - to it. There will be winners and losers but while the game is still in play we need to concentrate on the problems at hand. Media fulfills a job by bringing stories to light, to speak to our logical side and appeal to our human nature. Each of us as individuals are the only ones who can decide what course of action we take after receiving the information.

I’ll leave you with the lingering thought that has been in my head for the past week. I like to picture life as a sweetshop; there are many different sweets but there is no way that you will be able to take them all, so it becomes a choice situation. Which sweet will you pick?

Until next time,

Fiona Keeley Shame, students and a sudden change Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor In this issue, the News Section seems fixated on Freshers’ Week in a time of COVID-19—from UCC’s own virtual Freshers’ and accompanying fines, to NUIG students’ viral flouting of health guidelines and how still, some students are left behind in the digital divide. It’s not an accident that so many of our stories this issue cover those annually deemed superficial, neither is it that this was a fortnight of ‘slow news’—if anything, it can be hard to keep up.

Freshers’ Weeks have been the brunt of backlash for a long time, acting as a microcosm of binge-drinking culture and antisocial behaviour, as well as an embattled talking point on phone-in radio. None of that changed this year, except for the existence of Freshers’ itself. Going digital should have meant less of the usual conflict, especially during a pandemic, when our actions are often more to protect others than to protect ourselves—aren’t we all in this together?

As you read through this months’ news section, pay attention to the language of those we write about, the lines drawn between sections of communities all as affected by the pandemic as each other. Has the shaming of Freshers’ this year become something beyond Freshers’, instead yet another exercise in deciding who is to blame for the spread of COVID-19? Or is blaming and shaming a necessary act in our attempt to again flatten the curve?

Maybe, there is another option. Maybe, we need to shake ourselves of our favourite scapegoats, and accept that ‘blame’ and ‘accountability’ are not the same thing. One is productive, one is divisive. One has the potential to mitigate the spread of the virus, and the other can alienate swathes of the population whose buy-in is as essential as our own in the return to normality.

A solidarity once so closely held during the banana bread, Normal People, Netflix Party portion of 2020, seems to be fracturing as the pandemic barrels into the winter darkness and threatens our Halloween, and Bank Holidays, and Christmas, and New Years’. And it is grim, of course it is. But descending into a national game of pin-the-tailon-the-superspreader seems a lot worse.

Deputy Features – Eoghan O’Donnell (Deputyfeatures@uccexpress.ie) Staff Writer: Julie Landers

editor@uccexpress.ie

news@uccexpress.ie #uccexpress

Maeve McTaggart

News

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express Cover Story Continued...

When asked about the backlash the Students’ Union has received, the UCCSU Commercial and Fundraising Officer said that “it was definitely a rough week for all of us. There was a huge surge of aggressive and downright abusive emails from people,” many of which were of the understanding that the event was not virtual, but a deliberate flouting of health guidelines.

“Thankfully the backlash eased off by the end of the week, and I think the fact that students were by and large incredibly well behaved helped to ease the negative perception of our events,” Beth said.

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Footage of NUIG Freshers’ focuses minds on second-wave of COVID-19 Writes Maeve McTaggart, News Editor

The Students’ Union has noted that as the week of digital Freshers’ progressed, the number of cases of house parties brought forward to Campus Watch decreased, with no association between gatherings and virtual events being found by the committee.

Eleven students have so far been temporarily suspended as a result of failures to comply with public health guidelines over the course of the week. The action taken against them is pending the outcome of a hearing before the Campus Watch Committee. Chaired by the Director of Student Experience at UCC, this committee handles complaints not already resolved by the informal procedures of the Student Rules.

Informal resolution of complaints can include the completion of the Bystander Intervention and the Alcohol Education Programme, the fulfillment of just one of these two and paying a charitable contribution of €25, or opting out of both programmes and paying a €75 fine. If the complaint should warrant it, a student risks expulsion.

Images and videos of large crowds of NUIG students gathered for Freshers’ Week acted as a “massive slap in the face” to their peers and the rest of the country, says NUIG Student Welfare Officer Róisín Nic Lochlainn. The footage of gatherings at the Spanish Arch, Shop Street, and Wood Quay in Galway city appeared on social media in late September and prompted outcry online about the lack of social distancing.

Social media users labelled the crowds as “selfish” as an emergency virtual meeting with Galway City Council was held. Attended by representatives for the council, the HSE, the university and student bodies, a spokesperson later said that “the upset, anger, and concern of people across the city at the events that unfolded was shared and acknowledged by all.”

While the university called the behaviour “deplorable,” NUIG Student Welfare Officer said, although she agrees with the condemnation of the

gathering, it was “inevitable.” The NUIG Student Union accepted that the lack of personal responsibility demonstrated by students was “disheartening” but the Government had a social responsibility they also flouted.

“Students were dragged back to the city with no clarity,” Róisín stated. “They were told to pay accommodation, they got here and everything is online. There are no social spaces, no nightclubs. They have had six months to plan for this, so why only now are meetings happening?”

Simultaneous to the events in Galway, images of queues outside pubs on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork piqued the interest of social media and An Garda Síochána were contacted in response. Gardaí have said they are not investigating any suspected breaches of public health regulations in relation to this footage.

The concern surrounding these events comes as the rate of coronavirus cas-

es across the country continues to grow. The Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group has created a disease model which illustrates that, if current trends continue, 1,100-1,500 cases will be notified per day by November 7th.

In response to increasing cases, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) submitted a recommendation for the application of Level 5 health measures to the Government on Sunday October 4th. Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan described such measures as “the only opportunity to get this disease back under control.” Despite this, the Government rejected the recommendation and instead placed the country under Level 3 restrictions until October 27th.

The full detail of Level 3 restrictions is available at gov.ie.

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News

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

UCCSU react to Campus Watch fines Writes Maebh McCarthy, Deputy News Editor

Freshers’ Week 2020 was nearly unrecognisable from previous years.

The new cohort of students were welcomed to UCC in a virtual manner, in accordance with public health advice. However, as with every aspect of society, there were a minority of students that did not adhere to the current Government regulations relating to Covid-19 and the University’s plea to practise ‘good citizenship.’

As a result of this, eleven students were suspended from the University, pending disciplinary hearings.

When speaking with University Express, Naoise Crowley, President of UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU), said the increase in these fines came as a surprise. “There had been discussions over the past few weeks about increasing the fine to €75 from an original €50, however, we raised opposition to it consistently in various meetings.

As such, it was frustrating to see this news for the first time reported in the Irish Examiner.” Mr. Crowley added, “The information provided regard-

ing what would constitute a Campus Watch fine was very unclear, and to this point that question has not yet been answered.” According to the UCC student rules, the Campus Watch body decides whether complaints about student behaviour should be dealt with by the Campus Watch Committee, which hears less serious complaints, or by the Student Discipline Panel, dealing with the more serious cases.

According to UCCSU, the Students’ Union has been pushing towards an alternative approach to the Campus Watch fine, namely one that “encourages reflection and education as opposed to looking to penalise students financially” Mr. Crowley said. “The University has taken some of our insights on board in fairness, however, the changes made don’t go far enough, in my opinion. The fine has subsequently been reduced to €25 if the student accused of breaching the student rules, according to the Campus Watch committee, agrees to engage in the inhouse Alcohol Education Programme or the

Bystander Intervention programme.”

Mr Crowley also said in conversation with University Express, that he believed these educational programmes are far more educational and productive as a repercussion of their actions, rather than paying an arbitrary fine, especially when students are faced with high levels of expenses such as fees and rent.

Mr Crowley concluded by highlighting the importance of students and their contribution within the University.

“With the recent news about ‘potential expulsions’ and increasing fines, I think there has been a lot of reflection on the role of the University in the lives of students. I think UCC needs to focus to a greater extent on the needs of students and our concerns, to show some understanding and compassion at this very challenging and uncertain time. Without students, this institution would not exist - it’s important to remember that.” It is not yet known when the Campus Watch committee will hear the cases of the eleven students concerned.

Separately from the Campus Watch fines, the Students’ Union also came under fire from national media, for continuing with their online Freshers’ Week events, which aimed to integrate new students into the University community. All UCC students received an email from Interim President, Professor John O’Halloran, prior to the commencement of ‘Freshers’ Week,’ which explained that the University ‘could not support its operation.’ UCCSU proceeded with these events, as they were in line with public health advice, given that all the events occurred virtually. Mr. Crowley explained that Virtual Freshers’ Week was used as a means of promoting public health measures by providing “alternative entertainment to face-to-face contact.” UCCSU were able to confirm that no gathering reviewed by Campus Watch was associated with a virtual event staged as part of their virtual Freshers’ Week.

Photo Credit: Leahy Photos

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

News

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UCC transitions to a Digital Environment Writes Maebh McCarthy, Deputy News Editor Due to the Government’s implementation of Level-3 regulations for the entire country, it is now evident that universities, including UCC, will remain operating on a virtual level for the foreseeable future. UCC was already acting in accordance with Government directions, stating that lectures were to be ‘delivered online to the maximum extent possible.’ This directive was released on Friday September 25th, just prior to the commencement of the new academic term. For the most part, these enhanced protective measures were met with understanding from staff and students. Interim President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran, admitted that these measures deprived students “of the Campus experience that is such an important part of University life.”

As term commenced on Monday September 28th 2020, the digital learning environment that staff and students were adjusting to, was showing faults at an early stage. All UCC students were advised in an email on Monday morning that acknowledged the issue: ‘a slowdown in the performance of UCC’s Canvas platform.’ It was also stated in the email from IT support that the “degraded performance” was affecting a number of other universities.

The digital divide between students is often spoken about in a largely philosophical sense, but the sheer effects of the divide were acknowledged by the Government recently, as there was funding made available for the purchase of additional laptops by the University. In UCC, this is being run under an umbrella scheme, known as the ‘Laptop Loan Scheme.’ This was launched by Jamie Fraser, UCC Students’ Union Welfare Officer, on September 15th 2020. From the scheme’s inception, it was acknowledged by the Students’ Union (UCCSU) that there would be ‘strict criteria and it is extremely likely that demand will outweigh supply.’ In the terms and conditions of this scheme, the laptop remains the property of UCC for the one year loan of the device for the duration of the 2020/21 Academic Year.

Eligibility is assessed on a needs basis,

‘prioritised as appropriate by UCC and the Students’ Union.’ The first batch of these laptops were distributed by Mr Fraser on October 7th 2020 but applications are still open and the application form can be found on the UCC website.

When speaking with University Express, Mr Fraser said that students were highly interested in the initiative. He said that the Students’ Union, while working closely with ACCESS and various other support services, intentionally made the criteria ‘broad to try and bridge the middle class divide we see so often.’ When asked if he thought that

the laptop loan scheme went far enough in bridging the divide, Mr Fraser said “Yes and no, I think it was a fantastic initiative and well thought through and we’ve done our absolute best we can with the resources made available to us. However, there are still students living in rural areas and abusive homes and no amount of laptops can account for those circumstances and hence the digital divide was not fully bridged.”

Given the Digital Divide and the many other barriers facing UCC students from accessing the course content, Interim President of UCC, Professor John

O’Halloran confirmed to all students via email on Wednesday October 7th 2020 that most programmes ‘will be delivered online for the remainder of the semester.’ This decision follows on from other universities, such as NUIG and UCD, making similar announcements in recent days. It had already been acknowledged by UCC before this that all assessments for semester one will occur virtually and the examination period has been arranged to take place after the Winter break, from Friday 8th January 2021 up to Friday 15th January 2021.

Features

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED (TWEETED, INSTAGRAMMED AND SNAPPED) Writes Elisha Carey, Features Editor

clicktivism / ˈklɪktɪvɪz(ə)m / noun 1. the practice of supporting a political or social cause via the Internet by means such as social media or online petitions, typically characterized as involving little effort or commitment.

On a raw February night in 2012, 17year old African American, Trayvon Martin was walking through his gated community in Sanford, Florida when he was shot and killed by neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman. “This guy looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs or something” Zimmerman can be heard saying on a call to the police about Martin who was returning home with skittles and an iced tea he had bought from his local 7-11 that night, “these assholes, they always get away.”

merman’s acquittal, Alicia Garza took to Facebook, penning what she called a “love letter” to her people: “I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter” she wrote, “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” Patrisse Cullors shared the post on her own wall with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. The two women reached out to a third activist Opal Tometi and the three of them began setting up Tumblr and Twitter accounts under the slogan. This was the humble beginnings of what is today an internationally known civil rights movement.

Zimmerman hung up on the police. He followed Martin and shot him within 65 metres of his backdoor. On trial, he was acquitted of Martin’s murder, having successfully argued self-defence. Frustrated at the news of Zim-

August 2014 saw black teenager Mike Brown shot by a white policeman in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown’s body was left on the hot August footpath for four and a half hours. When he died, he was two days away from starting college. This

was a tipping point for Americans. Those who hadn’t been paying attention were suddenly jolted awake. #BlackLivesMatter soared to popularity on almost every social media platform. The weeks that followed saw the city of Ferguson gripped by BLM protests and riots as the African American community there reacted in confusion, frustration and pain. Police incompetence and blatant racism repeatedly came to the fore in the years to follow. Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark and Breonna Taylor are just some of the names of the innocent black people mercilessly killed in these episodes of police brutality. #BlackLivesMatter , the movement, expanded dramatically over this time, reacting and adapting to changes both online and off. The embryonic stag-

es of BLM saw Garza, Cullors and Tometi utilising Tumblr and Twitter hashtags to grow the movement’s base democratically and organically. Something about the hashtag simply resonated with people, leading to them retweeting it, leading to others seeing it and retweeting it.

It soon became an umbrella under which educating, campaigning, and organising took place. Activists were encouraged to lead BLM chapters in their local areas. Indeed, Garza, Cullors and Tometi have yet to reach household name status in the same way their creation, #BlackLivesMatter has. The decentralised approach was no mistake. Black Lives Matter doesn’t belong to any one person, or three people. The power of social media has made it possible for Black

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express Lives Matter to belong to millions.

Recent times have seen the virtual world become a permanent part of our reality. The two are no longer separate. We work online, we play online, we shop online and we meet with friends and family online: doesn’t it make sense that our activism takes place online too? ‘Clicktivism’ is the name given to the hashtags, petition links and infographics that we put up on our Insta stories or we share to our walls on Facebook in an attempt to raise awareness about pressing world issues like climate change, poverty or systematic racism. ‘Clicktivism’ is regularly criticised for its shallow and low-effort nature. In the eyes of the sceptics, online activists are nothing but “slacktivists”, labouring under a delusion that a tweet or like makes a tangible difference in the world. A lot of the criticisms of online activism seem to be solely based on the fact that it’s too easy to do, feeding into the notion that the harder something is to do, the more it matters. Critics also claim that online activism undermines the genuinely interesting and important work of “true” activists.

There are legitimate criticisms to be made about the current state of online activism but there’s no denying that it has raised significant funds for charitable causes, rocked the political establishment and been the driving force behind much-needed law reform, those who dismiss it entirely clearly haven’t been paying attention.

The term “clicktivism” dates back to the Kony 2012 era. For those of us too young to remember, Kony 2012 was a video campaign by the Invisible Children highlighting the forced recruitment of child soldiers by Ugandan Warlord, Joseph Kony. It was the first ever video to reach 1 million views on Youtube, doing so before Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’, Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ and Susan Boyle’s Britain’s Got Talent audition tape. Kony 2012 revolutionised the idea of fighting injustices from the comfort of your own bedroom but people, Ugandans especially, questioned the true impact of the online campaign. Rosebell Kagumire, a Ugandan journalist, expressed worry that the video was an oversimplification of the problems faced by Uganda. Kagumire was also uncomfortable with the idea that “outsiders” were trying to impose their own ideas on Uganda on how to

deal with Joseph Kony. I think that when it comes to Western activists promoting or trying to “help out” with Middle Eastern or African problems it can often come across as patronising, the kind of white patronisation that harks back to colonial times. It was felt by many Ugandans that the online campaign somewhat missed the mark and overlooked the complexities of conflicts in the African world. Reducing it to black and white. This is a weakness of many online awareness-raising campaigns: the intrinsic details of a given issue can be thrown out the window in favour of a snappy and simple headline. This, of course, is done to attract attention in order to raise awareness and funds for the project but we have to wonder: do people know what exactly they are supporting when they donate to online campaigns?

Sceptics of the Kony 2012 campaign also pondered whether “clicktivism” promoted complacency, a sort of myjob-here-is-done mentality, you share a video or like a post and there ends your engagement with the cause. This is a valid concern and I think it’s something we all witnessed in the aftermath of #BlackoutTuesday in June of this year. #BlackoutTuesday was an attempt by two black women working in music marketing to have business paused across the music industry for one full day. But like most social media endeavours, it soon took on a life of its own. There seemed to be confusion over what was being asked of people, and indeed, who was being asked to do it. Tens of millions of participants posted blank black boxes with the hashtags #BlackoutTuesday and #BlackLivesMatter, eclipsing actually important postings under the hashtags. Certainly, when I woke up to a feed of blank black squares posted by my peers from college, secondary school and beyond, I wondered: who exactly is this helping?

And: is silence really the answer right now? Kate White, from the University of British Columbia notes that when a small act of token support is very public in nature, allowing others to see that the person in question has supported the cause, it makes them less likely to help out later. I think that most of us can agree that the donation of time and money is the best and most important thing you can do to further a cause that you’re passionate about. A somewhat harsh UNICEF Sweden advertising campaign in 2013 went viral with the tagline: “Likes don’t save lives. Money does.”

While this is an extreme perspective it raises crucial questions about “clicktivism.” Likes and hashtags work wonders

Features for raising awareness about world issues and gaining signatures for petitions but likes and hashtags aren’t going to rebuild houses in Beirut after the August 4th explosion or put up Malaria nets in Nigerian villages. We’re all guilty of it, myself included, throwing up an infographic or hashtag on your story thirsting after the appearance of “wokeness” or that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing your Snapchat friends can see that you stand for something. But “true” activism incorporates multiple mediums, it’s okay to raise awareness on your social media pages, so long as you donate money or time to causes close to your heart when you can. Balance is the key here. If likes and hashtags are all you’re putting out, you may want to rethink who you’re doing it for…If your intentions are to further the cause, that’s what you’ll do. If your intentions are to seem “woke” in front of your friends, that’s all you’ll do.

While some critics dismiss online activism as being too easy, I’d argue that is precisely the point. “Clicktivism” is the most accessible form of activism. In the height of lockdown when #BlackLivesMatter made a significant resurgence in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, using the hashtag and signing petitions online was the only way higher risk persons and cocooners could get involved in the cause without endangering their lives.

Those who braved the streets mid-pandemic could only do so because they used social media platforms to organise and manage protests. Live video was shared on various platforms to make it easier for demonstrators to find each other and evade and call out police violence.

Indeed, if “clicktivism” ended with simple, empty hashtags and likes, its critics might be right in their claims that it is lazy and disengaged and does no real good. But it doesn’t end there. It never has.

From the summer of 2014 when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge crowdfunded its way to over 200 million dollars, to 2017 when #MeToo led to concrete changes in laws and policies across the globe, it has been proven time and again that social media activism has outstanding results.

It does not hinder “true” activism but in fact, is true activism. The Internet has given us many gifts, but it is my hope that our generation will not be remembered for its TikTok dances or meme cats but its willingness to care for one another and stand up for what is right. In times like these, that’s all we can rely on.

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Features

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

The Disrupted Narratives Of Campus Life: Love Lost And Friendships Missed Writes Eoghan O’Donnell, Deputy Features Editor

Recently, while going through a journal I keep irregularly and write in spontaneously, I came across an entry I wrote in early May. Many of the details are mundane: “MAY 4th ...quarantine is still ongoing, but at least the weather is nice.” Later in the entry I contemplate the coronavirus (as most are likely to do during any period of 2020), and I reflect on the what-could-have-been: natural for people who have spent a vast amount of time confined to their houses, with all of their plans disrupted.

One sentence in particular struck a chord with me, and made me reel in my college bedroom as I considered how all non-essential campus activity this year has been cancelled under Government regulations announced 25th September, “I feel intense grief over the lost life I had planned. Within, is a gaping hole that has formed as a result of all the experiences that have been dashed from me.”

covering from my Erasmus being unexpectedly cut short. On a personal level I felt a great devastation but understood the priority of public safety over personal gain. Feelings of misery always lingered at the back of my conscience: Where would I have been right at that moment if the pandemic hadn’t started? Would I have started packing for my summer working in Canada already?

At the time it was easy to get caught up in those feelings and many people understandably did. With great strain, I managed to persevere beyond looping through the “what-if’s” of life but did fall prey now and again. Thankfully, a few weeks later society began to progress to the new-normal we are all still adjusting to, even still, on a daily basis.

the majority of people: limits to numbers of people per room, rotas for physical lectures, distance between seating areas, specific walking directions for halls. While many people were still adjusting to their new timetable: analysing whether departments would continue with lectures physically on campus or online; or if labs would be taking place at all; or realising that their own faculty would have a limited amount of physical lectures, the government announced that all non-essential campus activity would no longer take place. With this announcement came outrage from many students across the country: on the one hand understanding the need for public safety is a priority, but ensuring the majority of students pay fees and acquire accommodation before announcing In a world of unease and uncertainty, such a statement was viewed as a form many third-level institutions - Univer- of swindling by government officials. sity College Cork included - prepared their campuses for an influx of students With campus life being disrupted again for the new academic year. Measures put for what seems to be the foreseeable fuin place on campus were implemented ture, I can’t help but ponder the narraOf course, back in May I was still re- to ensure adequate social distancing for tives of campus life that have been dis-

rupted, or never even got the chance to begin in the first place. Delving into the depths of first year campus drama to final year library stress, it is a shame to see that part of the student experience be terminated.

Studies have proven that many students, when beginning a degree are more likely to see it through until the end when attending physical lectures. Reasons for this include the collective social progression of a course: possibly seeing your classmates also struggle with the same module. Motivation from peers in your class is also derived from lectures taking place in person - all of these things are something which can prove difficult when facing a class of grey slate in Microsoft teams as the lecturer shares their information.

For those in first year, it is unfortunate that the full campus experience is not something you will get to experience anytime in 2020. I empathise

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express with you in your loss - it is disheartening to have campus craic dashed from you. Gone are the joys of Freshers’ Week: of strolling past Boole’s head, getting flyer upon flyer forced upon you by clubs and socs looking to up their membership-count, of the days of the O’Conaill’s hot chocolate van and the live music and repulsing iron stomach competition.

Campus life is about getting lost - not being able to traverse the mirrored floorpan of O’Rahilly Building or not being able to find Boole 6 or the hidden Elements in the Western Gateway Building. It is about mourning the loss of the Chicken Club Sandwich and sweating profusely in stuffy lecture theatres. Campus life is about being called out by your lecturer for needing to go to the bathroom mid-lecture. Obviously, it is about learning, but what makes it important is the social interactions. Whispering about the night before during a seminar or bumping into a person you haven’t seen in ages, going for coffee in Coffee Dock and realising why you prefer Bobo Cafe in the Glucksman (RIP Bobo Cafe, 2020).

Another disappointing aspect is the loss of possible love-opportunities.

Although you may not want to admit it, many people come to college expecting to find love, or love of some sorts - of course this is always disappointing for many people most years

(life is not a John Hughes movie unfortunately). Those lucky few it has worked for in previous years, can be grateful for the opportunity meeting someone on campus provided them - this is not the case for people returning to college this year, and might leave many wondering “What if the 2020/21 academic year was when I’d finally meet someone on campus?” Campus is also about going to Boole library, not to study but specifically going to see your library crush on Boole 3. A pressing issue this year is how incoming first years are supposed to find their library boyfriend/girlfriend and how are returning students supposed to progress things further with theirs?

Campus is a place for you to not only explore new things but to also meet new people. For many people, it will be their first time branching outside of their home or secondary school bubble. It’s about creating bonds with classmates and lecturers, getting your first invite to a College Road gaffer, forming lasting connections which will likely continue well beyond the college years.

But maybe this isn’t all a negative thing.

Sure, it’s not what anybody was expecting this time last year, but in such unprecedented, unstable times people are to be admired for their perseverance in almost every aspect of society. Lecturers are trying their best to ensure that lectures go as planned and as scheduled per timetables through the use of online

Features resources, clubs and socs are constantly evolving the ways in which they function and participate. Thoughts of Zoom quizzes probably make you feel physically ill by now, but socially distanced gatherings and guideline-compliant meetings are better than what we experienced before during the strictest months of lockdown.

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ing at all? Will you have formed tighter friendships amongst the college friends than you had pre-pandemic friendships, ones that may only have been transient before but will now last long beyond the academic years? Will the loss of certain opportunities cause us, and the people we surround ourselves with, to be more Talks of a strict lockdown happening grateful of the everyday, more appreagain may be worrying for some stu- ciative of the once mundane actions. dents in UCC - not only is it distressing facing the possibility of a legally limited As humans we are continuously prosocial routine and travel radius again, gressing and evolving to make the but for many who live up in college, situations we find ourselves in most some might find themselves return- ideal. Love and friendship and mething home to households which may not ods of entertainment change conbe too supportive or welcoming. Life stantly to facilitate our needs: none is hard, especially in home environ- of these things are being left behind. ments not matching your own personal What is happening and will continue needs and the escape to campus and a to happen for the foreseeable future city like Cork is what many people need is a new way in which we communito thrive and flourish on their own for cate all of our hopes and aspirations the first time in their lives. Campus is to one another, love will evolve with an escape and something, which for the times, and so will our social gaththe time being will be dearly missed. erings. It is not in our nature to spend our time in solitude and advancing In our new society, and amongst our technologies and opportunities will generation, will there forever be a long- ensure nobody will find themselves ing for what could have been? In years to wallowing in their own sadness forevcome will you still occasionally wonder er. We thrive and feed off the energy who you could have met or what you may of one another, and during tough, have done differently had the world not challenging times, it is the support been disrupted by Covid-19? Will the op- of each other that will get us through portunities stricken from us by corona- what we were least expecting. Look virus have long-lasting effects? Will you out for one another, it’s worth it. now find yourself in a completely different career path, one you weren’t expect-

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Features:Careers Corner

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

THE FUTURE OF WORK? Writes Elisha Carey, Features Editor and Eoghan O’Donnell, Deputy Features Editor

In 2005, a group of ten-year old children participated in an AOL study about their online worlds. At the time, they predicted that the future would be packed full of hoverboards, jetpacks, robot teachers and alien languages. While there’s no sign of widespread use of hoverboards just yet, 2020 has truly been a year in which technology proved its indispensability to the world. Our lectures take place on Microsoft Teams and your weekly shop from Supervalu can be delivered right to your door with just a few taps of your phone. But it’s fair to say that these transitions were not entirely seamless. Universities and schools were overwhelmed in the face of the difficult decisions brought on by the pandemic. A huge part of the university experience is obtaining work experience such as an internship or work placement. It’s undeniable that students specifically choose courses which enable them to get on-the-job experience during a period of work placement. In competitive fields, evidence of a work placement or an internship is the cherry on top of a student’s CV. But how are companies expected to accommodate students in the midst of a global pandemic?

structure mid-way through last Spring semester: universities - like almost everything else - were shut, causing mass disruption to the expected flow of the normally meticulously planned academic year. With no physical activities for students on campus, many placements were also disrupted. For some, placements were entirely called off, while for others, their placements were migrated online. Aoife was one of the many UCC students whose placement came to an abrupt end in March. She had moved to London in early January, expecting she’d be there for six months while completing her placement in the city. She was unsurprisingly distraught when the virus hit, and she was left without the option to continue her work online. She spoke to Eoghan, expressing her disappointment:

“Placement was something which I was looking forward to - it was a means for me to get hands-on experience in the industry while also a way for me to network and experience a culture beyond my college course. Disappointed is an understatement, and I do feel as if I have lost out on opportunities which may have opened up to me otherwise. Saying this, I am grateful my company understood the need for public health and prioritised our safety.”

Eoghan chatted with Aoife and Dylan who recounted their experiences of navigating UCC work placements in the height of the global spread of Covid-19. The coronavirus undoubtedly caused a tectonic shift in societal

Dylan, a third-year Business Information Systems student, was one of the lucky ones whose placement shifted smoothly over to the virtual world in the wake of all the bewilderment. Although disappointed to have his time at the of-

fice cut short, Dylan recognised his position as “fortunate” and told Eoghan that he was grateful for the opportunity to continue his work placement from home when so many others could not.

Reflecting on his virtual experience he said: “even from home, I learned a vast amount about the company I was placed in.” For Dylan, being able to have that routine of logging into work every day helped him cope with the lonely and oftentimes confusing world of lockdown.

“After now finishing my six months placement, I still strongly stand by my belief that every student who has the opportunity to complete a work placement, whether it be from home or in person, should grab it” While Aoife and so many students were understandably disappointed by the disruptions to their long-awaited period of placements, the exceptional circumstances of life back in March must be acknowledged. Covid-19 has been a game changer. All parties involved in organising work placements, including the students themselves must be admired for their gargantuan work. While some students may have missed out on their work placements, by virtue of simply having survived these strange times, they have successfully learned to adapt to new situations, to deal with anything that is thrown at them, to be resilient. The team at UCC Career Services will tell you that persistence, flexibility and optimism are hugely important traits to have when

embarking on your career journey.

Career planning is not one decision or event. It is a rich tapestry of experiences that lead to launching and creating your career path. Your attitude when things aren’t going your way speaks volumes. Interviewers are going to want to hear how you adapted and bounced back from the disappointment. Duke University students, upon losing their internships to Covid-19, launched the Phoenix Project, a programme that matched students from the university or teams of students with tech firms for remote work. The project, born from the initiative of a handful of the university’s engineering students, managed to match 210 students with companies for remote summer work.

There is a lot to be learned from last semester’s period of work placement for everyone, one thing is for sure though, remote working, which for many in the past was viewed as a more abstract form of workplace, has suddenly come to the forefront of all of our minds here at UCC. To learn more about the world of remote working and virtual internships, Elisha contacted Dr. Debora Jeske, an organisational psychologist and adjunct senior lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology in UCC. Dr. Jeske has conducted extensive studies in the area of virtual internships and has many publications on the subject. She explained that while

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

Features:Careers Corner

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they have only recently been boosted to popularity as a result of the virus, virtual internships (also known as online, remote or e-internships) have been around for well over 10 years.

Dr. Jeske notes that going virtual allows for many employers to source talent globally, from a larger pool of people with more varied skill sets and experience. For students, having the option to complete an internship online allows for flexibility and equal opportunities. For example, it allows students to complete internships in other locations – regardless of the distance, time zone, national borders, or the local rental situation. In addition, it might enable employers to introduce interns to mentors far and wide – going beyond who is currently in the office as is the case with traditional internships. Up until now, it seemed as though Dublin and other urban hubs held the monopoly on student internship provision, with those living rurally confronted with having to pay a small fortune for appropriate accommodation for the duration of an internship, which may even be unpaid. Pushing opportunities online opens up a world of new possibilities.

With virtual internships now slowly but surely becoming more mainstream, more and more opportunities are emerging as employers adopt the remote working model and apply it to virtual internships (for example, Matheson in Ireland). Of course, it is worth noting that not all jobs and internships are remote-compatible, yet.

Given the learning curve of 2020, the hope is that more companies in Ireland have had more time to prepare for running virtual internships so that students like Aoife, won’t be left behind again. That said, it is also important to acknowledge that not everyone has access to the facilities to make working from home a viable possibility. The lack of broadband in certain parts of the country, in combination with the expense of laptops and other necessary equipment has made remote working more difficult for some. It will be interesting to see how companies tackle this issue in the future so that all people have the chance to work from home.

the prevalence of the virus does not erase the need to continue providing our students with a practical education ahead of their launch into the world of work. Covid-19, in hand with remote employment has entirely reshaped the way we work and did so seemingly overnight. Working from home can prove very fruitful for companies. In 2015, Nicholas Bloom published a study that found that call-centre employees who worked from home were 13 percent more productive than those who didn’t. Many employees working from home also reported being happier and The pandemic has increased aware- less likely to quit their job. The benefits ness among employers and potential of remote working for both employers work placement candidates of the and employees are becoming clearer as possibilities of remote working, and we learn more about remote working and virtual internships during our 2020

pandemic experience. The coronavirus outbreak may just be the push workplaces need to make the switch. It seems that long-term strategies incorporating learning and a digital-first approach are at the heart of the future of work. ● If you are new to virtual internships and a student, have a look at the following resource: Key tips for students (https://blog.ccwt.wceruw. org/exploring-virtual-internships-key-tips-for-students/). ● Dr. Jeske is also happy to advise any students who are interested in virtual internships (contact : d.jeske@ucc.ie).

Have you completed your internship this year remotely? What was your experience? Dr. Debora Jeske is an academic colleague at UCC who is looking for students like you who have completed a virtual internship in Spring and Summer 2020. The plan is to use your insights to produce guidance for students like you, suggestions for managers, employers, as well as educators. Dr. Jeske would love to learn more about the kind of internship you completed, your experience, and any thoughts you would like to share with her. The survey is in English, entirely voluntary, and all information is confidential. To access the link, please visit: https://cacsss.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_bmEfRuJEMgyooOp

Opinion

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

‘A Generational Perspective’ Writes Rían Browne O’Neill, Opinion Editor

It has been said ad-infinitum but we are currently living through truly ‘unprecedented’ times. But, no generation could arguably be more better equipped for such a scenario than today’s generation of young people. It’s been remarked that for many of us nineties babies, a global pandemic is merely a cherry on top of a chaotic pie.

With many of us working on the frontlines of the current health crisis; navigating a transition to online learning; and facing the second recession of our generation, questions remain unanswered. How has this affected us as a generation of young adults; our contribution as members of the workforce; and most importantly, our futures?

our years sooner than our parents, our grandparents generation before us.

Mair Kelly, a BSc International Development student, believes there’s a sense of urgency accompanied by an acute awareness of the consequences of inaction cultivated from watching the fallout of previous reckonings within Irish society which sets our generation from those which preceded us.

Unprecedented Times

‘We saw when the Magdalene Laundries came to light, how people knew it was happening, but nothing was done. With these issues still so prevalent, it’s hard to envision a future where everyone will be safe. I think social media has been a key factor of this, more than ever before, young people are connected, we can hear each other’s stories, we can support each other.’

From the crash of the Celtic Tiger, to social movements such as repeal, marriage equality and abolish direct provision. All of this is in addition to our own coming of age as young adults. For many of us it may feel we’ve been forced to mature beyond

Speaking of the sense of dread many of today’s young people experience today as akin to that of the socio-political crisis faced by our parents and grandparents generation Andrew Duffy, a BA Politics student, remarks upon how we quickly become complacent in times of crisis.

‘I think we are in the opening scenes of Shaun of the Dead in which Shaun, goes about his daily life work, socialising and above all else living while TV screens display the increasingly bleak news of the viral outbreak emerging.’

‘This is akin to how many in our generation have responded to the climate crisis and to the later stages of the pandemic. The crisis is there and its existence is amplified by an increasingly all-encompassing pseudo-Orwellian news apparatus that can’t grant any sentient being a moment of respite from the latest “breaking announcing”.

was launched to support those newly unemployed. With many traditional ‘student’ jobs offering little money in the way of sick payment entitlements, precarity or seasonal status left many students ineligible for support.

Recent reforms to the payment will now see students out of work receiving between €203.00 to €350.00 per week. Jack Coughlan, a LLB Law postgraduate student, felt the initial payment was helpful in recovering costs students lost due to the pandemic. ‘The €203 rate of welfare is simply unliveable,’ says Jack. ‘The €350 a week payment shows the government can bring in these payments but simply don’t want to.”

Keeping the Economy Going In June, the CSO released figures highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on the workforce. Stark figures highlighted 51% of those aged 15 - 24 were unemployed as the retail and hospitality sectors faced the brunt of the Covid-19 fallout.

Although an initial pandemic unemployment payment of €350.00 per week

Without access to financial support many students have no choice but the sink further into debt to afford to survive. Mair shares, ‘Some of my friends have had to take out loans for college fees [and] accommodation.

While there was a return to activity, in smaller, local and rural areas, finding jobs and work was difficult.’

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express As businesses began to reopen, some were able to regain employment, balancing new pressures and expectations while also trying to keep customers anxious to return to ‘normality’ happy.

Many students have no choice but to work in order to make ends meet all whilst juggling college, caring responsibilities, contributing to civic work and the arts.

Andrew, describes the sense of unease experienced by staff in the hospitality and retail sector - ‘There is a sense of quiet unease among staff and moany customers, which is expected given the surreal David Lynch-sequel atmosphere generated by the experience of dining and attempting to create a sense of hopeful normality in the midst of a global pandemic.’

‘The vast majority of us were working hard during the lockdown, working in essential services, at the frontline, unpaid nurses, low wage jobs suffering huge abuse from unhappy customers when asking to abide by guidelines,’ says Mair.

‘Yet after working all day, we return home to see news articles making statements about how the “Covid crisis’’ was meant to be the “making” of us the “snowflake generation, but many of them have yet to learn how to be adults in the room.’

Mair recounts her own experience navigating the ‘new’ workplace and it’s pressures saying, ‘I was the only staff member wearing a mask before they were made mandatory, even though when they did, there were still customers coming in without them and it made me really uncomfortable. People peering round the glass, not social distancing and following our floor layout, but the staff were expected to keep customers happy and content and many reacted badly to our suggestions.’

Mair mentions the additional challenges faced as a young person in the workplace, ‘Customers would often come in and talk about how it’s the young people who are causing the issues, having parties, while ignoring our guidelines and social distancing from other customers; after being served by me, a young person. I felt constantly watched, like they were waiting to catch me out. ‘

The Prevailing Narrative It is true that often the sacrifices young people have made in order to contribute to society during the crisis often takes a backseat within the public narrative.

‘Young people face the pandemic head on everyday’, says Jack. ‘My grandmother summed it perfectly recently. She said she’s relieved she has no work or school to go to, she can stay at home with my grandad, dog and her polytunnel where she grows fruit and veg. She said she doesn’t notice lockdown measures but said she can’t imagine the fear and panic young people face.’

Opinion ten sacrificing their own safety to do so.

Andrew believes that the current narrative surrounding young people serves as a useful distraction from deeper socio-economic issues at play, ‘Take the recent flow on social media over moving Dublin to Level-3. Comments and opinion pieces focus on the degree to which young people have been socialising and congregating in the capital but fail to acknowledge two key issues. Firstly, the over centralisation of jobs and education in the Capital that necessitates many young people build their lives there. Secondly, properties in Dublin are absurdly expensive and in increasingly depleted conditions. This results in young people who move to the city to cram themselves into miniate apartments, paying extortionate prices in the process.’

In the wake of rising Covid cases, some commentators have become quick to lay the error of irresponsibility on the younger generation.

Those who do, paint a picture of the dismissive flouting of public health guidelines and raucous house parties.

Andrew highlights the role media coverage has played in the cultivation of an atmosphere of ‘blame, overanalyses and scapegoating’ saying, ‘I think the sentiment among the public at large is understandable when one makes a closer examination to the media consumed by middle-aged/elderly Irish people.

There have been a plethora of articles, 6:01 headlines and local radio phoneins concerning the behaviour of young people in the midst of the pandemic.’

What often gets lost in the noise of the media flurry is the positive contribution made by the younger generation throughout this crisis, with many serving on the frontlines of the health sector and local businesses, of-

‘It’s justified in context’, says Jack.

‘For example, yes young people are a large part of the workforce but also aren’t offered sick pay or benefits... so of course there is a risk young people will attend work sick. Better work conditions need to be discussed.’

Vision for The Future In February the youth vote came out in force to make waves in the general election, at the time it felt like the political tides were truly turning, that meaningful change was about to occur that would change the course of our futures. Fast forward to today and it would be a safe assessment to assume that determined energy has wavered.

Speaking on the hope that was felt by many at the start of this year Mair says, ‘If people weren’t disillusioned with our Government, they definitely are now, for me it really hurt to see how young people were shafted when it came to support.’

Jack reflects upon the sense of being sent on a backwards trajectory when many young people had just begun to build their own lives as young adults. ‘t felt like a huge lurch backwards, I had made a life for myself out of my family home. The last few years Irish society has constantly been moving forward, so has the economy. I myself was also moving forward, constantly wanting more, constantly striving for something.’

Undoubtedly this crisis has exposed and extorted the cracks in our society that remained thinly veiled to those unaffected by them. Strikingly though, it appears as if the young and most vulnerable of society are expected to ‘pay’ most greatly.

However, this moment in time has the potential to pose a critical juncture for our trajectory going forward and create an opportunity for change, as Andrew explains - ‘We can take this crisis as an opportunity to reevaluate the world that existed before and accept that normal wasn’t working. This crisis has dispelled old notions about our workplaces, education and social lives. More and more of us can see that the means by which we organise our economy and political system really is just constructed by people and can be deconstructed and rebuilt in a better way if we have the will.’

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Editorial

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Do judge a Byline by its cover Writes Fergal Smiddy, Byline Editor

I think that the Byline covers are extremely important; in fact, superficial as it may sound to some, I think the cover is one of the most important elements of our publication. The reasons I feel this way are certainly rooted in my own experience as a reader of Byline over the past number of years. I remember flicking through the Express without having much of a clue as to how it was laid out, or what was to come with each passing page and section. I’d scan each page and what would catch my eye would be a pure lottery – maybe a feature on a musical artist I liked; perhaps an image with colours pleasing to the eye and worth a second look, it varied completely with each issue I read. The only constant, however, was that of the Byline cover.

Typically a sprawling artwork or tasteful portrait photograph, the Byline cover was – and remains to be – the only page in the Express devoted entirely to the exhibition of one artwork or image. The cover’s job is to set the tone of the new issue; to make a bold statement and trust that the rest of the issue will follow up. It’s like saying “yeah I’m worth your time, now take a look inside. I dare you”.

These thoughts, among others, are what have inspired the emphasis and increased focus on creating the perfect covers this year. “Pacing Forward” were the words plastered across the front-cover of last issue’s Byline – two words powerful in their simplicity; striking in their intentionality, taken from an interview with Marcus Woods which was the masthead of our most previous issue. Pacing Forward summed-up not only the interview with a sound-maker on the rise such as Woods; but how, in my opinion, it felt to read that issue. It was initially plotted to be our first print issue of the year, and it felt like we were really making strides as an editorial team. Despite not being able to print, I still felt like the title fit. With COVID breaking our collective bollocks and hindering us at what felt like every turn, our persistence and refusal to stop working in itself was enough to constitute our own act of Pacing Forward.

As you have seen, this issue is all about “Every day ‘till now”. It’s a line from Alex Gough’s FOREVER CLASSIC – the title track of his newly released mixtape, which he sat down to discuss with me for this issue. The full line goes “It’s not about this song, it’s not about this tape, it’s about every day ‘till now that I spent making my way”, and that’s the vibe that I hope comes across in this issue. It’s not about whether individual issues go to print or get published digitally. It’s not about individual issues at all; or Editors, or even Editorial teams. It’s about all that has been done so far, since 1997; carrying on the legacy of hardworking student writers who have gone before us, and in the face of any circumstances, to continue making our way.

Thank you for your continued support of Byline and the Express. It means more now than ever before. Enjoy the issue.

Fergal Smiddy

byline@uccexpress.ie

Gaeilge

Eagarthóir: Édith de Faoite

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Ag Caoineadh Bás an Chaointe scríobhann Édith de Faoite, Eagarthóir Editor

Tá mí Dheireadh Fómhair sroichte againn (conas a tharla sé sin?) agus, le sin, tá spooky season tosaithe. Chomh fada agus a bhfuil tú ag déanamh pleanáil ar do fheisteas le haghaidh Oíche Shamhna, tá mé chun d’aird a tharraingt ar cheann de na gnéithe uaibhreach i stair na hÉireann - an caoineadh.

Ar an gcéad dul síos - cad é an caoineadh?

Go dtí an 20ú haois déag, bhíodh an caoineadh mar chuid lárnach do dheasghnátha báis in Éirinn. Tharla sé ag an tórramh, ag an sochraid nó ag taobh na huaighe. Saghas taispeántas gutha a bhí ann, slí chun an brón agus an crá croí a cur i bhfocail. Bhíodh na daoine a raibh ag caoineadh (mná don chuid is mó) ag sianáil agus ag screadaíl i slí uaigneach. Amhráin de shaghas a bhí ann. Bhí ceird agus scil ag baint leis an gcaoineadh. Bhíodh ardmheas an na mná seo agus bhí stádas faoi leith acu sa phobal mar mhná caointe.

Sna caointe, rinneadh cur síos ar shaol agus ar bhás an duine. Bhí véarsaí áirithe úsáidte go huilíoch agus ansin chum na mná caointe véarsaí eile, ar an láthair, a bhí dírithe ar an duine a fuair bás. De ghnáth, bhí bean amháin i gceannas ar an gcaoineadh

agus rinne an slua aithris uirthi.

Níl sé go hiomlán soiléir cárbh as a tháinig an traidisiúin seo, ach feictear é i roinnt cultúir timpeall na cruinne, i slite difriúla. Dar leis an saineolaí Jim Wilts, tá an caoineadh freamhaithe san Éigipt. Dar ndóigh, anois, tá an nós ceangailte le hÉireann agus an Albain don chuid is mó.

Má tá tú i do mhac léinn na Gaeilge agus tú ag léamh an tsleachta seo, is dócha go bhfuil cloiste agat faoi Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, a bhfuil ar cheann de na píosaí litríochtaí is cáiliúla sa Ghaeilge.

Chum Eibhlín Dubh caoineadh dá fear céile nuair a fuair sé bás. Sa chaoineadh seo feictear tréithe na gcaointe agus an cheardúlacht a bhain leis an nós.

Tá an brón, an fearg, an frustrachas agus an grá go soiléir sa chaoineadh seo. Is eisceacht é an caoineadh go pointe mar sheánra litríochta, mar thug sé guth do mhná chun a tuairimí agus a mothúcháin a roinnt.

Tá sé aisteach go leor nach bhfuil mórán eolais ag an-chuid Éireannaigh mar gheall ar an gcaoineadh mar

thraidisiúin, ach is comhairle é ar an gcosc sóisialta a rinneadh air le blianta.

Tá cúpla cúis le meath an chaointe. Is í an Eaglais Chaitliceach ar cheann de na príomhchúis. Bhí an phágántacht le feiceáil go soiléir sa chaoineadh - ba nós Ceiltis é ar an gcéad dul síos. Rinneadh an Eaglais forógra chun an cleachtas a stopadh. Dúirt an Eaglais nach rachadh an té go neamh muna raibh a gcuid treoirlínte sochraide leanta. Náirigh agus cháin siad na mná caointe agus na daoine a bhí ag glacadh páirte sna caointe agus d’oibrigh sé. Agus mé ag caint le mo sheanmháthair agus í fós beo, cheistigh mé í mar gheall ar an gcaoineadh. Mar chailín, bhí sí I láthair ag caoineadh agus dhiúltaigh sí caint faoi go sonrach nó é a dhéanamh dom.

Chomh maith le sin, uaireanta bhíodh ról níos tábhachtaí ag an mbean chaointe sa tórramh nó an tsochraid ná a bhíodh ag an sagart. Bhíodh an bhean chaointe ag stiúradh an ócáid agus chuir an smacht agus an cumhacht sin isteach ar an gcléir agus ar an Eaglais. Fuair na mná caointe pá nó cúiteamh freisin agus, mar sin, bhíodh siad neamhspleách - rud nach thaitin leis an gcléir mar chuaigh sé i gcoinne ról traidisiúnta na mban mar mhná tí agus mar mháithreacha.

Tá cúiseanna eile, áfach. Tá athrú suntasach tar éis teach ar shochaí na hÉireann. Le domhandú agus imirce, tá na pobail éagsúla in Éirinn ag athrú go minic. Níl daoine ag fanacht san áit chéanna dá saolta ar fad. Sna caointe, bhíodh na mná caointe ag nochtadh a mothúcháin agus a mbrón go hoscailte agus os ard. Uaireanta ní raibh aithne ag na daoine a raibh ag caoineadh ar an té a fuair bás. Samhlaigh é sin, ag caoineadh, i slí poiblí, drámatúil, duine nach raibh aithne agat air! Tá an oscailteacht sin imithe ó mhuintir na hÉireann agus tá an-chuid daoine drogallach a gcuid mothúcháin a thaispeáint (tá sé seo ag athrú, ar ámharaí an tsaoil).

Tháinig stop iomlán leis an gcleachtadh sna 1950s. Tá taifeadtaí ón am sin ar fáil agus is féidir éisteacht leis na mná caointe. Tá sé ráite ag saineolaí nach mná caointe ceart iad na mná sin, áfach, mar ní raibh siad ach ag déanamh aithris ar na caointe a chuala siad nuair a bhí siad óg. Deirtear go raibh an caoineadh beagnach marbh ag deireadh an 19ú haois déag. Is mór an trua, ba bhreá liom dá mbeidh grúpa mná fostaithe chun caoineadh thar mo chorp marbh!

INTERVIEW

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From Central Hall to Centre Stage - Alex Gough, Interviewed.

Interviewed By Fergal Smiddy, Byline Editor as a solo artist, so I subconsciously allow myself to be more honest.

The production of your music has always stood out to me as being fundamental to your style, and I’m curious to know how that has evolved, too. I know you collaborated with Nate Burgess on the new mixtape, did that mean a change to your usual work process in terms of production? How did the process of producing Forever Classic compare with your older projects?

My production skills have increased quite rapidly in the past year, at least in my opinion. I taught myself to produce and use Logic, the DAW I work in, so there’s plenty of things that crop up in my production that might be unorthodox or different to people who may have been taught production in some form. The only way I found to better myself as a producer, and I’m sure other producers will agree, is to keep making music every single day. Try to replicate songs you like or techniques you hear in your favourite music and of course, the more music you hear, the more you improve if you take that approach. So, I guess, time - and maybe curiosity - has bettered my production, like anything.

April 13 , 2018: Drummer Alex Gough is sitting at home with his brother Jordan, then joint members of indie-rock four piece Central Hall, for an interview with University Express; an interview which Gough insists “feels like yesterday”, despite all that has happened – in his life and beyond – since then. At the time, Central Hall were fresh off a promising triumph at UCC’s Battle of the Bands, bolstering the group’s promising trajectory with €600 worth of recording time at Blackwater Studios. Alex sat with a humble proficiency behind his drum kit at each passing gig, occasionally chiming in with vocals but keeping a comfortable distance from the type of spotlight that comes with a solo endeavour. There was no reason then to believe that two-and-ahalf years on, Alex Gough would have become an entirely different beast. th

With the release of his breakout solo tune Breakfast in 2019, a drastic switch-up in Gough’s stylistic path was drawn in the sand: the ear-pleasing indie rock sound of the Central Hall era bartered out for something entirely different – driving, funky hip-hop with a beat that sticks in the head like some jazzy parasite. Admittedly, the genre was always something which held Gough’s attention; “We like hip-hop and that sort of stuff, which people say they can always hear in our music”, he told University Express back in 2018, perhaps unaware of the irony this statement would soon-enough take on.

Now, with features in BBC’s Normal People and ABC’s The Rookie under his belt, along with upwards of a million Spotify streams across his discography and a cascade of sold-out shows dotted across the Winter season, Gough

once again sits down with University Express to discuss the release of new mixtape FOREVER CLASSIC, along with all that has changed in a world where things refuse to stay the same.

With each new project you seem to be homing in more on your style while also proving yourself to be consistently versatile and eclectic.

What stands out for you when you look back on how your style has developed over the past few years?

I think when I look back on everything I’ve made over the last few years, the main thing I notice, aside from developing my skills, is that my personality and voice becomes more clear as it progresses. I feel there’s more of my personality and taste in my music now then there was even a year or two ago. Maybe I’m just more comfortable

It was so amazing to work with Nate for FOREVER CLASSIC, I’m a huge fan of some of the projects he’s worked on like Unlocked with Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats, so it was an honour to work so closely with him. My ideal mix engineer is someone who’ll work with what I do, not work against or try to change what I do. Nate worked with me in that sense, so together we achieved exactly what I was after. Nate is a legend and so easy to work with. It was a dream.

You’ve mentioned that your musical tastes were more up the alley of rock, punk and metal in your younger years – even in the days of Central Hall; do you think that style has become an influence in any way on the type of music you make now? If so, what bands/artists stick out?

One hundred percent. Even if I, or

19 you, don’t hear it straight away. When [on FOREVER CLASSIC’s title track and intro] I said, “It’s about every day till now that I spent making my way”, that’s what I meant. Every song I’ve heard, every note I’ve played, every lyric I wrote, didn’t come because of yesterday or two years ago, it came from everyday up until that point. Every day informs your future thoughts, ideas, life, even if you don’t realise it.

I wouldn’t say any artists or bands of that genre directly influence my songs today, I mean they might in the future, but without them I probably wouldn’t be the drummer I am or have the musical sensibilities that I do have as I sit here. But just because you asked, I still really like System Of A Down.

ists that suited the beats I had or wanted to jump on them. There were a few but nothing ever came of it. I had beats I really liked so I just tried it myself. After forcing myself to write every day and get my Irish accent out till I found something good, I wrote Breakfast. Fast-forward a few years and I kind of slightly got the hang of being myself as a “rapper”, I still don’t really consider myself one though. I spent a lot of time singing and playing drums in bands growing up, so I already had that experience.

Rapping and playing actually proved easier than singing. And now, I guess here we are, still trying to improve and get comfortable – but I’m getting there.

As a mixtape which has such a vibrant energy and tongue-and-cheek approach, this project must have been quite a strange one to put together in an environment like lockdown. Did the circumstances of the pandemic have an effect on you while making FOREVER CLASSIC?

I recall reading somewhere that you never intended to rap or perform vocals on your own music - was the rapping something that just developed naturally as you progressed or was there a distinct moment when you decid- I don’t think FOREVER CLASed to try your hand at the vocals? SIC would be what it is without the lockdown. It definitely had an effect on There’s a lot of cringey, Americanised me, but early on I decided to put everyverse buried somewhere on my comput- thing I could into playing drums and er. It was something I half fancied my- making tunes. I already had the name self doing but was never any good at. Me and some demos, so the tunes I was rapping like I do now came out of neces- making became the mixtape. There was sity, really. I struggled to find voices/art- a plan in my head for the mixtape very

early on during the lockdown. I pushed myself to the last and it may not have been healthy, but I made my favourite project I’ve ever made. FOREVER CLASSIC was literally my light in a dark tunnel for a lot of it, it kept me busy and focused in a time where there was absolutely nothing to hold on to.

Unsurprisingly, if you’ve heard the record, I learned a lot about myself and discovered things in my life that I didn’t have time to discover before then. As well as that, FOREVER CLASSIC became a world in itself. I always plan to create a world around every project I make, but when my world became small and confined, I was forced to write songs in places I’d made up, in scenarios I’d fabricated, which is the world of FOREVER CLASSIC. Your music has such a strong energy to it, and a lot of your songs have struck me as though they would work very well in the context of a film, be it in some sort of visceral Rocky-training-montage or otherwise. I know you’ve had features in BBC’s Normal People and ABC’s The Rookie - Is your music being used in this context something that ever occurs to you while making it? How does it feel to hear your own music being used on-screen to complement

and enhance someone else’s art?

Thank you, that means a lot. I try to make music as free flowing as possible, I try not to think about making it for a specific situation. If I do, I’ve probably sat down specifically to try and achieve that, but if it’s for a project or a single, I try to focus on what I want to say or how I want to make the song feel.

I definitely use a lot of visual context when I’m making music, but usually I’ll develop my own vision or scenario based on what I’m hearing or feeling.

Rather than “Oh, [what] if this was in a TV show or scene of a movie?”, its more “What would be going on if this song was happening in front of me?”. I suppose because of that, one complements the other. The fact I often think visually while I work creates music that works with TV or film in the same respect. It’s always so mad when I hear my music in the context of someone else’s creation, The Rookie especially, it felt a bit surreal when I heard it, like someone made an edit of it for the laugh or something. It was really cool.

FOREVER CLASSIC is out now on AWAL and across streaming platforms. Follow Alex on Twitter and Instagram @alexgoughhh.

Food and Health

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Why Bother with Breakfast?

A brief guide of why (and how) not to skip the most important meal of the day. writes Maeve O’Keefe, Food & Health Editor

The old saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” is a prime example of a phrase so overused that it has almost lost its meaning entirely.

Typically met with eye rolls, we rarely pause to consider the truth of this statement, or whether it is simply an old wives’ tale. Many of us simply disregard the statement, darting out the door with no more than a mug of tea or coffee with which to start the day; accompanied by, if we’re lucky, a single slice of white toast. I often wondered to myself why such value was placed in breakfast, recalling another old phrase of my grandmother’s, who used to instruct us to “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.”

Perhaps, I thought, these old lecturing phrases were merely hangovers from the days when most people were employed in manual labour, and needed substantial fuel before starting a day of physically exhausting work bright and early.

Today, however, this is not the case for as many people, or at least not for most college students rolling out of bed and across to their laptop for online lectures. Is the whole concept of a hearty, filling breakfast outdated?

In short, no. Most recent research seems to support what our parents told us over bowls of gloopy porridge through the years; that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons. For starters, eating a decent breakfast in the morning kickstarts our metabolism.

This essentially means that by eating something first thing in the morning, our brain sends a message to our system that we are not facing a food shortage, so there is no need to conserve energy or calories - which would subsequently be turned to fat. If we miss our first meal, our body won’t burn the rest of the calories we consume throughout the day as quickly, because it has received the mes-

sage that it needs to retain as much energy as possible, due to a perceived shortage of food. Establishing concrete links between obesity - and its related conditions - and skipping breakfast will take more time and research, but with the knowledge presently available to us, it seems that eating breakfast is essential for our metabolism to function optimally.

As well as this, eating a good breakfast is a really easy way to include the different food groups and meet your recommended daily intake of various nutrients, minerals and vitamins. I, for one, sometimes struggle to meet the recommended “five a day” of fruit and vegetable servings. However, with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or a smoothie, some berries or a sliced banana with your breakfast, you’re nearly halfway there. Breakfast is also a handy time to include calcium-rich products like milk, yoghurt or cheese. These calcium-rich products carry the dual benefit

of being high in protein too, which helps fill us up and contributes to healthy cell growth and repair in the body. Similarly, if you eat breakfast you are more likely to meet your recommended daily intake of fibre, since whole grain bread or cereals are common breakfast staples. These food groups are often lacking student diets, so starting the day with them is a no-brainer.

Of course, this theory - that breakfast will fill you up with the day’s necessary nutrients - is reliant on the assumption that we consume a healthy breakfast. Starting the day by exceeding your recommended daily allowance of sugar with a bowl of Coco Pops or Golden Nuggets is obviously not going to be beneficial to the body, so I advise using common sense when making your breakfast selections. Have a look at the nutritional information on the back of the cereal box, and try to keep an eye out for high-fibre, low-sugar options.

Editor: Maeve O’Keeffe Many cereals are fortified with nutrients like iron and vitamin C, which is another boost for the body nutritio ally.

If cereals aren’t your thing, there are still so many alternatives to save you from skipping this all-important meal.

Eggs are a classic breakfast food, and for good reason, as they are one of the most versatile, affordable and easily prepared protein sources out there.

Between frying, poaching, boiling, scrambling and more exciting options like huevos rancheros, pancakes or omelettes, eggs for breakfast need never be repetitive. The Bord Bia website is a wonderful source of basic egg recipes if you’re unsure of how to cook an egg, or you can check out Jamie Oliver’s popular ‘Food-Tube’ YouTube page for tutorials.

Overnight oats are another increasingly popular and customizable breakfast food worth trying. Alternatively, a simple bowl of fresh or frozen fruit with nuts, some porridge or yoghurt and a drizzle of honey makes a quick and healthy breakfast to prepare if cereals aren’t for you.

One issue many of us have with breakfast is that it can so easily become monotonous. In fact, a Bord Bia survey of the breakfast habits of Irish people revealed that only 7% of us vary the food we eat for breakfast each weekday morning. Think about it, if you had to eat one meal for dinner for the rest of your days, I reckon you’d soon tire of it.

No matter how much I love chicken curry, I really think that if I sat down to eat it every single evening, I’d be pretty fed up of chicken curry after a while. So why is it that so many of us eat the very

same breakfast every single morning?

Granted, our creativity and imagination may not be at their sharpest first thing in the morning, but nonetheless, I think a little variation could be managed when it comes to breakfast. Sitting in front of the same bowl of wilting cereal forevermore can’t be very appealing, can it? Simply mixing up the fruit you eat with your breakfast can transform it, experimenting with additions like peanut butter, cinnamon, cocoa powder or different kinds of cheeses can elevate the aforementioned breakfast basics, and make breakfast something to look forward to. With that in mind, here is a versatile breakfast recipe for granola that has endless scope for customization in both its ingredients and how it is served. It can be prepared in advance, so will suit any tired student shuffling to the kitchen in the morning.

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Autumnal Spiced Granola Ingredients: • 350g porridge oats • 150g pecan nuts (alternatively, try hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or cashews) • 150g pumpkin seeds (sunflower seeds also work well) • 150ml maple syrup • 50ml rapeseed oil • Spices such as cinnamon and/or ginger, for an autumnal uplift (optional) Instructions: 1. To start, line two large baking trays with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 150°C if using a fan oven, or gas mark 3.

2. Roughly chop the nuts, or break them up with your fingers, leaving them in quite large chunks, for a crunchy texture.

3. Add the pumpkin seeds and chopped nuts to the porridge oats and mix.

I’ve been making my own granola for a few years now, so it’s just become part of my routine. My favourite thing about making my own granola is the easy way I can exchange ingredients to suit what’s available to me. I use pecans, because I love how the flavour goes with maple syrup and some autumnal spices, but any kind of nut (or a mixture) can work really well too. Similarly, the seeds can be swapped out according to your preference. Whatever variation you decide on, this is the ultimate fuel for those cold walks to the library for study. It’s perfect in the morning with some yoghurt or milk, as a crunchy topping for an açai or smoothie bowl, or even on its own in a lunchbox for a handy snack.

4. Then add the maple syrup, rapeseed oil and 50ml of water to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the spices if using.

5. Tip the mixture onto the prepared baking trays, flattening it out slightly with a spoon.

6. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes in total, removing it halfway through to give a quick stir, pushing the centre out towards the edges to ensure an even bake.

7. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container, such as a large kilner jar or a lunchbox.

8. You can customize this recipe further by adding dried fruit or dark chocolate chunks after cooking, or serving it with fresh berries, pomegranate seeds, slices of apple or banana...the possibilities are endless!

Film & T.V.

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My Ideal Film Industry WRITES Ronan Watters, Contributor

My ideal film industry is a bit different from what other people might say.

It is more of a personal issue. If I asked someone what their ideal film industry would be, I would normally hear a call for better representation of women or races, or greater exposure for independent films. I asked my friend of 13 years what his ideal film industry would be. He gave me a lukewarm answer, stating that he wished every film ever made by Uwe Boll be wiped from the history of cinema. But I then asked him again and asked him to give me a serious answer. He pondered for a minute, then informed me that he would like to see a film about a man losing his job as he attempts to make his way in the world, as this man has a family to feed and bills to pay; or a film about climate change. My friend was now thinking on my level.

When I read Seán Lyons’ review of Green Book (2018) on the UCC Film Writers Blog, he stated that: “Every Winter, cinemas are flooded with ‘social injustice’ films which highlight a certain area of inequality or oppression, either in the past or present day”.

He thought the opposite of Green Book, describing it as “a film worth seeing”, but his statement got me wondering about films that appeal to me due to the relevance of the issues presented in them. One issue that is hugely important to me is the 2008 Financial Crisis, specifically the European debt crisis. Ireland was one of the several Eurozone states damaged by the Recession. The effects of it were felt in different parts of the country, but small-town Ireland, where I am from, fared poorly.

I was old enough and aware enough of my surroundings to know that things in my town had changed. I was in primary school, so I was in the town every day. I saw people who I had never seen before in the town, thinking they were new and were going to be moving into the new estate that was being built at the time. When I asked my father who these people were, he told me that they were indeed residents of our town, and that they had been for quite some time.

When I asked him why I only started seeing them now, he told me that normally

they would be working. This was now not the case. These people had lost their jobs and were wandering around aimlessly.

The estate that I thought was going to house these “new residents” was never finished, and the houses that were built were never bought. It became a ghost estate. My father himself lost his job but my mother had work full time. In 2011, they separated. I am not telling this story looking for sympathy as this is not my intention, but this was the daily life of many people living in small-town Ireland. The sting is still felt in some towns.

One town close to me still has many derelict buildings that ruin its natural beauty.

The reason I write about these things is because I do not see many films about the Great Recession, nor do I see any films about the impacts it had on people, and specifically working-class people.

Bar documentaries, the only film that comes to mind is The Big Short, but that film focuses more on the 2007 housing crash that caused the crisis. Another film that comes to mind is The Company Men. This film does focus on the recession and its effects on people, but the

characters in the film all have six-figure salaries and country club memberships, which makes them hard to identify with.

There is so much opportunity to tell stories relating to the recession: the emigration of young people from Ireland; the dark future regarding careers; paying for college or paying bills for a house; staying in a dead end town because you can’t afford to leave, or the personal experience of someone who has lost their job.

These are all rich, detailed subject matters that deserve to be seen on the screen.

To sum it up, my ideal film industry is a film industry that focuses on issues relating to the current and future generations on a more personal, human level. I feel the issues that I talked about do not get enough exposure or representation in the film industry and I am shocked that many filmmakers do not focus on these issues. The cinema is about sitting back and watching films that make you feel good for sure, but it has also brought some of the most important and human stories to life when they needed to be seen. I want a film industry that focuses on the stories of real people. We already have enough films about superheroes

Editor: Kyran leahy

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The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of The Walking Dead writes Kyran Leahy, Film & TV Editor Ten (yes, ten) years ago, a brand-new television show arrived on our screens that is still airing today. To put that in perspective: ten years ago, Brian Cowen was still Taoiseach, David Cameron became Prime Minister of the UK, Fred was the king of YouTube, and Jedward were not political figures yet. The show, based off one of the most popular comic books of the twenty-first century, became an instant hit and has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows television has to offer. That show? AMC’s The Walking Dead, which is finally coming to an end in 2022. Well, sort of.

Look back through the archives on the University Express website, and you will find a scathing review of the show, and what it became, as it approached its ninth season. Let me tell you, that article made some great points. The show did not know what to do anymore. It was hanging on by its fingertips. The showrunner before season nine, Scott Gimple, almost single handedly ruined the show by not caring about plot progression and character development, instead focusing on tension and cheap moments of shock. The fact that season seven and eight could have easily been wrapped up in 16 episodes without any needless dragging speaks volumes.

Management up at AMC knew something had to change before things went from bad to worse. They had lost millions of fans, most of them left after the gruesome season seven premiere, with Gimple wanting gasps before anything else.

They lost star cast members. Reviews were getting worse and worse. Without hesitation, they moved Gimple off to Fear the Walking Dead, the spin-off which was becoming more popular than its parent series at that point. Guess what?

That show sucks now. In his place came Angela Kang. I am still not sure how she did it, but she saved The Walking Dead.

Trust me, if you watched The Walking Dead and stopped somewhere around season seven or eight, get back into it and watch season nine and ten. Angela Kang performed a water-into-wine miracle in a time of turbulence. The show suffered the high-profile departure of leading man Andrew Lincoln,

as he wanted to leave to spend time with his family. The Walking Dead without Rick Grimes was hard to imagine, he was the protagonist after all! Kang though, made it work -somehow- by introducing a time-jump after Rick’s departure, six years into the future. Now, Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon is the main man, and he is absolutely killing it with the freedom given after being left muttering and grumbling twice an episode under Gimple. The world of The Walking Dead is completely different now to how it was during season eight when it was Negan walking around with plot armour as Rick and friends kept fighting each other. Now, there are new, interesting villains called the Whisperers, led by Samantha Morton’s Alpha (fun fact: she voiced Ruby in the old kids’ show Max and Ruby).

Your favourites are still around, from Carol to Rosita to Ezekiel, while new likable characters have also joined the

group. They have all become more competent and have excellent chemistry with each other. The time-jump was a breath of fresh air that was well needed, and the show has stayed afloat thanks to it.

The show has gotten back to its best and reviews have never been higher. Season ten has been acclaimed. Kang created her ideal Walking Dead universe. She got the characters into the storylines that she wanted. She knew who to bring in, who to phase out and how the story was going to go before she clicked a button. When I watched season seven and eight on those Monday nights after conquering double History in secondary school, it almost felt like I was forcing myself to keep my eyes on the screen. Dipping my custard creams into my tea was more entertaining than watching Rick negotiate with the junkyard people. Now, I am at the edge of my seat whenever Alpha and her compatriot, Beta - played by Sons of

Anarchy’s Ryan Hurst - appear, because I never know what to expect.

The Walking Dead is back to its very best, and Kang wants the show to end on a high. Thirty episodes lie between now and its conclusion in 2022. A whopping twenty-four episodes in season 11 shows determination to wrap up the story, and it is sure to be a hell of a ride. While the show will come to an end, there will be an afterlife, with a spin-off starring Daryl and Carol set to air shortly afterwards. The season ten ‘finale’ aired on October 5th and there are six additional episodes set to air sometime next year as the show prepares to say a long goodbye. If you dumped the show sometime before season nine, I strongly encourage giving it another chance. The show, funnily enough, came back from the dead.

Music

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A sound you can’t predict: Rising stars from Direct Provision

By Cathal Donovan O’Neill, Music Editor 2020’s been a milestone for Irish music, even in a year without gigs. Denise Chaila’s gone from underground to RTÉ darling, while artists like Jafaris and Nealo are making airplay and playlist waves, disproving notions about race and heavy brogue in Irish rap.

But meanwhile—and more importantly—the fight against Direct Provision has become more prominent, with the government committing to end it by the end of its term.

Direct Provision is Ireland’s system of housing people seeking international asylum. Migrants are placed in housing and hotels in groups en masse and must wait, often for several years, for their papers to be accepted or rejected.

Canteen mealtimes are strict, privacy is minimal and supports are non-existent. It’s drawn widespread criticism worldwide: New Yorker magazine describes it as a “strange, cruel system”.

But this doesn’t diminish the creative power of the people inside and outside.

Whether as a form of expression, community or resistance, each new perspective adds more to the Irish music scene.

The musical legacy of Cork is based off of migratory musical movements: If not for the blues, Rory Gallagher might’ve stayed in a journeyman’s showband until the day he died. Today, that spirit is carried by the musicians setting stereos on fire across the country.

Citadel Nothing binds people like sharing a musical connection, whether it’s bring-

ing together an audience or a band.

It’s part of music’s power. That’s what Citadel, a world music group made up of residents of Kinsale Road Direct Provision centre, is all about.

Established by D.P. activists Roos Demol and Norbert Nkengurutse last year, the roster is constantly in flux by the nature of the asylum-seeking process, but is always made up of between eight and twelve musicians. The type of music, too, is fluid. People play the music and instruments of their homes: Roos notes “You’d have the guy from Ukraine singing, playing guitar and then accompanied by an Indian tabla player, a Russian accordion player, and Burundian guitarist. And where do you see that? It was so special.”

From small beginnings playing across the road in McCabe’s pub, the band picked up steam quickly, leading to national media attention and gigs in Limerick, Dublin and Cork City Hall. Plans for a collaboration with UCC Music students were scuppered by Covid, but they’re looking forward to reforming as soon as possible. We can only hope so: All footage I’ve seen is powerful.

Citadel can be found on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. Support it through the ‘Guitars for Direct Provision Centres’ Facebook group, which is looking for acoustic guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and djembes.

Olympío Occupational Therapy in UCC, rapping, spoken word, activism and working in a nursing home in one

of the most challenging times to do so: Raphael Olympío’s a busy man.

He describes himself as still being in his experimental phase, playing with influences in search of his unique style.

Each single stands on its own, but together they make up a study of different flows. New single ‘Broski’ is a party banger with a slow-then-fast style, lines coming in on unexpected, half-conversational beats: Drake. ‘Rockstar’ has the melodic hooks, guitar plucks and strained repetitions of JUICE. It’s something he’s been doing since he was a kid, but it’s all leading up to his own statement of intent: A.B.C.D. [A Black Child’s Dilemma], a debut LP planned for early next year. “I’ve been having fun with music, but with this album I think you’re gonna be getting a taste of every aspect of who Olympío really is, and you’re gonna hear about my childhood, you’re gonna hear about my family background, you’re gonna hear about me, as a black child or male figure growing up in Ireland.”

It’ll includes his viral spoken-word piece on facing racism in primary school, but Olympío stresses that it’s both sides of the coin: “I don’t want to bash—with all the incidents that have happened to me, but I also want to praise the good that I’ve gotten from growing up in Ireland.”

But first: ‘Debonair’, another experiment in upbeat flow. Coming soon!

Olympío’s music is available on all streaming platforms. Follow him at @ olympio_official.

Alicia Raye “For the music, I just say how it is. I’m a confident, sexy, talented and intelligent black woman so when you hear my music you’re going to hear that.” So says Alicia Raye on her developing style. On tracks like ‘Close To Me’ she sounds just like Rihanna, but the Drogheda-based singer/rapper cites influences ranging from Afrobeats to 00’s pop, and with a prolific sixteen singles released this year she’s making the space to show them off.

And there’s more to come: “I was staying with my boyfriend all through lockdown and he has a studio set up in the house,” says Alicia, “I literally made music and food every day […] I have enough unreleased music to last me two years.”

New single ‘M.I.A.’ is a perfect example of the lyrical style she’s been developing.

It’s sexy and smart, throwing mixing big imagery with a hook that has yet to escape this writer’s brain. While she’s focusing on engaging with her fans through social media at the moment, a collaborative mixtape with other Dublin artists will be out by the end of the year. Bringing together some of the most talented artists on the scene, it’s sure to be one to watch.

Find Alicia Raye at her Instagram @aliciataqueilla_, and check out her latest single ‘M.I.A.’ on all streaming platforms.

Editor: CATHAL DONOVAN O’NEILL ‘Things I’ll Never Say’ Is Life In Stasis writes Julie Landers, Staff Writer

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Arvo Party: Inheritance, reviewed Writes Fionn Kelleher Inheritance is the latest release from Arvo Party, pseudonym of Belfast’s Herb Magee. Magee’s published a multitude of EPs and LPs over the years, and Inheritance is undoubtedly his best work yet. ‘ABCD’ opens the experience, transporting the listener to a vast jungle of reverberated vocals and layered pads into the calmer ‘AIRD’. Inheritance features a recurring signature with complex drum programming and melodic marimbas, evident in tracks such as ‘Broadcast Architecture’, contrasting the more ambient notes elsewhere. Inheritance has one of the most enjoyable flows of Magee’s albums and is worth listening through at least once if you’re into experimental electronica.

real sustained notes couple the return of birdsong. ‘It Never Felt Right’ is its own story, a complete entity in itself.

Things I’ll Never Say is Cork producer Gadget and the Cloud’s (GATC) latest project since 2018’s Songs For Sad People To Dance To. Her skilfulness as an experimental electronic artist with an ability to explore feelings and moments with a blend of compassion and astuteness has seen her garnering acclaim in Cork and far beyond.

In a world where we’re encouraged to constantly strive and move forward and succeed, TINS sees GATC investigating the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness in moments of stasis.

Opening track ‘Quiescence’ sees soft, dreamlike synths build into a dynamic, glittering portrait of hope. Each sound, however miniscule, builds into an overall sensation of finding yourself taking a breath in the midst of cha-

os. The rising synth motifs as well as the subtle, pulsing beat towards the end of the song gives hope; that this feeling of ennui is not static, only temporary.

‘Keep You’ communicates the bravery of looking for hope. The distant, muffled sentiment of ‘What you give, you can never get back.’ is ominous, as if the effort to move against the stream of negativity and seek joy is futile.

Bursting into intense, layered beats, the repeated ascending synth motif feels like an aural metaphor to keep going. ‘Keep You’ takes you through the breathless efforts of grasping at moments of happiness when life becomes frantic and overwhelming.

Moving into ‘Ten Past Three’, a more sinister tone pervades. It skips and

slips and sighs, combining into this almost-anthropomorphous thing. It is too dynamic to be labelled gloomy.

Its strength is not something that can be wrestled against by the listener, just like those moments of helplessness. Whistling, eerie synths that seem to disintegrate into thin air, coupled with both scratching and thumping beats swirl into almost a non-moment; a snatched hope, a vanished conclusion.

Closing track ‘It Never Felt Right’ is sparkling and searing, building into something that feels bigger than the listener. Initial layered, ambient synths and subdued crickets and birdsong fade as heavenly synths and a softly thrumming beat swell into the climax of the song. As it softens to a close, ethe-

GATC has expert control over tension and atmosphere. The soundscapes she builds have strong foundations in feeling, experience. They are so well-composed that there is almost a physical tactility to them, such is their wholeness. Cyclical reflections draw the mind to dwell on those universal moments of fear and aimlessness. Experimental and uncompromising in sound, TINS welcomes the listener into a space of compassion and learning.

It is introspective without being insular or exclusive. GATC gives sound and space to the ebbs that live in counterbalance with the flows of life; the feelings of hopelessness and being overwhelmed. These are not shied away from, rather they are softly scrutinised and brought into a light of their own, where others can see and know that someone else has felt what they have.

Things I’ll Never Say truly speaks to what it is to be human, bones and all.

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Photos

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

The Hub

by Caoimhe Leahy University Express Photgrapher

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

Boole Library & Main Campus

by Caoimhe Leahy University Express Photgrapher

Photos

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SEXPRESS

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Sex Toys and Chill – A Moment with Shawna Scott of Sex Siopa writes Jack Wrixon, Sexpress Editor Ireland’s sexual landscape is one that is constantly growing and changing, and the emergence of a personal and cultural sexual identity in more recent years has helped this greatly. Ironic that the country where contraceptives were only legalised during the 1980s, and where censorship of so called “inappropriate materials” was so prevalent is now home to a passionately vocal community of sex-positive citizens. The rise in popularity of sex toys in recent years for instance, has led to a scope being placed on the industry, and many changes have occurred as a result. Speaking with Shawna Scott of the iconic Sex Siopa, one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of sex toys, sex accessories and various other goodies, Express discussed how much Sex Siopa has changed since her last appearance in Sexpress back in 2018, how the pandemic has impacted the business, and certain ins and outs of the sex toy industry that the average person may not think about.

Since your last interview in 2018, How much has Sex Siopa changed?

The biggest changes since 2018 have definitely been in relation to Covid, but I also recently relocated to Sligo, so moving my entire business across the country in the middle of a pandemic was certainly a challenge.

How did the Covid-19 situation and the quarantine have an impact on you as a small Irish business?

I’ve been very lucky in that it’s had a really positive impact on my business. I obviously could no longer do events and parties, but my online sales more than made up for it. A friend helped me move all my stock the day after everything started shutting down in March, and I spent three months working from my partner’s bedroom in a shared house. I was so busy during those three months. I’d work twelve hours a day, six days a week in that room. Thankfully, when things started to open up again, we were able to find a place together in Sligo and organise the move, but we knew we only had a small window to do that in before a predicted second lockdown might happen.

You emphasise how your toys are all “body safe” and you often talk about the unregulated aspect of the sex toy industry. How did you decide a precedent for your business, and what influenced this decision?

My decision to only stock toys made from body-safe materials was the first decision I made back in 2011 when I was planning what I wanted my shop to be. Shopping for a sex toy can be a mine field, because even now, some products are being made from cheap materials like PVC jelly and Thermo Plastic Rubber (TPR). It felt like such a slap in the face that companies would try to sell me something to put inside myself that’s porous, oftentimes containing chemicals that are effectively banned in children’s toys in the United States, because it’s more cost-effective than Silicone. It felt like my health took a backseat to profit.

Now, thanks to consumers and independent retailers demanding change, there are a lot more affordable body-safe toys out there. The knock-on effect is that the price of body-safe sex toys is now on par or cheaper than a lot of toxic toys.

We’re also seeing a shift from big manufacturers who are offering body-safe ranges or moving away from PVC toys completely. It’s been amazing to see so much change in the industry in the past number of years, but it’s still important to be vigilant when shopping, because those toxic toys are still out there. A good bar to set when shopping is to look for sex toys made from materials that would normally be found in your kitchen - silicone, hard plastic, stainless steel, toughened glass, wood - and stay away from materials you don’t recognise, or that use science language, but don’t actually tell you what the material is.

You’ve been in this business for a while. Do different toys and styles of toys come in and out of fashion? And if so, what influences these trends?

Yes, definitely. A lot of it is down to adapting toys to the latest technologies. In the past five years, so many companies have tried to make their version of app-controlled vibrators and either failed at the crowd-funding stage or ended up in an

international class action lawsuit over sneakily collecting customer data. A few brands have been successful, but many others haven’t. I think the most exciting trend I’ve seen though is the blending of sex toys and medical devices for therapeutic use. Calexotics, for example, designed a gorgeous set of vaginal dilators that patients want to use and can also be used as a set of dildos. There are also toys used to train the pelvic floor that’s connected to a game app. When you do your Kegels correctly, it helps you in the game.

What else do you provide on the website aside from toys?

Lubricant is one of the most popular products I stock! I also sell barriers like condoms and oral sex dams as well as products like the vaginal dilators that help prevent pain during intercourse.

You offer corporate events on your website. I assume this must’ve stopped because of Covid, but on a regular day what would this consist of?

Yes, before Covid I occasionally gave talks and workshops. If I was visiting a college or festival, I loved doing Q&As or Ask Me Anything. I like to talk, not just about sex and sex toys, but about starting and running a small business in Ireland. I love talking about the challenges of running a sex-related business and how I’ve had to stretch my creative muscles to get my name out there when so many places don’t allow me to advertise. I’ve also done smaller parties and gatherings where I can bring a suitcase full of toys along and introduce folks to products in a fun, comfortable environment with their friends. But, since Covid hit Ireland, sadly those events have been put on hold indefinitely.

Editor: Jack WRIXON Would you have more couples purchasing from Sex Siopa, or is it more of a single person market?

It’s both! Being single or in a relationship doesn’t stop anyone from having sex or masturbating, and it doesn’t stop folks from using sex toys. There are a lot of folks, mostly in heterosexual relationships, who feel uncomfortable or don’t know how to broach the subject of bringing a new toy into the bedroom because they’ve been conditioned by society to think that asking to try something new means that there’s something wrong with the sex they’re already having, and that’s just not true. The thing to focus on is that having a bit of variety to mix up the routine, especially when we’re spending so much more time alone together in various stages of lockdown, is important to maintaining fun and excitement together.

One of the main categories on Sex Siopa is “Toys for Newbies”. What constitutes a toy for a “newbie”?

I put together a collection of toys on the website for people who are new to sex toys. I picked ones that are intui-

tive to use, no bells and whistles, and if they are insertable that they are a smaller, comfortable size. So many of my customers are coming to me with zero experience using toys and are, understandably, worried about investing a bunch of money into a toy that mightn’t suit them, so most of them would be in a very affordable price range as well.

Do you have any plans for the future of Sex Siopa?

Right now, it’s quite difficult to plan for the future, because it’s so dependent on what happens with Covid, but I’m very happy at the moment taking my time to settle into life in Sligo and trucking along as best I can. Ask me again next year!

Shawna and her products can be found on her website, sexsiopa.ie, and on both Twitter and Instagram at @SexSiopa.

Sex Siopa and Shawna’s blog should always be your first stop for toys and for information, so why not pay her a visit and make a purchase?

If you have any questions, want more information, are looking to submit a piece or even just want to chat, email me at sexpress@uccexpress.ie

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Gaming

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An Interview with Aidan Boylan: Managing Director of Irish Collegiate Esports WRITES Hugo Blair, Gaming Editor

Any college student interested in competitive gaming will undoubtedly be aware of Irish Collegiate Esports (ICE).

It’s a fantastic organisation that hosts esports tournaments each year for Irish 3rd level students. Tournaments are run during both semesters, as well as the summer months, and for a range of different games. The organisation has made great strides since its inception in 2016 and gives Irish students a place to show their prowess on the virtual field, as well as fostering a community of dedicated and competitive gamers. Of course, ICE and its competitions have been affected by the current pandemic and have had to alter plans for this year. This week, University Express caught up with Aidan Boylan, the Managing Director of Irish Collegiate Esports and public face of the company, to hear his thoughts on the development of Irish Collegiate Esports as well as Irish esports in general, from their humble roots as a simple idea, to where they stand today, and to future goals.

I’d like to start by asking what your introductions to esports were, be it

here in Ireland or elsewhere?

My first introduction to esports was watching Competitive Halo 3 run by Major League Gaming. I loved the idea of that kind of intricate teamwork; timing weapon spawns; and pushing map locations together as a team. Naturally, I found other games with these mechanics and that was all I needed: complex teamwork within a game, and I was hooked.

Following on from that, what inspired you to go one step further and set up Irish Collegiate Esports?

The idea of ICE was actually set up around a quest of personal development. I had a background in community management, but little skills in organising competitive tournaments.

My original idea was a single League of Legends tournament. I discussed the idea with a friend, and he said: “Why stop there? Why not run multiple games? Why run for only one season?”.

By the end of the conversation, ICE was born; and now in 2020 we’re going into

our fifth year of competitions and have hosted games for hundreds of students.

I can imagine this wasn’t an easy task, so how difficult was it in the beginning? What was your biggest challenge?

It was difficult in the start. I was now in a whole world I didn’t understand; registering a company and finding the right people to help with building the idea I had for ICE in my head. Our biggest challenge has always been obtaining funding.

We have many volunteers in roles such as Casters, Tournament Administrators, and Social Media Managers; and I’d love to be able to pay them all for their time and devotion but it’s not always that easy.

It’s now four years and many tournaments later, and ICE has only gone from strength to strength.

What differences can you see in the organisation today? How has it changed since its inception?

We started out as two people and had

grown as big as forty volunteers at one time, but this was unsustainable. We’ve had to change our internal structure and now we’re closer to around 20 volunteers. In the early days I would have run our social media accounts, but as I have not much experience, it was always lacking something. Now we have managers who live on Social Media and the improvement is very clear.

Speaking more generally, how have you seen the Irish esports adapt during your tenure?

I’ve been doing events in esports since 2012, but it’s hard to state all the changes I’ve seen since many would take long explanations. There were times when there would be a few small gaming events a year with LANs, each focused on a specific game, be it Starcraft 2; CS:GO; League of Legends, or fighting games. Unfortunately, it’s been a long time since this was a regular thing. Over time, the costs of these events, such as for renting space, computers, wiring etc. all became too expensive, especially

Editor: HUGO BLAIR in Dublin City Center; which is unfortunate as it’s where you need to host. A lot of players are Dublin based and it has easy travel links for those willing to travel. We hope to be able to do these types of events in the future and create a mainstay event in collegiate esports in Ireland.

We’ve seen a lot of community development, though. Facebook used to be our primary method of communication but now it’s mostly all Discord.

Previously you have worked with companies such as Marvin.ie, what merit do you see in these partnerships?

Brand partnerships help us do more than we could do by ourselves. Red Bull have been a prime example of this. They not only support our events but run their own and always want to work together.

However, brands must understand that our primary criteria for partnerships is that they must be open to the idea that gamers are different to most marketing demographics. Our goal is to reach them through authentic engagement, without disruption of their active gaming time.

The reason we operate in this regard is that - like for any of us - time is a precious resource, and where and how you choose to spend it has a big impact on your life.

We are always excited to work with partners who can support and enable gamers in continuing to enjoy their preferred pastime or career. When brands understand and live this idea with us, then we love to work with them.

One thing that hasn’t received a lot of merit is 2020, and it’s thrown a lot at us all this year, how has the Covid-19 pandemic affected the organisation and its events?

Well, ultimately we’ve had to cancel all plans for physical events for 2020 and 2021. This has had the unfortunate effect of preventing us from being able to run events around Super Smash Bros for the foreseeable future. This is a shame as it is one of our most popular gaming titles. I hope we’ll see it return in the future.

However, Covid has let us, along with other circumstances, make the biggest changes this year to tournament formats. We’ve introduced set days for each tournament title and placed a ban on imported players. We also understand that students may not be getting the same levels of employment this year so we’ve made our events free to enter.

Speaking on changes to tournament formats, we have also seen the loss

of Overwatch and the addition of VALORANT competitions. What led to these decisions? Do you see any further games being dropped or introduced in the future?

Overwatch had unfortunately only gathered the minimum number of teams one out of the three times we attempted to run it as a tournament title, so it was simply not sustainable enough to keep it running. Moving to set days for each title also meant that we had to use our time wisely. VALORANT has come out this year and has a lot of hype around it. Our VALORANT tournament will be the first of its kind in Ireland and we’re excited for that. As for introducing new games, like I mentioned above, I hope to see Smash Bros. rejoin our roster in the future, but only time will tell.

As a player, set days have been the biggest change to ICE tournaments this year. However, the development has been met with some pushback in the community, as some feel it is too restrictive. What are your thoughts on the matter?

We originally tried to introduce this system in 2018 but we found that it was not the right time for us. However, during the 2019/2020 academic year

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we had over 500 students enter our events. It was clear to us that the system in place was unsustainable. We introduced set days for a number of reasons, but we believe the clearest result will be that students will know once they sign up to ICE this year, they will need to be available for roughly two hours (the average full game time) every Monday.

They know the commitment they are making, so they can arrange to be free.

We understand this system might not suit everyone, but we have to choose what we believe is the best course of action for students; and while we’ve seen pushback publicly in our Discord server, I’ve also been privately contacted a number of times from students declaring their support for the changes.

Ending on a hopeful note, where do you hope to see ICE and Irish Esports in general in five years’ time?

I hope to see ICE as a solid fixture in the lives of students. We want students to know that when they go to college, they can represent themselves and their student body in ways that appeal to them; just because they don’t play traditional sports, it doesn’t mean they should miss out on the opportunity.

Fashion

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Take me to Paris, Emily WRITES Maeve O’Sullivan, Fashion Editor If you were like me and binge-watched Netflix’s newest hit show, then you will know all about Ms. Emily Cooper. Travel restrictions aside, we were all transported to Paris last weekend – well, at least I was.

The mouth-watering croissants, sublime Parisian architecture and timeless glimpses of la Tour Eiffel were not the only eye-catching moments within the iconic show. Director Darren Star knew only too well that you couldn’t bring Paris into the limelight and not invest in the fashion. With Patricia Field on costume duty, it was an investment indeed.

Quick recap: Patricia Field was the person responsible for those looks from Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. To put it simply, a fashion genius.

With every smooth transition of the screen, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of delight at whatever creation main character Emily Cooper donned next. ‘’I have a tendency of making up these outfits that are not necessarily something

you’ve seen before, but still hold some interest. Because that’s what lasts in a wardrobe, it really does’’; says Patricia Field.

Emily’s daily looks are certainly not for the unadventurous. If it’s not clashing prints, it’s breathtakingly bold accessories – no look blends into the background. Paris is no place to hide, but to stand out and be heard; the set of every fashion lover’s dream.

While statement is the common denominator, Field holds no fear to the occasional fashion reference. Emily’s ballet look may have held an air of nostalgia for some and rightly so. Time and time again leading actress Lily Collins has been mentioned for her remarkable resemblance to iconic figure Audrey Hepburn. This is apparent even more so as Field dresses Collins in a Christian Siriano gown, a pair of Agnelle gloves, a rhinestone-studded vintage purse, a pair of Cosmoparis heels and jewels from La Compagnie du Costume, a modern-day

Top 5 Fashion Moments from CHOSEN By Maeve O’Sullivan, Fashion Editor

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doppelgänger to Hepburn’s Givenchy little black dress in Funny Face.

Field creates a vision of Emily that is pure escapist joy. The looks created

by Field, trend-adjacent rather than driven, are something before now we may have only dreamed of. The fantasy is not only reserved for the viewer but for the leading lady herself. Emily

pays homage to the French dream with her sleek pairing of berets and neck scarves. Oh, and stripes. All the stripes.

In a time of endless lounge wear, why not dream of baby pink houndstooth two pieces and pearl-encrusted Chanel bags? Why not escape to Paris with Ms. Emily Cooper?

Editor: Maeve O’Sullivan

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Irish Designer Richard Malone Pauses Time at London Fashion Week Writes Maeve O’Sullivan, Fashion Editor Designers, like you and me, have all been affected by the repercussions of the global pandemic. Their livelihoods stopped, as nowhere to go means no need to dress up. The previous fashion seasons once rolled into one another, designers and ateliers alike churning out collections to fit the times. What happens when time stops? When fashion is no longer under pressure, no longer defined by a stopwatch or calendar?

What happens is a ‘rehearsal’ to life; such is the way of Richard Malone’s newest collection. Conceived from the deepest quiet of lockdown, Malone takes to the idea of clothes rendered entirely abstract – props for life reimagined.

Until this moment, Malone, like many before, designed for real life.

Yet, when real life grinds to a halt, a chance to just rehearse comes our way.

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Explore the now with the armoury of gorgeous, weighty, almost-upholstered, substantial evening wear.

The collection is sewn together with ochre bouclé tailoring; silver blue crushed velvet blouses; silk-like wool crepe. Malone describes the collection as ‘borderline hysterical, high drama for an appointment with no-one’.

There are two books Malone credits as having remained within reach throughout the design process: I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, and Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A Ghost in the Throat.

Both works deal with a contortion and curvature of time; Ní Ghríofa’s powerful prose debut exploring two poets from distant centuries (1700s, and present day) reaching out across worlds to one another. Iain Reid’s chilling, already-cult thriller rattles through an

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unnerving journey in which characters inexplicably age. This sense of the surreal manifests as hyperextended proportions – exaggerated shoulders as if fixed in a permanent, peculiar shrug – dramatic drapery and rounded, cushion-y hips.

And so, despite the wider world inciting a feeling of potential uselessness for

those who deal in fashion – Malone’s signature realness ultimately stands firm.

A significant portion of the collection is formed of Irish linens and past-season off-cuts; the velvets were hand-washed by his own hand (in his own bath, no less). Malone’s intention remains to gently, generously educate audiences around new possibilities in fashion.

Arts & Literature Cygnets

By Claire Aherne

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The Do’s of Self-Publishing writes Imasha Costa, Arts & Literature Editor

sweet mess / cygnets i cannot raise cabhair liom a mhaighdean, a spiorad naomh all my sons before me bring me to tears i’m sure he would be beautiful but i can’t draw him near belly hollow, a tooth unformed – what’s left behind is all lukewarm hands i can’t afford to know: rogues i can’t allow to grow ––––––––– yet in distant future, in faraway hum are lakes of cygnets yet to come yet to come - c.a, cygnets

Not to walk all over traditional publishing houses, but if you really want to publish a collection of poetry; short stories; or even your very first novel, you could try a different route that has become more popular over the years.

With several writers ready to use this method, especially those who are just starting out, self-publishing is a great way to initially get your first project out. I was happy that I was able to get my name published in not one, but two collections of poetry. With that being said, the factors that come into creating a successful book launch is quite exhausting.

The word ‘self’ in self-publishing does become quite literal. If you are ever considering following the path of self-publishing, there are a few things that you would have to consider, in order to make your publication a successful one.

book to become a page turner. Secondly, something that I found really helpful was having a second set of eyes look over my finished manuscript. Having a big fat manuscript is daunting and it is possible that you may have looked over a few typos or errors when formatting your script. It is always handy to have someone who is able to criticise well, edit and proofread your manuscript.

Firstly, pay attention to what you want to publish. What is it that you want your readers to see? Is there a theme? Is there a format that you would like to follow?

This is very important if you want your

Covers. It’s okay if you do not have any Photoshop skills to work out how you want your cover page and back-cover page to look. Canva is a handy online tool which can quickly edit and fix your

book cover. They also have a dedicated section called ‘book covers’ which gives you different formatting options.

It takes time – weeks even – to come up with a perfect cover and something that you feel could represent your first published work. It would also be handy if you could use public domain pictures or commissioned pieces for your cover.

Finally, something I came across that was tricky was the marketing and promoting techniques – trying to understand how to reach my audience and approach them with my book. It is something that one has to keep in mind when

it comes to self-publishing. The best way that I have overcome this is to try and first promote your publication in small independent art collectives, cafés or even bookshops. The more people it reaches, the more chance of catching the eye of larger chains of bookstores.

That being said, self-publishing is not as scary as it seems, especially if you are trying it out for the first time ever. It may seem daunting at first, especially when you know that you have to put a lot of work in, but in the end, it could turn out to be the best thing that you have ever done.

Editor: imasha costa Understanding Tribal Identity through Poetry

Fourfold

By Claire Aherne

Writes Claudia Schwartz “When a [DNA] test kit can tell you who you are, the very notion of identity begins to fall apart” - Hina Walajahi.

Defining Native American identity is an almost unsolvable problem.

What does it mean and, more importantly, who is allowed to define and describe it? A lot of people with indigenous ancestors struggle to find the right label for themselves.

A number of Native American poets have tried to illustrate this constant state of uncertainty through poetry.

Paula Gunn Allen, poet and novelist, had an especially difficult task of marrying American Indian, ArabAmerican, and European DNA into one identity. In her experience, people of mixed heritage don’t completely fit into any category and end up “commonly feel[ing] alien to themselves above all”.

The term “Indian” has alienating and racist connotations in the U.S., but has been reclaimed by Native Americans. However, referring to a person’s specific tribe is generally preferred. Legally, someone is considered “American Indian” when he or she is not only enrolled in a tribe but also recognized by the government. Blood Quantum, the idea that a person must have a certain degree of Native American blood to be considered as such, was initially a restrictive system the US government implemented in 1934. It was designed to limit Native American citizenship and the accompanying governmental benefits. A number of tribes still use it in their own enrollment process, but specific requirements vary.

Those who use Blood Quantum essentially rely on a statistic to determine whether or not someone is eligible for tribal membership. However, every tribe requires a different percentage of American Indian DNA, or specific tribal DNA. The majority of tribes expect 1/2 or 1/4 blood quantum, equivalent to one full-blood Native American parent or grandparent respectively. The Fort Sill Apache Tribe only demands 1/16 blood quantum, so one Apache great-great grandparent automatically qualifies you. But, for a few tribes such as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of

Florida, a person would need to prove that one of their parents is a full-blood Miccosukee to be considered a member. This process can be perceived as dividing the self. Mathematical equations take the body apart until the only thing left is percentages – a fractioned identity. But what if all these fractions don’t add up to the right number? And if they do, at what cost?

“In my left pocket a Chickasaw hand rests on the bone of the pelvis.

In my right pocket a white hand. Don’t worry. It’s mine and not some thief’s.”

(Linda Hogan, “The Truth Is”) Being of mixed descent and honouring both cultures equally is a challenge that poet Linda Hogan is very much aware of. She does not feel like a complete human being but instead is “taped together” and has “two empty pockets”. Her tribal affiliation is Chickasaw. Growing up as the daughter of a white woman from Nebraska and a Chickasaw, she had a difficult time connecting with both cultures.

She was denied the chance to grow up within the Chickasaw tribe, but visiting them in Oklahoma was when she finally felt at home.

“I think the split between the two cultures in my life became a growing abyss and they were what I did to heal it; weave it back together. (...)

You are Indian and could pass for white. Go to powwows and to the opera with equal ease. (...) One life does not fit neatly into the other always”.

Elizabeth Woody’s poem “Translation of Blood Quantum” is a more literal, mathematical example. The narrator adds up all her ancestries, neatly lines them up in an equation and ends up with the correct result. Because of this she gets awarded with a Tribal Roll number - her new identity. Instead of accepting this form of identification, Elizabeth Woody concludes by saying that she is not just “31/32 Warm Springs - Wasco - Yakama - Pit River – Navajo” but “THIRTY-SECOND PARTS OF A HUMAN BEING”.

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when i am near you i am buzzing inside my ears ring among little wasps Poems such as these criticise the impersonal way in which blood quantum determines a person’s identity. This process eliminates important factors that can’t be identified by algorithms, such as traditions; understanding tribal culture and community relationships. U.S. senator Elizabeth Warren is an example of this. After claiming Native American heritage, she published a DNA test in support of this in 2018.

She received immense backlash by the Cherokee Nation: “DNA and family history has nothing to do with tribal affiliation or citizenship, which is determined only — only — by Tribal Nations”.

The message behind this: DNA does not define you.

If you are interested in reading more poems of this sort, I highly recommend looking up Linda Hogan, R.T. Smith, Paula Gunn Allen, Simon Ortiz and Elizabeth Woody.

humming to death the imaginary friends in my belly are you hearing my feelings the lucky younger bastards having nothing to mourn, are their own disadvantage when i hear the siren i do not change my clothes i think the same when dripping gold kissing him and her and him free and easy as a pastime pinky-promised fourfold kissing you and you and you kissing you and you and you Just wanting all your time wanting all the time - c.a, all in time fourfold

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Sports

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

Neale Fenn Leaves Cork City With The Clubs Future In The Balance writes Sam Curtin, Deputy Sports Editor

Neale Fenn left Cork City on Thursday night by mutual consent. It follows a difficult season for the Rebel Army who are bottom of the Premier Division on nine points with five games remaining with Fenn only managed to pick up two wins this season.

Fenn took over last season from John Caulfield and managed to steer the club away from relegation but with nearly the entire squad departing during the off season, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Fenn to make City competitive this season. This was not helped by the difficult financial situation of the club who were hours away from losing their premier division licence for the upcoming season due to an outstanding bill owed to Revenue.

They were only saved by Preston North End who paid €500,000 in a deal to get rid of the sell on clauses for Alan Browne and Sean Maguire.

Not the ideal start to the season, then coupled with an opening night defeat at home to newly promoted Shelbourne and a 6-0 defeat at Shamrock Rovers. Straight from the off Fenn and his troops were under severe pressure and looked on the pitch what they looked like on paper - a mix and gather squad lacking in experience and know-how with the exceptions of Gearóid Morrissey, Daire O’Connor. Stalwarts like Mark McNulty and Alan Bennett were now acting in a player/coach capacity at the club.

Another club stalwart has been put at the helm for the remaining five games in the form of Colin Healy, scorer of perhaps the greatest goal scored at Turners Cross with his overhead bicycle kick in front of the Shed in the dying minutes of a league game against St.Pats in 2014.

By the time this comes to issue, Healy will have taken charge of his first game against 2nd placed Bohemians at Dalymount Park with the side two points off relegation rivals Finn Harps and four points off automatic safety with a game in hand on both Harps and Shelbourne.

Not only is the team’s Premier Division status uncertain but so is the club’s ownership; Grovemoor Ltd owned by British billionaire Trevor

Hemmings is interested in purchasing the club. FORAS, the supporters trust who currently own the club are set to meet on Wednesday October 28th with over 600 shareholders eligible to vote and decide on the matter with a simple majority required. The board headed by chairman Declan Carey have expressed its support for the sale of the club at a cost of €1 due to it being fan owned.

Although City have had a mixed history with owners in previous eras, Trevor Hemmings comes with a background in football as he is also the owner of Preston North End while he also has close connections to Cork where he owns a stud farm in Kanturk and Trabolgan, and a successful holiday village in East Cork.

It has been an extremely difficult year for City with volunteer and club legend John Kennedy passing away in

September. A man who epitomized everything that was good about not only the club, but the league itself. He will be a huge loss to this city. Weeks later, founding chairman Jim Hennebry also passed away, without him perhaps there would not be a Cork City FC. For a brief moment it did seem that there would not be a football club this season if it wasn’t for Hemmings stepping in, and perhaps his company is the right pair of hands to guide the club into a new era taking over from a fantastic job done by the supporters trust who rebuilt the club from scratch in 2009 with aplomb. It undoubtedly has been one of the good news stories in Irish football in recent times.

It could be argued however that fan ownership only takes you so far with a reliance on organic investment in the form of prize money, gate receipts and spon-

sorship. An owner who might show a willingness to put substantial investment into the club could be what football in Cork needs if it wants to relive the glory days of the past decade and compete with champions elect Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk, both of whom are backed by deep pockets of Dermot Desmond and American company Peak6, respectively.

Whatever happens, these next couple of months are arguably the most important in the club’s recent history and will dictate the future of the club in the most uncertain of times. With all the negativity in the world at the moment, October could be a month to unite the people of Cork once again and have a future of football which is vibrant for all from the Shed end to West Cork.

Sports

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

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Professional Athletes not in Touch with the Ethics of Endorsements writes Ronan Maloney

Sports and commerce may initially appear without a great degree of mutualism. However, it’s without a doubt that the sporting and business fields have integrated to date, and it is particularly visible through athletes applying their skill sets to sales and marketing in the business arena; on a micro scale, this is truly marked by the prevalence of the term “#ad” occupying the conclusion of captions across social media. Considering that the 2019 Super Bowl generated over $380 million just from in-game advertisements, it’s not delusional to think of every player involved as a sort of business-person. From Michael Jordan to Katie Taylor, sports stars are increasingly stretching their supernatural abilities to the business world by acting as brand ambassadors. Although the individual’s relevance to the advertisement can often prove questionable - honourable contenders to this statement include Kevin Durant’s involvement with Sonic, or Christiano Ronaldo to KFC - professionals within the sporting sector are expanding to an array of different industries, with particular emphasis landing on food businesses.

Food and beverage businesses are

acknowledged as substantial drivers of this coalition, supported by their innovative strategies that may include adopting famous people in the sporting world as the crest of their brands. Delivering benefits such as increased brand recognition, healthier perceptions of the brand, and generally obtaining commitment from the individual’s more loyal fans, these marketing stunts are gaining major traction; after all, if the product is good enough to be consumed by a professional athlete, surely it’s good for me? Although packed with irony, the ethics behind this concept don’t sit well with me for more reasons than one.

This primarily comes down to the fact that sports stars are commonly sought to advertise unhealthy food products. I struggle to find the morality behind an individual dedicating their career to a specific sport, and then acting as a brand ambassador for companies who mass produce stereotypically unhealthy products. With examples including partnerships between Serena Williams and McDonald’s, as well as Michael Phelps and Subway, these prestigious characters are advocates for a healthy lifestyle, and should connect with global audiences to fight against obesity, and reduce the consumption of these fat and salt laden products. The other issue that I

personally find daunting is sports stars, who have fan bases consisting of young demographics, encouraging people to eat fast-food. Anyone who has seen how quick a child is to demand their favourite soccer player’s newest jersey or boots will know how susceptible this generation is to this type of advertising, and should therefore be just as worried as I am, especially considering the prevailing issue of childhood obesity.

Whilst I’m quick to blow the whistle on those athletes advocating fast-food, there’s certainly a lot to be said for those drawing attention to healthier diets, be it a less common occurrence. From this aspect, Lewis Hamilton stands as a major contributor by becoming a vegan to maximise his positive impact on both his health and the environment.

Hamilton is also actively campaigning for veganism, and is on track to grow his vegan restaurant in London. In line with athletes entering the food industry, the Munster and Ireland back-row CJ Stander has become the brand ambassador for Hellbent, a company who produce high quality Irish beef with a South African seasoning. Other notable alliances have existed between Messi and Herbalife, and Ian Madigan with Avonmore Milk. The list goes on.

Whether these athletes’ contributions to the food marketing arena are substantiated by their intentions to commit themselves to their own passion project, encourage healthier dietary habits, or to just simply acquire some extra revenue, is questionable; however, one might be reluctant to assume that it’s not the latter.

Some food for thought is that many athletes are actually making more money from endorsements than they are from their sporting careers.

In this capacity, LeBron James has been majorly involved with global giants including Coca-Cola, so much so that 61% of his earnings have been from endorsements. Another surprising figure is accumulated

by Tiger Woods, who has generated 97% of his earnings from endorsing brands such as Monster Energy. Although these statistics account for a considerable proportion of these athletes’ earnings, is it worth contributing to the 76% of sports sponsorships that are tied to junk food?

Ethics aside, sports stars are evidently thriving within the food industry, proving that sports and business are not such different ball games.

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Sports

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

UCC Fitzgibbon Cup Winner leads the US Charge on Covid writes Liam Grainger, Sports Editor

It’s March 24th and Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, has just delivered his most harrowing press conference on the spread of Covid-19 in the state yet. At a scheduled press conference at the Jacob Javits Centre in Midtown Manhattan which has just been renovated as a makeshift Covid-ward, Cuomo tells journalists the inescapable conclusion that the rate of infection is going up and that the apex is higher than they had thought; a bad mix. Watching on from the side of the atrium is Michael J. Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health, the biggest provider of healthcare in the state of New York.

Handpicked by Cuomo to lead the State’s charge against Covid-19, Dowling is tasked with overseeing hospital surge capacity as well as the operation of Northwell’s 23 New York hospitals and 210 outpatient facilities. Though there’s more to this New Yorker than what meets the eye.

Born in Knockaderry, County Limerick in 1949, Dowling grew up in very humble beginnings. His father was a laborer, and Dowling recalls in his latest book release that he spent

many summers in England working in a Steel Mill to earn his crust. It was not till Dowling was accepted into UCC at the age of 17 as an Arts undergraduate that he finally began to find his stride. It was then in 1966 that he first linked up with UCC GAA Club, which at the time was under the management of Fergus O’Reilly. Dowling’s tenure at UCC was dotted with successes, the biggest of these coming in his first year of studies in 1967, when UCC won their 19th Fitzgibbon Cup. Captained that year by Seánie Barry, the College won out on a score line of 3-17 to 2-05, in a comprehensive defeat of NUIG, known as University College Galway at the time. The game, which took place in Croke Park, saw Dowling play a starring role in the college’s victory, coming off the bench to add three points to his side’s tally from the left half-forward position. However, his successes with the Western Road outfit didn’t end that February in 1967, as Dowling would also go on to win a Cork County Senior Hurling Championship in 1970 before his days at UCC were up.

He contributed a 0-4 in UCC’s narrow win over Muskerry on that occasion. A grafter from a young age, Dowling spent every Summer during his time at UCC

in New York, where he worked a variety of jobs in order to finance his academic exploits in Cork. It was not until he began his postgraduate studies at Fordham University with a masters in social policy that he was full-time in America.

Dowling’s efforts with the GAA Club at UCC didn’t go unnoticed by the inter-county setup in his native Limerick.

In 1971 he was drafted into the senior squad and was part of the team that would go on to win their first National Hurling League in 23 years. Dowling would be US-bound before the Treaty County would eventually go on to claim All-Ireland glory in 1973. The Limerick man regularly recounts his days at UCC as some of his fondest, in particular the days spent down the Mardyke. In a recent talk with the Irish-American network in Manhattan, Dowling attributed much of his business strategic outlook on the lessons he learned from the hurling pitch, stressing the importance of confidence in the ability of your team to succeed despite outside influences. Dowling’s rags to riches story in New York started on the city’s docks where he would clean boat engines on the Circle Line, often clocking up 120-hour weeks. It was at

Fordham where he met his wife, and also where he caught the eye of Governor-elect Mario Cuomo during his election year of 1983. Dowling would go on to serve as Deputy Secretary and Director of Health, Education, and Human Services in the Cuomo administration for over 12 years.

Dowling has overseen Northwell’s transformation from three hospitals at the turn of the millennium to twenty-one and counting, now boasting a $12 billion annual revenue intake. His legacy continues at the GAA Club to this day, with the sponsorship of three scholarships for the hurling club each year. Northwell Health also brings in 20 Irish students annually to complete work placements, 2 of these being BIS undergraduates from UCC. From humble beginnings in Knockaderry, to the bright lights of Manhattan, with major successes in healthcare and politics along the way, it’s clear that the Limerick man hasn’t forgotten where it all started at UCC, and the sporting successes that shaped his character to this day.

Sports

Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th Oct 2020 | University Express

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GAA Season set to continue with Inter-County Season Only writes Sam Curtin, Deputy Sports Editor

The GAA has decided to suspend all further activity except for inter-county fixtures until further notice on Monday, October 5th. The decision was taken in line with the new Level-3 restrictions that were introduced nationwide until at least October 27th. As a result, training in limited numbers - in pods of up to 15 people for non-contact sports only - can take place for clubs and underage sides.

It has been a difficult few weeks for the GAA who have received much negative press for the lack of social distancing at matches where crowds of up to 200 people have been allowed. Numerous videos have been spread across social media where crowds have been seen gathering in close proximity to each other in the stands, both on the pitch and off it.

The images were made all the more striking when photos emerged of football fans at League of Ireland games strictly observing social distancing and many wearing masks in line with government advice.

Sunday, October 4th proved to be the last straw for the GAA. One example that has been doing the rounds on social media is of Blackrock supporters congregating in large numbers after the club ended an 18 year famine to capture the Cork Senior Hurling Championship after defeating Glen Rovers in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Despite a magnificent performance by the Rockies, they were let down off the pitch by supporters who did little to observe social distancing, in fact one video showed people embracing each other and huddling together without any face coverings.

It must be said however that Blackrock are not the only culprits as there have been many other clubs just as culpable, behaviour which the GAA has condemned. As a result they have decided to take action which results in several high profile club games including the Cork Senior Football Championship to be postponed. This is despite calls from the Club Players Association (CPA) to allow the games go ahead behind closed doors. This could perhaps be an alternative option which would satisfy all parties involved but it remains to be seen if this will be permitted. The Cork County Board are hopeful of com-

pleting the remaining thirteen games in the remainder of the club calendar.

The GAA also have decisions to make with regards to the return of supporters which looks to be unlikely in the short term due to the recent incidents. They have come out with the IRFU and FAI in support of plans to allow the safe return of a limited number of fans to stadiums.

These plans would include the mandatory wearing of face masks of everyone over the age of 13 while reducing social distancing to one metre allowing more fans to attend. These proposals come just a couple of weeks after GAA President John Horan said that it could be possible for up to 30,000 fans to attend the All-Ireland finals in Croke Park if ad-

equate health and social distancing measures were in place. While this may seem unlikely due to the present circumstances, there could be a possibility of up to 5,000 fans being able to attend under the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ plan.

Regardless of the safe return of crowds, the main message must be to ensure the safe return of play for all within the GAA community which is built upon the participation of all its members and not just at the elite level. It is crucial for the people’s mental health and the overall health of the organisation which now has the chance to re-evaluate and assess its future which like every other sport is uncertain.

Ultimately, there are two sides to every story and this situation is no dif-

ferent. Human nature dictates that every person wants to show affection, embrace and celebrate when something great happens in their life and for every GAA fan, there are few greater thrills in life than witnessing their club triumph. This is a very difficult period for everyone inside and outside the GAA bubble and these next few months could get worse before they get better.

Sometimes it is better to leave the champagne on ice as good things come to those who wait. If we are willing to do that, a fantastic All-Ireland championship could still be ahead of us and could allow the GAA to finish the year with a bang.

University

Volume 24 | Issue 2 | Tuesday 13th October 2020

Sports

UCCExpress.ie

SCHUMPETER, CREATIVE DESTRUCTION, AND GAA LIVE STREAMS: WHAT CAN SPORT TAKE TO POST-PANDEMIC IRELAND? Writes Liam Grainger, Sports Editor The Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter described the economy as being in a permanent state of change. A state of almost constant chaos, where new products, techniques and ideas are constantly undermining existing ones. This is what Schumpeter termed as “creative destruction”, implying that recessions and crises are the necessary product of innovation.

Because in a crisis what is radical becomes mainstream and what’s mainstream becomes redundant. Covid-19 has opened an Overton window for sport, giving us an opportunity to reimagine the way we play our games. And we shouldn’t be afraid of innovation, on the contrary, we should embrace it. They say to never let a good crisis go to waste, and the pandemic has been the catalyst for much-needed change with some novel introductions across the sporting spectrum.

But do they have a place post-Covid?

Accessibility: The pandemic has seen many sporting bodies join the digital transformation which has been pervasive in all sections of society. The GAA, which has traditionally lagged behind others in bridging the IT gap, has not escaped.

Restricted by crowd-capacity guidelines, and at times forced to close the doors to supporters completely, GAA clubs across the country tried their hand at live-broadcasting the games being played on their club grounds. Pre-Covid, this service was a rarity, with streams only offered towards the latter stages of competitions by national broadcasters or local media outlets. It’s never been the case that each round of club action has been broadcast live, and clubs must be commended for bringing the action to many housebound GAA zealots. There is a tremendous opportunity in this.

Club-County Play-off: If GAA can learn anything from the

Covid crisis it’s that there is a better way to run fixtures. A better balance is possible and what is more evident is that a massive appetite for club action exists. Cork has witnessed one of the most exciting GAA championships in both codes over the last number of months, the UCC-Blackrock encounter in the hurling semi-final is your perfect example. The split-season also favors third-level competitions, who have been one of the biggest victims of lengthy inter-county schedules. The challenge now is to bite the bullet and put a structure in place that ensures we never see club versus county again.

Water-Breaks: Water-breaks have been the marmite of the GAA Championships this Summer.

Due to restrictions on Maor Uisces entering the field of play, these mid-half interludes have become part-and-parcel of the game, with the referee calling a brief water break between the 15th and 20th minute of either half. Those opposing the new introduction argue that the break in play can kill a team’s momentum, allowing their opponent an opportunity to regroup and get into the game; a luxury not afforded pre-Covid.

Games can now be divided into quarters, with a different tactical approach. There

are already rumors that Croke Park may maintain the rule even when things are somewhat back to normal, a contentious decision to make.

Hybrid-Training Models: With a bit of luck, this will be staying in 2020. At the height of lockdown, clubs of all disciplines made use of collaborative technologies when in-person training was not possible, but it was a poor substitute for the real deal.

Several Irish sporting bodies plan on maintaining some element of online-training post-Covid, with hopes of weekly conditioning sessions taking place over Zoom. Logistically, it makes these types of sessions more accessible by eliminating the need to travel for gym sessions, but their long-term place in Irish sport seems doubtful. Collaborative technologies have definitely enhanced the communications aspect of team sports and if they are sidelined for training purposes, they may keep their place by facilitating team meetings.

The Rule Book: All sporting bodies in the country have had to adjust their rule books to mitigate the threat of the virus. Some of these amendments have been less

welcome than others, the ban on dressing-rooms and dugout usage for GAA games in particular. However, some of the new hygiene guidelines could earn their place on the post-Covid playing field. Too many cooks spoil the broth, and the cap on team-personnel allowed inside the wire has been received well by many. So too has the clampdown on nose-clearing and spitting, which can now be considered an offence by the referee. Communal water-bottles could be a thing of the past with the guidelines on individual water-bottles looking like it could be set to stay; many people are waking up to how lax we were to hygiene pre-pandemic. The introduction of penalty shootouts in GAA to ensure an on-the-day winner has also resulted in plenty of added excitement to the Covid-Championships this year, but are they just a means of deciding winners?

The coming months will see the governing bodies cast a magnifying glass over what has and hasn’t worked this year. Some changes, crowd restrictions in particular, will be lifted almost immediately once public health advice dictates in favor, but some aspects of these modified games may be here to stay. Maybe it’s for the better.