UCC Express Issue 1

Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 1

Bryan Danielson - News Writer*

The College of SEFS have introduced a new module for all incoming Post-Graduate students that means that they will have to do 50 hours of unpaid teaching before being paid for their work. The module, titled “PG6026 - Teaching and Demonstrating Skills for College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS) Postgraduate Students,” means that work done by post-grads through teaching & demonstrating in labs will go unpaid, which was not the case before. For most post-grads, the money earned by demonstrating is their main (if not only) source of income. While individual departments have said that students not in receipt of a grant or other funding can make arrangements with their supervisors to retain this source of funds, it is still a crucial

support for many students. Looking at various different departments in SEFS we discovered that while it depended on the individual department, for most of them it would take anywhere up to a semester to complete the 50 hours of work, costing the students anywhere from €800-€1,100.

We spoke to one current post-grad student from the College SEFS (who asked to remain unnamed) who felt that this new measure was unfair, as students are already expected to perform unpaid tasks associated with teaching & demonstrating (preparation for labs, grading of papers etc.), and coupled with other unpaid work done, like supervising the FYPs of undergraduate students, can lead to incredible amounts of stress and can distract from their own course, thus elongating the time spent doing their

post-grad course. The student we spoke to also questioned the point of the module itself, as they felt only those looking for careers in academia would benefit from learning how to teach, and even then, those doing postgraduate courses are individuals with qualifications, and before the introduction of this module have been teaching for years without it. This writer attempted to contact members of staff from the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, but were unable to get a response to these concerns before we went to print.

The student we spoke to was also dissatisfied with the response of the Students’ Union to this issue. “Due to the nature of postgraduate courses, postgrads are hard to mobilise. The Students’ Union seems to have done nothing about this, or at the very least

seem to know nothing about this.“ This writer attempted to contact Joe Kennedy (SU Education Officer) & Billy McCarthy (SEFS Rep) but were unable to get a comment before this article went to print. The Students’ Union does have a Postgraduate Representative, Patrick Collins, who sits on its executive and the University Governing Body, but according to the current SU Constitution it is also supposed to have individual College Postgraduate Representatives and indeed a Postgraduate Student Council, neither of which at the time of writing they have.

*The writer asked to be supplied with a pseudonym, and thus was given one

Postgraduates to suffer pay cuts in SEFS

UCC launch mental health bookletPage 5

Neil Willoughby looks at UCC’s year in sport for 2014/15Page 15

Interview with the Voice of Night Vale Cecil Baldwin Byline

HOMELESS: Accommodation troubles continue for students in Cork, and UCC SU responds. More on Page 3. Image by: USI

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Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

Inside Today:New CAO System Page 4

Refugee Crisis Page 6

Presidential power Page 10

Endless search Page 11

Eamonn Ryan Page 16

Fitzgibbon Cup win Page 20

Editor-in-Chief: Brian ConmyDeputy & News Editor: Zoe Cashman Deputy News Editor: Chris McCahillFeatures Editor: Deirdre FerriterDeputy Features Editor: Katie JeffersSport Editor: Neil WilloughbyPhoto Editor: Emmet CurtinDesigner: Robert O’SullivanFashion Editor: Jessica NiMhaolain Online Editor: Afraic O’Riordain Byline Editor: Xander CosgraveFiction Editor: Austin DowlingHumour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Ferlong Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson Music Editor: Holly Cooney

Editorial team

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Letters from the EditorsOn the Shoulders of GiantsWelcome to the UCC Express, your college newspaper for the academic year 2015/2016. My name is Brian Conmy and I’ll be your Ed-itor-in-Chief for the year. For those unfamiliar with the paper we print 12 issues a year, usually every two weeks outside of holidays and study breaks. I’m sitting in our small Windle building office space writing this one last article before we go to print on our 3,000 copy first run for the year. Needless to say, this feels a bit daunting. In our offices, in fancy leather bound books, are issues of the Express (formerly called the University Express, The University Xpress, The University Examiner, The Gazette and for one year the Campus Chronicle) dating back to 1989. While more exist these are the ones we have easy access to and looking through them in down time of design and copy editing has been eye-opening. The Express comes together with a new team every year, with new goals and new hopes for that year but it doesn’t exist in isola-tion. Every issue is iterative of the one before it going back all the way to the start. This is my third year on the editorial team proper, having risen up the ranks from Gaming Editor to Deputy News Editor to Editor in Chief now. I’ve personally worked under two amazing Editors, Audrey Ellard Walsh and Stephen Barry, both individuals who I have no doubt will climb

their way to the top in the journalism world and are names to watch out for in future. Having been proud to work under them and prouder still to be part of the grand tradition of UCC’s print journalism world I once again welcome you to the Express for 2015/16 and hope you enjoy the aspects of papers and Editors in years gone by that we bring forward but also the new things we try to do. To honour the tradition of this publi-cation but also remind everyone of why things sometimes need to change check out pages 10 and 11 which comprise of our new section, Flashbacks, set to feature pieces of previous years papers to show just how far we’ve come but in some instances how little things have changed. Welcome to UCC and the Express

Hey Freshers!Thank you for taking the time to read the Ex-press, I’m the new Deputy Editor/ News Editor for the coming year. I’m very excited for the year ahead and to be bringing all of UCC’s (very exciting) news to all of you. The team and I will be doing our best to bring all of the hot gossip around UCC to you. I hope all of you have a great year and make sure to get involved in as many things as you can because the years go by very fast here. I wrote for the News section of the Express all of last year and I really enjoyed it. I worked under the brilliant Barry Aldworth who was an amazing News Editor last year. I’m very nervous but also very excited about this position and hope I do as great a job as previous editors. Writing for the Express is a great opportunity to get involved in college life as you get to attend many events and interview a lot of people. It was because of working for the Express last year that I decided I wanted to pursue Journalism as a career and it’s what made me decide to run for News Editor this year. There’s plenty to do here in UCC so make sure to get involved. There’s a ton of Clubs and Societies and there’s definitely something for everyone! Also for you aspiring journalists

I’d love to have you on the Express news team! Writing for the Express is brilliant as it gives you real experience with writing for a news-paper. You see what it’s like to do your own research for articles and work with deadlines and work individually as well as part of a team. I’d highly recommend it to anyone. For any of you who wish to get involved please send me an email at [email protected]. I wish you all the very best of luck for the year I hope you enjoy your time here at UCC!

UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | 3

Students’ Union respond to student housing crisis in CorkZoe Cashman - News EditorUCC’s Students’ Union has called for a solution to the current student hous-ing crisis in Cork. They are trying to negotiate with home owners to rent out vacant rooms to alleviate student hous-ing problems. Students’ Union Pres-ident, Aidan Coffey, commented that “some students are really struggling to find somewhere to stay, it’s a great way for locals to help out”. The SU has appealed to more landlords to consider students as tenants and has said they are aware of at least 100 students who were yet to secure accommodation as of last week. Pressures in the rental mar-ket, including landlords insisting on 12 month-leases, have caused great difficulty for students trying to secure accommodation. This has led to a greater demand for alternatives such as digs or renting rooms in family houses. Aidan Coffey encourages landlords to consider nine-month leases for student tenants and pointed out the benefits as landlords could earn up to 12,000 euro tax free by renting out rooms. Ógra Fianna Fáil called on the Minister for Education to wake up to the current crisis. Ógra President, Eoin Neylon, stated that the Minister ap-pears to be “asleep at the wheel”. “She won’t release the report in the hope that the problem will just go away like a bad dream, it’s a further example of

this Government’s utter disregard for young people”. Noting USI’s cam-paign to flyer private housing to try and accommodate the shortfall, Ney-lon continued, “Forcing students to go out into the community to beg for places is degrading but unfortunately now necessary, what’s more worrying is that the Minister has stated this is a viable solution to the problem”. Neylon feels the cost of fees plus accommodation is causing many students to leave full time education as they can no longer afford it. “The sometimes extortionate rents repre-sent yet another financial barrier to students hoping to go onto further education”. Ógra 3rd level representative, Mark Holt, added that “The govern-ment could introduce countless incen-tives or schemes to ease the burden on students, in many cases students are being met with signs including slogans such as ‘no students need apply’. This is a dangerous message to be feeding already stressed students as they embark on tertiary education”. Neylon concluded that “it’s time for the Min-ister to wake up to the fact that she has a responsibility to students and that inaction is no longer an option”. UCC acknowledges the diffi-culties being faced by students in

search of accommodation and have introduced some initiatives along with the Students’ Union to support the option of commuting to UCC. This includes discounted parking for UCC students in four participating car parks and discounted Bus Éireann Student Leap Cards available directly from the Students’ Union offices on College Road. Also a new web-based plat-form known as ‘Student Pad’ has been launched which includes information concerning student-house availability in Cork and a message-board where students may post information

regarding accommodation availability. The Students’ Union have been taking serious action in response to this crisis and are continuing to work on various initiatives with the university. Students who are still worried about accommo-dation can contact UCC’s Accommo-dation Service on 021 4902353 and the Students’ Union can be contacted directly on 0214902181.

The Genius Of George BooleChris McCahill - Deputy News Editor

In 1849 George Boole became the first professor of mathematics here at UCC. He is best known for his work in the area of mathematics. He was the creator of Boolean algebra and known as the father of computer science, essentially it can be said ‘No Boole-No Google and No Amazon’. As a result of his successes Boole is eponymous with the lecture theatre and the library here at UCC. As part of the bicentenni-al celebrations of his birth, Boole’s biographer Professor Des MacHale gave a speech citing that Boole was the inspiration for Sherlock Holme’s main antagonist, Professor Moriarty. The non-technical talk given by Pro-fessor MacHale stated that Boole was the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan

Doyle’s fictional character, described as the “Napoleon of Crime” and is the arch enemy of Sherlock in many of Conan Doyle’s stories. By citing mathematical, visual, personal, and some coincidental evidence, MacHale strongly backed up his case. H.G. Wells, a father of science fiction, is a vital link in connecting Conan Doyle and Boole’s wife, Mary Everest Boole. Recent evidence has also been present-ed on the name Moriarty, pointing to Moriarty being the surname of several Cork families. As it stands every com-puter scientist, mathematician, logician and electrical engineer knows about George Boole and his importance, but should the link between Boole and Conan Doyle’s most famous villain be-come more recognised, it is likely that

the popularity of Boole will become far more widespread across the Globe. More recently a documentary was aired by RTÉ entitled “The Genius of George Boole”, commissioned by UCC and later screened on September 1st, the documentary investigated the impact of George Boole on modern technology and shone a new light on his legacy, recognised as the forefather of the information age. The docu-mentary is narrated by Oscar winner Jeremy Irons and includes a host of academics and industry leaders, along with some insight from UCC president Dr. Murphy. “The Genius of George Boole” explores the life of one of the world’s greatest unsung heroes.


“UCC are trying to make it more accept-able for students to be able to talk about their mental health issues by showing that it is not something which defines some-one, but rather only a small part of them” comments Fiona O’Donnell, the mind behind the powerful project “My Mental Health Matters”, a booklet recently re-leased by UCC which shares stories and experiences of those who suffer and who have suffered from mental health issues. With World Suicide Prevention Day approaching on Thursday 10th Sep-tember a compelling booklet of stories by UCC students and staff has been released. The collection is intended to destigma-tise mental health issues and offers raw, honest and brave accounts of vulnerabil-ity intended to help others. The stories represent contributors from Ireland and abroad. The array of backgrounds high-lights not only how common the issues are, but also how unifying these stories

can be for those who read them. Among the contributors were Head of Student Experience, JP Quinn, who released a compelling story entitled ‘My Mother Killed My Black Dog’, and UCC Nursing Student Linda Creedon, whose silent video released during last year’s Mental Health Week reached over 20,000 people. Linda commented how important it is to talk about your mental health as it “stops a small problem be-coming a big problem”. “Mental health isn’t specifically reserved to mental illness, it’s any situ-ation that affects your daily wellbeing, and during your college years there are so many potential sources that can affect your mental wellbeing. The sharing of stories and experiences shows that you are never alone and there are so many people out there who have felt the exact same as you at some point”. The foreword was written by

Elma Walsh, Mother of the late Don-al Walsh, who during his battle with cancer set up the #LiveLife Foundation. “We are continuing the message Donal left, to appreciate life and to live it to the full”. Fiona O’Donnell, the mind behind the project, started it while on placement with UCC Health Matters, an initiative which strives to improve the health and

wellbeing of the UCC community.

It is hoped that the booklet will get the community to talk more about mental health issues and will offer to support of those in need of it. The booklet is available to download and share freely on the UCC Health Matters website.

Booklet continues positive work by UCC on mental healthZoe Cashman - News Editor

Zoe Cashman - News Editor

A new CAO point system is set to be introduced for students starting college in 2017. It is hoped that the new system will change the way college places are allocated and ease the pressure on students entering third level education. A new scale from H1 to H8 will replace the ABC system currently in place. This new system will ensure that less students will reach the exact same overall score, the top of the scale will continue to be 100 but it will no longer go down in standard steps of 5 or 10 points. Because points are currently awarded in multiples of five only, a relatively large number of students can reach the same score. This can result in CAO applicants subjected to random selection for a college place. The new scale means that any points score between 0 and 625 is possible, which will allow for greater differentiation when it comes to competing for college places. The Minister for Education,

Jan O’Sullivan, commented that “this will make it far easier for students as many students will not be apply-ing for courses with the exact same number of points”. For the first time students who score between 30 and 39% in a higher level paper will be awarded 37 points. This change has been made to encourage students to aim higher while minimising the risk of getting no points. The new CAO scale is part of a se-ries of reforms focusing on the transition from school to college and is designed to take pressure off the students. Education Officer, Joe Kennedy, feels that this is “a positive development. It encourages people to do higher level subjects, reduces random allocation and hopefully takes some of the pressure off. A lot of reform is needed and this is a good first step”. All in all, the current attitude towards this reform appears to be a positive one.

CAO points system to experience its first overhaul in more than 20 years

Amount of Students Scoring Between 500-600 Points:

Amount of Students Scoring Between 400-499 Points: Amount of Students Scoring Between 300-399 Points:

2015 Leaving Cert Results Stats+396in 2015

+650in 2015

+399in 2015

+285in 2014

+644in 2014

+666in 2014

+2340in 2013 (from 1995)

+2172in 2013 (from 1995)

-1622in 2013 (from 1995)

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UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 8th 2015

Reeling in the Years - A Recap of Last YearZoe Cashman - News Editor

As we enter into a new year in UCC it is important to remember past events. Here is a recap on the main events of the past year.

September saw the start of a new college year and with that came the introduction of semesterisation to UCC. The new system has proved challenging and came with many issues. However, the college is hopeful that the second year of this new system brings more success.

The Student Council reconvened and the proposed ‘wipe the slate clean’ mo-tion was discussed. It was felt that past Student Councils did not keep accurate records and so it was necessary to wipe the slate clean and vote again. This particular motion was controversial as many were unhappy about re-voting on past issues, such as the support of mar-riage equality. The motion was passed however, and previous motions were voted on again by the council.

The Campus bookshop formerly lo-cated in Áras na Mac Léinn closed its doors on November 21st. Due to the introduction of semesterisation, stu-dents were faced with sit-down exams in December. With the added pressure came the demand for longer library opening hours which the college prom-ised would come but never material-ised, with alternative study areas being supplied but not covering the increased need for spaces. The Students’ Union launched a sit-in protest in the library and managed to gain extended opening hours for the study period. They are hopeful that the opening hours can be further extended for the coming year.

With the new semester came many exciting events. In January there was a campus referendum on whether to stay a part of USI and on the upcoming Marriage Referendum. The campus voted yes on both with a 91.4% yes vote to USI and 92.35% in support for Marriage Equality. A ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ talk led by current Welfare Officer Katie Quinlan saw student Joanne O’ Riordan and Irish celebrity Bressie speak about the mental and

physical barriers in life and how to overcome them. Mental health became a big topic in the college this year and was highlighted by the annual ‘Dark-ness into Light’ walk associated with Pieta House which saw a staggering 80,000 people participate nationwide this summer.

R&G Week turned out to be a great success as students raised over 20,000 euro for charity which surpassed last year’s total and the week saw fewer arrests and public order offences than in previous years. Stu-dents’ Union Elections got underway in March which saw two officers being re-elected, Joe Kennedy and Barry Nevin, the election of the first female Welfare Officer in 6 years, Katie Quinlan, the election of our new Students’ Union President, Aidan Coffey and the election of Deputy President and Campaigns Officer James Upton. Plans for a new Student Hub were revealed in which many new facilities would be available to students, such as learning and teaching spaces, offices, a ‘Student Life Zone’ and more. This Student Hub is hoped to be completed in 2016.

Former Deputy President and Campaigns Officer, Dick Murphy, led the ‘Break the Silence’ Campaign launched on March 23rd which sought to get students and the wider society to talk about rape. The Students Union’ organised and ran UCC’s first ever college ball equivalent to that of the Trinity Ball to finish out the year. All in all, the year proved to be mostly a success and it is hoped that this year can even surpass the achievements of last year’s students.

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The Mediterranean Refugee CrisisDoes the world care?Deirdre Ferriter - Features Editor

“People panicked when water filled the boat and it sank, we had life vests. I was holding my wife’s hands. My children slipped from my hands. We tried to hold on to the boat but it deflated rapidly. Everyone was screaming. I could not hear the voices of my children and my wife. I tried to swim to the beach by following the lights. I looked for my wife and children on the beach but couldn’t find them.”

The above account is that of Abdullah Kurdi, the father of the 3 year old boy Aylan, who washed up on the shore of Bodrum, Turkey on Wednesday morning of last week. The picture of Aylan’s body, face down on the beach which emerged last Wednesday evening has had a sober-ing effect on all those who have seen it. Aylan drowned fleeing across the Med-iterranean along with his brother Galip and mother Rehan leaving his father alone in the world and in a foreign country. Abdullah has since been interviewed and has said he no longer wishes to go on to Europe and would prefer to return to Syr-ia. He has decided to return his wife and children’s bodies to Kobani in Syria; “I just want to see my children for the last time and stay forever with them.”

The EU estimated death toll for Syrian people fleeing their homeland this summer alone has now reached 2,500 but it was the image of one boy that brought this issue home to us, everyone who viewed this picture saw a child just like any Irish child, race-less, genderless and innocent. Perhaps this is the way we need to view all Syrian refugees, they are innocent ordi-nary people and one death in the Med-iterranean is the same as a drowning or sudden death in Ireland. It is the loss of a life that could been saved.

The Government response thus far to this humanitarian crisis has been to send Naval ships to the Mediterranean on search and rescue missions. The crews of these ships have done amazing work thus far saving lives under immediate threat. It should be noted that Ireland; along with Denmark and the UK, secured an opt-out in certain matters related to Justice and Home Af-fairs at the last Lisbon Treaty and there-fore, the Government’s decision to waive this clause and accept an as yet undecided

number of refugees resulting from the cur-rent crisis should be commended. Howev-er as a nation we are not truly addressing the future of these people. The Govern-ment have offered refuge to a mere 600 people at time of writing when thousands are in need of homes. In contrast to their Government, as usual the Irish people have proven themselves enterprising, char-itable and conscientious. As of last Friday 6,000 people had offered beds in their own homes to refugees. One Clare man, Aiden O’Neill, has even offered to adopt or to foster a child while their parents get back on their feet. He has taken it upon himself to set up a Facebook page call the ‘Aylan Kurdi shelter’ and told George Hook on ‘The Right Hook’ that he hopes to find other like-minded families who will do the same;

“I would love - and I’m putting this out as an appeal, George - there’s a meeting in two weeks’ time, in Brussels, an emer-gency meeting, and I would love to fur-nish Enda Kenny with a list of 600-odd families who would be willing to do the same... that would make me the happi-est man in the world”. This entire situation brings to mind the emergency evacuation of children to the safe countryside from cities like London during World War II. Globally we are fortunate to live in the safe and idyllic countryside of the world in the midst of the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Instead of proactively volunteering to take in a specific number of refugees however the Government of the Irish Republic is now waiting to be told how many they should take in by the E.U. I think we can all answer that and the Irish people have. As many as possible. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has instead decided to remain vague and noncommittal on this issue. He has reportedly asked the Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald to have a “flexible mind” at the upcoming European Com-mission meeting on the 14th of September. A more sceptical person might say Fine Gael and Labour would prefer to spend the current surplus tax take of 1.4 billion Euro on vote winning than housing refugees. Leadership can hide their head in the sand but the fact is this situation is escalating, not going away. The death toll in the whole of 2014 was an estimated 3,500 and this summer alone has been 2,500.

The global response to this crisis has been varied with the greatest effort coming from Germany pledging to take 800,000 people (1% of its population). Elaine Byrne of the Sunday Business post has

pointed out that proportionately this would mean Ireland should take in approximately 50,000 refugees, not 600 which is .01% of Ireland’s population. The Department of Justice seemed to be hoping nobody would bother to do these calculations when they announced “Ireland will not be found wanting and as before will do the right and generous thing commensurate with our size and our capacity”. This response by the German government mirrors the sentiments shown by football supporters in recent months. Banners stating ‘Refugees Welcome’ have been seen at the home football grounds of Hamburg FC, St. Pauli, Borussia Dort-mund and Dresden. Bayern Munich have pledged €1m to projects to help refugees and Schälke 04 released a video express-ing solidarity with the hashtag #standup-ifyourehuman. Closer to home Celtic FC also promised to donate a percentage of the proceeds of last weekend’s Jock Stein 30th Anniversary game. It is clear this crisis has moved ordinary people all over the world so why isn’t every Government and every person acting accordingly? Like most humani-tarian crises it ignites the best in most but also gives the few the opportunity to spout their xenophobic and racist opinions. For example the reaction on Twitter by former UKIP candidate, Peter Bucklitsch to see-ing the picture of Aylan Kurdi washed up on the beach; “The little Syrian boy was well clothed and well fed, he died because his par-ents were greedy for the good life in Europe. Queuing costs.”

Although I’m loath to even repeat the above opinion it demonstrates some ex-treme and damaging attitudes that do still exist today. Although Bucklitsch’s remarks are despicable they are easily dismissed by many as the rantings of an imbecile. Perhaps less easily ignored however are the murmured opinions amongst the Irish public as to why we cannot commit to giving refuge to higher numbers. Examples of these are the homelessness crisis, the recession, religious panic and inadequate direct pro-vision. It is undoubtedly true that there is a homelessness crisis in Ireland today but this is not and should not be comparable to

the current situation in the Mediterranean. There is a vast difference between lives being in immediate and certain danger and people being homeless and living in temporary accommodation. I do not say this to belittle the homeless crisis but to portray the enormity of the situation in the Mediterranean. Homeless charities around Ireland have even asked that homelessness not be used as an extcuse not to help Syrian refugees. Al-though people may also say that “charity starts at home” the crisis in Syria does not call for charity but for instinctual human decency as argued by UCC’s Professor of Law Siobhán Mullally in The Irish Times; “Offering protection to people fleeing systemic human rights violations is not an act of charity. It is a Human Rights imperative, a matter of legal and moral obligation.” It is true that in Ireland’s history of providing refuge to asylum seekers the Government has been left wanting in the accommodation and living standards they provide. Some have been living in the “Direct Provision” programme for years and living on 19 euro a week. They are not given permission to work or study so they are effectively stranded and cannot inte-grate properly into Irish society. Although these conditions are nowhere near ideal, our previous poor performance cannot be used as an excuse to do nothing in the future and last Friday Minister Fitzgerald announced plans to reform the system as soon as the Dáil reconvenes. This will hopefully see both existing and future ap-plications from refugees processed much more quickly and prevent applicants from languishing in a judicial limbo indefinitely.

While the picture of Aylan’s body is head-line news this week we should not delude ourselves into thinking this is a new prob-lem. This crisis has been ongoing since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War 4 years ago and governments have been ignoring the crisis. The death toll has now become impossible to disregard as the public be-come roused by the images from Bodrum. Even if this were a new issue the response thus far is simply not enough. If we look at this “human catastrophe”, as the Taoise-ach described it, from an Irish viewpoint the only comparable event in our past to the current mass exodus of Syria is the Great Famine between 1845 and 1852. The plight of Afghani, Syrian, Somalian and Eritrean refugees today should sound a stark echo in our collective unconscious when we recall the “coffin ships” that car-ried Irish immigrants escaping oppression, starvation and illness to North America at the gravest time in our history.

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What Can We Do To Help?Donate if you can, no matter how small

Money donated no matter how small to non-governmental groups working in the affected areas is perhaps the most impactful differ-ence a person at home can make. Below are some charities working in the area that can be donated to online;

Non-monetary donationsMany goods that aren’t readily available and can’t be bought easily over the internet would be especially helpful if you can spare them

Sign a petition

Uplift have a petition calling for increased numbers of migrants to be allowed into Ireland which has already garnered almost 18,000 signatures. It can be signed on their website Uplift.ie

• Concern Syria Programme Ireland Calais Refugee Solidarity is raising money

• Irish group Disaster Tech Lab are sending a team to the islands between Greece and Turkey. Their goal is to establish working internet and communications at the sites.

• The UNHCR

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who have three ships operating in the Mediterranean at present.

• The UN’s childrens’ fund UNICEF

• Red Cross Europe

• Electric Picnic –donate unwanted tents and other belongings to the Cork / Dublin Calais Refugee Solidarity group

• Books – the Jungle Library have set up a makeshift library at the Calais camp

• Cars – Refugee Action are accepting old cars as donations

• Instruments – Music Against Borders are taking donations of old or unwanted instruments for the migrants at Calais


Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS8 |

UCC’s Next Top Chicken RollRobert O’Sullivan - DesignerFor those of you new to college life, your relationship with the God of all foods, the humble chicken roll, may only be a passing one. For those of you who are veterans of the war on hangovers, you know well the almighty powers these simple foodstuffs possess. I would go on further about the messi-ah-like healing powers they have, but honestly I’m just barely skirting the Blasphemy laws at this stage…Moving on, we’re going to rank the chicken rolls available around UCC, factoring in quality, cost and consistency.

Honourable Mention #1: Your Own Homemade Chicken Roll

3rd Place: Student Centre Chicken Roll (?) 2nd Place: The Main Rest Chicken Roll

1st Place: Daybreak Chicken Roll (College Road)

Honourable Mention 2: Luxury Char-Grilled Peri Peri Chicken Panini, Glucksman Gallery

We all know the story: the bread roll you bought on a whim is technically out of date but your roommate says it ‘looks grand,’ the Slovakian chicken nuggets you bought from Aldi two years ago is taking up space in the back of the freezer and your other roommate who you haven’t seen in a while has butter you’re *pretty* sure they never use. And you’ve a lecture in two minutes. And you’re hungover. “Feck it,” you tell yourself, “it’ll

be grand,” but quite like any European army that’s tried to invade Russia in the course of history has learned, sometimes “feck it, it’ll be grand” isn’t quite correct. The homemade chicken roll is typically messy, regretta-ble and something you hope nev-er to experience again, so it’s a bit like that one-night-stand you had with that weird guy from your sociology class, except the chicken roll is less likely to lead to an awkward tutorial.

For most impressionable Fresh-ers, the Student Centre seems to be a great one-stop-shop to buy stationery, clothes, food and drink. And while a lot of this is true, their chicken rolls are really below par. Being the most expensive on this list, one would expect a standard befitting its lofty costs. Yet, here it is at the bottom of the list. Coming it at €4.50, the quality of everything is just...off. The bread is soft and floppy, the chicken oily and

somehow burned & undercooked at the same time, the choice of salads minimal. You’d hope I just had one of their rolls on an off-day, but I went back several times, and the quality (or lack thereof) was consistent. So don’t go there for the chicken rolls, but maybe try something else? I hear they’re one of the only places in the country that do tuna without sweetcorn in rolls…

Probably the most controversial entrant on this list, the quality of the main rest chicken roll is an oft debated topic in the lofty halls of the Philosoph...and dingy student apartments at 3am. And it’s soon to join the Freddo in the “typical thing people discuss when they have nothing to say to each other” as the price of the infamous roll has risen...by 55 cent. Yes, the Main Rest Chicken Roll has risen to the high price of €3.55. Higher

quality chicken and bread than in the Student Centre, the Main is the go-to if you’re extremely hungover and in a rush to get to your lecture in the Soviet Bloc building that is the Kane (which somehow won an award for ar-chitecture), then the Main is your best bet.

Here it is, the King of the Chicken Roll, Clifford’s Daybreak on College Road. Prior the rapid somehow localised inflation that tragically struck the Main over the Summer, the only barrier to Daybreak clinching the crown (its €4 asking price) has disappeared. The quality of the bread is unmatched, its chicken sublime, the options of type of chicken & variety of salads unmatched by anything in the known universe...or at the very least the general UCC area. Top tip from a chicken roll veteran, the crowd in Daybreak at lunch time can often be out the door, so time is of the essence. And if you want something downright class, ask them to throw a few wedges in the roll, it is top quality.

Okay, I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure that this actual-ly exists, hence it only being an honourable mention. The Lewis Glucksman Gallery, if you didn’t know, is a fan-tastic little treasure hiding on our own campus. And by

hiding on our own campus, I mean it being that wonder-ful-looking giant odd art gal-lery with its own café. I’ve been there for lunch many times, but have never had enough disposable income to actually warrant buying

something here as opposed to the other entrants on this list. Still, if you want to treat yourself, the Glucksman is a good option, especially if you want to treat yo self.

(Pictured: Not A Chicken Roll)

So there we have it. If you have any questions, or if you disagree with my assessment, then it’s ‘answers on a post-card’ or you can email [email protected].


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Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS10 |10 |

FLASH BACK<Every issue the UCC Express team look back at our own print history andpick out some...interesting bits from papers’ past.

Front page of the first issue of that year (1988). How did we measure up?


Disclaimer: We present these excerpts unedited, to highlight how much has changed since they were first published.

Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | UCC EXPRESSMemories of 2014-1512 |


UCC Soccer are back and fully immersed in pre-season ahead of their new campaigns. The club enjoyed a very successful season last year across all levels and anticipation is high lead-ing into their opening fixtures.

The first XI in particular achieved a lot in 2014/15 including winning the Munster Senior League for the first time in the clubs history. The club also took home the Crowley, Harding and Collingwood cups each of which is competed for between different univer-sities throughout the island of Ireland. Such unprecedented success has UCC looking like favourites for the Munster Senior League as well as inter-varsity honours and certainly their main col-legiate rivals will be targeting victory over the Skull & Bones to gain confidence within their own squads.

The Freshers team has a new coach at the helm with the appointment of for-mer UCC man Neal Horgan. A graduate of UCC, Horgan also played profes-sionally in the League of Ireland with Cork City FC, continuing the College’s successful partnership with Cork City FC of recent years. He will undoubt-edly make a big impact having been in the same position as those he will be coaching and especially seeing as he has represented UCC and Ireland at the World University games during his time at College. Horgan will be joined by Munster Coerver Director, Jason Brown, in forming the coaching ticket for the incoming freshman. Brown is an expert on player development, a key aspect of the Freshers side which looks to bring as many players forward for the First XI in future seasons as possible.

UCC have kept a familiar feel to the rest of the clubs coaches with all other coaching roles within the club seeing last season’s coaches retained. Greg Franklin and Stephen Kestell will be in charge of the J3 squad while Paul Farrell and Jordan Philpott will join ‘The Kieran Dowd Perpetual Award’ winner, Liam Corbett, in leading the highly successful J2 squad from last year. Derek O’Gorman and John An-drews will continue in their roles with the J1s and Noel Healy, Mick Conroy and Conor Uhl will look after the first XI in a testing year which will see them having to defend numerous titles. Dave O’Connell will also continue is his role as First XI Strength and Conditioning coach also.

Training has begun for all sides and all information for this can be found at ucc.soccer.ie.

UCC will be looking to lay down a marker on the first day of the season this year as they take on Skerries RFC on September 19th at the Mardyke. Skerries will provide a sizable early test to the student’s resolve as they remain one of the strongest sides in the division and are hotly tipped by many to secure the division 2A title this season. The Dublin side were unlucky not to finish the season with a top two finish and be playing their rugby in division 1B this year. Blackrock College RFC edged their fellow Dubliners out by six points to take second place, their impressive 34-13 victory in the head-to-head early in the season proving vital. At the other end of the table the students clung on to their division 2A status by the tightest of margins, leaving it until the last few matches of the sea-

son to demonstrate their full potential. A very impressive final four matches saw UCC take sixteen points, out of a possible twenty. This included two convincing bonus point victories back-to-back over Thomond and Seapoint, along with a critical marginal victory over relegation rivals, City of Derry, away from home. The Ulster side were demoted to division 2B having finished just one point below UCC. This set up a tantilising final day fixture against pro-motion hopefuls Blackrock. The match was understandably a tense and tight affair with a lot to play for both sides on opposite sides of the spectrum. A 15-15 draw ultimately proved enough for both sides as UCC secured their survival in 2A and Blackrock their promotion to 1B. Earlier in the season UCC came out

on the wrong side of the result when the two sides met as Skerries came out 27-21 winners at Holmpatrick Park in a hard fought encounter. The Dubliners scored five tries, earning maximum points in the process, ultimately forcing UCC to kick at goal in the dying mo-ments of the game in order to salvage a losing bonus point from the game. The change in the league format places a heightened importance on each match as it sees just ten sides take their places in division 2A for the coming season, a considerable downsizing from the sixteen teams last season. The fixture list has also been extended to eighteen matches in order to accommo-date a home and away match between each side. UCC’s mid-table tenth placed finish which did just enough to maintain their

status as a 2A side is reflective of how tough this division will be this year. This year’s changes mean that anything less than an 8th placed finish would see the students move down a division. UCC will be hoping to carry their fine form from the end of last season into a testing division and a difficult first day clash.

UCC v Skerries, AIL Ulster Bank League Division 2A, Saturday the 19th of September K.O. 16:30, The Mardyke.

UCC FC Set to Build on Momentous Season

College set for revenge in tough Skerries season opener

National Success on UCC WHC’s Horizons

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

Neil Willoughby - Sports Editor

Clodagh Moloney - Sports Writer

The success of the UCC Women’s First XI in the 2014/15 season means they will begin their season in 3 weeks time in the new All Ireland League(AIL). This league looks set to prove itself to be a big test for the college side as they look to compete on a national scale having previously competed on a provincial level in the Munster League. The AIL will consist of the 10 best teams from across the island of Ireland including two Cork teams representing the province of Munster. Travelling around the country to game more than 10 times may prove a difficult task but it is one the girls will have to overcome if they want to compete in this high level competition. The loss of the talismanic Amy Kate Trevor may cause an initial upset to the team at the beginning of the season. Although a squad boast-ing 14 previous Munster and Leinster representatives as well as a number of Irish rep-resentatives should prove enough depth, experience and talent in the squad to challenge for the title. Captain Nicola Kerr and her cohorts will be

pleased to have Emily Reidy, Aisling O’Leary and former Irish Youth Olympian Antonia McGrath back in the mix after their year abroad. Some young well known faces such as Alex O’Grady and Saoirse O’Leary will also be joining the squad ahead of the coming season. This extra depth in the squad may prove to be the ingredient to success which the UCC Women’s 1st XI team were missing last year when competing for titles towards the end of last season. ‘Veteran’ Ailbhe Coyle and Quercas scholar Clodagh Moloney, in particular, will be looked to by Coach Phil Oakley for big performances this season. Phil is embarking on his second season with this team and his aggressive style of play will suit the girls in what may be the toughest season to date. This team can be expected to cause a lot more trouble on the national stage this year more so than years gone by.The All Ireland League(AIL) is not the only prize the first team will be gunning for this season, they will be looking to substitute the title of Munster plate winners for the greater

prize of being crowned Munster Cup Champions. The Ladies Second XI were piped at the post for second place in their league in the later part of the season and will be hoping to earn back the title they had previously won. After a heart-breaking defeat in penalty strokes in the last game of the season the Fourth XI will be looking to start fresh and build from this loss. Both the ladies Third and Fourth XI’s teams will as always welcome a lot of new faces and will compete in their respective Munster League and cup competitions. These teams include peo-ple who are new to the sport and also more seasoned players who want to play to avail of the more social aspects of both the club and the sport. There will be an open evening for anyone who wishes to try their hand at hockey during the first/second week back to college so stay tuned to @uccmhc & @uccladieshockey on twitter and also UCC MHC and UCC LHC on Facebook for more details.

14 | Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | UCC EXPRESS

UCC Sport in 2014/15: A Year in ReviewNeil Willoughby - Sports Editor

The 2014/15 academic year brought with it a lot of success for UCC in terms of sport with many clubs, teams and individuals shining through and accomplishing big things across both collegiate and national platforms. In particular the Basket-ball and Soccer clubs enjoyed near perfect seasons with many other sports clubs enjoying highly competitive seasons. The aforementioned Basketball club led the way with unprecedented success, in terms of the college and the country. The side dominated the Super League, Ireland’s premier basketball competition, going undefeated throughout their league campaign with eighteen wins. The UCC Demons were also victorious in the National Cup and Champions Trophy to record an impressive treble to add to their double from last season. The team firmly setting themselves as the best in the country. This national and collegiate dominance was further recognised by the College awarding Adrian O’Sullivan, one of the team’s key players, his second UCC Sports award this year. UCC FC enjoyed a season to rival that of the basketball club, winning the Munster Senior League for the first time in the clubs history. The club were also were successful in inter-varsity competitions, enjoying victories in the Colling-wood, Crowley and Harding cups to complete an impressive 2014/15 season. The success of the club saw both Jason Abbott and Sean O’Mahony receive UCC Sports awards as well as Liam Corbett, one of the clubs coaches, earning ‘The Kieran Dowd Perpetual Award’. UCC RFC did enough to maintain their status in Ulster Bank division 2A. A dominant end to the season, including 3 wins and a draw, saw the men’s first team earn tenth place in division 2A and as a result avoid relegation to division 2B. This achievement is particular notable considering that this year six teams were

relegated to division 2B as part of a restructuring of the All Ireland League. First year Paul Kiernan earned an award for his contribution to the success of the sen-ior men’s season. While Alison Miller earned her third UCC Sports Award for her impressive international rugby exploits. The winger, now graduated, played a key role in the Irish Women’s rugby teams Six Nations victory in 2015 and has been a key player for the side in recent seasons. The Sailing and Cricket clubs also has good years, the former winning in-ter-varsities for the first time in two decades while the latter won both the indoor and outdoor inter-varsity competitions. UCC continued its rich history of success in Gaelic games as the senior men’s team were unlucky not to retain their Sigerson Cup (Inter-varsity) title. The 2014 champions hosted the 2015 competition and unfortunately lost out in the dying moments of the final to DCU. Paul Geaney, a member of both the 2014 and 2015 UCC men’s teams, was awarded his second UCC Sports award as he continues to play at inter-county level for Kerry. Katrina Mackey also received a UCC Sports award for her role in Cork’s 2014 camogie All-Ireland title, her All-star award and her integral role in UCC’s camogie team reaching the semi-finals of the Ash-bourne Cup. Cork inter-county footballer Roisin Phelan received her first UCC Sports award for her role in the Cork Ladies’ All-Ireland victory and her contribu-tion to the UCC’s ladies football team reaching the semi-finals of the O’Connor Cup. UCC students Jean O’Driscoll and Chris Mintern were also recipients of UCC Sports awards, the former is a member of the Irish Senior Women’s panel while Mintern earned the first award for Triathlete in the College’s history, narrowly missing out on the national title.

| 15 UCC EXPRESS | Tuesday, September 8th 2015

Fred McIlroy - Sports Writer With only 2 weeks until the first competitive game of the year, final preparations are being put in place for UCC Men’s Hockey Club 1st XI. This season will see the team as the favourites to win the Munster League for the first time. This is the result of a change in the make-up of the League’s participants. The new All Ireland League (AIL) establishment sees Cork’s Church of Ireland Hockey Club competing in its debut season and as a result will not be taking their usual place within the Munster League.

The squad has a strong feel to it ahead of the new season, however, Adam O’Callaghan will be a very notable absentee. The former UCC Centre-back

has graduated and is moving back to his old club, Cork’s Church of Ireland.

On a positive note former Leinster Captain Sam Grace joins the club having been awarded the Quercus scholarship. Captain Fionn O’Leary is also excited to welcome back the likes of Andy Colton and Greg Chambers, both returning from Erasmus absences. O’Leary also highlighted several talents amongst the freshman including international goalkeeper Peter Coulter. He feels that this extra depth to the squad could be the deciding factor when it comes to the business end of the season.

Neil Welch who is starting his 7th year of coaching in UCC is well used to ever

changing group of players that comes with a college team and is looking forward to the challenge of the Munster league this year. The Munster league is not the only title that is on the cards this season. UCC Men’s Hockey will also compete in the Munster and National cups as well as playing hosts to the annual Inter-varsity tournament. The side will be looking to emulate the success of 2012 when they were last crowned champions on home turf.

It is not only the 1st XI that have a big season ahead as both the Second and Fourth XI’s will be looking to defend their Cork and Barber Cup titles respectively. Andy McGregor, the Seconds’ captain, is looking forward to welcoming new players into his team. Every year the club grows and

we are looking to welcoming even more beginners this year. There is always a big influx of new players after the clubs day in early September and we have special subscription prices for freshers. It is often the excellent social side of the club that is so appealing for new members.

New talent to play key role for UCC MHC

Inside Sport Page 14

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: UCC FC set to build on momentus seasonthis year, club appeals to Freshers

Tuesday, September 8th 2015 | uccexpress.ie | Volume 19 | Issue 1

UCC SPORT

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UCC Express Issue 1