Writes Maeve McTaggart Déja vú, right? Sitting down to write this issue, I was caught first by a big, frustrated sigh (try it – long inhale, longer exhale – it helps). It’s almost a year since the beginning of the pandemic, since March 12th where I welcomed what I assumed was a two-week break to…
Samantha Power, the former US ambassador to the UN and human rights advisor to President Barack Obama, recently spoke to UCC’s Government and Politics Society ahead of her appointment to the Biden administration. Power has been named by the current President to lead the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and like her employer, has…
Although the pandemic has stalled the in-person events students rely on in order to shape their future—Open Days, Careers Fairs and internship talks—it has not prevented UCC from innovating a new way to look forward. Webinars have become the means to acquiring knowledge about prospective career and degree pathways, allowing students to engage with employers…
The first week of the new semester was this year ushered in with the university’s inaugural Bystander Intervention Week: an effort to celebrate active bystanders in the UCC community and increase their number. The campaign adapted to Covid-19 restrictions and went virtual, hosting events, workshops and conversations to empower students and achieve a zero tolerance…
On March 12th I was sitting at one of those triangular tables in the Hub, attempting to conclude an assignment on a question I wasn’t sure I ever got around to answering, with the Taoiseach’s address playing in another tab. The announcement of a global pandemic is one of the most surreal – but also…
New research surveying young Irish people has revealed a sobering reality about the nature of their relationships: 20% of young people under the age of 25 have experienced physical, sexual, and online intimate partner abuse. The report, entitled ‘One in Five,’ was published by Women’s Aid in collaboration with Red C on the United Nations…
After six weeks of Level 5 restrictions, the reopening process of retail, restaurants and other amenities began on December 1st as part of the government’s Safe Christmas Plan. The nation is now operating under Level 3 restrictions with the festive season allowing for a number of exceptions – much of these were against the advice…
I am going to have to level with you: it is very difficult to have thoughts on/between/before a deadline, and it feels as if this last week has had a semester’s worth. The dark nights of November come as a surprise every year, and this year I am even more indignant – a global pandemic…
The crisis in mental health—especially men’s mental health—predates the pandemic, but it’s impact has compounded the levels of anxiety, depression and other issues dealt with by people across the country. This November, the moustache-growing charity Movember has embraced the digital world of COVID-19 and wants to have a conversation about men’s health with a profound…
The UCC Class of 2020 has been addressed by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin as they graduated through virtual conferring ceremonies this week and last. Almost 5,000 students graduated in the Autumn Conferrings, moved from the Devere Hall to a livestream on the university website as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. There were twenty-six dedicated…