expliCIT December 2019

CIT Students’ Union Magazine Volume Twenty One, Issue 4

d

fd

d

d

f

f

d

fd f d

d FREE

d

d

COPY

PLEASE

TAKE ME!

d f

f

d

d Happy

d

Christmas d Your Union Your Voice

d

GET €50 AND UN-CANCEL YOUR PLANS Get €50 when you open a KBC Student Current Account, so you won’t need to live like a student.

KBC.ie Terms & Conditions and eligibility criteria apply. Other fees and charges, including non-euro fees and charges, will apply. For full Terms & Conditions, eligibility criteria and fees & charges see www.kbc.ie/students. KBC Bank Ireland plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

f

f

CONTENTS 4 SU OFFICERS’ ADDRESS 7 RAG WEEK 2020

Charities announcement & Christmas Jumper Day!

11 CIT ABÚ!

CIT’s success stories - Photo Gallery

12 CORK DRAG RACE

ff

Part 2 as part of Cork Drag Race 2019

8 ENTREPRENEURS OF CIT

14 LIVE CIT, LOVE SPORTS

8 #FANCYFOLLOWINGCIT

16 LIVE CIT, LOVE SOCIETIES Semester 1 roundup

Zachary Dair

Alumni success stories

9 ARTS & CULTURE AT CIT Selected upcoming events

LAST ISSUE WINNERS:

18 COMPETITIONS

Hard cash on offer! Simply deliver your entries into the Students’ Union, 1st Floor, Student Centre

QUIZ: Leonard Coughlan, BBADM 3 SUDUKO: Lewis Maguire, Mech Eng WORDSEARCH: Barbara Mutrasova, Bio Eng

Exam

3 - 5 DEC 2019

f

S s s e r t e D d

December

f

Christmas Jumper Day, Tuesday 3 O’Connaill’s Hot Chocolate Stand Monster Energy Promo Lots of Freebies at the SU Stand / Study Tips ds ar C / s er ht ig hl ig H e rg ha :C Re SI FREE U RD

d

www.citsu.ie CIT Students’ Union, Bishopstown, Cork.

Tel: 021 433 5274 Web: www.explicit.ie CITSU

CITSU

expliCIT Production, Design & Advertising Keith Brown, supublications@cit.ie CIT SU President AaronBuckley supresident@cit.ie

CITSU

d

CITSU

VP Education Aisling O’Mahony sueducation@cit.ie VP Welfare Cian O’Driscoll suwelfare@cit.ie Projects Officer Felix Milner dg_citsu@cit.ie Communications Officer Conor Flynn supublications@cit.ie Entertainments Officer Aoife MacGaley Event@cit.ie Entertainments Manager Mick O’Mahony Event@cit.ie

Advertising Opportunities

CIT has 17,000+ full and part-time students with over 1,500 staff. Why not use expliCIT to promote your business to this large audience?

Our copy deadlines, advertising rates and technical specifications are available from our website www.citsu.ie and upon request from the Publications Office in hardcopy or via email. expliCIT magazine is published monthly by CIT Students’ Union. The views expressed in the magazine are those of their authors and are not necessarily those of CIT Students’ Union. All articles and pictures are the property of their respective owners and should not be reproduced without their permission.

3

d d

STUDENTS’ UNION OFFICERS ADDRESS

d

Positive Mind and Body

f

Positive Mind and Body took place from November 5th to 7th with a lot of information stands and workshops. Engagement was very high for the stands, workshops and events that took place which is great to see. We also ran the Re: Charge Campaign with USI who visited Campus on the Tuesday. Da Silly Heads hats sold out! Thanks for all the support and funds from these sales will go directly to an event in Semester 2 so watch this space. Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Taskforce highlighted awareness supports and the consequences of mis-use of Drugs and Alcohol.

SPARKLE acoustic band kicked off the entertainment on the Tuesday.

Men’s Development Network visited us from Waterford on the Wednesday. We had the screening of ‘My Other Life’ in the Rory Gallagher Theatre with Adam Finn on stage for a follow-up Q&A about how things are a year later after the release of the documentary. This got a great turn out thanks to all the lecturers who facilitated their classes to attend. To close off the campaign we had Bingo with MC Fleming in the Common Room where great craic was had by all. We also had the CIT Medical Centre with The Irish Student Health Association launch the new nationwide app for students ‘Student Health Matters’ and I encourage all to download.

Men’s International Day

We celebrated Men’s International Day by bringing Barbers to campus to raise funds for Movember (tackling Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention).

Cork Gay Project set up an information stand raising awareness around Men’s International Day and Movember. I would like to thank Bryan O’ Donovan, Andy Sulls, Strimzz and Milli Fades who volunteered their time and took a day off from the Barber Shops they work in. The queues started from 10 a.m. right throughout the day with the lads taking no break, thanks to all who took part and those that donated helping raise €203.

f

S.H.A.G. Campaign

d

We visited Cork School of Music on the 14th of November and National Maritime College of Ireland on the 28th of November with The Sexual Health Centre with an information stand and workshop. We got great engagement from students at both campuses.

Charity Breakfast in aid of Cork Stand Together – Presidential Pancakes

Over eight months ago CIT students established the group Cork Stand Together to help fight the battle of homelessness here on our doorstep of Cork. Their ethos is one of kindness, and they do this by doing a street run each Wednesday night and by helping the homeless in extreme weather conditions.

They offer hot food, hot drinks, sandwiches, baking and fruit, along with bedding and clothes. In eight months, they have gone from strength to strength. As mentioned by one of their members, one of the groups proudest achievements, is seeing students give so much. We would like to thank the support of both staff and students with their generous donations given during the Charity Breakfast held Wednesday 20th November. A special thanks to all involved. Aaron is claiming that he beat CIT President Dr Barry O’Connor in the pancake flip off but that’s very debatable!

4

f

Later Library Opening Hours

Last year, the Students’ Union introduced later library opening hours around exam time. This pilot project ran very successfully which has resulted in the project continuing this year. Please find the full details of the extra library opening hours on www.citsu.ie and social media.

RAG Charities Selected

This February we are fundraising for various homeless based charities such as Edel House, Cork Stand Together and Cork Penny Dinners.

Please support Christmas Jumper Day on Tuesday 3rd December.

Best Wishes,

Aaron, Aisling and Cian, your CIT SU Officers

f

Is your Student Leap Card due to expire in December 2019? If so beat the queues and be ready – get your new card from the SU now!

To speed up the process you must apply for the SLC online via mobile at https://www.studentleapcard.ie/apply-by-mobile/ I put your own details, take your own photo, make the declaration, and agree to the privacy statement and terms & conditions. Once an application is made, you will receive a short code via email. Then call to the SU with the code to have your cards instantly processed.

POST GRADUATE DAY

TUESDAY 28TH JANUARY 11AM TO 2PM, DEVERE HALL, UCC

WHETHER THROUGH RESEARCH OR A TAUGHT MASTERS, POSTGRADUATE STUDY IS INCREASINGLY A PART OF LIFELONG LEARNING WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO JOB SATISFACTION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. JOIN US FOR THE POSTGRADUATE OPEN DAY ON UCC CAMPUS. MEET OUR LEADING ACADEMICS & CHAT TO CURRENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

UCC.IE/POSTGRAD 5

d

6

d

f

COMING SOON! 24 28 Feb, 2020 d CIT students and staff have always been very generous in their support of charitable and good causes. Raise And Give Week is the campaign that we dedicate to fundraising for those less fortunate in our communities. Last year we raised a €15,248 in a CIT wide campaign to raise funds for Jack O’Driscoll. CIT Societies, Sport, Class Group Projects, Campus Catering, Good Start, individual students and staff and, of course, our generous sponsors all played a crucial role in making last year’s fundraising a great success. This year we hope to raise even more funds to contribute to worthy causes so please get involved. Our first event will take place on Tuesday 3rd December as we organise the ever popular CIT Christmas Jumper Day.

WHO WILL BENEFIT THIS YEAR?

PENNEY DINNERS

Cork Penny Dinners is one of Cork’s oldest caring charitable organisations. Currently serving up to 2000 freshly made meals per week are being served at their premises compared to approx. 150 or less per week prior to the recession.

Their aims are simple - to help all who struggle and those in need. Cork Penny Dinners provide a hot nourishing meal of soup, main course, dessert and tea/coffee daily. In addition sandwiches, biscuits, fruit and juice are also available to take away as an evening meal. Donations of warm clothes and bedding such as sleeping bags and duvets are also provided to people in need. There is always an open door and a warm welcome. Cork Penny Dinners are open 7 days a week all year round including Christmas Day.

f

This year’s Rag Week will focus on homelessness and will support a number of charities who do amazing work in this field. The main beneficiary will be Edel House and €1,000 each has been pledged to two other worthy organisations, Cork Penny Diners and Cork Stand Together.

EDEL HOUSE

f

d

Edel House is perhaps the best known of Good Shepherd Cork’s projects. Providing emergency accommodation for homeless woman and children. In addition to providing emergency shelter, their staff work with woman, empowering them to return to independent living as soon as possible.

Edel House is the only homeless shelter in Cork that can admit and care for children. The family section can accommodate 10 families with capacity for 18 single women. The shelter is full every night with an occupancy rate of over 100% since 2013. In 2018 we supported 203 woman and children out of homelessness.

However, the housing crisis and demand for these services meant that in 2018 232 woman and 230 children had to be turned away. Many of the woman and children they cannot accommodate have to stay in very unsatisfactory situations, or end up isolated, living in B&B or hotels. In response to this Good Shepherd Cork now employ a B&B Outreach team, based at Edel House, who engage directly with these women and their families.

Women who become homeless are often facing multiple challenges.

Once a woman is admitted to Edel House, she is assigned a key worker who will get to understand the circumstances that caused her homelessness and assess her needs before implementing a detailed personal care plan. If necessary, this worker will advocate and liaise with statutory and voluntary agencies on her behalf, to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for every woman and her children.

In addition, a range of supports are offered and resources working alongside woman as they regain their independence. During their stay, residents are linked in with educational and social programmes to maintain self-esteem and build self-confidence and morale.

The staff team, assisted by volunteers provide a range of social activities and classes for residents throughout the year, including Arts and Crafts, Computers, DVD nights and cooking meals together. A team of Childcare Workers that work with the children on a one to one and group work basis exists. This happens both in Edel House and during planned outing and activities with the team. Children living in Edel House also take part in a homework club, organised play sessions and visit other youth projects in the city to ensure they have a life beyond the shelter.

Work has recently begun to extend and refurbish Edel House in order to improve accommodation for woman and children who are homeless.

f

f

CORK STAND TOGETHER Cork Stand Together, is a group of people that have come together with an aim to help Corks homeless. The group was set up by a number of CIT Social Care students and they have gone above and beyond to support homeless people by providing food and clothes and by treating homeless people with respect and dignity. They offer a listening ear and much needed conversation. Each Wednesday they give out hot drinks, sandwiches, hot food (such as stew, and curry) and pizza provided by Apache Pizza. They also give out blankets, toiletries and clothes.

They are funded through generous donations and fundraisers.

7

f

f

OF CIT

ZACHARY DAIR

Zachary Dair is a Third Year Software Development Student here in CIT. His passion for gaming led to his company ‘Dair Games’ being set up in 2018. The first product currently being developed by the company is a medieval survival game ‘For Sword and Survival’.

Zac took time to speak to us about entrepreneurship and his time on Student Inc. What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

For me it means a mixture of a lot of different things.

It’s about having the mindset to be able to see problems or possibilities. Then it’s taking that vision and finding a possible solution and planning a business around it. Being an entrepreneur also means you must be practical. You must make the most of the resources you have in order to create the business that you want. Being practical was something my grandfather taught me and it’s a vital skill.

What is your business ‘Dair Games’ all about?

Dair Games is an independent game development company. The idea came from the fact that I have always been into gaming and I am also studying Software Development, so it was natural for me to progress into gaming development. I wanted the opportunity to create worlds, and experiences for players to have and share with their friends, it’s about telling stories, allowing players to experience things they wouldn’t in real life. I started working on my first game ‘For Sword and Survival’ this summer.

What would be your advice to students considering starting their own business?

Take risks and believe in yourself and your idea. Even if you just have the

d

beginning of an idea start working on it. Start researching the different areas that will impact your idea, so you get an idea of the market and the industry. By having an awareness of what is happening in that market at the time of your idea you can make better decisions going forward. My biggest piece of advice would be to use the resources available to you such as Student Inc and the Rubicon Centre here in CIT. How did you get involved with Student Inc.?

I applied last year, and I participated on Student Inc. for a month in 2018 as a first year. Then I had repeat exams that Summer, so I had to take a step back and I participated fully on the 2019 summer programme.

I think the break was good for me because I came back a bit more mature and grown up and I feel that I took a lot more from the different mentoring sessions offered. I found the research sessions helpful as its important to know different things about your business such as marketing and legal aspects. Having the opportunity to meet with different entrepreneurs was really helpful as it gives you an idea of what your future career could be like.

What are your next steps on your entrepreneurial journey?

I began the initial prototype for the game this Summer. So firstly, I will look to finishing this prototype and begin testing the game. Through the results from the testing I will be able to add more features as I go along to get it ready for its release. After my initial release of ‘For Sword and Survival’ I’ll see how it performs in the market. Then I will look to begin work on new projects, I have many ideas currently, but I’m waiting for my next passion project. Hopefully the game will be brought to market next year, due to college work though I haven’t been able to spend as much time on it as I would like. If it’s not available next year it will be the year after.

d

d

If Entrepreneurship and Innovation is something that you are interested in, make sure to visit https://enterprise.cit.ie/ to avail of the all supports in place to make your idea a reality. You will also find application details for Student Inc. and Prize for Innovation

#FancyFollowingCIT

See more at: twitter.co/CITAlumni www.cit.ie/alumni

Interested in the paths that current students and soon to be graduates are taking? The CIT Alumni Office offers you that opportunity. Check out some of these profiles and get a taste for how successful you could become after your chosen course at CIT...

LAURA BLAKE

f

In 2014 I went back to college as a mature student to study Business Studies and branched off into Marketing in 3rd year. After completing the level 8 degree and graduating with a First-Class honours, I decided to continue my studies through the MSc in Marketing Practice.

My experience is CIT has been amazing. The most beneficial aspect for me is the link between industry and academia. Throughout my studies I was able to work with over 20 companies in relation to live cases including Ryanair, Keelings, The Barry Group.

I’m currently working in the marketing and communication department in the Nimbus Research Centre alongside Emily Stickland. I have been very fortunate that I was offered a full-time position after completing my MSc placement here.

At the moment, I am working on Beyond IoT 2020 which is a global IoT conference and Irelands largest Start up event. From digital and traditional marketing, event planning and coordination, sponsorship and people management my job is very hands on but very exciting, but no two days are the same!

My advice: Networking events are a must! No matter what the event is, coffee mornings, evening talks etc get out there and make connections!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-blake-b00342134/

f

8

EMILY STICKLAND

d

I have just graduated from CIT with an MSc in Marketing Practices. It was an intense year but incredibly rewarding as I was given the opportunity to work with real clients on live case studies.

A highlight was being able to create a communication plan for Ryanair and witness one of my strategies being implemented.

A massive bonus to the masters was having the seven month work placement. I had the opportunity to work in Nimbus Research Centre and implement what I had learnt from my modules into a tech environment. This was invaluable and led to a permanent job with incredible networking opportunities and the ability to work on International Projects.

At the moment, I am working on our annual IoT conference that is set to have 600 attending and 12 international experts speaking.

This requires me to use every aspect of marketing from relationship management, digital marketing, strategy and event planning.

I would advise current students in CIT to try and not put pressure on themselves. I did my undergraduate in Politics, then changed my discipline to Marketing years later. Life is always in flux, what is important is to aim for what you find interesting and be patient.

What’s meant for you won’t pass you by.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-stickland/

f

The CIT Alumni Office develops and supports alumni relations at CIT through a number of initiatives. The office encourages links between CIT and its graduates and supports the ever-growing CIT Alumni community. The community proudly has over 30,000 members.

DECEMBER 2019

MADRIGAL

ARTS & CULTURE AT CIT

Vocal Ensemble

Christmas Concerts ~2019~ VENUE Curtis Auditorium, CIT Cork School of Music DATES Wed 18 December - 7:30 pm Thurs 19 December - 7:30 pm ADMISSION €20|€15 (concessions) | €5 (students) €15 & €10 (COS members)

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

Details on www.madrigal75.net Madrigal ’75 presents their ever-popular Christmas Concerts featuring a stunning selection of seasonal choral music. Madrigal ’75’s repertoire will include both rarely performed works alongside Christmas classics, with music spanning the ages from early to contemporary. Tickets for this magical event have sold out quickly in recent years so please try not to miss out on what has fast become the essential Christmas concert for music lovers in Cork..

FOR FULL LISTINGS SEE THE CIT ARTS & CULTURE WEBSITE arts.cit.ie The students of CIT Crawford College of Art & Design Masters in Art & Process (MA:AP) 2019 present

PUSH CIT Crawford College of Art & Design Masters in Art & Process (MA:AP) Degree Show 2019

FRANKFIELD GOSPEL CHOIR OIFIG NA nEALAÍON ARTS OFFICE

SUPPORTED BY CIT ARTS OFFICE

PRESENTS

An Evening of Festive Music & Song IN AID OF CORK STANDS TOGETHER

A HOMELESSNESS CHARITY LED BY STUDENTS & STAFF OF CIT

VENUE: CIT CCAD, No. 46 Grand Parade DATES: Friday 29/11 - Friday 13/12

11am - 6pm, Mon-Thur; 11am-5pm Fri-Sat; closed Sun. (Closed Tue 10 Dec, open 2-6pm Wed 11/11)

OPENING EVENT:

Thursday 28 November, 6 - 9 pm With a reading by Sarah Hayden Details on: Instagram.com/push_maap2019 Proudly supported by CIT Arts Office

7.30PM MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2019

RORY GALLAGHER THEATRE CIT BISHOPSTOWN CAMPUS

Tickets €10 on events.cit.ie | Details on arts.cit.ie 9

d YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO THEIR PHONES DO YOU AGREE!

The MSc Marketing Practice course in CIT is holding an event in conjunction with Da Silly Heads on the 5th of December.

f

This event aims to tackle the problems that arise due to over reliance and excessive use of social media platforms. The objective of this event is to shine a light on this increasingly important topic. By doing so it will create further awareness surrounding the impact of social media on mental health.

The event will take place in The Rory Gallagher Theatre at 12.30pm and will involve a panel discussion chaired by Da Silly Heads founders, Daniel O’Mahoney and Michael Sikora.

The guest speakers will talk through the subject, taking different perspectives. This event is geared towards transition year students as teenagers are the demographic most affected by social media. Students of Bishopstown’s schools are invited to attend this seminar.

Did you know that teenagers who spend 5 hours a day on their phones are 2x more likely to show depressive symptoms?

USI LAUNCH MENTAL HEALTH USI TO 086 1800 280 TO TEXT LINE TEXT SPEAK TO A TRAINED VOLUNTEER!

The Union of Students in Ireland recently launched a mental health text line for students that aims to connect texters with a volunteer, who has been trained to listen, reassure and guide people from a hot moment to a cool calm one. All conversations are anonymous, unless the texter wants to give their name, and are reviewed in real time by a team of qualified staff supervisors who will support volunteers to listen to and support texters.

Research found that amongst students who participated in the USI National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education, just under a third had received a formal diagnosis of their mental health. Most of these students received a diagnosis of depression [74%] and anxiety [73.5%].

Once a student texts USI to 086 1800 280, a trained volunteer will introduce themselves, reflect on what the student has said, and invite them to share at their own pace. They will text back and forth, only sharing what they feel comfortable with. By asking questions, listening to them and responding with support, the volunteers will help students sort through their feelings until they feel they are now in a calm, safe place. Students may be provided with some signposting to other services offered by our partner organisations, so that you can continue to get support.

Our text message support service could help with urgent issues such as: • Suicidal thoughts • Abuse or assault • Self-harm • Bullying • Relationship breakdown

Text USI to 086 1800 280 to begin. Standard SMS rates may apply.

f

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND

HISTORIC PRINTS

EXHIBITION & CHARITY SALE A stunning selection of historical images of Irish life, landscape, industry, and education, donated by the National Library of Ireland.

ful about their smartphone usage and how it can lead to neg-

Presented by Brighter Communities Worldwide, with all proceeds going to support their programmes in East Africa.

ative emotions for themselves and for others. While inviting

See www.brightercommunities.org

We hope that after the event, the students will be more mind-

these students to CIT, we hope that they will gain familiarity

f

f

with the campus so that they will consider attending CIT in the future after this memorable event.

If you feel worried about the issue raised by this event you can seek assistance from the following organisations:

The Samaritans www.samaritans.org Tel: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org

10

f

Jigsaw Cork Tel: 021 245 2500 Email cork@jigsaw.ie

JAMES BARRY EXHIBITION CENTRE CIT BISHOPSTOWN CAMPUS

5-18 DECEMBER Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

see arts.cit.ie for details of any late evening openings.

Proudly supported by CIT Arts Office

f

f

f

CIT ABÚ!

f

f

d f

d Taylor Hickey, level 8 Interior Architecture graduate of CIT received the Highly Commended award in the Global Undergraduate Awards recently. Alex Defratyka, also a level 8 Interior Architecture graduate of CIT has won the the Institute of Designers in Ireland National Graduate Design award for Architecture, Interior Architecture and Sustainability.

Alex also became the first CIT graduate to win the IDI Graduate Design Grand Prix. The first ever for CIT!

Three students from the Department of Tourism & Hospitality won two gold, and a silver medal at the annual European Association of Hotel & Tourism Schools (AEHT) competition in Split, Croatia.

In a competition made up of seventeen teams and 320 competitors, Aisling Kelly (Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Culinary Entrepreneurship Y4) was teamed with Laura D’Ambrosio (Italy) for the Pastry competition, and they were awarded the silver medal. Sam Mc Cormack (Bachelor of Business in Hospitality Management Y2) was teamed with Tina Sraml (Slovenia) and Samantha Zoodsma (Netherlands) for the Tourist Destination competition and they were awarded the gold medal, while Daniel Meaney (Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Hospitality Management Y4) was teamed with Elia Moschin (Italy) for the Cocktail competition and were also awarded a gold medal.

f

d

Our very own Aisling O’Mahony, VP Education graduates!

f

f

CIT MacGlas Team wins the Contribution Award at the University Start Up World Cup 2019 Novel Vision Aid Development Company represented by Team Leader Elaine Leahy and Design Lead David O’Donovan. The University Startup World Cup is the leading university startup program and competition, where the most promising university talents, corporates, business professionals and entrepreneurs get together for a one-week program in Copenhagen. The goal is to cocreate a platform for inspiration, development and knowledge sharing of sustainable business ideas

f

f f

Flippin great! CIT SU President Aaron Buckley along with President of the College Dr. Barry O’Connor hosted a Presidents Breakfast in aid of Cork Life Centre and Cork Stand Together recently (Colm Healy, founder of Cork Stand Together is also pictured).

A great morning raising funds for two superb charities.

11

12

WILL A BLEIGE

An incestuous relation of Sheila Duza Bleige, Will A Bleige was born in May 2013 when he competed and won in the Alternative UCC competition. After a brief hiatus where he was ‘soul searching’ Will returned to the stage in January 2016 for the Alternative Miss Chambers competition. Since then Will had been known to make appearances at the Cork Women's Fun Weekend every year and has been tearing up the dance floor (in his LED Shoes) in Chambers as a guest for WERK and Trump Thursdays.

NETTLES Nettles is an alternative queen that can bend, twist and contort herself in to many shapes that'll shock you! A trained dancer, she incorporates her training into her drag performance and will give you 'LIFE' with every move.

In 2019 Nettles competed on behalf of Cork in Paul Ryders Ring Masters Drag Race. She was the second Cork queen to bring the winning title back to Cork.

This platform gave her the opportunity to showcase her talent in venues and festival around Ireland and to take up a residency in Chambers.

SUMMER PARADISE

Bringing some Italian heat to the Cork drag scene, Summer Paradise is and up and coming show stopper and Britney Spears enthusiast.

Summer performs weekly in Chambers and was the first queen to win the CIT Drag Race title in 2018.

2017- Present MOCKIE AH!

‘Mockie Ah’, a Cork slang for make believe, is an alternative drag show based in Cork City led by Candy Warhol. Launched in August 2017, the show has gone from strength to strength with a run of sell out shows, festival appearances and Ireland’s first all ages drag show which featured an under 18 drag competition. Mockie Ah! has been held in various venues around Cork City such as The Village Hall, Dali, The Poor Relation and soon in Crane Lane. And the new Mockie Ah Clubnight is in Cyprus Avenue. With its most recent show featuring eighteen queens, Mockie Ah is now Ireland’s largest drag family.

Their annual Vogue Ball to find their next drag family member has found winners Liam Bee and Ashima Kent. In September 2018 they will also launch a new club night in Cork. Mockie Ah will be the focus of a new documentary for release in 2019.

WANT TO BOOK THE TIMELINE? lgbtcit@gmail.com

CANDY WARHOL

‘Making her debut in September 2010, and the grand-nephew of Danny La Rue, Candy Warhol got her start by running alternative cabaret and club nights while at art college in Limerick and was soon runner up at the acclaimed Alternative Miss Ireland in Dublin’s Olympia Theater. From there she became a fixture on the Dublin drag scene winning competitions like Davina Devine’s Apprentice which gained her residency at The George. Shortly after this Panti Bliss invited her to join The Panti Show At Pantibar.

Over the last number of years Candy has become a popular act at Irish music festivals such as Electric Picnic, Longitude, Body & Soul, and The Outing to name a few. She is a regular on the main stage for Dublin Pride and performs at Pride festivals all over Ireland.

She has also performed regularly in the UK with regular guest spots in London (Sink The Pink, The Glory,Opened for Sophie Ellis Bextor) and Edinburgh (The Rabbit Hole) and made her American debut in 2018 with a Californian tour and an appearance at Rupauls Drag Con. Summer 2018 she travelled with DJ Eddie Kay to Warsaw Pride in Poland after being invited by The Irish Embassy and led the parade of 50,000 and met with the embassy to discuss LGBT rights.

Candy recently appeared on Comedy Central as the host of a new tv show 'Dragony Aunts'.

13

fLIVE CIT, LOVE SPORTS d

Would you like to have your club featured in expliCIT? Simply email your submission to: supublications@cit.ie

by Miriam Deasy, Sports Officer

POWERLIFTING CLUB EMBRACE “20X20” CAMPAIGN

f

Well done to our Powerlifting club members who held a deadlifting party on November 18th! Well done to all who took part and there were many impressive lifts! Another great initiative as part of our uplifting 20x20 campaign. Reminder to all club members to come forward with any “whacky” or “wonderful” ideas!

MEDALS HAUL FOR TAE KWON DO CLUB

d f

CIT had five Tae Kwon Do Club members in action on Sunday 17th of November in the Irish International Championships in Neptune Stadium. They returned with a super haul of medals!

Amy Sullivan (Biological Science 1 & CIT 20X20 Ambassador)

Participants at the 20x20 Self defence seminar

f

“20 X 20” CAMPAIGN ROLLING WELL IN CIT!

Fantastic to see so many participants at our Self Defence seminar on Tuesday 12th of November in CIT Sportshall.

Instructor Alan ensured lots of fun with excellent on-hands activities and practice. Such was the positive feedback that plans are already in place to run the event again next year and I would encourage everyone, male and female, young and mature to consider taking the time to attend. A great opportunity to learn life-long skills for free on your doorstep.

Well done to all participants and to our Tae Kwon Do Club members for helping with the organisation and promotion..

f

f

d Shane Allen, Joshua Byrne, Christopher Thomas and Solas O Halloran

f

f

f

f 14

f

d

f

20 x 20 Student

Participants at the Powerlifting Clubs 20x20 deadlifting party

f

won a gold and bronze medal, Christopher Thomas (Biomedical Eng 3) won silver, Solas O Halloran (Biomedical Eng 3) won silver, Shane Allen (Mech Eng 3) won bronze and Fionn Hagan (Civil, Structural & Environmental Eng 1) won bronze. Well done to all! Training continues Amy Sullivan weekly Tuesdays 6-7pm in who won the Sportshall for full-time gold & bronze students.

Well done to final year Applied Bioscience student, Dalton O’Shaughnessy from Donnybrook, who returned from the World Kickboxing Championships in America with remarkably a Gold medal.

Dalton was competing in the men’s +90kg division and secured gold after a gruelling five days of fighting from 7-11th of November. Well done Dalton and hopefully that success will ensure and inspire future medals for CIT Kickboxing Club.

d

It was heartbreak for our Darts team on November 18th in the semi-final of the Cork Dart Players Assoc Division 4 League V Kirbys Corner. But our team of Colin Byrne (Accounting 3), Evan Enright (Mechanical Engineering 3), Donal Mc Grath (Business 3), Aaron Byrne (Marketing 4) and Cian O Shea (Recreation & Leisure 3) have learned from the experience and will be better players going forward having gone through this heartache. Played in front of a huge crowd with ten boards in full flow in the Dean Rock, CIT were looking good after a terrific start and were 2-0 up. Despite our best efforts, we lost 3-2. This is the first time CIT has reached this stage of the competition and no doubt the hard lessons learnt last night will stand to the Club going forward. Although difficult to refocus the Clubs thoughts will have to quickly turn to upcoming competitions.

Well done lads, head up and go again!

f

GOLD AT WORLDS IN AMERICA

f

DARTS CLUB REACH LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL

20 x 20 Student

Champion Profile Why did you agree to become a CIT 20 x 20 Student Champion: Because I do believe

Name: Laura Dowdall

Course: International Business and German 3 Club: CIT Powerlifting

Levels have played at: competitions in Dublin, Galway and Cork

Highest achievement to date: competing and referring at Push Pull last year. The competition was held at the Tyco gym in CIT and it was such a pleasure to compete and referee at our home gym.

Your experience of sport in CIT: For me it’s much more than just a hobby, powerlifting has become a place where I look forward to going every week. I have definitely become a lot more confident in myself since joining the club because of the encouragement from the senior members. I have made great friendships since joining, which i can depend on in and outside of training.

women should be encouraged more in sport.

When I took part in recruiting freshers for the club this year, I couldn’t believe the amount of girls who said ‘ no, i couldn’t do powerlifting I’m way too weak for that’ or ‘I don’t want to be muscley’. I think a lot of people associate this kind of sport with men and being manly and muscly when that doesn’t have to be the case.

I often surprise people when I tell them that I do powerlifting and so I wanted to become a 20x20 champion to help change people’s perception of the sport and let them know there’s plenty of room for women on the platform.

Words of advice: My advice to anyone com-

ing into college is to try out a few different sports and see what suits you best, you might surprise yourself! I think it’s so important to go out and do a sport that you enjoy doing even if it’s not something your friends enjoy doing too. You’ll be guaranteed to make new friends when you join a club, so don’t be afraid to go at it alone, you’ll find a lot of people are in the same boat!

Champion Profile Name: Amy Sullivan Course: Biological Science 1 Club: CIT Taekwondo

f

Levels have played at: Club and country Highest achievement to date: Gold in the European championships in Poland or a bronze in the world championships in Argentina Your experience of sport in CIT: So far it’s been the most fun, positive and pleasant experience. I have been warmly welcomed in taekwondo and boxing which is new to me.

Both are pushing me to my limits and I’m looking forward to the year to come of training.

Why did you agree to become a CIT 20 x 20 Student Champion: I have noticed the lack of girls participating in sport. I myself experience this all the time in taekwondo in college and outside of college. In my training outside of college I mostly train with boys and men.

I don’t mind because they are like another family to me but sometimes it would be nice to have another girl to give me company at compe titions, while travelling or even just training. I recently competed in the UK nationals and my coach and I had to travel to West Cork (an hour and a half away) for me to train with a girl in preparation for the competition. I enjoyed every minute of it and I would 100% be going back but this just shows the lack of women in contact sport. Also one of the main reasons we travel for competitions is not only to get experience but for me to have someone to fight. There has been competitions where there is no one for me to fight or where my coach had to make sure there was, whereas for boys/men don’t have this problem.

Words of advice: My words of advice to girls starting college is don’t be afraid to start a sport or hobby you have interest in. Try everything to figure out what’s for you. If there is a small number of girls at the sport you have chosen invite your friends to come along and definitely don’t quit as you are in an environment with people who have the same interest as you. You will meet new people, make new friends and create new memories. Don’t throw this opportunity away!

f

f

15

f LIVE CIT, LOVE SOCIETIES

d

For full list of societies go to www.societies.cit.ie

d

Chairperson Unite Workshop

f

CIT Open Day Societies Volunteers Craig, Brian, Aoife, Niall, Eoghan, Michelle with Aoife Kelliher Societies Officer and Societies Intern Adrian Coleman

f

SEMESTER 1 ROUNDUP Striking a balance between working hard on college assignments, attending class and developing your interest can be difficult. Attending some societies activities and meetings may just be the best college decision you ever make. So what might you have missed in Semester 1?

d

f

Society of the Year 2019 LGBT* have continued their good work linking into the Cork Community and meeting weekly on campus for all members to attend. The Society have been nominated for a Galas award which acknowledges LGBT+ organisations, run and delivered by volunteers, who have actively contributed to improving the lives of LGBT+ people in Ireland. In January they are hosting over 150 secondary school students in CIT for a GSA Training day which aims to support secondary school students in creating their own in-school support groups.

The weekly screenings in the Theatre are a great way to kick back on campus and switch off for an hour. The Anime & Manga Society have attracted a regular audience and it is a great place to enjoy new Anime & Manga with their free library from which students can loan out. The death battle Anime v Sci-Fi was a bit hit and the sci-fi society brought their A game to the debate! The Sci-Fi weekly screening have shown the broad range of Sci-Fi films from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to cultural collaborations with Indian and Korean societies.

The Indian Society finished off their semester with the Festival of Colour Diwali and what a night of performances, culture and dance it was. Their Bollywood night held in the KINO was another highlight for the society and we know many students enjoyed the Henna Tattoo

d

stands in the main corridor. The trip to Dublin for the Korean society to enjoy two Korean restaurants was the highlight of their semester but the society have enjoyed weekly meet ups of dance, films and language lessons.

df

In the studio on the Sports Stadium the Dance Society have hosted well known choreographers such as Lee Barrett. They put on a diverse range of dance types including commerical Jazz, Lyrical and the very fun Afro Kuduro which brought a lot of new interest to the society from students who just love to dance. The Society have also held their auditions for the Intervarsity team and are looking forward to the competition in Galway in March The DJ society meet weekly on Wednesdays and their highlight included guest DJ Xero coming in to give a master class. Once a month they will also be spinning the decks in SUAS rooftop Bar, this is a great spot to catch some up our coming DJ’s so be sure to check out their Instagram for updates.

Enactus society have continued their social entrepreneur project with the Rainbow Club and have looked to expand it during semester 1. They are also commencing a second project with a focus on solving an environmental issues on the CIT campus and held several brainstormi ng sessions.

The annual Post Grad society end of semester meal was a great success and an enjoyable way for Post Grads to network. The Programming society continued their weekly meet up on a Thursday and are currently working on a app project to help societies committees easily manage their society plans.

If you want to make a difference on campus come join the Energy

f

f f

Frank Hanley and Euince Wong from the CIT Energy & Environmental Society planting the Graduation flowers.

16

Societies Committee Training Workshops held in October was a great teambuilding event.

d

d

TUES - THURS WEEKS 12 & 13, NOON TO 2PM

Christmas CHARITY

d

Drive!

MAIN CORRIDOR & THE NEXUS (STUDENT CENTRE) BISHOPSTOWN CAMPUS

Tanusha, Zack and Aoife, the CIT BICS student reps for this year.

& Environmental Society who have been running weekly litter pick up groups, a beach litter pick up and also marched in the City Centre as part of the Fridays for Future national movement. Have you noticed the lovely flowers near the flag pole entrance? Yep, from the CIT graduations and planted for us all to enjoy in conjunction with the society.

f

The newly formed Comedy society has been steadily building up an audience throughout the semester and their free Thursday night gigs held in the Gallery of the Student Centre are definitely worth attending if you need cheering up. They have welcomed guest comedians Roger O’Sullivan and Andrew Burke as well as giving the mic to up and coming CIT students.

The International Students society have been busy organising trips and events on and off campus. Waterford, Mizen Head and Ice Skating as well as their weekly meet up’s in town. They have great plans for Semester 2 to see Galway, Dublin and Belfast so be sure to email them to get on their mailing list if you are interested.

f

The Music Society weekly Jam sessions in the Band Practice room are enjoyed by many and it’s a great place to meet like minded musicians. Their live band gig held in Fred Zepplins is just a taster for the Battle of the Bands Competition which will be held in Semester 2. The Trad society based in CIT Cork School of Music held a masterclass with musician, singer and composer Saileog Ní Cheannabháin. They have plans to hold more in Semester 2, to which all are welcome. The Crawford Open Mic Society has held really successful themed nights in the Canteen in Crawford and given the opportunity to many creative students to share their talents.

f

The Musical Society have been busy with show preparations and auditions for their upcoming performances of Godspell from February 20th, 21st and 22nd in the CIT Cork School of Music. Tickets sales will open in January and with a special reduced price for CIT students it’s a perfect opportunity to go along and enjoy a quality show.

Airsoft held a Skirmish in November and they plan to hold more in Semester 2. If you don’t own your own equipment it’s no problem to hire at the site. The society also organise transport as part of the trip. The Poker society meet weekly on Wednesdays in the common room and offer students the chance to compete in Texas Holdem for cash prizes but also for free.

The Academic Societies are key in creating a student empowered community within the departments. The Chemical Engineering society enjoyed a Sports Day in UL, Quiz night and celebrated Mole Day, the unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists, chemistry students and chemistry enthusiasts. The Biotechnology Society have been busy creating a supportive student community through peer to peer meetings.

The Brewery Tour was a great chance to socialise and learn all about the brewing business. The Marketing society have been active online with competitions and giveaways, their highlight was having guest speaker Cullen Allen co-founder of Cully & Sully on campus to give an insight into being an entrepreneur. The Electronic Engineering society held a successful bowling night and the Construction Management society shared how to network with LinkedIn. The Automotive Society enjoyed two trips to the indoor Karting arena. The Civil & Structural Society got a lock in at the Escape Rooms in the City Centre and needed all their teamwork and mental capabilities to work their way out.

f

FOOD ITEMS:

PLEASE DONATE new toys hats, scarves, gloves giftcards toiletries gift sets stationary & craft sets books and games clean blankets & socks

juice cakes tinned goods tea & coffee chocolate boxes selection boxes biscuits & crisps non-perishables

FOR THE BENEFITS OF SVP, CORK STAND TOGETHER AND CORK PENNY DINNERS

CONSIDER VACCINATION …

Flu vaccine: Influenza is a highly in-

fectious, acute illness of the respiratory tract with systemic symptoms which is most prevalent from December to April.

The flu vaccine is inactivated, therefore you do not get the flu from it. It is recommended in particular for “At risk groups” such as those with Chronic illness, like Asthma, Diabetes, Coeliac disease and those working in Health Care setting...available in the medical centre.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine: There has been a worldwide increase in cases of Measles. There has been an increase in the incidence of Mumps in Ireland. College students are at particular risk. It is recommended that you should have 2 confirmed doses of MMR vaccine. If you have not had 2 doses of the vaccine please contact the Medical Centre.

Have you never been vaccinated as a child?

If you were not vaccinated in childhood and would like to be considered for vaccination please book an appointment to speak to one of the medical or nursing staff. Unfortunately, there is no catch-up programme in place for students over 18yrs for the HPV vaccine and this would need to paid for privately by the individual.

Calling all Biomedical and Social Care students:

As part of their studies Biomedical science students are recommended to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B and Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus. Social Care students are encouraged to consider vaccination against Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus and polio and Influenza.

If you have any questions on any vaccinations please do not hesitate to contact the medical centre to schedule an appointment to discuss with one of the medical or nursing staff.

17

Brainteaser

WIN €50!

Nine reindeer share a square enclosure near Santa’s grotto.

Build two more square enclosures to give each reindeer a pen of its own.

Name: Class:

Sponsored by: AnSEO - CIT Student Engagement Office and CIT Department of Mathematics as part of Maths Positive.

Mobile Tel:

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN €50...

Deliver completed entries to the SU shop, 1st Floor, The Student Centre.

Christmasf Quiz f

dE xa m

Last issue’s winner: Lewis Maguire, Mech Eng

All answers can be found in this issue!)...submit your entry to us at the CIT SU shop for your chance to WIN! 1st Floor, Student Centre.

WIN €30!

d

S tr es s D ed Name any of the offerings for Exam De-Stress 3-5 Dec

What’s the Christmas closing time at the CIT library?

How much is a Bus Eireann trip from Dublin to Cork?

Christmas Jumper Day takes place on what date?

Name either our CIT or CIT SU President’s names

Name any of the 20x20 sports champions in this issue

What’s Domino’s Christmas online special deal

Where should you go to get vaccinations? See page 17

Which dates can you avail of Sunday Study in December?

Name any of Da Silly Heads founders? See p10

WIN €30!

Name: Class:

18

Mobile Tel:

d

Deliver completed entries to the SU shop, 1st Floor, The Student Centre.

Last issue’s winner: Leonard Coughlan, BBADM 3

W V O A S P L S U K V X D G X L L G R W

N R J S G T N B Z Q M H Q D X O I G N C

L I E I S O F S U U U M L Y V K G Y A Y

M Q Q A W G R I J R J A E X C T H L S Z

A E T M T R N A G U T I V S Z W T L P L

W N L M A R H Y M V E M S E F T V R I Q E L N R G W X G A Y B X O J E Q T A U R A C N O N X D P A S I A M Z F E S U J X T L S P RS HG YS MW VT EW MF SM EM FV TW RH DA UH RU I LP NT RO GG WR XH GI AP YC BD XI DQ QD PZ EA E AL UN RF AR CN NJ OQ NQ XZ DW PS RA KM ET ES I ZS FB ES SI UA JI XL TN LV SJ PI PF LX NU DK H WU FZ MU MJ VG WW HT AK HP UV IK VK GW TJ NU O HK IQ PU CR DU IC QS DE ZY AY EE YJ JY CN IU M JV QM QU ZJ WT SH AX MP TE SR IA RM HX CX EA M IX LH NM VA JI IF FA XL UEPuzzle KR HV DB ZW OK RQ K Word Search WD TQ KL PE VV KQ KM WC JE UK OG FX KV SX ZT U CG SD EY YX YS EL JD YG ND UA MJ VA NA GF EK F HX XX PV EC RZ AF MI XK XV AS MG GR GZ JO TV X FL AO LK ET RW VG BL WM KP QV KX ZY AT HT GZ F QL MI CG EH KT GS XE VV XG TR UA RI DV UU IM Y LG DG GY DL AL JO AH AM FC KM FH LP BL ZU NM S FR IN KA VS SP GB RQ ZI OT VD XD UA BK WE CF M GW LC MY PZ VL XY YT TP TS ZR FP QV JW QL BV Q S E V G R A I V U M Y D P C E O H M C M H P LW NU LMM S A RXH Y Y MEV M E M S V R I Q E L N R G W CHRISTMAS B Q I T D D A K E F M C R X UX G A O J E Q T A U R A C N O N ELVES YGIFTS T P S R P V WA SL IVA Q M ZTF Y E SSU J J X T

R D R P V Y R D F V G Z R L U Q D X C T

D Q K L G J H Z K N G A D B B J P Y R Y

U P E N T C C O S G J H U Z W Q C E X S

Merry Christmas

WIN €30!

WORDSEARCH GREETINGS HOLLY LIGHTS MERRY REINDEER SANTA SNOWMAN TREE WREATH

CHRISTMAS ELVES GIFTS GREETINGS HOLLY LIGHTS MERRY REINDEERSponsored by SANTA http://societies.cit.ie SNOWMAN TREE WREATH

f

f

S G S W T W P T O G R H L N F R N J S B S I A I U Z U J G W K Q U R U C V M U J T H X H M A I F D Q L E V Q G D Y X S L X X V C Z F L O K T W G L I G H T S G Created G Y L L O R N A S P B W C Y Z L Y CHRISTMAS ELVES GIFTS Name: GREETINGS HOLLY LIGHTS Class: MERRY REINDEER SANTA SNOWMAN TREE WREATH

E F T Y B X X D P L S P F M M V W H A H U I I P C D I Q D Z A E Q Q Z W S A M T S I L N V J I F X U K H T K P V K K W J U O S E Y Y E J Y N U M X P E R A M X X A M A L E R V B W K Q K M C E K G X V X T U D G D A J A A F K F I K V S G R Z O V X L M P V X Y T T Z F E V G R A I V U M Y by H M Puzzlemaker C M H P L U M S Q I T D D A K E F M T P S R P V W L V Q

R E E D N I E R Z E T G I N C B E M U J

R D U R D Q P E R K E E P L N D V G T N Y J C I R H C E D Z O R F K S Z V N G E G G J T Z A H G R D U I L B Z N U B W C Q J Q B D P C E at X YDiscove E M C R X U T Y S J

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.c Wordsearch Prize: €30 Deliver completed entries to the SU shop, 1st Floor, The Student Centre.

Last issue’s Crossword winner: Barbara Mutrasova, Bio Eng

f

Mob:

19

Merry Christmas to all our customers from CIT Campus Catering!

We at the Student Services Company would like to take this opportunity to thank all students and staff for their custom throughout the year. The very best of luck to all students doing exams.

And finally we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Bistro

Christmas Specials

• The Bistro is doing its 12 days of Christmas from December 4th. Look out for complementary mince pies/Christmas cake and prize giveaways and seasonal flavoured coffees.

• From December 16th we will be doing our Christmas lunch package with starter, main course, dessert and tea/coffee all for only €10. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Food Court • Christmas muffins and specially priced student specials available.

The Snack Bar will be doing Christmas themed carvery sandwiches.

Daily prize giveaways with tons of selection boxes, vouchers, biscuits and chocolates to given out to all customers.

Costa Coffee

Retail Areas – Shop and Nexus Market

• Please see our hot chocolate promotion with the likes of Ginger Bread Hot Chocolate or Spiced Cappuccino available. These and our flavoured Coffees will all be available in bundle deals with mince pies and Christmas Cake.

• Look out for our exam specials with cheap stationery available and great meal deals available. We will also be doing an end of semester merchandise clothing sale, so look out for some great deals!

Christmas Lunch Special

Please enjoy our Christmas Lunch Special in the Food Court and Staff Room from Monday Dec 2nd - Thursday Dec 5th.

The menu is as follows: Soup of the Day Christmas Carvery (or Vegetarian Option) with a selection of Seasonal Vegetables and Potatoes Traditional Christmas Pudding