Former Society Auditors Spill All: No1 Mike

UCC LGBT 2004-2005

It was with mixed feelings that I took on the role of Auditor of UCC LGBT way back in distant 2004. The society had just weathered a ‘slightly’ turbulent year and I faced a committee that I didn’t really know, but it was a society that meant a lot to me and which formed a large part of my college experience! As such I had visions of moving the society in a new direction but I had no idea then what the year could possibly have in store.

My year in charge of the society began shortly after election and during the summer of 2004 a former auditor and I attempted to put on a play, The Laramie Project, at The Granary Theatre. The project had all the hallmarks of being a great venture for the society: the funding was in place, the date (August Bank Holiday) was locked in with the theatre and it was garnering great interest from the Cork Pride 2004 committee (of which I was a member). Alas the timing was wrong for casting the piece and it fell through. Yet it was an important formative event for me as it was my first taste of what could be achieved by the society firsthand, and also how difficult it would be to keep things moving. Partly because of my inexperience, and partly due to poor timing, my desire to produce a play during my term as Auditor never materialised.

Standout events for the society’s year were our trip to Fota On Ice, the hosting of USI LGBT Pink Training by UCC, and the hugely successful UCC Rainbow Week which was admirably pulled off by all who worked on it and demonstrated again what the society was capable of. My memories here, however, focus on the unusual or unremembered moments, like the above play.

A special night during Rainbow Week, for instance, involved me, three former Auditors and a yet-to-be-elected Auditor all gathered together for the first time. The small things like running up to the Accommodations Office to print posters. A Pub Crawl that seemed sure to fail when less than ten people turned up ended up being one of my favourite nights with the society! It was just me and a few of the society members enjoying ourselves during a night on the town and it really worked much better than if we had had a larger crowd. Another standout moment for me was our Games Night, in which we (oddly enough) played games! Our New Members Rep pulled off a fun night that successfully, and necessarily, broke the ice and allowed everyone to let their hair down, and in my case allowed me to embarrass myself as per usual!

The 2004-2005 college year turned out to be a great one for UCC LGBT. The committee began as a ragtag bunch of people pulled together (some by proxy!) by the powers of democracy (with just a pinch of popularity contest). Early on we lost two committee members from our ranks but the society still grew and changed over the year, most notably with a change of name to include Transgender in its’ mission. We certainly had our ups and downs, our differences of opinion, but for the most part we managed to keep afloat. I personally set out to create a more relaxed and fun tone for the society and in so doing to make it the best year for the society. Whether that was achieved or not I leave to others to decide. I obviously have my regrets for what was not achieved but mostly I look fondly, if exhaustedly, at the year and I am glad that the society continues to grow and to change in this its 25th year.

Michael Waldron - Auditor UCC LGBT Society 2004-2005