In the third episode of our series ‘OutSTANDing Stories’, Emily Savage interviews Rob Fitzpatrick, a social science student and current auditor of the Literary & Historical Society in UCD. Rob chats about overcoming his early difficulties of starting as a fresher in the college and the endless benefits of engaging in society life and fostering supportive connections, which doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to the LGBTQ soc. While Rob feels like his experiences have shaped the direction of his studies, he also chats about the importance of choosing a path that speaks to your own personal goals and dreams rather than one you think you should be limited to or feel compelled to do, solely based on identity.

Representation for queer women in media is sorely lacking, and good representation, even more so. Content is either hypersexual or targeted at a very young audience – two extreme ends of a spectrum with slim pickings in the middle.

In the second episode of our series ‘OutSTANDing Stories’, Emily Savage interviews Robert Brennan, a first-year student in TU Dublin as they discuss their lived experiences as a trans student in third-level education so far. Robert details the network of supports available to them such as the campuses LGBTQ soc, the SU and the Welfare and Equalities Officer, campus counselling services and outside organisations such as TENI and BeLong To. Robert stresses the importance of having people on your side who are willing to advocate for you, so you don’t have to just advocate for yourself. Robert also discusses the impact of online learning and concerns around starting face-to-face lectures in September with the possibility of being misgendered more by lecturers or classmates.

In the first episode of our new series ‘OutSTANDing Stories’, Emily Savage interviews Jayson Pope, Auditor Elect of UCD LBGTQ+ Society and volunteer with BeLonG To, as he discusses his lived experiences as a trans student in UCD. Jayson discusses his identity and the joys and issues he’s faced in both social and academic settings upon entering third-level education. For Jayson, his position as a trans student has directly impacted what he hopes to do in life. In this episode, he also offers outlets of support to any student who is going through a similar experience.

Most circus animals are treated poorly; beaten, starved, and kidnapped. They sit in tiny cages travelling from place to place for our entertainment. Have we ever thought about what the once big and mighty beasts feel when they are dressed in silly costumes and forced to perform tricks that are dangerous and downright unnecessary?

In this episode with Laura Kelly from Sustainable Radio, our Marketing Coordinator discusses our organisation and our campaigns. We talk about the pressure young people have to be the catalyst of climate action, their conscious consumption campaign and sustainability challenges and how we can get involved to bring about change.

This November a critical opportunity is taking place for world leaders to take action against climate change. In the build-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, why not test your knowledge on this year’s conference and why it’s so important for our global future?

Ripe ‘n’ ready but never really ripe or ready avocados on supermarket shelves. New bougie Ethiopian-Bosnian-Plant-based-Fusion food truck parking down the road. The bewildering stroll through an Asian supermarket searching for the eight poxy ingredients needed for the ‘quick and easy’ recipe you saw on Instagram.

The EU migrant return policy aims to increase return rates of asylum seekers to their country of origin by making border procedures as efficient as possible. Since the increased amount of people fleeing wars in 2015 and seeking refuge in Europe, EU asylum policy has been polarising, with Europe often being dubbed “Fortress Europe” – an impassable fort with watchtowers and border guards prepared to stop at nothing to keep those seeking refuge out.

STAND News Humanitarian editor, Amyrose, takes a look at some influential activists from around the globe.

Philip Kleinfeld, correspondent and editor with The New Humanitarian, recently met with aspiring journalists in conjunction with STAND News and SIN. Kleinfeld relayed his experiences in the humanitarian crisis sector, outlined tips for eager journalists and reiterated the inefficiency of the traditional humanitarian sector of journalism.

Sexual violence in conflict has been used for centuries as a tactic of war and terror and continues to be used today. The cost of war is great but the cost of war against women and girls is incalculable, and yet such violence is not talked about.

In our live series, Activists + Innovators, we talk with Lucy Geraty from Fairtrade Ireland about the impacts of our consumption on the environment and human rights. We also discuss their current campaigns and the steps individuals can take to be ethical consumers.

In our live series, Activists + Innovators, we talk with Lyndsey O’Connell from VOICE Ireland to launch our #ConsciousConsumption campaign.

In our live series, Activists + Innovators, we talk with Paula Martinez from The Danú Project during World Refugee Week.

In our live series, Activists + Innovators, we talk with Katie Curtin from UCC SÁMH on the topic of mental health and student wellbeing.