As a fairly uninformed voter, with something of an external perspective on the goings-on in the SU, I decided it was appropriate, given the time of year, to attempt an investigation into the supposedly murky world of SU politics. I wanted to find some insight into past elections, the experiences of those who monumentally failed or narrowly succeeded, those who made a mockery of their office and those who did it proud. I met with and interviewed a variety of former SU sabbatical officers, SU critics and SU fans, all of whom were guaranteed anonymity to ensure that they could be frank about their encounters with Students Union political office.
Many of the stories that were shared with me were light-hearted. The stressful arena created by election campaigns appears to engender as many comic scenes as it does tense ones. There are stories of candidates having sex in the run-up to voting, slave auctions in which the girls genuinely stripped-off and joke candidates who had campaign teams who were partial to exposing themselves. There is also the tale of the ents campaign entitled ‘Hughes for Booze’, led by a teetotal candidate and that of the candidate who had the toilet attendants in Coppers and the woman in O’Donovan’s sandwich shop wearing his t-shirts. I think the most shocking, perhaps rather than funny, story I encountered was one which involved a bitter failed candidate who decided to enact their revenge on the union by pricking holes in a significant number of the SU’s condom supply.
The condom story is astonishing, but it is illustrative of how much these elections seem to mean to candidates. Presidential candidates who were great friends were to be seen a couple of years ago embracing in floods of tears following the announcement of the vote. A former Trinity student, something of a proactive, passionate and absurdly well-informed former – but not reformed – hack, told me that he knows countless people who still, to this day, hold grudges from failed campaigns, who still bear the scars from their attempts to gain office in the student’s union.
So why does it mean so much to the candidates? Is it truly that they are inspired by a belief that they can drive change in leading the student body? Reactions to questions regarding the motivation of candi- dates were hugely varied. Cynics were quick to point out the financial rewards of the Ents office, the potential political employment re- wards of being elected as President and, in general, the unquestionable enhancement of a CV by any of the offices.
The position of ents officer has always been the one most shrouded in controversy, particularly surround- ing the rewards of office. Discussing the subject with former sabbats, both ents officers and otherwise, the reactions were perhaps not what I was expecting. From the people I spoke to, who appear to know what they are talking about, there seems to exist a huge misconception surrounding the position. Many summed up their position regarding ‘the ents debate’ by asserting how important it is to identify the crucial fact that ents, unlike the other sabbatical offices, is a business, and must be run as such.
Many whom I spoke to affirmed that they understood how the job carried out by the ents officer could be easily misunderstood. Students who hear through the grapevine how much money former ents of- ficers have made, are immediately more inclined to think of the office negatively. But one person I spoke to highlighted how ‘more than anything, self-interest is a huge motivational force. Yes, former ents officers have made money for themselves, but they have also made a lot of money for the Union. It is difficult to speculate whether there could ever be a successful ents officer who took no profit for themselves but, historically, the ents officers less concerned with self-profit have lost the union money, created hugely unsuccessful nights and are remembered as failures.’ This appeared to be the general consensus amongst those experienced in SU politics. Many were quick to highlight one of our more recent ents officers as an example of this, identifying them as a ‘disaster’, who ‘should have been removed from office’.
The issue of failed officers illuminates a theme that emerged in many of the interviews I conducted: that of accountability. Once you elect your new Students Union, they will, broadly speaking, be held accountable by no one. Of those whom I spoke to, only one person remembered anyone ever being removed from office and that was done discreetly early on in the year, rather than during the year for being adjudged to not be fulfilling their duties. At the end of the year, officers are asked to stand before the SU council and explain why they didn’t fulfil promises they had made in their election manifesto. In the past, many officers have simply not attended the last council and, thus, have never even explained why they may not have achieved their aims, never mind being penalised for it. As voters, this underlines how important it is for us to elect those who we truly believe will best represent all of us. Like any political body, it seems,
Trinity College Students Union boasts its fair share of controversies, complexities and imperfections. But I think the most important lesson I have learnt from all of the former SU sabbats, and ex active Union members is that, no matter what your opinion of the SU, government legislation asserts that it must exist. Furthermore, love it or hate it, we all pay for it. You may believe that the Union doesn’t mean that much too you, but for the candidates, it could mean everything. One interviewee concluded regarding the SU that:
… ‘No, it won’t cure AIDS, or end apartheid. But the successful candidates will become the leaders of Ireland’s elite. The president will represent 17,000 people in a national arena. The Communications officer will run a media organisation. The Ents officer has an influence over the partying habits of a huge number of people and automatically becomes one of the most significant names in club promoting in a capital city. The education officer can have a real effect on what your degree is eventually worth. The welfare officer saves lives on a weekly basis. By voting, you are giving these candidates a huge opportunity to change their lives and the potential to change yours.’
Rory O’Donovan
