Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union’s (TCDSU) part-time officers, convenors and committee reps were elected at the last meeting of TCDSU’s council this year, with Alice MacPherson elected Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) Faculty Convenor, Niall Cooke elected Engineering, Maths and Science (EMS) Faculty Convenor and Laura Killeen elected Health Sciences (HS) Faculty Convenor.
Outgoing AHSS Deputy Faculty Convenor, MacPherson, defeated the outgoing Chair of Council, Colm O’Halloran, for the position of AHSS Faculty Convenor. Speaking at council, MacPherson emphasised the need to have students “adequately” represented, and referencing the Trinity Education Project, said: “If Trinity is reshaping … we have a right to have a say.”
Cooke defeated Conor McLoughlin for EMS Faculty Convenor. Speaking at council, Cooke promised to help improve student and staff relations in the faculty, and called on students to “vote for action and fresh ideas”.
Third-year midwifery student, Laura Killeen, defeated second-year medicine TCDSU class rep, Michael McKenna, to be elected HS Faculty Convenor. Speaking at council, Killeen, who is the current Nursing and Midwifery School Convenor, promised to work with the building manager of D’Olier street on the redevelopment of the building, and promising to support the repeal the eighth campaign, which she referred to as a “healthcare issue as well as a social issue”.
Jenna Clarke-Molloy, a third-year French and Italian student, was elected Chair of Council, while Sam Green, a second-year computer science and business student, was elected Secretary of Council. Both Clarke-Molloy and Green were unopposed.
Damien McClean, a third-year mathematics student, was elected Citizenship Officer. Speaking at council, McClean emphasised how many students are “passionate” about campaigning, and how important it is that that union is able to facilitate and support students. McClean beat third-year law student, Kevin Keane and Arlene Walsh-Wallace, a first-year law and French student.
Sean O’Carroll, a second-year computer science student, was elected LGBT Rights Officer, while second-year science student, Maebh Cullen, was elected Officer for Students with Disabilities.
Four ordinary committee members of the Electoral Commission were also elected. Seven candidates ran for the positions, with Stefan Tong, Kyle Chambers, Gillian Kiely and Rob Finn all elected. Laura Teefey and Daragh Fogarty, the outgoing Technical Officer of Trinity Hall JCR, were both elected biennial members of the Electoral Commission.
Thomas Emmet, a third-year history student, who ran uncontested, was elected Environmental Officer, while Anna Belitskaya, a third-year English and art history student, was elected Access Officer. Rachel Ní Bhradaigh, the current Oifigeach na Gaeilge, was elected Off-Campus Officer and Charlotte Bowen was elected Sports Officer.
In one of the most contested races, Rachel Skelly, a second-year geography and politics student, was elected Gender Equality Officer, beating Katie Fahy, Muireann McGlynn, Shubhangi Karmakar and Anna McNamara Taylor to the role. Speaking at council, Skelly spoke of her aim to bring “sex positive classes for survivors of sexual assault and for the general student population”.
Ross Cooke, a second-year nanoscience, physics & chemistry of advanced materials student and outgoing Trinity Hall JCR International Officer, was elected International Students Officer, while Carley Bailey, first-year law and political science student was elected Student Parents Officer. Bailey is also the Chair of the Student Parents Society. Una Ní Artaigh, second-year nanoscience student, was elected Oifigeach na Gaeilge, while Orla Burke was elected Mature Students Officer.
Emily Waters, a third-year BESS student, was elected BESS Convener, beating second-year BESS student Annie O’Gorman and Anthony Harmon McDonald – also a second-year BESS student, while Odhrán McLaughlin, a second-year French and sociology student, was elected TSM Convener.
Colm O’Halloran, a second-year Irish studies student and current Chair of Council, was elected to represent the union on the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
On the newly formed Communications & Marketing Committee, Carla King-Molina, a second-year BESS student, was elected sponsorship and marketing committee member. She was uncontested. Keelin Shaughnessy, a second-year English student, was elected part-time jobs committee member, beating Ryan Murphy. Murphy founded the union’s jobs service.
Aaron Barry, current Secretary to Council and third-year functional biology student, and Tara McCormack, current Disability Officer and second-year nursing student, were elected to the Oversight Commission.
In the final item of council, Laura Grady and Robert Antcliff were elected joint Class Rep of the Year. There were nearly 80 nominees.
Correction: April 5th, 2016
An earlier version of this piece incorrectly referred to a candidate for LGBT Rights Officer. He is Paraic McLean, not McClean.
Correction: 13:37, April 6th, 2016
An earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Niamh Herbert was elected Officer for Students with Disabilities. In fact, Maebh Cullen was elected.
