News
Apr 16, 2024

Uncontested Elections Highlight of Final Student Council

The last council of the year saw the election of part-time officers amid several uncontested races.

Alex PayneAssistant Editor
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Photo by Guy Boggan for The University Times

At the final student council of the 2023/24 academic year, members elected the part-time officers (PTOs) and a select few other positions within or associated with Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) for next academic year, 2024/25.

Of the 17 available PTO positions, 10 were elected uncontested. Council also elected the Undergraduate Studies Committee representative, Chair of Trinity’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Group (BDS), Faculty Convenors as well as some members for both the Electoral Commission (EC) and Oversight Commission (OC) of the TCDSU.

Of the uncontested races, those elected were: current LGBTQ Rights Officer Nina Crofts as Citizenship Officer; Aisling Dillon and Patrick Keegan as Off-Campus Officer and International Officer, respectively; Sam Brooks as Environmental Officer; Sarah Selfati Harte as Access Officer; David Treacy as Volunteer Coordinator; Sean Thim O’Leary as Union Archivist.

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Katelyn Mullan Galvin was elected as Student Carer Officer after an emergency motion to establish the position. The emergency motion was brought as the Student Parent Officer position is often left unfilled.

Having lost out in the race for Disabilities Officer to current JCR Welfare Officer Emer Munnelly, James Murphy was elected uncontested as Mature Students Officer. 

Having lost out in the race for Gender Equality Officer, Aashanna Yadav was elected uncontested as Ethnic Minorities Officer.

The race for Gender Equality Officer was the most contested of the evening, with Amy Kennedy coming out on top from a field of four candidates.

In the other contested races of the year, current Citizenship Officer Ella MacLennan was elected Housing Rights Officer, defeating Lorenzo Cheasty.

Reuben O’Neill was elected LGBTQ rights officer, defeating Em Davis. 

Trinity BDS elected, through a separate motion following a vote by their members, Quinn Katz Zogby as chair and Elisa Zito as secretary. The motion was approved by council members.

Except for a Joint Honours Convenor, all Faculty Convenor positions were filled. Giulia Villa was elected Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) Convenor, defeating current Deputy AHSS Convenor Sam Brooks.

Current Health Sciences Convenor Rarosue Emakpor was re-elected to the position. In the race for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Convenor, incumbent Ruaidhrí Saulnier defeated current EC and Council Chair Conchúr Ó Cathasaigh.

Ó Cathasaigh went on to be elected unopposed as Undergraduate Studies Committee Representative.

Daniel Walsh was elected chair of the EC, again unopposed.

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