On the light-grey floor above the chock full Student Union Café, Channing Kehoe sat down to chat with The University Times about her campaign for the position of Comms and Marketing Officer in the TCDSU. Hailing from the sunny, rural part of Arizona, Channing said that coming to Trinity was the most important decision she ever made. As a final year Law and Political Science student, Kehoe has acquired a wide breadth of experience throughout her years at Trinity, serving as class rep since second year. Four years later, Kehoe hopes to give back to the place that provided the background for which they grew into themselves.
With the motto, “What the union is doing, why it matters, and how to get involved”, Kehoe hopes to make the union more accessible and visible to students at Trinity. Having been a part of student government since second year, Kehoe has witnessed all the great work the student’s union has done, and has gotten to see that work “become more publicized and catered towards the students who are here”. “At the end of the day, the Union could be doing great work, but if the students don’t hear about it, it can easily be overlooked,” Kehoe says, emphasizing how they want to build upon the strong social media presence that has already been established by previous Comms and Marketing Officer, Beth Strahan. Echoing the famous Comms and Marketing buzz word, “engagement”, Kehoe intends to “make people genuinely care” – “You can have a big audience, but unless you are getting that engagement, it’s all for nothing”.
Kehoe believes that one of the most important aspects of the Comms and Marketing officer is making sure that students not only know what is going on, but also who to go to for help. Reflecting on a conversation with the Ethnic Minorities Officer, Kehoe highlighted how many students only reach out at points of crisis rather than during the term when they are going through a hard time. She wants to make sure that students are informed enough to avail of the many initiatives and know that those supports are there consistently, not only in times of desperation. Kehoe sees it as the responsibility of the Comms officer to not only inform, but rather guide students throughout their time at Trinity. For that to work, though, the SU needs to “genuinely target everyone” – and one of the ways in which Kehoe wants to make the SU more accessible is by implementing an accessibility role to the comms team in order to make sure that all communications are accessible to all.
Drawing on her experience as a legislative and case work intern for senator Mark Kelly and her work on the US overseas voter campaign, Kehoe highlights how they see themselves as the medium between the initiatives and activism of the students’ union and the students themselves. Kehoe highlights how mediating workings of the union, which many students might be unaware of, is an important part of preserving the potency of any movement or kind of activism: “If you don’t convey the right message, at the right time, to the right students, the momentum can be lost.” With a good understanding of the complexities of the union, and how to get issues across, Kehoe wants to use the role of the Comms and Marketing Officer to make the work of the union more easily digestible.
An integral part of Kehoe’s campaign is to further the SU’s commitment to the Irish language by making sure that Irish is centered in all communications – not only in translation, but as a living entity. Citing effort on an all-Irish takeover campaign as PRO of Trinity Musical Theatre, Kehoe emphasizes how they can draw on that previous experience to strengthen and prioritize the Irish language in the Students’ Union and on online platforms. She believes that Irish ought to be treated with the same creativity and attention that we give English, adding that “people are passionate about Irish being integrated in a strong and creative way,” and emphasizing how international students also benefit from being exposed to the culture and heritage of the Irish language.
Another key point of Kehoe’s campaign is the publication of a sponsorship transparency report. Kehoe thinks it is paramount that the sponsorship and business sponsorships the union takes on are aligned with the values of the students. In order to do this, she wants to set up a clear vetting framework to ensure that sponsorships have “passed our test”; “I want people to be able to see that there has been thought and effort put into why we are pursuing and nurturing a sponsorship relationship with this company,” Kehoe tells the University Times.
Although running uncontested this year, Kehoe wanted to make it clear that she has experience that enables her to do the job well: “I genuinely want to prove to students why I am best suited for the job”. They highlight how Comms and Marketing is a role that necessitates constant involvement and work throughout the year – something that Kehoe believes is ensured and enabled by passion and an understanding of who the work is benefitting: “It’s about knowing, big picture, what you’re doing it for and never forgetting that and never forgetting that you are working for the students and that they have chosen you because they think that you would do a good job.”. Kehoe wishes to channel her own passion and dedication into the role as Comms and Marketing Office and thereby “turn ideas into action, activism into engagement, and services into tangible student support”.
