Finn Hallwood has outlined an ambitious agenda for the year ahead, with plans to introduce mandatory active consent training for ticketed Ents events, expand live music in college, and increase sober and Irish language events.
The Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Ents (entertainments) Officer is responsible for organising social events and chairing the Ents Committee. Hallwood was elected in February of 2026, and started his term at the end of June. His successful election also marked the second time he ran for the position, having unsuccessfully contested it in 2025. Hallwood is a former Mechanical Engineering student.
Speaking to the University Times, Hallwood said his manifesto represented his “aspirations and what you hold dear to your heart, things you’re passionate about”, adding that his focus is now on turning those commitments into reality.
Making the Active Consent Module Mandatory
The first major milestone, he said, is the introduction of mandatory completion of Trinity’s Active Consent module for students attending ticketed events.
“It’s something to definitely roll out and have it sorted by the first semester,” Hallwood said, describing it as the manifesto commitment students should be able to judge him on by the end of Michaelmas term.
Discussions with the college are already underway, although Hallwood said that no final agreement has yet been reached.
“I can’t give any confirmations about it”, he said. “The plan at the moment is that we will have a module for it; it will be put out on Blackboard, and then we will ensure there is a checkbox that is mandatory that you have completed the module.”
Hallwood said Ents and College would then “sit down and cross-reference people who have completed the module and bought tickets” before reviewing the system after several weeks. “We’ll see what the results are like after a number of weeks and change based on those results,” he said, adding that he also wants students to help shape the policy through anonymous feedback and “an open-door policy with my office”.
Live Music
Alongside consent education, Hallwood said increasing live music on campus remains one of the biggest priorities. While his manifesto proposed a monthly showcase, he explained that the idea has evolved after taking office.
“The manifesto point of doing it every month has changed,” he said. “There will be a couple of Thursdays; we’re currently looking at as many Thursdays as possible.”
Rather than committing to a rigid monthly schedule, Hallwood said events will be organised around quieter weeks in the calendar and expanded depending on student demand.
“We have to base what we’re moving forward with on demand and how people receive it,” he said.
He hopes to create more opportunities for student musicians without replacing existing DJ-focused events, envisioning “DJs in one room and live music in another.” Hallwood said Ents has already issued a call-out for student bands through Instagram, encouraging musicians from societies including Jazz Society, Trad Society and DUDJ to get involved.
Sober Events
Hallwood also plans to broaden the range of alcohol-free events available throughout the year. Working alongside the Ents Alcohol-Free Events Convenor, he said the SU will trial a number of sober events before deciding how the programme develops.
“At the moment myself and the alcohol-free event convenor… are working together to push forward for more of those events,” he said. “We’re running a couple of non-alcohol events throughout the semester and seeing what the turnout and reception is.”
Gaeilge
Increasing the visibility of the Irish language is another commitment Hallwood hopes to deliver. Working alongside Irish Language Officer Mary Kate Ní Artáin, he plans to run two Irish-language events during the semester while introducing more bilingual communication across Ents.
“We’re rolling it out in a way we can use words here and there”, he said, explaining that Ents will continue alternating between English and Irish across its social media posts. However, he acknowledged that encouraging participation from beginners will be an important challenge.
“One of the issues we are going to face is how we show people this is an Irish event and actually friendly to beginners”, he said.
Accessibility
Hallwood also hopes to improve engagement with postgraduate and mature students, beginning with a Researchers’ Ball on 26 August after postgraduate representatives approached Ents with the idea. He said future events would be shaped by attendance and student feedback, alongside a greater number of events during postgraduate orientation and throughout the academic year.
Behind the scenes, Hallwood said work is already underway to improve accessibility and safety at Ents events. CPR and first responder training for the Ents committee will begin as the semester starts, something he said has already been discussed across the sabbatical team.
Expectations
Asked what students should expect from a full-time sabbatical officer by the end of their first semester, Hallwood said he hopes students notice improvements in the overall atmosphere of campus life rather than simply ticking off manifesto promises.
“For me, the changes are trying to bring forward things people are going to feel on a night,” he said. “Little things here and there that build up together and build a better experience.”
When asked whether he would resign if he failed to deliver one of his key commitments, Hallwood said resignation was a deeply personal decision rather than one governed by a fixed threshold.
“Resignation is something that should be taken very seriously,” he said. “It has happened in previous years. It’s on the individual rather than people saying, ‘I think you should do this.’”
Instead, he said he believes sabbatical officers should respond to student criticism by improving their performance.
“If people tell me to, I would take it on board and try and change and become better and do my work to a higher level,” he said.
Ultimately, Hallwood said he hopes students will remember his term less for individual policies than for the experience Ents creates.
“I’d love people saying they had fun this year”, he said. “For them to have respite from their course and modules and have a space where they can truly be themselves and enjoy music and dance and the arts.”
Looking ahead to the months ahead, Hallwood said he is particularly excited for Freshers’ Week, Shag Week and Trinity Ball, teasing “cool things lined up” for the beginning of the academic year.
Reflecting on the transition from candidate to officer, Hallwood said, “Campaigning was six months ago, and it feels like an age. It’s great to now be doing what I campaigned for, and it’s exciting to kind of be living up to what people voted for.”
