President
Rory Dunne
Rory Dunne is a 21 year old Junior Sophister Immunology student from Co. Wexford. Dunne has been heavily involved in College life. He was Activity Leader, Soup Run and Public Relations Officer of Trinity VDP. Moreover, he sat on the Campus Resident Committee as an Ordinary Member, was the Marketing Secretary of the Dublin University Football Club and finally worked in the Accommodation Advisory Service.
Dunne feels the Student Union needs redirection in terms of the approach it takes with a wide range of college issues. He points to the establishment of the Meet& Greet service by Ryan Bartlett and notes, “This was a fantastic service which Ryan established after identifying a need from his own experiences”. Consequentially, he would love to see the Student’s Union continue to develop this Student Directed Services approach. He believes the SU shouldn’t be something that’s just visible during campaign and awareness weeks; it should be there for students every day of every week. Therefore Dunne envisions creating services for students, which would be both readily visible, and made a notable difference to student’s lives. Where possible, these services would be staffed and run by students.
Dunne told The University Times that he will address several issues throughout the course of his campaign but took the time to highlight one in particular. He believes Trinity has one obvious weakness when compared to other colleges; the provision of opportunity through the Careers service. Dunne told us he wants to develop the CAS into a source of genuine opportunity. To this end, he envisions working in conjunction with the staff of CAS, to provide Trinity-exclusive internships in every area of academia. Furthermore he would endeavour to establish strong links with traditional and non-traditional sources of internships, directed towards all career paths. Dunne notes, “Our surroundings are littered with the country’s finest galleries and theatres” thus these could provide the perfect forum for Trinity students to undertake work experience and internships in these areas. Closer to home, Dunne points to Trinity’s acclaimed Science Department and hopes to address the lack of internship programmes by building on this reputation. He hopes to achieve this by developing ties with International companies, with the aim of providing young Trinity scientists with the opportunity to develop their skills and to experience a professional environment.
Dunne points to appointment of a Vice-Provost for Global Relations by the Provost Patrick Prendergast. Apparently this role was to enhance Trinity’s international reputation. Consequentially, if elected he would try to a maximise Trinity’s reputation in a similar manner by providing ‘J1’ and international internships through the Alumni network. This no doubt will require time and effort but Dunne is hoping that if achieved it will have a lasting success. He remarks, “It is about time something is Dunne about it in Trinity.”
James Kelly
Reading James Kelly’s student CV reads like a manifesto in itself, and the 21-year old from Wexford is sure to run on a platform of a superhuman amount of extra-curricular responsibility.
Popular with societies, James’ 2010/11 academic year alone took in three positions with the Students’ Union, a sub-editorship in Trinity News and a contributor position in this very publication, the History Society (of which he is now auditor), DU Politics, DU Amnesty, S2S, and the Central Societies Commission.
Once you’ve recovered from the headache delivered to you by the above, you inevitably come to the conclusion that the Senior Sophister History and Political Science student is well-known and well-liked on campus.
Skeptics, of which there are many in student politics, might dismiss Kelly’s campaign as the pursuit of the final jewel of a crown of activities to which his previous college activities have led. However, Kelly is full of ideas as to how the SU can best use its existing structures to improve College life for its members:
‘There seems to be a disconnect between the SU and students. Part of this problem is because the work of the SU isn’t communicated to students, and part of it is that many students I have met feel like they can’t approach the SU, and this is something I want to change, and I hope to do this by running Presidential clinics where students can air their opinions and ideas on a one to one basis. Expanding upon this, I will implement office hours for Part Time Officers of the Union to ensure greater communication between the student body and the SU.’
In addition, Kelly has ideas for the traditional campaign target of Union transparency, as well as the ever-growing need to help students economise:
‘Transparency within the Union is so important to these proposals, and if elected I plan on implementing new ideas to improve transparency and bridge the gap between students and the SU.’
‘One area where the SU can help students in a more fundamental manner is by making sure students get value for money. I will bring a number of ideas to my campaign, and if elected, my term as President, which will ensure students will get the best deal. Improving the Deal of the Week and bringing in new cost-saving measures such as a supermarket deals.’
Interestingly, he is the only candidate for a sabbatical position who refers to modifying the SU constitution as a means to improving the way in which it operates, advocating a fundamental rather than functional reform where required:
‘If elected I will set up a Constitutional Review Group to assess the current SU Constitution. The last time the Constitution was revised was in 2009, and most changes were cosmetic. This Review Group would look at the Constitution within the changing framework of TCDSU.’
John Tighe
John Tighe is not your conventional candidate for the presidency of TCDSU. His CV is not laden with important-sounding positions and bureaucratic achievements.
Describing himself as a ‘student activist’, Tighe is more Joe Duffy than Ryan Bartlett in terms of the style of presidency he would uphold. A member of left-wing group Free Education for Everyone (FEE), a campaign that was set up to fight the privatisation of education, the raising of the student social charge and the re-introduction of fees. Tighe describes himself as having been involved in ‘many protests down the years from the protest at the Department of Finance protest on 3rd November 2010 to Shell to Sea.’ Put simply, John does not believe that modern student politics does enough:
‘I feel that the USI is not doing near enough to combat this threat (of third-level feels); having one major protest a year will not get you anywhere. Furthermore, I also feel that USI’s constant attack on the public sector is irresponsible on their part as many parents are working in the public sector and any cutbacks in that sector will have a significant effect on the lives of these families and the children that are attending third level education. It creates a bubble that allows students to be attacked in isolation whereas we should be forging relationships with trade unionists and other workers to combat austerity.
Tighe cites the example of the TCDSU’s ‘Keep calm – Call your TD’ advertising campaign ahead of the national protest march on November 16th as the epitome of that which renders student politics ineffective:
‘I feel that the ‘Keep Calm’ campaign run in conjunction with the USI protest this year was irresponsible and ill-conceived. The students of Ireland should be angry because we and many of our parents and friends are paying for a crisis that we did not create while the people that put in this mess are living the high life.’
When asked what he would change in the College as a whole, Tighe roots his answer in concerns that have dominated the landscape of student politics for the last year: its democratic make-up and College’s much-derided allocation of funds.
‘In the college as a whole, I believe that college life should become much more democratic. Without the students there is no university and at the moment I don’t feel the students’ council is representative and very few people realise what it is doing on a weekly basis.
Furthermore, I believe that the apolitical nature of campaigns around campus needs to stop the cutting of education services from different departments as a result of the austerity measures being put in place by this government and the last one.’
No photo of Tighe was available.
Education Officer
Dan Ferrick
Every sabbatical officer election campaign features one of those candidates whose long-term desire to hold the position is a very poorly-kept secret. In that regard, this year’s Ryan Bartlett is 22-year old genetics student Dan Ferrick, running uncontested for the position of education officer.
The genetics student has been heavily involved in Student Union activities for a number of years, currently sitting on University Council as faculty convenor for Engineering, Maths, and Science (EMS) and campaigning for the construction of the pathway through Front Square as Officer for Students with a Disability in his third year. Dan has been a committee member of the Food and Drink Society for two years and can add S2S mentor, class rep, Undergraduate Studies Committee representative, and Science Ball 2012 organiser to a glittering student-life CV.
A connoisseur of student politics and familiar with the intricacies of College processes, Dan believes that while the role of education officer necessarily involves large amounts of committee and policy work, individual case work should be the priority.
‘The most important part of the job in my opinion is the one-on-one case work, where students can come to the education office with any of their academic issues or problems. In my role as EMS convenor, I’ve had people come to me directly with problems and queries regarding their course, and the issue is usually that the information is not readily available and often very hard to understand’.
Ferrick believes that the education officer should follow in Stephanie Fleming’s footsteps as welfare officer and cater to off-campus students by working a late evening during the week.
‘As an education officer I’ll guarantee that the office will be open late at least one night a week from 6 to 9 and weekends when needed to facilitate students especially those off campus with any of their academic concerns’
Engaging with ever-present concerns regarding the way in which limited College funds are allocated, Ferrick insists that, if elected, he will lobby College authorities until he’s blue in the face should the quality of education suffer as a result of funding cuts.
‘The job of Education Officer happens very much behind the scenes on the various college boards and committees. Over the past few years Higher Education like all facets in Irish life has been hit by spending and budget cuts. Trinity in the past has proved herself to be very wasteful with money, if elected I will work tirelessly that if cuts do occur it is not the quality of education we as students receive that suffers.’
Welfare Officer
Aisling Ní Chonaire
Aisling NÍ Chonaire is a 4th Year Psychology student, who intends to run for the position of Welfare Officer. As the only girl amongst a family of boys, she is a keen boxer, so is ready for a hectic election schedule! Apart from boxing, Ní Chonaire has been immersed in College life.
She held the position of Ents Officer, Vice Chairperson and fourth year rep on the Pscychological Society. What’s more, the 21 year old Dubliner is no stranger to the Student Union having spent two years as Class Rep. Ní Chonaire also has extensive experience in college welfare. She spent two years on the Welfare Team, one year on the Welfare Committee and is a trained peer supporter. Finally, she’s involved in the VDP Soup Run as Activity Leader, tasked with coordinating and organising over 600 volunteers. In light of this involvement it is no wonder she highlights her passion for mental health, “I have been involved in mental health for the past three years both in college and with various mental health organisations outside of college. It’s an area that I have studied in-depth as part of my degree and have enormous interest, enthusiasm and drive for”
If elected Ní Chonaire aims to continue the, in her words, the fantastic service that has been run by the current Welfare Officer, Louisa Miller. She would try to build on this by supporting features such as the Welfare Team, Peer Mentors and Peer Supporters, which she claims, “are valuable assets that I feel need to be continually supported in promoting student welfare”. Moreover, she would like to focus special attention on mental health to, “empower students in looking after their own well-being, as well as that of their friends”
Ní Chonaire also points to the current challenges in welfare, noting that mental health is not only an important college-level issue but a national one. She highlights the issue of suicide and particularly its devastating impact on a large numbers of Trinity students. As a result she promises to work towards ridding prejudice surrounding mental health issues by encouraging students to talk to a friend, family, a peer supporter, a counsellor or whoever they feel comfortable with. Ní Chonaire hopes that the wider college community will help with the aforementioned objectives. She notes, “Although these issues are something that must be addressed with a long-term perspective, the college as a whole has a responsibility to promote the notion that it’s okay to talk, to encourage mutual respect among all staff and students and to continue to keep student well-being at the fore”.
Andy Haughey
Andrew Haughey is from Dublin and contesting this year’s race to become the Student Union’s Welfare Officer. Haughey lists water sports and reading as some of his favourite activities; but chiefly highlights his passion for helping people. Indeed, the third year Chemistry student is an elected member of the college Welfare Team.
Building on these experiences Haughey notes some of the changes he would implement if elected. He was particularly inspired by his involvement in Mental Health Week, stating, “Working at the stands, we were asked to promote the college health services and an incredible amount of people didn’t know that students of Trinity can avail to free counselling.” He notes that most students know about the free doctor service, but believes the counselling service is equally as important. Secondly, Haughey aims to promote awareness about suicide and prevention around campus. This indeed is a national problem and the best way to solve it is improving individual college facilities. Finally, the 21 year old, reiterates his delight at the success of this year’s Mental Health Wee, and believes SHAG week should be just as big a hit next year! To this end he hopes to organise an abundance of activities like, “Things to do during the week, like that fantastic talk on sexual empowerment, and more fun things that are going to get people talking, hopefully making them aware of safe sex.
Haughey believes these changes will help the college as a whole. For example, prompting the aforementioned objectives via improving posters and communication will help raise awareness of the issues like depression, suicide and sexual health. Lastly, he highlights another concern facing Trinity students, many can’t afford to eat. “After talking to Louisa Miller (current SU Welfare Officer) I was surprised to hear that an incredible amount of students came into her saying they can’t afford to buy food” He believes this position is wholly unacceptable and a program similar to the VDP Food Run should be established without delay, remarking, “The VDP Food Run was a fantastic idea, half of the food was for students. This really is the essence of the SU, students helping students.”
Emma Walker
20-year old Spanish and Sociology student Emma Walker is running for the position of welfare officer after two years of high levels of activity in the SU, Trinity Ents, and CancerSoc, where she currently holds the position of secretary.
While her experiences in College societies do not necessarily pertain to the Welfare office, Emma’s case highlights the weakness of using society involvement as a measure of suitability for a salaried position in student life. Emma is currently employed as a special needs assistant and mentor for Spanish students in a Dublin boarding school.
Like a number of candidates running in this year’s elections, Emma is concerned with how the Union communicates with its members. However, what seems to worry her most is the knowledge that there are students on campus who are unaware of the existence of the welfare officer – an essential and free service whose importance in student life is beyond question.
‘Being someone who has been involved within the union for the past two years, I can see how much work goes into maintaining and building on the high level of care that is given to the students in every aspect.
However, while it is important to be constantly making new projects and aiming higher, I believe it is essential to make sure that the whole university campus knows the small things that each officer does. It is shocking to hear some people question what each position entails, in their 3rd or 4th year in the university. This is why, as a candidate for welfare I want to make it my promise, not policy, to make sure all those who enter into the incoming 1st year will know exactly what I do, and what I can give and hear it from me personally.’
A number of candidates have indicated a willingness to increase the number of services provided by the Union so as to increase the number of students who come into contact with the Union and its officers. If elected, Walker would look to provide a comprehensive financial guide to help students adjust to an economic climate proving increasingly difficult for students:
“I believe not just the Union, but also the college itself, can do more to provide students with an end of this hazy tunnel. While grants are being cut, and the living prices rising, as one of my policies I will work with the university to provide a budgetary leaflet on college, accommodation, city life – going out, food, and transport – different to that of the SU diary as it would very economically and numerically based. It would delineate a clear difference between the different places to shop, different areas to live in, and the different transport options. It is so important for us as a College community to look after our own.
Communications Officer
Owen Bennett
Mullingar native Owen Bennett is running for the position of Communications Officer having been heavily involved, as deputy editor and co-founder, in the rise of The Bull, the only student-run business and economics newspaper in Ireland. Every inch the businessman, Bennett says the decision to found the publication was born of ‘a huge market for economic and business news within the college’
Involved in College journalism since his first year, the Junior Sophister Philosophy and Economics student now combines his role in The Bull with the position of business editor in Trinity News. If elected to the communications office, Bennett would use the position to target what he regards as the foremost issue in Trinity’s student representative body: transparency.
‘I am standing on a platform of direct democracy, ensuring that the issue which blights the SU, namely a lack of transparency and accountability, is wholly diminished. My election manifesto contains specific measures which I believe will go a long way toward diminishing the information asymmetry within the SU.’
The former Blackrock College student believes that SU officers are essentially facilitators of the will of their constituents, and wants to use the position of communications officer to give those without positions or officerships in the Students’ Union a greater representation in its decision-making processes.
‘SU officers are elected student representatives, and as such, are obliged to act in a manner which aligns itself with the needs and wants of students. With that in mind, my campaign will focus on utilising the potential of the Communications office to function as an impartial intermediary between the students and the SU, ensuring ordinary students have a far greater say in how the SU conducts its affairs’.
Another major issue that Bennett wants to bring into the Students’ Union jurisdiction, and specifically that of the Communications officer, is the way in which College combats its propensity to misspend. He considers the SU capable of providing College with a constructive proposals that ensure College’s fiscal allocation policies are conducive to the needs of students.
‘In terms of the college as a whole, trinity is entering a crucial phase in its history. Over the past few years, the college has slipped down the international rankings, primarily but not exclusively as a result of funding cutbacks. In that context, the college administration must focus heavily on achieving more with little.
The college must strongly resist cutbacks but at the same time position itself to deal with such cutbacks. The college administration must ensure that primary services to students, such as library opening hours and class times, are protected from cuts. Both the college administration and the SU must work together to formulate innovate and creative responses to help deal with the funding cutbacks. Failure to do so will exacerbate Trinity’s decline, a state of affairs no one wants to realise.’
Hannah Cogan
Hannah Cogan is a Senior Sophister English and History student. As the current University Times Opinion Editor, she intends to run for the top position in the paper, the Communications Officer. Indeed, Cogan has been present in many literary endeavours throughout her time in Trinity College. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Histories and Humanities Journal, Founding Editor of the Trinity Literary Review and Editor of The Attic. What’s more, when not clasping the journalistic pen, she was Debates Convenor and HMC for the Phil, Public Relations Officer for the Literary Society, and worked on David Norris’ campaign team over the summer. Not to mention the 21 year old Canadian is currently studying for her pilot’s license.
Cogan feels the role of the Communications Officer is vital to the success of the Student Union. To this end she highlights the needs for more transparency and accountability in the SU. One of the ways she envisions this being achieved, includes “publishing a full breakdown of the budget and Student Union expenses- students should be able to see exactly how their €8 is spent”. Moreover, she advocates “better and more accessible coverage of council meetings to help students understand what their class reps and faculty convenors are or aren’t doing”. Cogan also alludes to the importance of the Communication Officer in the wider arena of Irish student politics. She notes, “external communications should be given more emphasis, making the Student Union position clear beyond the walls of Trinity College. Part of the reason the USI’s ‘Stop Fees’ campaign was met with such hostility by the public outside Irish colleges was because the message was deemed simplistic; the Communications Officer is in a great position to help make sure students’ positions are recognised, and those political responsibilities should be just as important as a flawlessly-edited UT.”
If elected, Cogan promises to encourage more public interaction between the college administration and the student body. She believes whilst the Student Union leaders can express views on college policy directly to the administration, most students don’t have the same opportunity. She stated, “Aside from one townhall at the start of this year, students haven’t been given a forum to directly ask questions of the Provost, and College has no incentive to answer. The Communications Officer, both through the University Times and SU Townhalls, is in a fantastic position to facilitate these exchanges and it’s something I’d like to prioritise.”
James Hagan
James Hagan is a 21 year old Senior Sophsiter, English Student from Dublin. He has a keen interest in music, reading and socialising. Hagan has demonstrated his interest in all aspects of college life by his involvement in College Societies. His list of activities include, a Staff writer for The University Times for three years, SU Class Rep 09/10, Committee member of LGBT society 09/10, Committee member of Literary Society 09/10, Arts Block Coordinator for SU Rainbow Week 10/11, Class Rep 11/12 and Deputy AHSS Convenor 11/12.
Hagan opines that the communication between the student body as a whole and the representatives they elect is a weak point in the system at the moment. He states, “I believe that a solution to this problem is to take better advantage of the internet and multimedia technology available to us and make it a central pillar of how the system works.” To improve this Hagan points to two possible developments. “The communication cycle which needs to be strengthened can be divided in to two main strands. Firstly, the student body communicating their needs and opinions to elected representatives and, secondly, elected representatives, especially sabbatical officers, providing information about how decisions being made in college and at a national level will affect students.” He believes that a “central, well maintained, frequently updated and heavily advertised online system of communication” would be the best way of strengthening the flaws in the communication cycle at this point in time. Hagan highlights his concerns about the lack of contact students get with the SU, “whatever the achievements of the SU, many students never even come in to contact with it”. He believes, this problem has improved in the last couple of years due to the services provided, pointing to the implementation of the deal of the week which meant that more students read the weekly email in. Therefore he believes an expansion of services will help to create more contact points between students and the structures of the SU.
Hagan feels that the number one problem facing students is the lack of considerable electoral representation in college structures. He believes that most difficulties in making headway in all other issuses stems from this handicap. To illustrate this point it was noted, “student vote in the decennial Provostial election counts for 2-3% of the overall vote, yet a sizable amount of college’s funding stems from students. This effectively means that we experience taxation with inadequate representation. This means that it is harder for students to make the powers that be in college listen to our requests, be they the implementation of Christmas exams or connecting smartphones to the college network. This is just one, albeit an extremely important, fact of life in Trinity which debilitates students” Consequentially, If elected, Hagan promises to make sure that The University Times analyses the underlying structures that make it harder for students to get what they want and tracks development in the structure of college as it continues to implement its strategic plan.
Ents Officer
Dave Whelan
Given the propensity of the Ents race to get heated, your journalistic disposition dictates whether you breath a sigh of relief or a cry of frustration at the news that David Whelan is uncontested in the race for Ents officer.
Hailing from Laois, Whelan currently occupies a management position on Chris O’Connor’s Ents exec and is frequently designated as the go-to man for organising class parties. With an Ents-dominated CV also boasting the position of 2010/11 JCR Ents officer and this year’s DUBES ents officer.
‘I was elected JCR Entertainments Officer in Trinity Halls in. In this position I organised all events for Halls residents throughout the year ranging from the orientation weekend to the first ever refreshers week in Trinity Halls and of course the renowned Hall Ball!
I am currently enjoying my position as the DUBES Entertainments Officer. As one of Ireland’s largest societies there is great pressure to impress, but along with the fantastic committee I have had a great time organising the trips to Krakow, which will be the cheapest international DUBES trip ever, our ridiculously cheap trip to Galway, and the much anticipated BESS Ball.’
Armed with a wealth of experience in organising class parties, Whelan wants to put his wisdom to use, citing efficiency within Ents planning as his prime focus if elected.
’Having worked with many class reps this year on Trinity Ents I noticed that the current system for booking class parties is inefficient. I’d like to see more choice of nights out for class reps trying to organise parties for their class and for this to be made much clearer and easier for the reps themselves.’
However, Whelan would look to expand Ents’ reach in the Dublin club scene, with only the ‘MadHaus’ event at The Village on Camden Street currently hosting the only major and consistent Ents night.
’Trinity Ents has produced an incredible night in the form of MadHaus, however I would like to add to this with a wider offering giving access to every club in Dublin to the reps who work so hard for their respective classes’.
It is, however, a definite sign of a man running unopposed that, when asked what he would change about college as a whole, his responses is to challenge the sanctity of the Pav.
‘The only thing Trinity requires is a top class student bar capable of hosting the best talent that Trinity and the world has to offer. Before coming to Trinity I was told the Pav was a mythical place where students were drawn in search of quality drink deals and a Coppers-esque guarantee of a big crowd every night of the week.
The renovations have been unfortunate, and while there is nothing better than lying out in front of the Pav with a few beers as term ends, there is definite scope for an alternative. It’s time we had our own area to watch our own bands and DJs play which can welcome students for lunch and coffee during the day, and a few stiff refreshments at night.’
