The candidates for this year’s upcoming DCUSU elections have been announced today with over 25 students competing for nine full-time and part-time positions.
In an email sent to all DCU students this morning, DCUSU Returning Officer, Steve Conlon, announced the candidates for each sabbatical position. The disclosure follows a mild fiasco at the end of last week as eight previously nominated candidates were deemed ineligible for election as they were nominated by final year students.
Final year students are unable to nominate candidates for election under the current DCUSU constitution.
So who are your candidates?
President
Cassidy, Sean
Crowe, Timmy
Keegan, Terry
Sweeny, Kim
VP for Education
Butterly, Jack
Carty, Iarla
Donoghue, James
Ryan, Jake
VP for Welfare
Drea, Katie
Flanagan, Mikey
Harkin, Domhnaill
McGoey, Katie
McInerney, Gillian
O’Dwyer, Ciara
Business Convenor
Abbas, Abir
Dollard, John
Humanities & Social Sciences Convenor
Daly, Hugh
Kavanagh, Jordan
Rainey, Heather
Warreth, Shahed
Science & Health Convenor
Bolton, Jason
Hynes, Ivan
Engineering & Computing Convenor:
Galpo, Mariane
Nolan, James
O’Neill, Brid
Clubs Officer
Gorman, Thomas
Societies Officer
Browne, Brid
O’Ceallaigh, Eoin Luc
Hustings for this year’s elections are due to take place tomorrow March 3rd at 1pm in the Old Bar for the full-time sabbatical positions while hustings for part-time positions will take place on Thursday March 4th at 1pm. Here, candidates will address voters and try to convince them why they want your vote. Electronic voting is currently being tested by DCUSU with the hope to have it in place for next week’s vote.
Students will also be asked to vote on two referenda next week. One of the questions posed to students will ask whether they want DCUSU to support and campaign for marriage equality for same-sex couples, while the other, will involve the altering of DCU SU’s current constitution to prepare for the merger of DCUSU, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra SU, and Mater Dei Institute SU.
Turnout in DCU for both SU elections and referenda have traditionally been low. To be able to vote though, you need to know who does what.
President: The SU President oversees everyone and everything in the Students’ Union. They are responsible for overseeing the day to day running of the Union and the SU Executive, interacting with the general student body and making sure that the SU Constitution is upheld.
Education Officer: The Vice President for Education handles any academic issues that students may have.The Education Officer also sits on a huge amount of committees, like overseeing the SU Executive and the Class Rep Council (CRC). They also organise all of the Class Reps and Convenors, and try and get everyone to attend CRC meetings.
Welfare Officer: The second, but equally dashing, Vice President is the Welfare Officer. The Student’s Union Constitution states that they “shall give support to students with regard to their welfare”. But seeing as “welfare” is quite a vague term, this is perhaps the broadest position in the SU. They’re responsible for everything from organisng Mental Health Week to helping fist years find their way. Welfare Officer is mostly there to be a point of contact for any students who are having a tough time, and are kind of like a go-to problem solver. Think the SU’s Doctor Phil and more.
Clubs and Societies Officers: In a surprise to absolutely everyone who has made it this far, the Clubs and Socs Officers deal with – Socs and Clubs. Or Clubs and Socs. It’s their job to see that all Clubs and Societies are represented fairly in the SU, to sit on the SU Executive, and to help any new clubs or societies get organised.
Faculty Convenors: Perhaps one of the most overlooked positions in the SU, the Convenors are important. They are the link between class reps and the SU. The four Convenors represent their entire faculty – Humanities, Business, Engineering and Computing – and so free up Class Reps to focus on their class while helping the SU prioritise what each faculty needs. Convenors basically make sure that their faculties are represented in SU policies, campaigns, and most importantly, nights out.
Voting for this year’s elections are due to take place next week from March 9th – March 11th.
Finnian Currran
Leave a Reply