We speak to each of this year’s Welfare candidates and find out why they think they’re the best person for the job.
Second year Contemporary Culture and Society student Gillian McInerney is the current chairperson of DCU LGBTA and the Equality Officer for Gender and LGBT Issues in the Class Rep Council.
If elected Welfare Officer, McInerney says her biggest priority next year will be a small student assistance fund which she hopes to have ready by September..
“The idea is that there will be a small pool of money raised and put aside for emergency cases. This fund will be a non cash fund so students accessing it would receive food vouchers or Leap Card top ups.”
McInerney told The College View that she also intends to start the conversation about “good sex, consent and communication”.
“Sexual Health is so much more than condoms and STIs” says McInerney “I’d like to broaden the S.H.A.G. campaign to include LGBTQ information and not just for people who are LGBTQ – it’s about thinking outside the box, sexually.”
Katie Drea is a final year Contemporary Culture and Society student who proposes appointing a Welfare Officer for each of DCU’s clubs and societies “to make it easier for students to talk about their problems with someone they know”.
Drea told The College View she would also like to “bring in puppies at exam time to relieve stress”. “I’m in CCS so I don’t have a huge amount of exams but when I do they’re really stressful. I think this would really help students to relax during exams”.
If elected, Drea added that she’d like to organise “fun cooking demonstrations” aimed at students who are away from home and need to eat on a budget.
Another policy Drea stressed is an anonymous support service for students who have experienced forms of sexual assault. “It’s is a problem that I feel isn’t addressed enough in Ireland and isn’t taken as seriously as it should be.
Education and Training student, Mikey Flanagan proposes a bike scheme between DCU, St. Pat’s and Mater Dei.
“Cycling is a low cost way to improve health and to be happier. If a student ever has a gap in their day they could use these bikes to go home, go shopping or simply just to have fun.”
Flanagan says he would also like to “boost the Irish language on campus” by creating a ‘Seomra Gaeilge’.
“This room could prove so crucial, if students wanted to speak Irish and have some fun they could use this room, but also for those students who do not have a high level of Irish, this room is also for you”.
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