[dropcap]T[/dropcap]adgh Jenkins is a final year Joint Honours student of Politics and Law who calls DCU his home and knows the ins and outs of campus life.
As Class Representative for the third year in a row, Jenkins said this time was invaluable in recognising where the breakdowns in communication are and how the students, lecturers and staff work in relation to each other.
“I learned much more where the players on the team sit,” he said.
Jenkins was also a part of the team that wrote the position of VP for Community and Citizenship last year and has worked with the USI in the last two years.
One of Jenkins’s main focuses will be on accommodation for DCU students, including campaigning against any possible rises in rent and overhauling the DCU digs system.
Jenkins plans to build on the existing framework in the digs database, but also essentially restarting it. He highlighted the importance of an efficient database that all students know about.
“We have a gap now of students not being on campus and the incoming students who might be or may not be, we need to kind of make sure that that communication is given in a more formal way so that it’s not just left to be through word of mouth,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins will also work to get non-invasive ashtrays back on campus and plans to work with Irish start-up company FiltraCycle, who recycle cigarette butts into new forms of plastic.
“We need to be realistic, students will still smoke,” said Jenkins. “[But] it needs to be a sensible handling of the fact that we are still creating that waste.”
Jenkins also promises to revamp the Class Rep system, by providing information about the role, training for class reps and a “buddy system” between first-time representatives and those who have done it before.
Jenkins also promises to fight for “paid placement and fair working conditions” for student nurses and teacher, as well as making sure students on INTRA still feel involved in campus life. He will also work with post-graduate students to understand their needs and give proper supports.
“Really, for me, it’s about listening to people who are actually affected by the problem,” he said, promising to do a lot of consultation work around these issues.
Jenkins is working to set up lockers around campus for commuter students to hold their belonging. They will operate on a “swim-style” use-by-use basis and would be housed in central buildings across the campuses.
With regard sustainability, Jenkins will encourage students to use the DCU community garden more and will approach NuBar to “discuss feasible initiatives that will help reduce single-use plastic consumption.”
Jenkins also says he will provide support to charitable and civic-based clubs and societies, to work with DCU Volunteer to “create lists of volunteering opportunities specifically suited to different demographics of students”, and will organise the DCU Darkness into Light walk in 2021, if Covid-19 allows.
Voting for DCUSU elections takes place on March 24th and 25th, information on all candidates can be found at https://www.lead.dcusu.ie/
Niamh Quinlan
Image Credit: Tadgh Jenkins