Aaron Clogher on the USI, fees and “student apathy”

Aaron Clogher poses with his posters

Aaron is the current Vice President for Education and your potential President for next year.

DCU students voted to re-affiliate with the Union of Students Ireland in a referendum in February.

But on March 28th, Students’ Union President, Paul Doherty told students in an email that the results were “null and void” because the SU did not hold an information campaign – this goes against the SU constitution.

Aaron says that they could not hold an unbiased information campaign after voicing their personal opinions in public but that it was “by no means intentional”.

“It was an oversight on our behalf definitely.”

He says it probably seemed like common sense at the time not to run a campaign but that there can be a big difference “between common sense and the constitution”.

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Aaron says an information campaign will have to be run next year where they will tell students about the cost of being part of the USI – “realistically between 6 and 7 euro per student”.

He says his own opinion on the USI has changed and he is not impressed with the reaction so far to the SU’s decision.

On how he will work with the USI next year:

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On fees he says: “if you can afford to pay something towards the cost of your education, you should be made pay something”.

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A big part of his campaign is to address the “shocking levels of apathy across the student population”.

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He also says he would be “very surprised” if they meet quorum – that’s getting enough votes per student population.

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To follow Aaron’s campaign, check out the Facebook.

 

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