In the wake of the pre-midterm elections, sick the College Tribune talked to newly elected Students’ Union President, Rachel Breslin, about what her top priority was between now and taking up office in July: “It is really hard to pick a single one priority between now and July. This year has taught me that the most important time of the year in terms of achieving manifesto goals is before the academic year begins.”
Breslin mentioned that the next few months would be crucial in facilitating negotiations with the college in relation to additional library funding, getting a bike rental scheme set up and ensuring that every students’ assessment calendar is online when they register.
When asked what the one thing, big or small, she wanted to achieve in the coming academic year, Breslin insisted that she couldn’t just pick one specific thing, but did note that she wanted to finish “the process started this year regarding the Students’ Union finances, to implement steadfast financial structures and procedures and to work with our commercial services to make sure that they are sustainable and meeting students needs and wants.”
Speaking to Paddy Guiney, Campaigns and Communications Vice-President elect, it’s clear that planning is his key priority for between now and July: “From speaking to previous Campaigns & Communications Officers summer is the busiest time
as there are a number of initiatives that need to be prepared for students before the academic term starts again.”
Guiney stressed that over the next number of months, he aims to have an ouline of his working year so that he can “begin working on my manifesto so I can have the time and preparation to focus fully on student campaigns [during the year] and make them as successful as I can.”
When asked to name just one thing that he wanted to achieve during his sabbatical year, Guiney was adamant that he wanted to get more people involved in the SU, by implementing a campaigns crew.
“From the beginning of term I will encourage as many people to get involved…. So we have a core group of students working along with the campaigns forum so awareness weeks or student campaigns can reach every single corner of this university and people know what is going on”. Due to the passing of the new Students’ Union Constitution, a campaigns forum composing of the seven College Conveners will be set up to work with the Campaigns and Communications Vice-President.
Guiney told the Tribune that “active student involvement and listening to student issues is what I want to achieve next year.”
The five elected officers – Breslin, Guiney, Comer, Gallagher and Heffernan – will take office on the 1st of July.
Lisa Gorry
