Campaigns and Communications Vice-President candidate Aisling Sheerin chats to Conor Fox
Current Arts and Human Sciences PRO, capsule Aisling Sheerin, cheap believes that she is the best person for the position of Campaigns and Communications Vice-President, prescription telling the College Tribune that she would “bring an awful lot of experience to the role…I think that there’s certain things which the current C&C Officer could be doing to inform the student body more and I could bring that to the table”.
Sheerin believes that the main problem with the Students’ Union is the lack of information and understanding the student body has about it. “They’re actually quite good at doing things, but they’re really bad at informing people”. According to Sheerin, current Campaigns and Communications Officer, Brendan Lacey, hasn’t “used the job to its full potential; there’s so much more that [he] could be doing to inform people.”
To tackle this, the 2nd year Arts student proposes utilising the Union’s Facebook page more effectively, in particular, releasing vlogs. She feels it is the job of the C&C Officer to make and promote these videos, not the other Sabbatical Officers. When the question of the SU website comes up, Sheerin first states that she doesn’t think that she would build a new website as the current one cost €11,000 to make. “I don’t think people would be happy hearing about me spending loads of money on a new website.” However, she then changes track, suggesting that “[she] would build new one” as she believes the old one to be “rubbish”.
A former class rep herself, Aisling is in favour scrapping the current trend of holding class rep training off-campus on the grounds that “it’s such a massive waste of money”. She promises that if elected, she will organise training similar to the peer mentor training scheme, in a one day workshop that would take place in UCD.
With regard to the proposed Students’ Union Constitution, Sheerin does not agree with the proposal that conveners could be paid up to €100 per week. She believes that “it’s more about wanting to be involved and giving back”. The current Arts PRO, Sheerin states that she has “done so much this year, and haven’t received pay. I don’t think I’d like to see a future person taking my role plus a few extra jobs [and] getting a hundred euro for it.”
She isn’t in favour of the removal of the Ents Officer role either, as she believes that Ents is the one Sabbatical position that all students can relate to. “There are people who don’t need education advice…don’t need welfare advice…everybody pretty much talks about the UCD Ball or going to the bar”.
Sheerin feels that this may result in a more disjointed relationship between the Union and the student body and, as such, she will be voting ‘No’ to the Constitution.
For the last two years, the Campaigns and Communications Officer has been heavily involved in organising protests with regard to an increase in the Student Contribution Fee. Sheerin states that she doesn’t think “it’s realistic that we’re going to get free fees … we don’t have free fees”.
While she believes that the Union needs to take a more pragmatic approach, Sheerin says she “would never promote elitism…an awful lot of my friends are on the grant; for me to say I don’t want free fees to happen would be insulting to them…but I think we need to be realistic and see that in the current economic climate free fees isn’t going to happen”.
Sheerin is in favour of holding a referendum on UCD’s relationship with USI next year. “I think it’s very important that the student body is informed on the perks of being involved with USI and the disadvantages.” However, when asked if she believed USI is worth €100,000, she refused to give her personal stance on the grounds that it “could be unprofessional”.
If 20 year old Aisling is elected as Campaigns and Communications Vice-President, she states that once her year is finished she thinks she’d “need to return back to [her] degree”. Sheerin told the College Tribune that “I don’t see myself being any other Sabbat other than the Campaigns and Communications Officer.” She believes that she is the person with the most experience and drive for the position: “I’m good at promoting things; I know how to promote things effectively”.
Now read about…
Presidential Race:
C&C Race:
Education Race
Welfare race
Ents
“There are people who don’t need education advice…don’t need welfare advice…everybody pretty much talks about the UCD Ball or going to the bar”. Sheerin
These services are there for emergencies IF students need them NOT because everybody uses them!! Not all students suffer from mental health issues or fail exams or fall out with lecturers but it’s crucial that the service is there!! Far more important than “going to the bar”.
“However, when asked if she believed USI is worth €100,000, she refused to give her personal stance on the grounds that it “could be unprofessional”.”
It’s unprofessional for an election candidate to share their views on an issue?!!
What?!!
Im confused.
She believes that she is the person with the most experience and drive for the position: “I’m good at promoting things; I know how to promote things effectively”.
Is THIS her “experience” she talks about all the time!?? C&C is not promoting nite club events on facebook…
Holy Christ… this girl should not be elected. Very worrying that she is polling well!!
Jesus wept..
This is a very biased article when put beside the other candidates articles. Paddy Guiney in particular is tackled in a very different manner in the article about him. I still haven’t decided but isn’t the Tribune supposed to be independent? Whoever wrote this clearly doesn’t wish to see Sheerin elected. I don’t think that’s very fair.
In response to the comment above, I think you are being a little unfair.
You reacted to the remark Aisling made about not everyone needing the education or welfare services provided – the point Aisling was probably trying to make was that Ents is a general role which unites all students, not just in case of emergencies or if you have a specific need. All three services are important, albeit in different ways.
The word ‘promotion’ is not specifically related to nightclubs, does the C&C officer not have to promote/publicise what campaigns are underway at the moment?
Maybe you haven’t witnessed all the work Aisling does/did for UCD, those who have know she has plenty of experience that would enable her to take on the position.
to be fair..what experience does she have expect that she has shown up to most of the campaigns and events that other people have organised. her manifesto for becoming ARTS Pro is jam packed full of empty unfullfilled promises , she has not compleated one thing on it and the only reason i see she is running for C&C is because she is addicted to attention and the idea of being someone of status. The only reason this article may come across as bias is because she had a total disregard for two of the most important aspect of the union as she must deem them as un-important as she has never had financial, mental or educational troubles.
“However, when asked if she believed USI is worth €100,000, she refused to give her personal stance on the grounds that it “could be unprofessional”.- this is because she has no idea what shes talking about
Have to agree with Emily and Eimear above, the interviewer seems to have steered her in all the wrong directions. I didn’t know anything about Aisling last year and I don’t know what her PRO manifesto was based on, but I’ve been involved in certain campaigns with her, for example Seachtain na Gaeilge, and I was very impressed with the amount of time and effort she gave. To me it seems like she is full of nothing but entusiasm and commitment to the students of UCD.
Re the Ents/Welfare issue: you’re twisting words. She said nothing to diminish the importance or standard of welfare in UCD. She stated a fact that nearly everyone will avail of ents services and less will avail of welfare services, and in order to be a more inclusive union a bigger emphasis should be put student run entertainments than in the past.