Volume 16 Issue 10E: Elections Pullout

How student politics can impact a future political career.

PAGE 2

The positions explained.

PAGE 3

Debate: Are SU Elections actually useful?

PAGE 4

Reeling in the Years: Half a century of NUI Galway Students’ Union

PAGE 5

Referendum Debate: Should Cannabis be legalised?

PAGE 7

From Áras na Mac Léinn to Áras an Uachtaráin: President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins

Know who you’re voting for?

Read our interviews with all of the candidates.

PAGE 15

2 ELECTION SPECIAL Interview with Ken Curtin, Returning Officer at the NUI Galway Students’ Union Elections

By Ciara Treacy How long have you been involved in NUI Galway’s Students’ Union Elections as Returning Officer?

That’s a good question! I think this will be my fourth year, could possibly be my fifth.

For anyone who doesn’t know, what does the position of Returning Officer entail?

The position of Returning Officer is an independent role. The reason that somebody like me is used, who is independent of the local Students’ Union and independent of the student body, is to make sure that the rules of the election, and in effect the rules of the land, are followed while the elections are taking place in the run-up, during the voting and at the count.

The two main days I’m involved in are the actual day that the voting takes place and the day that the counting takes place. Now, obviously if there are other bits and pieces which come up before then that need an independent perspective, then the Returning Officer is involved as well.

In your time here is there anything you have noticed in particular about the NUI Galway Students’ Union Elections or are there any standout moments?

To be honest, I really enjoy going up to Galway for the elections. There’s a real level of student engagement – students get very involved in the elections and they’re very passionate about them.

That’s great to see at a time when young people in general are quite slow to get involved in the election process.

When you see them getting involved at Students’ Union level, it usually follows through that they’re more inclined to vote in referendums and real elections – not saying Students’ Union elections aren’t real elections!

In terms of standout memories, I’ve seen some fantastic canvassing going on. I’ve seen babies brought in, I’ve seen puppies! When I was first going up there, there were loads of goodies to be had. There were buns and sweets and all kinds of nice things to coax the voters.

As an independent Returning Officer, I personally was devastated when the rule was brought in banning those, because I was one of those who would be munching through them all day long.

I think in the greater scheme of things

it’s something they could reconsider because I actually think it helps. Yes, there’s the danger that people will go off spending too much but they still spend an awful lot on t-shirts and things. Maybe there are other ways of limiting spending overall than actually banning something that was working, and actually got students engaged.

A secondary role and I suppose a role that the Students’ Union has in general (and as a Returning Officer I’d very much support) is trying to get as many students as possible to vote, so little things like that can help.

Outside of your role as Returning Officer, you’re quite heavily involved in politics yourself, are you?

I am, I more or less work full-time in the area of politics and communications. I’ve been a Returning Officer in a number of other elections as well as being a Students’ Union Officer myself in the past. Right now, I’m working full-time on the Equality Referendum coming up in May. Obviously NUI Galway, like a number of colleges, had a referendum on that last year, and you were the first.

It has to be remarked upon that your tie collection appears to steal the show at elections every year. What amazing tie can we expect to see this year?

Well, I can guarantee it will be one you’ve never seen up in Galway before, that’s as much as I can say. I still have to make up my mind on which one.

As I did last year what I might end up doing is I might put up two or three differ-

ent ties and then get people to vote online to decide which tie I am to wear this year. I might do that in conjunction with the NUI Galway Students’ Union Twitter account because I’m a huge fan of Twitter myself, obviously.

There will be fun times again, I can guarantee you that. For example, today as I talk to you I am currently wearing a Space Invaders tie.

For more political updates and a peek into his tie collection follow Ken on Twitter @kencurtin

When I was first going up there, there were loads of goodies to be had. There were buns and sweets and all kinds of nice things to coax the voters. I personally was devastated when the rule was brought in banning those.

How student politics can impact a future political career

By Eoghan Holland WHEN COVERING AN ELECTION for broad-

cast, options are limited; either lump candidates into one room and see if you can get them to fight, or talk to them ­individually.

In 2014, weighing up my options I contacted all candidates and in the interest of fairness, asked them all the same set of questions individually; whether it was a wise decision or not, I left out one question at the 11th hour. More on that later.

Considering the impact on a future political career, we can look into the past and see characters as diverse as Michael D. Higgins, Ronan Mullen, Clare Daly and Micheál Ó Seighin have all served their time as an SU president.

In some respects, It could be a considered a rite of passage for an aspiring brown envelope pusher to do their time at the head of a SU, and delving further into USI history, well, you’d be amazed at who and what you would find.

It would seem pretty logical that a political youth movement might want to road test a candidate or two in third level elections.

For most of us, third level is about putting together things that will go on our CV that will get us a few steps closer to where we want to be in life. I would not doubt for a second that ‘SU president’ would raise an eyebrow or two when a person is being interviewed to be a politician.

Consider what skills you are going to be

able to put on your CV after a year in the SU; people skills, organisational skills, outreach, diplomacy and the ability to get elected.

Wait; maybe put that last one down first.

It’s the only one that any political party organiser is going to pay the slightest bit of notice to.

In short, that is the crux of this piece.

Aspirations may lead you to think that being a politician in Ireland is about concerns, change and positive movement, but none of these things will occur unless you can convince a portion of the population to tick your box and if you can prove this ability in the sandbox of a third level college, there isn’t really much reason that you can’t do the same in the big bad world.

But wait, nobody gets interviewed to be a politician. What really happens is that youth movements such as Young Fine Gael, Sinn Féin Republican Youth, Ógra Fianna Fail and Labour Youth (for the want of a less sinister word) groom the architects of the future in their formative adult years.

They carry cards, have meetings. They

discuss you, and your life. So it would seem pretty logical that a political youth movement might want to road test a candidate or two in third level elections. In fact, for these aspiring movers and shakers, it could be considered a job interview of sorts; which brings me to that question I never asked last year.

2014 presented me with ten young, motivated and professional candidates with varying opinions and interests, and none of them declared to my knowledge any party affiliation in their campaigns.

Whether they have affiliation or not is yet to be revealed as they continue in life, they may indulge in a switcheroo alá Michael D. Higgins or Mary Lou McDonald, who both flipped party affiliation early in their career, but it has nagged me occasionally; would the SU election, the gateway to the presidency and many other avenues have gone a little different had all ten candidates been flying under their respective coats of arms or allegiance?

And in 2015, in the interest of transparency, is there anything these candidates vying for your support should declare?

ELECTION SPECIAL 3 DEBATE: Is the Students’ Union really worth anything, or is it just a popularity contest?

YES: The Students’ Union is run for its members by its members

How to Vote

By Mark Kelly

By Tomás M. Creamer

SO, IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, when

people put themselves forwards to become an officer in the Students’ Union; when seemingly every poster board is filled with smiling faces of candidates wanting your votes; and when you can’t walk through the concourse without some person handing you a leaflet and asking you to vote for the person on said leaflet. Sure, it can be an annoyance but it’s damn important.

Every year, elections are held to fill positions on the Students’ Union Officer board.

It’s to enable the people who are working for you for an entire year to have a mandate to represent you and your needs.

Why are these important though? Aren’t they just popularity contests? Honestly? No, they are not. They are the furthest thing from a popularity contest. There are three main reasons why the elections are so important.

Firstly, it lets the students in the University see exactly who will be representing them next year and what new ideas they bring to the table.

NO: The SU has failed in its core mission – protecting students’ interests

By Tomás M. Creamer BEFORE I MAKE MY CASE, I want to clarify

that the Students’ Union (SU), as an institution, is not pointless – any organisation that runs Smokey’s Café and the Health Unit is anything but.

However, if you are in any doubt as to the perceived importance of the SU elections in the minds of most students, just look at the turnout figures of the elections themselves in recent times.

The number of people who vote in the elections for the full-time positions, on average, is around 3,140 – out of 17,000 students, that’s a turnout of less than 20%. Such a pathetic turnout is not one to boast about.

And the elections for part-time positions are usually a lot lower – despite a massive hike in the numbers of votes in last year’s part-time elections, only 2,500 or so voted.

Considering the fact that students have to make mandatory contributions to the SU, regardless of their engagement, the fact that less than a quarter of students see any relevance in the democratic organs of the Student Union should be of great concern.

After all, if around 70%+ of students do not feel that the elections or the referendums apply to them, it is hard to say that the SU has the full backing of all of students.

What could be the reason for such lacklustre turnout figures? Some would say that young people in general just aren’t politically engaged anyways.

However, this was not the case historically in NUI Galway. In the 1982/83 presidential election, for example, there was 2,451 votes cast from a student popula-

tion of just over 4,000 – a turnout of around 61%, triple the turnout rates of recent student elections.

In reality, the reasons behind such a lack of engagement is very simple – many students do not feel that the SU is fulfilling their most basic of obligations, aka, fighting for the economic interests of its members.

If you were to take a random survey of the most pressing issues facing ordinary students in NUI Galway, what issues do you think would crop up? Would they be abortion, Israeli boycotts, or cannabis legalisation – any particular issues on which a SU referendum was held in recent years?

On the contrary, the issues that would be raised would be the severe shortage of student accommodation, and huge hikes in student fees that have crippled those who fall between the stools of having just a bit too much income to apply for a grant, but not wealthy enough to function without some financial assistance, or a part-time job, if they can get one.

To be fair to the SU, they have not been inactive about these issues – there have been, indeed, several protests against the continuous hiking of fees, even though they went ahead regardless.

As well as that, the Union of Students of Ireland (USI), with which NUI Galway’s SU is affiliated, has attempted to address the issue of lack of accommodation.

However, most students nonetheless believe that the SU has failed the most basic function of a union – the protection of its member’s economic interests. That is why most students believe that the SU elections are irrelevant – as harsh as that may be.

A lot of the candidates will have a lot of similar things in their manifesto (fight against increases in fees and cuts to grants, retaining services for Students etc.). However, each candidate will have other issues that aren’t covered by the other candidates in their position.

It allows students to see who will be the best fit for them, the issues they face and the Students’ Union for that year and also allows the students to hold the elected official to their manifesto.

Secondly, it engages the students with their union. From my previous experience of both running and helping someone else run, the amount of students who find out about the Students’ Union during elections is fantastic.

They find out about campaigns that are run, things that happen behind the scenes that they don’t know about and lots more besides. It also means that they can show their interest in the union by voting.

Some students will base their votes on the fact their friend or a friend’s friend told them who to vote for but most students will take the time to read the manifestos, engage with the candidates and make an informed decision on who to vote for.

Finally, and perhaps the most important reason, is that a union is run for its members, by its members. If an election wasn’t held to decide who would be on the officer board for the next year and the positions just arbitrarily given out to “the most deserving” or something along those lines, it ceases to be what it is; a union that is there to support students, to have officers who are there to work for students.

Being elected means that you have the backing, trust and support of the student population. They want you to be the person to represent them in the role you are elected to, to fight for them.

Having someone just appointed defeats the whole point of a union as there is no mandate there, no clear support shown, no choice from the members of the union.

At the end of the day, whoever gets elected is there to help their members, to answer to their members.

THERE ARE TWO important dates to keep in mind, if you wish to vote – 5 March for the three full-time Student Union positions, and 12 March for the various parttime positions.

On each of those designated polling days, you have a choice of three “polling stations”, from which you can cast a vote: • AN BIALANN, also known informally as the Canteen, located in the intersection between the Arts/Science building and the Hardiman Library, (open between 10am7pm) • ÁRAS NA MAC LÉINN, which contains the Bailey Allen hall, and is located next to the College Bar (11am-8pm) • THE ENGINEERING BUILDING (12pm-4pm) You will need to remember to bring your NUI Galway Student Card, and from there, you will be given a ballot paper and a pen.

You then go to a polling area, where you fill out the ballot paper, numbering the list of candidates in order of preference - although you don't have to vote for more than one person, if you don’t want to.

It is recommended that you then fold your ballot paper to conceal your vote before putting it in the ballot box.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE

– I wouldn’t recommend ­trying to get around that rule.

Why is it important to vote?

By Chelsea Tabert ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, only 37.4% of young people vote in any given electoral setting. That means that over 60% of the young Irish population does not participate in selecting those who will be responsible for governing – whether it be the country or students union.

When candidates know in advance that a majority of people will not be participating in voting, they may be less interested in making the effort to be responsive to that select group.

By not voting, you are giving up an impor-

tant opportunity to make a decision as to who will be representing you. Compared to other forms of political participation, voting does not require a lot of time or effort – in other words, it is one of the easiest ways to have a say in how your position as a student is represented in the university.

Candidates are running for positions because they are concerned about their fellow students and peers, and have a greater sense of their ability to impact their surroundings. Whether you feel that this year’s student elections benefit you or not, the more votes, the more powerful the message; every vote counts.

4 ELECTION SPECIAL The roles explained: What’s the point of the Students’ Union?

By Jane Kearns THE FULL TIME STUDENTS’ UNION e­ lections

are set to take place on 5 March; all students will have the opportunity to vote on the day and ultimately decide who gets voted in as the president and two vice presidents.

But before the voting begins, students need to do their research and find out exactly what it means to be a full time SU Officer in NUI Galway.

The Students’ Union is broken into full time and part time officers, all of which are voted in by the student body. But the full time officers are paid a salary of ¤22,000 for the year they work for the SU, so students should choose wisely when voting.

There are three full time positions; President, Education Officer and Welfare Officer; they all play different roles within the SU and offer a variety of services to the student body.

Commercial Services, the company which runs the College Bar, Smokey's, the SU Shop, the Hub and the Wall.

They also serve on the Board of Directors of: Seirbhisi Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, the Health Unit and Flirt Fm. The President is the spokesperson for the Union and leads any lobbying or student issues within NUI Galway and on a national level.

THERE ARE TWO VICE PRESIDENTS on

All of the full time officers are also heavily involved in the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and regularly represent NUI Galway on a national level.

THE STUDENTS’ UNION PRESIDENT is the head of

the SU in NUI Galway; their main job is to manage the Students' Union including Union finances, campaigns and initiatives.

The President represents students' interests by meeting with management and participating on University Committees. They are chairperson of Students' Union

The Part-Time Officers that make up the Students’ Union

By Ann-Marie Donelan THE STUDENTS’ UNION operates with a fifteen-member Executive Committee which meets once a week and is answerable to the Students Union Council, and therefore to the student members of the union.

This committee is made up of three former students in paid full-time positions of President, Education Officer and Welfare Officer.

With it being election time at the moment, these positions, or rather who will fill them for the coming year is a hot topic. It is hard also to miss the host of candidates battling it out in the hope of gaining one of these positions, with posters and campaigners in t-shirts putting forth catchy slogans and promises, to be seen at every corner of the campus.

Although it is of great importance, these candidates, some of whom will soon be responsible for the running of the SU, get the attention and coverage required for students to be able to cast votes confidently, the 12 other part-time positions on this committee must be filled by full-time students just a week later.

These 12 positions are of utmost importance to the running of the SU and students should have knowledge of what it is these officers actually do.

FIRSTLY OIFIGEACH NA GAEILGE promotes the use and awareness of the Irish language and culture within the Union as well as providing assistance to Irish language societies on campus.

THE EQUALITY OFFICER must promote the ideals of equal opportunities with the Union and University while also providing a confidential listening and referral service to students.

THE SOCIETIES CHAIRPERSON represents the views of societies to the University and Executive Committee while providing assistance to the day-today activities of societies.

THE POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS of the college are represented by a Post-Graduate Officer, who also encourages the inclusion and activity of post-grad students in Union events.

THE CLUBS CAPTAIN plays a vital role in student life as they work with the Director of Sport and Development and Participation Officer to ensure the provision of resources to clubs.

MATURE STUDENTS are not forgotten by the Union as a Mature Students Officer represents them, promoting their development and integration throughout the college.

A HOST OF CONVENORS, each representing a relevant school of the college makes up the rest of the committee, acting as chairperson of Class Reps of their discipline.

Elections for the part time SU positions for the coming year 2015/2016 will be held on 12 March and all of us at Sin encourage students to make sure they cast their votes, as these positions are vitally important to the running of the SU.

the SU, they are the Education and Welfare Officers; THE EDUCATION OFFICER is responsible for co-ordination of the SU Council, representing students on University committees which relate to academic life, dealing with students on a one-to-one basis and keeping the Executive and students informed of all educational matters.

They are also responsible for the provision of academic information through the publication of leaflets/books and organising and chairing the Education Forum.

THE WELFARE OFFICER is responsible for

co-ordination and delivery of welfare campaigns on relevant welfare issues such as SHAG week.

Like the Education Officer they represent students on University committees and deal with students on a one-to-one basis, keep the Executive and students informed of all welfare matters, organise and Chair the Welfare forum and provide welfare information to the wider student body.

Both of the vice positions mean being clued in to all student welfare and academic issues, being a voice for students within the University and also being an important member of the Executive Committee. As Vice-Presidents, these officers are very involved with the dayto-day running of the Union, and help with all Union campaigns and events.

All of the full time officers are also heavily involved in the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and regularly represent NUI Galway on a national level, so it is essential that all students do their research before casting their vote on 5 March.

The SU Constitution The Students’ Union President 1. S/He shall act as Chairperson and shall have responsibility to uphold [the] Constitution and the terms of reference of all Union companies.

2. S/He shall be responsible for liaising with the appropriate staff members of the Union, the Union’s companies and with University management.

3. S/He shall have responsibility for the day-to-day finances of the Union in conjunction with the senior staff member and shall report to the Finance Committee on those issues.

4. S/He shall also be responsible for ultimate coordination of Students’ Union campaigns.

5. S/he shall be required to act as a member of the Boards of Directors of companies owned by or related to the Union.

6. S/He will represent Union members on University committees.

7. S/He shall be the Chief Executive Officer and chiefspokesperson of the Union.

8. S/He shall be the principal delegate to the National Council and Annual Congress of the Union of Students in Ireland.

9. S/He shall also be required to give a mandatory report on work carried out at each Executive meeting.

The Students’ Union Welfare Officer 1. S/He shall have responsibility for providing information and educating the general student body on welfare issues and to this end shall initiate campaigns on relevant and pressing welfare issues.

2. S/He shall also provide a confidential listening and referral service for members of the Union.

3. S/He shall represent members on various University committees.

4. S/He shall also organise and chair the Welfare Forum.

5. S/He shall also be required to give a mandatory report on work carried out at each Executive meeting.

The Students’ Union Education Officer 1. S/He shall have ultimate responsibility for the co-ordination of the CRC in conjunction with the relevant staff members.

2. S/He shall provide a confidential listening and referral service for all Union members.

3. S/He shall represent members on various University committees.

4. S/He also has responsibility for keeping the Executive and general student body informed on relevant educational issues.

5. S/He shall be responsible for dealing with individual requests from students.

6. S/He shall also organise and chair the Education Forum.

7. S/He shall also be required to give a mandatory report on work carried out at each Executive meeting.

ELECTION SPECIAL 5 Reeling in the Years: Half a century of NUI Galway Students’ Union ELECTION SEASON SNEAKS UP ON YOU

quicker than Christmas. You hear it around campus, God can you believe it’s that time of year again? You begin to hear the words ‘Students’ Union’ echoed from An Bialann to the bus stop. Canvassers are trying to pocket your votes in exchange for lollipops and stickers, but do you appreciate what you are truly giving your vote for?

Tea had risen to 33p and coffee to 35p. The Union serves approximately 2,000 cups of tea throughout the boycott for 25p a cup.

For some of you, the SU is something you push into the background of the NUI Galway landscape; something stuck in the corner of that building over there, you know the one… no, the other one, beside the college bar. Now you got it.

Some like to put it away in that office like storage, bringing it out at certain times of the year, like SHAG week and our current Election season. We let it become a term instead of an entity. But it is an entity; it’s a team of your peers who keep the college breathing.

They’re a hardworking team of lungs and they get out your message with a shout not a whimper.

The SU has a long and colourful history within NUI Galway, and students ought to acknowledge the contribution that has been made in their name since 1911.

The Union boasts a list of former Presidents which include Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte, and our current Uachtarán na hÉireann, poet, scholar and former lecturer, Michael Daniel Higgins. So let’s sit back and enjoy a Reeling in the Years moment.

1911.

1987.

1964.

2008.

1969.

2014.

Originally established as the Students’ Representative Council under Bryan Cusack, as an offshoot of the Literary & Debating Society. The council finds solid footing during the 1920s, and this formally develops into the Comhairle Teachta na Mac Léinn in Ireland’s moderately-swinging sixties.

Michael D. Higgins leads 600 students to march for better relations between the University and local community.

RAG week is run for the first time after being banned by the Bishop in the fifties.

1980.

The Union supports calls for the political status of prisoners in the H-Block of Armagh Jail. The James Hardiman Library now houses an archive of Brendan Duddy’s hand-written records of negotiations between the British and the IRA over the Hunger Strike.

The Union organises a boycott of tea and coffee due to an increase in price. Tea had risen to 33p and coffee to 35p. The Union serves approximately 2,000 cups of tea throughout the boycott for 25p a cup.

The fees campaign sees t h o u s a n d s m a rc h i n g across the country, including the streets of Galway.

The Students’ Union throws a big 50th anniversary bash, attended by many former SU members and alumno.

SO AS YOU SEE, the SU has your back

covered from the cost of tea, to fees and freedom. The best of luck to this coming year’s executive team, and may your time in the Students’ Union be spent continuing the long legacy of quality service to NUI Galway.

In Photos: What your SU has been up to this year…

Arranged a ‘Shave or Dye or Oh My’ event to raise funds to fight cancer.

Puppies! Puppies on ­campus!

(Mental Health Week)

Launched #MakeGráTheLaw to fight for Marriage Equality.

Held numerous events on ­campus, including a night with Panti Bliss.

Brought some cuddly ­creatures to campus… and a llama!

Organised a successful ‘Working and Travelling Abroad’ fair.

6 ELECTION SPECIAL What is USI and why is it important to us?

By Hanna Macken THE NUI GALWAY STUDENTS’ UNION

remains affiliated with the Union of Students in Ireland, but others have questioned this and sought to become disaffiliated in the past.

Of what benefit is it to us that our SU remains a part of this national Student’s Union? Is it really worth our while to stay with them and what becomes of the SUs that become disaffiliated?

The most obvious benefit to an SU being part of the USI is that it offers students and SUs a united body, with which to act. This is generally of use when there is something being done to undermine the value and importance of education in the country.

The USI has had its hand in many rallies and protests over the years; the benefit of this is that there is a united front. If this was not the case, these protests would probably

be less organised, with more small protests rather than singular large ones.

The best publicised and attended in the past have been held in protest to increased fees and cuts in education grants.

A collective union in the face of adversity can be more effective as it will be more visible, therefore taken more seriously.

“Imagine an organisation that represents 250,000 students. Imagine having national campaigns that can attract media attention that no student or students’ union could do alone… If we want to make change, we need to be united, because truly ‘Together we are Stronger’!” said former NUI Galway SU President, Sean Kearns in his testimonial for USI for the DCU referendum on affiliation last year.

A service the USI provides is training to SUs. This training includes helping the SU to provide helpful information to those in

need of assistance. This is of benefit to the SU and students as it makes for an effective and efficient service to students.

USI runs many campaigns throughout the year that would already be undertaken by many SUs already, but with the added emphasis of being done as a national organisation.

These campaigns range from mental and sexual health awareness to the addressing of equality issues. SHAG Week, a week of sexual health promotion is a good example of this.

The USI will gather information and necessary items, producing an information pack to be distributed to the student body by the individual SUs. This streamlining of campaigns could be both financially and time effective.

The USI is heavily involved in advocating for the rights of students in areas such as welfare and education. They also advocate

Election Humour: C’mon, vote for RON By Órla Ryan Let’s cut to the chase: you love RON , I love RON . We must grab every opportunity we get to bask in my glory.

You, the students of NUI Galway, are about to have your minds blown. I hereby present to you, my future loyal subjects, RON ’s manifesto: AS YOU ALL KNOW, I am standing as a can-

didate in the upcoming Students’ Union elections. I would have preferred to sit, but cutbacks have led to the abolition of chairs in the university.

The university will offer a wide range of new Masters and Doctoral programmes.

Noteworthy inclusions are an MA in Home and Away: An Analytic Study of the River Boys’ tattoos and a PHD in the Psychological Effects of repeatedly being denied entry to The Front Door.

Which position am I running for, you ask? All of them, obviously. I had contemplated just going for SU President, but why deprive the student body of as much RON as possible?

If – sorry, when – elected to every office in the SU, I plan to bring about radical changes to NUI Galway.

Firstly, the name NUIG just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not entirely sure what I’ll change it to yet, but the current frontrunners are Smokey’s Academy for Over-Achievers, the Volvo Ocean Race Subsidiary Sailor School and the Sultans of Ping College of Latin and Art. Citizens of every land the world over know that election promises are made to be broken, but here goes anyway.

FROM SEPTEMBER 2013 ONWARDS, the fol-

lowing will become a reality: • Attendance at An Bhialann and the College Bar will actually count as lecture attendance (be sure to swipe your student card every time you order a pint or scone – this translates as double time at the office).

• ‘Craic marks’ will be awarded depending on how fun you are; dry shites run the risk of failing their degree.

• Smokey’s pigeon will hold a series of workshops on the aforementioned ‘craic marks’ system – he will attempt to pass on some tips about how to be as effortlessly fun and cool as he.

• Donegal Tuesday in RAG Week shall be extended to encompass every third day in semester two. If it gets too confusing as to whether or not it’s taking place on any given day, assume and act like it is.

• Instead of certificates, successful graduates will be awarded vouchers for Supermac’s and Karma. The volume of these will depend on complex credit system based on the criteria listed above.

• The scope of Arts subjects will be expanded to more accurately represent

the diverse nature of students’ interests in the college. New modules will include the destined-to- be-popular Pun-craftsmanship; Basic bean-cooking skills; and How to Master ‘The Floor is Lava’.

• Undergraduate courses aren’t the only ones due for a revamp; the university will offer a wide range of new Masters and Doctoral programmes. Noteworthy inclusions are an MA in Home and Away: An Analytic Study of the River Boys’ tattoos and a PHD in the Psychological Effects of repeatedly being denied entry to The Front Door.

• To increase employment and efficiency, the Áras na Mac Léinn will become a training centre for construction workers who can begin their careers from the moment the step outside the building.

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, every student who loses their jumper while dancing bumper to bumper at any official college ball shall have it replaced with a jumper of equal or much lesser value within three to 72 working days (the same rule does not apply for dignity or self-respect).

AS IS CLEAR FROM THE ABOVE, RON is

not the only valid alternative; I am the only choice that makes sense. A vote for RON , is a vote for progress, equality, world peace and free snack boxes. You know what to do.

As your brain processes the brilliance of this manifesto, I’ll leave you with the following piece of advice; feel free to put it to the test-o: Eat natural foods, bathe twice daily, fill your nostrils up with gravy.

Don't drink tea and don't drink coffee, cover your chin in Yorkshire toffee.

THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY TEAM RON.

on other issues in the wider public sphere with the focus on their impacts on students.

One such area is in the equality of students.

The USI has an advantage to SUs as it is regarded by government and other bodies as being the official voice and representation of students in Ireland.

“USI is recognised by Government, industry and institutional representative groups as the voice of students on a national level. USI represents students on the board of Higher Education Authority – the state agency that funds the universities and advises the Government on higher education policy, the IUQB (Irish Universities Quality Board) and the NQAI (National Qualifications Authority of Ireland) – the agencies that ensure your degree is recognised internationally and that your own institutes quality assurance exceeds global quality assurance standards.”

(USI, 2012)

Who’s this RON person?

By Tomás M. Creamer

WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR ­POLLING AREA ON THURSDAY, you’ll see the names and faces of all the people in here, but there’s one face you won’t see and that’s the mysterious RON. But who is RON anyway?

RON stands for Re-Open Nominations. You might look at your ballot card and decide you don’t like any of the candidates who are hoping to secure your vote on the day.

If this is the case, you can vote RON, which is essentially a vote against all candidates.

If re-open nominations is deemed elected to any position then at the end of the count that position is declared vacant and nominations must later be re-opened.

It will mean going through the whole election process again, but it is essential to give your vote to the person you think is the best fit for the role. If none of the candidates meet your expectations, then RON may be your best option.

Whatever you vote this Thursday, use your vote wisely. Your voice is important.

ELECTION SPECIAL 7 Vote YES: Criminalising weed Vote NO: We must consider was politically-motivated the consequences of cannabis legalisation in Ireland

By Eoin Molloy

THIS MARCH, THE STUDENT BODY OF NUI GALWAY we will be voting on whether or not we should support the legalisation of cannabis for adults aged 18 and over.

Before proceeding to list the benefits of cannabis legalisation, it is necessary to first give a historical backdrop as to why weed was criminalised in the first place.

The ‘war on drugs’ was racially motivated from the outset. Mexico’s revolution of 1910 caused an influx of migrants to pour over the borders. It is well documented that the Mexicans smoked ‘marihuana’ to relax after long days of working in the fields.

Most western states in America made weed illegal between 1915 and 1930. This was a sure-fire way of keeping the Mexican population in check. Wherever Mexicans were no longer needed for cheap labour they could be rounded up, charged with possession of weed and sent back over the border.

Harry J. Anslinger of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the original DEA) had this to say at the time: “Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, jazz musicians, and entertainers. Their satanic music is driven by marijuana, and marijuana smoking by white women makes them want to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and others.”

Now tell me the criminalisation of weed was not borne from racism?

Weed was made illegal on a national level by the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. This act designated weed a ‘schedule one’ controlled substance despite evidence given by the Schafer Commission doubting whether cannabis should be illegal at all.

The modern day war on drugs is more racist than ever. Black and Hispanic communities are forced to live in ghettoised, impoverished communities where the only way out is through drug-related crime.

The policing of weed is carried out with staggering racial bias. According to a study by the American Civil Liberties Union, blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for weed-related offences than whites. This is not about controlling a ‘dangerous’ drug, it is simple population control.

People dismiss cannabis as a ‘gateway drug’ that will lead to harder and more dangerous drugs.

This redundant argument is a popular refrain amongst the anti-cannabis camp. Saying that cannabis is naught more than a gateway drug actually implies that cannabis itself is quite harmless.

CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr Sanjay Gupta, recently released an article called: ‘Why I changed my mind on weed’. In this eye-opening article, he notes that weed causes addiction in just 9% of its users, whereas the number is closer to 30% amongst smokers.

He also praises the medicinal uses of cannabis and comes to the conclusion that the Drug Enforcement Agency of the US simply do not have the scientific proof to back up their claim that cannabis deserves to be a ‘schedule one’ controlled substance.

There appears to be no downside to legalizing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use. ‘medicinal marijuana’ would not be a phrase if the cannabis plant didn’t have proven medical benefits. These health benefits have been welldocumented.

Weed can help prevent epileptic seizures. It can also be used to treat glaucoma. In the simplest possible terms, criminalising weed forces sick people to go follow illegal avenues to access medicine.

When asked about legalizing cannabis, Ciaran Maher, auditor of NUI Galway’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said that “a society that professes to be one that values personal liberty should leave adults to consume cannabis if they so wish”.

Criminalising weed also denies the state of valuable revenue that could be collected were the drug regulated in the same way as tobacco.

Our government charges ¤7.72 worth of tax on a ¤9.50 pack of cigarettes. One would think that they would jump at the chance to tax weed to death in the same way.

Under the current system, the revenue produced by weed falls into the hands of criminal gangs. This is a two-fold shame, as this money could instead be used to pay off Ireland’s staggering debt or improve our dire services.

Mr Maher of the SSDP also said that legalizing weed would “generate a net revenue in the region of hundreds of millions of euro, creating thousands of jobs and damaging the power of the criminal underworld”. He makes a good point.

Colorado made world-wide headlines last year by being the first US state to legalise cannabis for recreational use.

According to a very favourable report carried

by CBC, violent crime, drug-driving and drug use amongst youths has been steadily decreasing in Colorado. In short, the sky has not fallen.

Weed is much safer than legal drugs like alcohol on every level. In Ireland, there are 88 alcoholrelated deaths per month. Alcohol is linked with dangerous driving and suicide. 50% of murders are also perpetrated by an intoxicated person. Like it or not, there’s no way weed can be this bad.

The cannabis plant occurs naturally on our planet. As Bill Hicks said, doesn’t the criminalisation of something natural feel altogether unnatural? It’s time to trust grown adults to make their own decisions. It’s time to give sick people free access to a proven medicine.

It’s time to legalise weed.

By Tomás M. Creamer CANNABIS LEGALISATION CAN, AT FIRST,

seem like a reasonable proposition – after all, the proposition would ask why we legalise alcohol, but not cannabis, and make references to the infamously ineffective Prohibition (of alcohol) in America.

However, before you get taken in completely by the YES side of the case, I would beg you to seriously consider what could actually be the result of approving of the concept of legalising Cannabis in Ireland, which is what this referendum is asking us to support.

Colorado is one of the poster boys of the cannabis legalisation movement – and, certainly, one could point to some promising statistics. However, Colorado hasn’t legalised cannabis for all that long – only a few years, at most. It is far too easy to say what the longterm consequences are.

One of these consequences would be when cannabis becomes commercialised to the same extent as alcohol and tobacco, where a handful of huge firms dominate the industry, and have massive financial power.

If anyone watched John Oliver’s piece (available on youtube) on how multinational tobacco firms use their huge muscle to strong-arm countries as diverse as Australia, Uruguay and Togo into dropping regulations, with the intent of informing and protecting their citizens, you would know exactly what I would be referring to here.

Without a doubt, the proponents of this motion will make it clear that legalised cannabis will need to be stringently regulated, in order to minimise abuses with the drug – like what they do in the Netherlands, where the state strictly controls the distribution and accessibility of cannabis.

Referendum on Students’ Union position on the legalisation and regulation of the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis.

On Thursday 5th March you will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether or not the Students’ Union adopts a position on the legalisation and regulation of the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis.

The wording which will appear on the b ­ allot paper, requiring a Yes / No answer, will be:

Do you agree with the following proposition: “That NUI Galway Student’s Union actively supports the legalisation and regulation of the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis for adults age 18 and over.”

YES NO This referendum has been requested by 500 members of the Students’ Union in accordance with the Students’ Union Constitution, Article 16.

However, as we all know, Ireland does not “do” regulation very well.

I could point to various areas of regulation where Irish Governments have failed spectacularly, with serious consequences for society as a whole – such as the financial sector, which was arguably responsible for our gigantic economic crash, and the various abuses in relation to the state’s treatment of the Beef industry back in the 80’s, which dealt serious reputational damage to one of our largest domestic industries.

However, in relation to the ability of Governments in Ireland to regulate effectively, all we need to do is look at our relationship with the legal drugs that are already out there, and widely consumed – alcohol, and tobacco.

At first glance, some might say that Ireland’s approach to regulating cigarettes shows that we do have the ability to regulate drugs like cannabis, as Ireland does seem to do an oddly effective job in introducing restrictions on cigarettes.

Not only are advertising on TV and radio banned, and health warning on cigarette packets obligatory, but Ireland, arguably the only country in the world famous almost solely for its pubs, was also the first country to ban smoking in all workplaces (including pubs), and we tax the hell out of the product.

All we are missing are “plain-packaging” laws, like Australia’s – which the Government is on-track to introduce, despite huge pressure from multinational tobacco corporations.

Introducing all these restrictions and regulations is one thing – actually imposing them effectively is another thing altogether.

And while we may pat ourselves on the back for these draconian measures, we don’t think about the hundreds of millions of cigarettes that are circulating throughout the black market as a result of high excise duty.

However, there is one drug in particular that the vast majority of us have gotten acquainted to, especially during the last, completely unofficial “RAG week” – yes; I am talking about “the drink”, aka alcohol.

Now, there are all sorts of regulations on it as it is – such as restrictions on the hours of sale, and on marketing. However, while many of us (me included) can take a drink sensibly, many others simply can’t “do” moderation.

And why does this happen? It happens because drink is engrained into the Irish cultural psyche – which is one stereotype of Ireland abroad that, unfortunately, has more than a hint of truth to it, even in “modern” Ireland.

If cannabis was legalised, there is the risk that legitimisation, resulting from it been legal, could lead to it becoming engrained in our national culture – and do we really need another legitimised drug in our society?

Do we not have enough such issues in our society with the legal drugs – Alcohol and tobacco – that are out there?

8 WELFARE OFFICER

Shane Broderick Interview by Ciara Treacy What are your reasons for running for Welfare Officer?

I guess the main reason I’m running for Welfare Officer is that I’ve seen a lot of potential in the Students’ Union that maybe hasn’t been realised as much as it could have been in the last few years. And there’s a lot of things, especially with regards welfare, that need to be started from the ground up.

I suppose the biggest issue that you could look at is maybe housing, which is a welfare issue. I want to tackle areas surrounding housing and other welfare issues throughout campus that can be spotted and maybe at least improved.

What are your main objectives if you’re elected?

My main objectives would be to improve the smaller areas that you wouldn’t consider to be welfare, that actually are welfare.

A lot of it would be surrounded by finance, surrounded by sports, health and fitness, that haven’t really been addressed properly in the last few years. I also want to have a look at smaller things; more practical things like disability access on south campus which is atrocious compared to north campus. We’re years behind and there’s far more students in south campus that require disability access. That can be improved and I’d like to work on those things.

What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to be Welfare Officer?

You need to be a hard worker; you need to be able to grind from the get-go. I think that I definitely have that kind of a grind in me to get things done.

Another thing you need is a lot of compassion and a lot of reasoning as well. I don’t think I’m short of that either. I work with

Best Buddies and societies that require a lot of compassion and getting stuck in and getting things done.

Why do you think students should elect you as their Welfare Officer?

I think my manifesto speaks for itself, it’s a strong manifesto.

It doesn’t necessarily address issues that you would consider to be welfare but actually are welfare, like small things that could tackle bigger issues. A lot of focus around welfare is always - and it should be always on mental health and mental health awareness. However there are a lot of contributing factors to mental health that I think can be addressed and should be addressed, that haven’t been in the last few years or ever in some cases, so those are things I want to look into.

I want to create an atmosphere where mental health should always be in the mind of things when other stuff is being done.

You want to look at student finance if elected – what areas in particular would you look at?

The biggest manifesto area that I’d like to look into would be student finance. That includes housing – not to say better access to cheap housing. It’s going to be impossible to canvass every single landlord in the city but to better inform students where there are possibilities to stay. There are a lot of things that could be worked towards that.

Another thing on my manifesto is the ¤224 student levy. I want to really challenge the university to create more clarity and transparency in it and there are areas where it could be revised. It could work out that there are things we could reduce money on and increase money in other areas – make that ¤224 either go further for us or reduce where it’s unnecessary to be paying X, Y and Z for things.

What do you hope to implement in the areas of sports, health and fitness?

Especially in the last couple of months there’s been this thing about the GAA and GAA players playing for a club at the weekends and playing for college during the week, and some of them are intercounty players as well.

I know a few lads t h a t a re dual GAA players

that do seven or eight teams a week, and thirty training sessions, the list goes on. A lot of those things end up in injuries and bad exercise techniques and bad recovery processes. I’d like to maybe set up through the SU one of these courses (and with clubs as well, if they’re willing to work with me) to create an information and education class surrounded by proper health, fitness, diet and so on and so forth for students to better manage their time and better manage their health while they’re performing sports for the university.

There’s fantastic talent out there that will be wasted if they get injured for no reason other than they don’t have the right techniques to continue that work.

Why do you think the current disability services need improvement?

Don’t get me wrong, the south campus has improved a lot in the last few years, but students that have disabilities – students with psych disabilities, students that require wheelchairs to get around campus – are barely making par, whereas other students are able to excel.

I don’t think it’s fair that a student who has a wheelchair should take 20 minutes to get to class that takes another student five or ten minutes to get to. And on north campus that’s not the issue. Okay there’s a few minutes in the difference that there will always be in terms of mobility, but there are obvious holes in the disability access around campus that I think really need to be improved.

I think there’s a lot students can do to mobilise the issues towards the Quad, to pressure the Quad to improve student access throughout campus for everyone.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I really do feel strongly that the welfare position has been very well run the last few years and I think that the most important thing to do with new candidates is to bring something new to the table; stronger policies, better ideas.

Again you’re not there to change the job description of the Welfare Officer, I think you’re there to improve on what the person has done last year. You’re not neglecting what they’ve done, you pick up what they’ve done, you carry on with that work, as well as adding some more stuff for yourself and for the students around you.

Jimmy Interview by Ciara Treacy What are your reasons for running for Welfare Officer?

I know I’m meant for this position and I genuinely care, I’m so passionate and determined. I have been involved for two years in Student Welfare volunteering and have seen the wide range of issues that students face and it is very eye-opening.

Being Welfare Officer obviously means there’s the greatness that you’re involved in so much and you’re a student leader but that’s not what motivates me.

What motivates me to run for this position is that one student who’s considering maybe dropping out of college because of a non-academic related reason, either housing or finance or their wellbeing, and it’s those students – students who really need it the most – who motivate me.

I know I can help them and I wouldn’t run for the position if I thought otherwise.

What are your main objectives if you’re elected?

My number one priority is to have an open-door policy for non-judgemental and completely confidential listening. The Welfare Officer is in a great position to help with any issues, be it wellbeing, welfare, housing or finance issues, and a huge thing I’ll be pushing is to try and encourage students that I’ll be there and to increase visibility.

Another thing is to have an increase in strong, active volunteers because once you have volunteers, you can do so much in terms of campaigns.

The two main things I’ll be focusing on is recruiting volunteers and actively keeping an interest in it for them, and getting our faces out there. Once we have volunteers, we can run campaigns. For example, I plan to run a Know your Union campaign and run that quite early on so people know all the services that we do.

I’ll also be teaming up with the Education Officer and President to run the campaign during that week. I’m going to try and

do that as early on in the first semester, to try and get the students who really need it most to know that their Students’ Union can help because visibility is an issue. It always has been, it’s very difficult to overcome but I have a lot of ideas around that.

I have a lot of plans for the year but the priority is that one-on-one with an individual with any problem.

What do you see being the key skills and personality traits needed to be a Welfare Officer?

There are two very different roles to being a Welfare Officer.

There’s one where you’re catering for an individual and that can be a very sensitive issue. To cater for an individual it is so important that you are approachable and trustworthy for a start. If a student can’t approach you or feels they can’t trust you, then you’ve completely taken away their chance of seeking your help. There’s only one Welfare Officer and this person needs to be someone they can trust.

I think the most important skill is to be able to truly listen and understand because you cannot point a student in the right direction if you don’t understand their problem and how it affects them, because everything affects people differently, everyone has different levels of tolerance.

To be able to actually listen and really understand how it affects them as an individual is important so you can point them in the right direction. You have to be in no way judgemental and can show empathy and I feel that’s something I can do very well.

In terms of dealing with the student population, people skills are so important because if you want to run a campaign, and deal with university officials and support services, teamwork and leadership skills and the ability to negotiate are so important.

You need to be

WELFARE OFFICER 9

McGovern enthusiastic and encouraging to lead volunteers and motivate your volunteers to want to come back on a weekly basis.

These are two very different roles of the Welfare Officer and I feel I can do both of them very well.

Why do you think students should elect you as their Welfare Officer?

The number one reason is I genuinely care and I think that makes all the difference. The difference of going the extra mile to help out a student is really what motivates me.

I’ve been consistently involved on campus – I have three certificates in suicide intervention and suicide awareness and they have taught me so much in how to listen to someone and to go that extra mile.

Questioning is a huge thing which I feel I do very well. People could say ‘things aren’t great but they will be fine’ but it’s about going that extra step and asking why aren’t things okay? You get deferred answers and could be there for five minutes, ten minutes or two hours. It doesn’t matter the likelihood of success that you can help them, once there is a sliver of a chance I’ll keep going.

I think students should elect me and I will represent them very well.

I know a lot of students are mentally healthy but everyone knows someone who does struggle. Everyone has a friend who needs the help, they might not even realise it.

Vote for me, if not for yourself then for the people you know and care about who need the help. Please vote for who you think is the best, and someone you can trust.

Why do you feel an open-door policy should be your key priority as Welfare Officer?

My number one point on my manifesto is to have an open-door policy for a non-judgemental listening and referrals. You can run so many campaigns but as soon as a student walks in to that office that’s the number one priority. Nothing matters until that person who is in need is taken care of. It’s something I’ll be pushing a lot.

What kind of campaigns do you aim to implement in the area of sexual health?

I’ll be planning to have a second SHAG week at Freshers’ Week because freshers won’t wait forever to start having sex. So Jimmy’s got you covered on that one!

In SHAG week I’ll be bringing in a lot of information around sexual

consent because it’s a very vague grey area for a lot of students and people don’t actually know the full details. I know Trinity College’s student newspaper The University Times released a survey which said one in four female students had unwanted sexual contact or harassment in some way.

They’re huge numbers and I’d hate to see any student be in any position where they could be accused of anything like that because of their lack of knowledge, and even so much more importantly I’d hate any student to be a victim of any sort of unwanted sexual contact or harassment due to someone else’s lack of knowledge.

How do you aim to tackle accommodation issues for students?

Everyone will know housing is a huge issue and it will be a huge issue again this year around July and August.

One thing I’ll be prepared for if elected is to be completely up to date, because the Accommodation Office in Galway isn’t up to the standard it should be. The online websites leave a lot of stuff up, even when houses are taken. I’ll be in touch with all the letting agencies and all the student accommodation and I’ll be prepared for emergency housing for students, because a lot are going to come in (especially first years), not knowing the area and everywhere will be full.

I’ll be prepared day-to-day ringing up and seeing what’s available and aim to work very effectively in that area.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Please go out and vote this year. We have an average of 3,000 students voting each year, which is huge but at the same time there are a lot of students who don’t.

I know most don’t realise that it benefits them but it does benefit other people. It’s important the right people are there in the job.

Vote for who you genuinely think will do it – not because they’re popular, or unpopular, or funny or not funny, vote for who will make a genuine difference and genuinely cares.

I have a huge passion; people’s wellbeing is what really motivates me. This is something I have been planning for a long time and I’m more than ready to take leadership at this stage. I’ve been planning to run for the last 18 months and everyday I’m getting more prepared.

Megan Reilly Interview by Laura Roddy What are your reasons for running for Welfare Officer?

I have been involved with the Students’ Union for three years. I am the Convener for Business and Law at the moment. With the SU, the higher up you progress the more you want to get involved. I have had a couple of people tell me, recently, that welfare would suit me perfectly.

It is the thing that I want to do.

I have been obsessively volunteering for six years. I have worked as an intern with ALIVE last year, before that I worked in a homework club, an animal shelter, a nursing home, was a class rep and helped out at various fairs around the university. I am also passionate about people.

As corny as it sounds, since I have been at college I have been trying to make a difference. I set up the marriage equality task force, for example. Welfare Officer seems like the next natural step for me.

What are your main objectives if you’re elected?

I want Welfare campaigns that are more inclusive to everybody and more widespread. I want to reach more first years and link up with the mentoring programme.

I think that having a casual running group or fitness group that could meet between lectures is a good idea; it’s something I have definitely wanted these past few years in college.

I want a mental health campaign that doesn’t just focus on anxiety and depression. We need to branch out into bi-polar disorders and eating disorders, things that are never talked about.

I have been talking to people about chronic illnesses and invisible illnesses, such as epilepsy and diabetes, conditions which a lot of students have. There needs to be a better link made with the disabilities office, not just to build awareness but make it easier on students. I would love to hold a forum where these students could come together and actually meet those who have the same conditions.

What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to be a Welfare Officer?

I think you can narrow this down to two things. The first is passion and the second is the organisational skills to actually follow through on your campaign aims.

At the end of the day it is about forging and maintaining connections with people, like the counselling

office or the disability office.

I have a slogan behind my campaign at the moment which is ‘compassion with action’, which summarises these two things.

Obviously you have to care a lot because there is so much involved in the role and I think that organisation is a big thing also. People just see the role of Welfare Officer as, ‘oh you just have to be really nice’ but at the same time you have to be really organised.

Why do you think students should elect you as their Welfare Officer?

I have the experience of the SU; I have seen the great work they have done this year as well for Welfare. I know for a fact that I have put my heart and soul into this and I will continue to do so. I have the passion for it.

I have had friends come to me in the past with problems and even though it is heart-breaking sometimes, there is nothing I love more than to be able to help someone out. My desire to be Welfare Officer has come from this, but the extra-curricular activities I have undertaken at college have also helped me realise that this is really where I want to be. This is what I want to be doing.

Please elect me, because I think I would be really good at it.

Your manifesto says that you wish to break down the barriers around seeking help. Can you tell me how you wish to achieve this?

I think there is an administrative side to when a student goes to the counselling service or the SU. There are forms to fill out and there is a receptionist desk to get past.

I feel like students who are already in a vulnerable position can feel intimidated by this. I think it would be a good idea to hold an open clinic, a place

where students can just walk in and don’t need to feel scared.

I also think hooking up with the counselling service and offering more well-being workshops is a good idea. The idea of mental fitness is not stressed enough, even offering meditation classes would be significant.

If you succeed in your manifesto aim of expanding the welfare team, how do you think this will benefit the students that attend NUI Galway?

There needs to be an expansion of the welfare crew. I want their focus more on campus. Maybe get them into student accommodation to talk to first years more frequently.

I want to give free fruit out on campus. I’d like a bi-weekly positive day on campus where we would poster the place with sheets that have a tear-off ticket compliment, a place where people could post their worries or throw them into a bucket.

It is important to get the welfare crew out onto campus, give them more visibility to the students and to generate more positivity around the university.

Any other points you would like to discuss from your manifesto?

I want to be able to connect with students who are on placement.

Hopefully that would be through some kind of online portal because I know a lot of students can feel a sense of disconnection with the university. This can be so that they have a point of contact with their Welfare Officer.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Well, to tell people to vote.

I’d love to see more students engage with the union. I think that is a big thing and a lot of people are going to be saying it in the next coming weeks. Just come have a chat with us on campaigns week, there should be some exciting things happening. If you feel like giving me your vote, then all the better.

10 EDUCATION OFFICER

Rebecca Melvin Interview by Ciara Treacy What are your reasons for running for Education Officer?

My main reason for running for Education Officer is because I believe I have the right work experience and life experience as a student in NUI Galway. I want students to get the most out of their education, so I will go up and beyond for them. I will fight for their rights and will be a strong voice for them also.

I’m just your typical student; I know what it’s like to be a student in NUI Galway. I know what it’s like to be an Officer also, so I know the roles and responsibilities that come with that and I also know the challenges students face on an everyday basis.

I believe I’m a relatable student - like I’ve failed the year, lost the grant, got the grant again, and passed my exams. I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I believe I’m a candidate people can relate to and hopefully will put their trust in me to deliver everything.

What are your main objectives if you’re elected?

My main objectives are to fight fees, to fight against more grant cuts, introduce longer opening hours in the library, a new and improved Class Reps system, and greater in-course student support.

I also want workshops in public speaking and preparation for the workforce, along with exam preparation also. My public speaking isn’t great so if we had public speaking workshops I believe it would benefit everyone. Going to an interview can be such a nerve-wrecking experience, so just being able to speak and hear your own voice without getting the jitters would be great.

What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to be Education Officer?

I speak for what I believe in, so if students have any worries, I will voice them, and if I notice anything wrong I will also voice it. I will fight with every fibre of my being for what every student in NUI Galway deserves, which is a better education, because at the end of the day we are paying for it so we deserve what we get for our money.

I believe I’m also approachable; I’m good craic at the end of the day! I have great organisation skills and I love to canvass and campaign.

I’ll fight for any injustice students may encounter and I’m a woman of my word, so if I say I’m going to do something I will do it. I want students to know I will do whatever it takes to make their time in NUI Galway

as easy as possible and get the most out of their education. My time as Equality Officer has given me the opportunity to voice people’s problems and help them get them fixed.

If elected Education Officer I will do the same, and I will have more time now to give my all into it, because the Equality role is a part-time role and the Education role is a full-time role, so I can forget about studies and just concentrate on students.

Why do you think students should elect you as their Education Officer?

I am a focused person who represents the student voice. I know the ins and outs of the Education system - like I’ve said I have deferred and repeated, I know what it’s like to fight the Grants Office, I know what it’s like to deal with library fines. I fight the library staff - obviously I’ll be nice to them too! I will do what it takes to help any student with any query. I will have an open door policy where students can walk in with any problem and I will be there. I know what it’s like to be a student and when life throws you unexpected curveballs, it can be difficult. So I would like to think students can relate to me because I’ve been there.

How do you aim to fight fees?

Usually USI have a march up in Dublin usually around October. I plan to bring a more focused march to Galway against an increase in fees because we had one a few years ago and it was such a good success. At the end of the day students can’t be taking time off to travel to Dublin on buses, the numbers aren’t great. I plan on having a focused march around October where students can get excused for an hour off their studies to go, put on a t-shirt, blow some whistles, get the politicians seeing us and not taking us for granted. Our message is there, we don’t want any more increase in fees.

Why do you want to extend the library opening hours?

I’m a demon when it comes to exams, so around exam time I would like the library to open until 12 o’ clock for study week and the two weeks of exams. I don’t believe it’s a massive request. At the end of the day the reading room does not facilitate 17,000 students at one point so students are finding it difficult to find somewhere to study.

They’re wasting time queuing when they could be spending it studying. That really annoys me – I’ve been there, I’ve had security

men chase me (I like to play hide and seek with them) around the Bailey Allen, I hide around the SU, Smokey’s – I’ll do anything just to study in peace but I do believe until midnight would be reasonable.

I also want more study space advertised as well because students don’t always know where to study, so just opening more classrooms all around campus – not just the Concourse.

How do you aim to reform the class reps’ system?

That’s a massive one for me because the turnout isn’t great at SU council and I believe it can be better. I don’t think that’s any fault of the students, I think it is the fault of us organising it. I plan on making it more accessible to students in the likes of the Engineering, Cairnes and Áras Moyola buildings. It’s very much Arts and Science focused at the moment because we’re holding it only in the Concourse and IT building – it’s not accessible for every student.

Also I believe we should have a reward system in place for class reps because they are volunteers at the end of the day. I’d like to bring in a gold cert that’s recognisable from the university for class reps who go up and beyond for their class. This would be not just the normal ALIVE cert that all class reps would get but particularly excellent class reps, who are at every SU council and constantly at their lecturers trying to make a change for the students.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Just to mention about buses to exams, which was a new service introduced last year. I was on the buses going to Salthill, and there was only one bus going three times a day.

It was like going to a cattle mart, we were packed on to this bus like sardines in a can.

It was awful!

I believe just having two buses three times a day will make a massive difference. It will eliminate health and safety issues because I had people sitting on me and I had people elbowing me in the face. At the end of the day students can’t afford taxis and pay ¤6 or ¤7 to Salthill and back, crazy money. To have that system in place would make life easier for students.

I just want to bring home I would do anything for any student. I believe I would make an excellent Education Officer due to my experience in life and also in the SU and hope that my time as Equality Officer has proven I’m able to deliver.

I was very grateful when students elected me last year and I hope they can do the same. I will be a strong voice against injustices students would face. I’m not afraid to approach any lecturer or any committee and tell them things need to be changed.

EDUCATION OFFICER 11

Joanne Duffy Interview by Jenna Hodgins What are you reasons for running for Vice President and Education Officer?

I am dedicated and passionate about the Students' Union and I take particular enjoyment in dealing with academic issues. I love helping students find their way through a tough issue. I was a class rep for two years and am currently on the students' union executive serving as science convener.

Over the years I've helped many students with a range of issues; some trivial, some much more serious. I know I can deliver results that students want and need and I am running for VP Education because I believe I am the person to get the job done for students who need to be represented.

What are you main objectives if you’re elected?

If elected I have clear goals regarding the day-to-day issues affecting students, as well as a set of goals relating to the bigger issues that affect students on a national level.

Students who can't access computer suites to work on their final year projects deserve better. Students who can't find an adequate study space with power outlets and proper heating deserve better. Students who are not being given feedback on their work deserve better. Students who aren't getting their results on time deserve better.

I am capable of addressing these issues head on; I know who to talk to and what needs to be said. On a national level, I'm dedicated to finding a better deal for students as regards the grant and fees.

I think it's high time that a national conversation is had about where we want higher education to go in this country, and I want to spear head that conversation along with the USI and other students' unions in the country.

What do you see being the key skills and personality traits needed to be Vice President and Education Officer?

I think the VP Education needs to be someone who can address issues quickly and efficiently.

They need to be someone who knows not just how to talk the talk but how to walk the walk as well, so to speak.

It's a tough job and it requires someone with an open mind and above all, someone who won't take no for an answer when it comes to securing a fair deal for students, whatever situation they find themselves in. That means you have to be a good listener also.

I have a wealth of experience in representing students and as a result I've got a lot to bring to the table as VP Education. I believe I have the key skills and personality traits to make the most of this role for students.

Why do you think students should elect you as their Vice President and Education Officer?

I'm a leader, I'm creative and I know how to negotiate effectively. I'm an all-Ireland champion debater; I actually spoke representing the country at a public speaking festival in Scotland.

I have been an active student representative for three years and I was short listed as one of the top three class reps in the country at the national student achievement awards last year.

This means that I have a unique set of skills that will allow me to continue working for students as I have done for years. Being VP Education means that I would be able to address issues more effectively, and delve into issues I may not have had the opportunity to while in full time study.

I'm a vocal, outspoken and articulate person and I always listen carefully when a student comes to me with an issue so that I can determine the best course of action. I'm never afraid to speak up on behalf of people who need someone to represent their cause. I tackle issues head-on and I am the right person for the job.

Your manifesto says you will donate ¤1000 of your salary to SVP, why this particular charity?

I'll be donating the ¤1000 euro to St Vincent de Paul because I feel they're the best community-based charity there is. I think the people of Galway support the students so well, and we all know how much young families in particular are struggling.

St Vincent de Paul really know the people in their community, they're an amazing charity for targeted care like that.

I also feel the salary for VP Education is quite large; transparency in funding and spending in the union is something I'm hoping to work on also. I won't even remotely feel the hit of losing ¤1000 from a salary but the people of Galway will definitely feel the hit of its benefits I hope.

I'm interested in tackling the student assistance fund, I think there are ways we could pool more funds into this vital resource. I also want to increase awareness of the fund on campus, I think a lot of students struggle and don't know it's available to them.

Students have a hard enough time getting a hold of their grant sometimes, let alone applying for extra funding. It's a matter of working with and speaking to students one on one; this is something I already do and I believe it's the best way to get the job done. If a student can trust their officer, they can rest easy while the work gets done.

How do you plan on running the writing and study skills workshops you mentioned?

Will it be student-mentor based, or do you seek to employ academics, and professionals?

There is a wealth of resources on the campus for learning to write, reference, achieve top grades in assignments and a litany of other things, but unfortunately students are not using them as much as

they could. I feel with directed workshops that bring the best of these elements together, students will be able to make the most of the resources. For example, the SUMS centre is an incredible resource, but many students are not willing to attend the service alone, or aren't sure what they need from it.

I'm in the process of creating a workshop for science students at the moment on technical writing and referencing; there was great demand for it from science class reps so I'm hoping that will be a success. Simple skills like how to use the library efficiently could make a world of difference to students and I'm hoping to get out on the ground and provide all of that information in a clearer, more effective way.

I feel the lecturers on campus are the best people to give these kind of workshops as not only to many of them have supplementary qualifications that deal specifically with technical writing or other such useful skills, they also are the ones we hand our assignments up to, so this will give them an opportunity to tell students exactly what they are, or more importantly are not looking for.

You said you have plans for securing more study space and power outlets for students, how do you plan on executing this? Will it just be for exam time?

I'm hoping to secure more study space by taking spaces that are used very little on the campus and sectioning them off as study space, potentially with swipe access for specific groups of students who have very limited space at the moment.

I think if a room is being used only three or four times a week, that whatever classes are tutorials are taking place there can be moved to another location, allowing the room to become a dedicated study room. It's just like timetable tetris!

As regards power outlets, there is no point in me suggesting I can add more to the library because I know from my time on the executive this year that that simply cannot be done because of how old the building is.

However I hope that if I can secure more spaces like classrooms in the more modern buildings, there can be enough power outlets added so that students have a place to plug in their phones/computers/iPads/Magic carpets or whatever it is they need power for!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

If anyone would like to contact me they can do so by e-mailing me at su.science@nuigalway.ie ; I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has. Tá Gaeilge líofa agam chomh maith má tá duine are bith ag iarradh labhairt liom faoi chursaí Gaeilge, tá an-suim agam forbairt a dhéanamh ar chursaí Gaeilge ar an gcampas.

12 PRESIDENT

Karl Picard Interview by John Brennan What are your reasons for running for SU President?

I’ve been actively involved in the Students’ Union since first year. In first year I was a class rep, but for the last two I’ve been the chairperson of the Students’ Union.

I’m just as passionate about the Students Union now as I was on day one. I think over my three years I’ve seen a great insight into how the union works, I’ve seen the good things it does, but I also see the things it could do a little bit better.

I believe I’m the candidate with the policies, the drive and the passion and the experience to be able to formulate my policies and to bring the union on to where it needs to be. I can provide a representation to students, that in my eyes, they need.

What are your main objectives if elected SU President?

I have several different policies, but going for my big policies; the strong ones that I will be pushing. I believe the Students’ Union need to promote a greater relationship with businesses in Galway City.

What I would like to see is, you see students every year, the last thing they want to do is go home to their home place for the summer. You find some students, who aren’t on the grant, or maybe they are on the grant, but they still struggle financially.

This is a big worry for us as a union; we need to get these students help. Listen, we don’t have the facilities with the cuts to the student assistance fund to give them loads of money, that’s not the case.

What I would like to do is to promote a relationship between the Students’ Union and Galway businesses. So we are in a position better than we already are to highlight student-friendly jobs through the Students Union and through Sin. What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to be President?

I think to be a president you need to be brave. Brave in a sense, that there will be times that you will have to take a position that is seen as unpopular or seen in the eyes of the greater student body, seen as not the right decision.

But since you are so heavily involved, with what I suppose is the nitty gritty stuff behind the scenes, t h a t yo u k n ow yourself and as a Union, you should know that this is actually the right decision.

I think the policies I have are the type of policies that give the students union back to the students.

I really want to remind them that it’s not THE Students’ Union, it’s YOUR Students’ Union.

What is being done, even though it might not seem like it at the time, but what is being done is the right thing for the Union.

Now there are several, several other things you need to be as President, which I believe I have. You never stop being passionate about your role, whether you’re a class rep or a part-time officer and I’m sure it can be said about the full-time officers.

You can never stop wanting to improve, and you can never stop being passionate about your role and what you can do. I think the last thing you could ever be is complacent and say “right, I’m elected. I’ve got the job now, that’s the end of it”.

No, I always thing you should be building on your role.

You should say “Right, I did this, and this was ok and what I do next will be better”.

Why do you think students should elect you as their president?

I believe I’m the candidate with the passion, the experience and the driven leadership to get the job done. On a more, student level, I think that the policies I have are things that students, the everyday students can relate to.

I think that there is a problem in the Students Union at the moment that the vast majority of our students, if you look at our student engagement is something that we really need to put hard work into.

I think that there is a lot of students, the ordinary everyday students who don’t pay a lot of attention to the Students’ Union and wouldn’t know quite a lot about the Students’ Union. I think the policies I have are the type of policies that give the students union back to the students. I really want to remind them that it’s not THE Students’ Union, it’s YOUR S ­ tudents’ Union.

That’s my big thing, so I think that the policies I have are ones that normal students can relate to the most.

Anything else you’d like to add?

There are eight points on my manifesto, I have several big ones. The one about student jobs I discussed earlier, another particular one which a lot of students don’t really know is surrounding the SU card and our commercial services.

I don’t think the SU utilize the commercial services as best they can. What I would do is absolutely, 100% push the SU card, you would be so surprised how many students don’t have an SU card or don’t know what they do.

It’s such a vital thing where you can go into the college bar, you can go into Smokey’s or wherever and you can buy say 10 cups of tea and then when you buy your 11th cup of tea it’s free, because you built up enough points on your SU card.

There are a lot of things here that students don’t know about that we need to highlight to them, we are a Union, this is what we do. Come join us, we are here to help you; that type of thing.

Another big thing is student engagement, I really, really want to push that, I want to see more and more frequent resident runs. The number of resident runs we do at the moment is good, fair enough, but it could be better.

I think we need to be engaging the students far more and they need to be seeing us outside the office. This is the big thing, I want to take the SU out of the office and put it back on campus.

I want students to know that the SU executive is approachable at all times.

We aren’t just 15 faces you see on the poster scattered around campus, that’s my big thing.

I would like to see the formation of an SU crew. It would be similar to the welfare crew. They would be used essentially as a volunteering group within the Students’ Union to get more students involved and used to highlight the work the Students’ Union are doing at that moment.

More importantly, the SU executive is 15 people; the sabbaticals are only three people. It’s unrealistic to think that we’d hear everything, if we have an SU crew, it allows them and us to go onto campus and talk to students and listen on a greater scale to the problems they have.

The size of the university with 17,000 students means that we don’t always hear of it. This is a big problem.

Students need a reminder, and it’s up to the students union to remind them, it’s not THE Students’ Union, it’s YOUR Students’ Union.

PRESIDENT 13

Phelim Kelly Interview by John Brennan What are your reasons for running for SU President?

Over the past year I have been fighting for students’ rights and student issues with the college. I’ve really worked hard this year and I think I’ve another year in me.

Another reason I’m running is that I’ve been on university committees Udarás na hOllscoile (governing body) and all the committees feeding into it and I’ve seen the ins and outs of what happens in the university and how to go about effecting change.

I’ve seen the backhand discussions that go on behind closed doors. This experience is why I am running and I want to help students in any way I can. I have seen various Presidents throughout my time in NUI Galway and I believe that I am best placed to represent NUI Galway students.

What are your objectives if you’re elected?

One of my main objectives is the 2016 elections, primarily the local [General] elections next year. I will be lobbying profusely for student-friendly manifestos. For example the cost of education, accommodation, student supports, welfare and the student assistance fund.

We registered over 4,000 students to vote this year, initially for the marriage equality referendum. This is a tool we can use against them; it’s going to be a strong lobbying tool, we’ll be like “lads we have like over 4000 people in your constituency, start listening to us”.

Another thing I want to bring in is a vicepresident for campaigns and events. In my term I’ve been able to build up a network with other sabbatical officers around the country. I’ve noticed that colleges which have an events officer and campaign officer seem to have a much better understanding of what students need and want.

This would be a full-time paid role; it’ll be elected alongside the other vice-presidents and the president. Obviously it won’t be brought in until March next year if I can get the go ahead from the Class Reps, etc. and of course the student body.

Galway is undoubtedly lacking in events and I think that is a huge part of the student experience. Getting students when they come in the door on their first weeks of college is essential for getting them more active and makes for a happier/ better college experience.

A big aspect of the university I want to work on is the quality review and feedback mechanisms within the university. I have completed so many surveys in my time as a student and SU officer.

I have worked extremely hard over the past year, I’m not afraid to work and I’ll work my fingers to the bone for students, and I will do everything I can to vindicate their rights and ensure their voice is heard and listened to at all levels within the university.

To me I feel like the info that I am giving back to the college goes into a hole with no consultation after. I believe the college should take an approach along the lines of a “You a s ke d , We d i d ” approach. So that questions and opinions from these surveys would be answered and that actions be taken.

I also believe in terms of academic surveys on course/module review etc. there should be Staff-Student Liaison Committees set up so that these issues can be relayed in person back to students (and class reps in particular).

What do you see as the key skills and personality traits needed to be President?

As the President of the Students’ Union a person needs to have good leadership skills. This is important because the SU President is the head of the student body and the students depend on the president to coordinate core student union activities and leading the elected officers to undertake their promised goals.

Stubbornness and dedication is another, myself and Declan (curre n t P re s i d e n t ) have been in a fair share of committees together, more often than not we are told no and we have to be committed to our cause and keep pushing so that the student issues are a priority. We have to say this is what students want, this is what they need.

You need to have a good grasp of knowledge of student issues, as well as around university policies. It’s not enough to demand something and go to the university with problems but bring a possible solution which can be negotiated on.

A President needs to have good communication and negotiation skills. Nothing will ever be handed to anyone on a plate and as president, you need to put forward strong arguments in favour of student’s issues in a clear manner and negotiate any negative changes on students for a better and fairer experience during their time in NUI Galway.

You need to be inviting, open, and transparent. That if any student asks a question, you tell them the answer, you don’t hold back. You give them everything they need and want with no reservations.

Why do you think students should elect you as their President?

In the past year I was the Vice-President for Education, in the two years before that I was the convenor of the colleges of science and in my first year in college I started as a class rep. There is nobody running for any position that has more experience than me in terms of the Students’ Union affairs.

I have worked extremely hard over the past year, I’m not afraid to work and I’ll work my fingers to the bone for students, and I will do everything I can to vindicate their rights and ensure their voice is heard and listened to at all levels within the university.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Last year, NUI Galway Students elected me their Vice-President/Education Officer, I have delivered on several aspects of my previous manifesto; exam results have come out earlier for the repeat sitting in August.

I successfully lobbied for provisions into the exam deferral policy which was nothing short of a ridiculous proposal at the beginning of the 2014/15 academic year.

I have shown the University the necessity for practical work placements for students throughout their degree to prepare them for the world of work after their degree and the university have put this into their strategic plan and aim to put in place practical work placements in 80% of all undergraduate courses by 2020.

I have the experience, I have the track record of effecting change and I will work my fingers to the bone and continue on my promises next year if elected President of the Students’ Union.

14 PRESIDENT Conjoined Twins Ross and Cian Interview by Ciara Treacy What are you reasons for running for President?

Life is tough being a conjoined twin. You'd think that having a small abnormality like a mere full sized person stuck to you wouldn't have too much of an impact, but it does.

Let us take you back to 2001 when we were given a hula hoop for Christmas that we couldn't fit into it or back in 2009 we filled out different courses on our CAO. Now we both miss half our lectures and we've had to defer multiple exams because the college won't let us sit two different exams at the same time.

Even if we had picked the same course we wouldn't be able to sit exams at the same time because we'd be done for cheating like we were in our leaving cert, which strangely enough we both got different points in even though we done the same subjects and wrote the same thing in each exam.

These were only two of the many struggles we encountered throughout our life but there were some high points for both of us like when Ross lost his virginity I (Cian) got a cheeky feel of boob for the first time.

The greatest high point though would be winning the presidential election and showing people that a conjoined twin isn't someone to drag you down but someone to pick you up when you fall because if you fall they fall too.

What are your main objectives if elected?

Well if you have a quick gawk at the manifesto you’ll see our main points really come down to students making some quick grade while they are in college. We’ll be giving out a couple of shrewd horse racing tips and the odd cheeky accumulator on the football at the weekends.

If you’re not one for the ponies then we are trying to implement a ‘sperm for cash’ scheme like we seen in one of those American movies, easy money! Don't have to be a lad to donate sperm, just as long as you can get your hands on some [winks and put finger to nose puts finger to nose and taps].

Human trials for products we feel aren’t being promoted enough for the quick bit of bean so we are teaming up with cosmetic and food companies to allow students to be exclusively the first to try products before they go on the shelves.

We would also like to implement some money saving schemes such as a system in the Bialann where whatever you can eat from the food counter to the till is free. So if you get five sausages and manage to eat three on the way to the till then those sausages are free.

That along with the abolishing of repeat fees for exams which has shafted us for race week money on more occasions then we would like to mention.

What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to President?

Well over the last couple of years we’ve only ever seen one person be president. Us on the other hand happen to be two people stuck together which can only be an advantage for the college. Having two lads doing the one job, for the same amount of money as the last couple of fellas, will surely bring about better results.

This along with our kind-hearted nature, unforgiving attitude toward SU staff mistakes, excessive aggressiveness towards pressing issues, impulsiveness and indecisiveness make us ideal candidates for the job.

Why do you think students should elect you as their President?

Students would want to be thick in the head to not vote for us. There is two of us. End of question. Next.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Ya just want to give a quick shout out to Eughin and the lads for serving us after hours the other night. Appreciate that lads.

Tell us about your manifesto.

Well our integration program for students from shite counties will be a nurturing process whereby we introduce them to college life in the most gentle fashion possible. We would do a quick crash course for induction week where we would introduce them to things such as rooms that fit more than 25 people, mobile phones, traffic lights, the concept of a plastic card with virtual money on it, the idea of public transport and the general ins and outs of ‘the big shmoke’ as they call it.

Ross McLoughlin is 100% for marriage equality and we really just want to raise awareness of fellas marrying fellas and beours marrying beours. No real explanation needed here.

For the Harriers night we want to bring people back to their glory days of harriers and millennium madness. We’d be looking at guest appearances from washed-up sham DJs like DJ Rankin, Cascada, DJ Sherk and many others.

We would be looking to re-arrange all the couches to have them against walls and we want to increase the number of couches by ten-fold. There will also be a mini-bus service to any student estate associated with the college.

Our main goal is to boost numbers attending college bar events throughout the year by any means necessary.

Any. We've killed people before. And by kill people, we mean kill fees, boo fees.

Cillian Moran Interview by John Brennan What are your reasons for running for SU President?

The glorious leader, Kim Il Sung has selected me to run on behalf of the peoples’ republic of Galway to ensure that they have a transparent and hardworking dictator, to ensure that the people do not enjoy their ruler and to ensure that all other hardworking and transparent individuals will not be allowed to come to office.

What are your main objectives if you’re elected?

The Glorious leader and I have devised a 10-year plan for the SU.S.S.R; these include a number of key aspects to ensure that the peoples’ republic of Galway comes into being and to ensure that the force it was always intended to be succeeds.

These include: • To ensure that Corrib Village becomes the gulag it was always intended to be.

• To ensure that all dissident thinkers that are within Galway’s boundaries are relocated and that academic cleansing occurs.

We also hope to invite the Glorious leader over to Galway for RAG week next year. On top of that we intend to install a series of puppet Students’ Unions across the country.

What do you see as being the key skills and personality traits needed to President?

Having a beard.

Why do you think students should elect you as their President?

Because I have shades, a beard and a hat.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Someday that angels shall descendeth from the heavens and they shall sing and they shall cry and a new wave of terror shall wash across this land, and upon the backs and the blood of labourers a new and glorious union shall be built. A Students’ Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic.

Tell us about your manifesto.

I feel that the Republic of Galway has let its students down; it never finished building Corrib Village into what it was intended to be. A Gulag is incredibly important. There are too many free and dissident thinkers located within the boundaries of this fine State and I feel it is necessary that we have a fine place to put them.

I propose to install academic cleansing. To ensure that anyone getting less than a first class honours gets deported and, if necessary, executed.

It would be mighty for us to increase ties with the glorious leader in North Korea. It will ensure a booming trade of prostitution, alcohol, drugs and pizza.

I plan to merge the Ministry of Education and Welfare into the Ministry of Truths and Propaganda and I feel that it is only right to re-establish the only true Communist nightclub in Galway. Cuba.

Students' Union & Class Reps Council The Students' Union Executive is answerable to the Students' Union Council. The Students' Union Council consists of approximately 350 members representing every class in the University.

The Council is essential to the running of the Union and is beneficial to the running of the University. It also helps bring students ever more closely involved with the workings of the Union and the University.

The SU Council is used by the Union to inform students what is happening within the University and also to get feedback from students regarding any problems, suggestions or positive aspects they have found in the University.

The SU Council meets at least three times per semester and quorum for an SU Council meeting shall be 50 class representatives.

Each of the NUI Galway Colleges also has a College Class Representative Council together with a Postgraduate Council. Each College Council meets twice each semester.

• Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies Convenor • Science Convenor • Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences Convenor • Engineering & Informatics Convenor • Business, Public Policy & Law Convenor • Postgrad Officer

The object of the College Class Rep Councils is to discuss individual faculty issues whilst Students' Union Council discusses University-wide issues.

Class Reps is co-ordinated by the VicePresident/Education Officer who works with the SU Council Chair and the Convenors to ensure that every class is represented and heard. Feel free to make use of the SU Council to get your views across by approaching your class rep or an Officer.

Students’ Union SU Council Chairperson The SU Council Chairperson chairs the meetings of the SU Council and represents all Class Representatives on the Executive Committee. They work with each of the College Convenors to ensure that every class has a Class Representative.

This year there are two people running for the position of SU Council Chairperson.

They are Cathal Sherlock and Ronan Gallagher.

The Students' Union Council Chairperson will be elected at the last SU Council meeting of the academic year on Monday 2nd March 2015 at 6pm. Only registered Class Reps are eligible to vote in this election.

For more information on the SU Council see su.nuigalway.ie.

ELECTION SPECIAL 15 From Áras na Mac Léinn to Áras an Uachtaráin:

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins Many famous people started out in NUI Galway Students’ Union, but perhaps the most famous of all is current President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, who first experienced a Presidential role in NUI Galway when he was elected SU President in 1964.

Sin reporter John Brennan discusses politics, student issues, and more with the president…

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. Higgins is a man

who is small in stature but huge in presence.

The cold February air creeps in the window which is slightly ajar. As he walks towards me, he exudes a cool air of unquantifiable warmth. We both stand for a photograph in a scantily furnished makeshift interview room in Áras Moyola.

My pre-interview nerves evaporate as the President puts me at complete ease sitting down across from me. When he does speak, he speaks with a quiet confidence. President Higgins is a softly spoken intellect; one who has spent a lifetime making a difference.

Everything he has ever thrown his diminutive hands to, he has shaped in some tangible way. Be it from the leafy grounds of NUI Galway with which he has enjoyed a half century long association, to the vast arid expanses of sub-Saharan Africa where he worked during the 1980s for a short while.

More recently he has represented Galway West as a TD until 2011 and as well as this, he was also the first ever Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gealteacht back in 1993. These successes culminated in his election to the office of the President of Ireland in 2011.

To say he has made a difference is an understatement.

AT THE AGE OF 21, having worked for a time

as a factory worker and a clerk for the ESB, he became the first in his family to attend University. This is something he reflects on; “It was very important to come to the university for me, when I first came to Galway. At the time the University itself had a very large wall around [it]… the numbers were very small…”

His life as a student in UCG was to be marked by success after success. He rose quickly in the ranks of several societies like

the Literary and Debating, Drama and Arts Societies, which he still maintains are very important to student integration.

“There was a great interest in the societies which was important, I was first involved in the Arts Society and I wrote for Criterion in my second year.”

The extra-curricular things filling up his timetable helped him foster a passion for public speaking which would become something integral to his life in the public eye.

The Literary and Debating Society and public speaking to a larger extent prepared him for the public life he still lives over 50 years later. It was more than a mere hobby; “They would have this best speaker in the [Literary and Debating] Society… and I think I more or less won best speaker every year.”

He had huge success within the University debating and even represented the University with his close friend Gearoid O’ Tuathaigh at intervarsity debating competitions. Gearoid would, like President Higgins, go on to work within the University throughout his life, retiring only recently.

“I think we went to the quarter final of the Observer Mace competition, we did very well in one of the British Universities but we were robbed in another,” President Higgins quips. His sense of humour is sharp as a knife, even after a lifetime spent under the glare and scrutiny of public life.

HIS POSTGRADUATE STUDIES saw him

focus on minority groups and people on the periphery of society. During his tenure at Manchester University in the department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, he found he would encounter a lot of the Irish abroad.

This introduced him to something he would spend a lot of his life working on, namely, migration, emigration and attitudes to migrants. Exploration of the human condition is a “theme that would stay central to all my work later on” he explains.

Access to education is another thing he has spent a large proportion of his life addressing. During his time lecturing in NUI Galway he travelled extensively across the West of Ireland providing accessible evening classes for interested citizens.

The President spent ten years writing for Hotpress between 1982 and 1992. Many of the essays contained within his first book entitled Causes for Concern derived from his column which he wrote fortnightly. He reflects upon his time writing for Hotpress as time spent developing “a kind of diary for human rights initiatives I was involved in”.

He explained that he would generally write “anywhere between 800-2,500 words”.

Reflecting on this period of his life, he states; “I had a great editorial relationship with Niall Stokes and I think I only missed maybe a dozen issues over ten years.”

Engaging with the youth of the country, in a meaningful political and academic way, undoubtedly made him stand out from the crowd. He wanted and still wants their voices to be heard.

THE PRESIDENT SITS across from me hands

together, carefully considering each question laid before him. Every answer is carefully worded, meticulous, but what really strikes me about him is how accommodating he has been. He is relaxed, cordial and razor sharp.

President Higgins has always had a soft spot for students. He has spent most of his life surrounded by them, representing them and finally teaching them during his 50-plusyear association with NUI Galway.

Stories of him burning his degree in Eyre Square during the visit of then US President Ronald Reagan remain the stuff of Student folklore.

Even the current President of NUI Galway, Dr. James Browne remarks “I have known and respected Michael D. since I first came to NUI Galway as a student. All his life Michael D. has demonstrated a commitment to education in the very broadest sense... Generations of NUI Galway students will remember Michael D. as an inspirational teacher…”

He became the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaelteacht in 1993. Remembering his time working in Government, he explains; “You need a strategy for music; when I was Minister… I had two big investigations carried out… one was on ‘music as a living’ and the other was on Orchestras.”

One of his biggest initiatives while he was in Government was focused on granting and facilitating access to music. This went beyond the borders of Ireland and was a European endeavour. Along with several other European officials he had proposed a scheme that would see the distribution of musical instruments to children across Europe.

“We got quite far with it; we managed to get a line in a budget.” However, before this came to fruition the so-called ‘rainbow coalition’ collapsed and he was out of government.

“I’m still very convinced of that, that there are hundreds of thousands of instruments that were purchased for child improvement but they’re in the attics of Ireland. They could be brought to life again through things like music banks.”

Going on from that he spoke highly of music and dance. “Culture isn’t about events; it’s about living where the music happens naturally.”

HIS STRONG BELIEFS in people, education

and culture simply teem from him. They are woven into the fabric of his life’s work. “If there is one thing that has continually added to Ireland’s reputation and Ireland’s Irishness at home and abroad, it is culture and the music within that.”

His strong belief in culture and creativity are amplified by the fact that he has always shown a flair for writing; be it creative or academic. He recently released the text to his newest poem ‘the prophets are weeping’; his first since taking office. On top of this, he’s written four collections of poetry and two books.

Even at 73 years of age, he makes time for students. The issue of Human Rights is why he is visiting the University as he still vies to make a difference. At least whatever one he can manage through his limited functions as President of Ireland.

His passion for the Arts hasn’t dimmed and neither has his sense of humour. “Are you going to run for a second term?” I asked towards the end of our interview, to which he laughs and coyly says “I can’t possibly answer that question.”

President Higgins has always had a soft spot for students. He has spent most of his life surrounded by them, representing them and finally teaching them during his 50-plus-year association with NUI Galway.