Nominations set to open for Full Time SU Roles

By Paddy Henry (deputy. sined@gmail.com)

Nominations for full-time positions within the NUI Galway Students’ Union are set to open on February 19 th . The role of Students’ Union President, along with the Vice-Presidential positions of Welfare and Equality Officer and Education officer will all be filled by new incumbents after the vote on March 5 th . Campaigning will begin for the three positions on Sunday March 1 st , with candidates having almost a week to convince voters to give them their number one vote.

Current full-time role holders Clare Austick (President), Brandon Walsh (Welfare and Equality) and Cameron Keighron (Education) spoke to SIN ahead of the opening of nominations about the importance of their roles and what their work entails.

Current SU President Clare Austick has encouraged anybody interested in applying to do so, and outlined being a team player, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and being non-judgemental, as key to fulfilling the role. “Being a team player Is important. All of the officers you’re working with have their own remit, but at the end of the day, you’re working as a team to deliver on the SU agenda”. She continued, “You also need to know your own strengths and weaknesses, you have to be strong and well prepared, in meeting with the University for example, and to know when you are getting nowhere in meetings, to know when to protest”. Ms Austick added, “It is also important to be open and non-judgemental; we have all sorts of students from many different backgrounds. You cannot let your personal opinions cloud your judgement”. The former Welfare and Equality Officer also spoke of the importance of having self-belief and confidence in yourself in being able to fulfil the role. “It has to start with believing in yourself”, she noted. “Even if people are scared about running and not winning, it’s not about winning. Either you win or you learn. If you are considering running in the first place, your heart is in the right place”.

Clare Austick also called on any students not to be put off running due to lack of confidence or experience, sharing her own experience of taking office of the first time, “I have a confidence now that I definitely didn’t have three or four years ago. The first time I spoke in public, I was out of breath and my heart was racing. I fell up the stairs of the O’Flatherty theatre! These things take time and you improve as you go on in the role”.

Low turnout has marred recent elections, and a relative high turnout in last month’s referendum on reform within the Union took many by surprise. The SU President is hopeful that this will continue, and revealed plans to raise awareness for the elections both on campus and online. “We’re definitely hopeful and we have had some interest already”, she said. “We’re hoping to hold events in campaigning and to inform students what’s happening on campus”. Welfare and Equality Officer Brandon Walsh is hopeful that more people will run for the position than last year, when only 2 entered the race, and said that he has been encouraged by early interest in the position. “There has definitely been a good response, a few people have approached me already”, he commented.

Discussing his role, Brandon gave SIN an insight into what his position entails, “Basically, there’s the welfare side of things, one on one case work, dealing with people with issues around finances, mental, sexual and physical health. And then there’s the equality side of things where we deal with all sorts of cases around discrimination”, he said. The former Societies Chairperson also claimed that prior experience working within the Union is not an essential trait needed to fulfil the position, arguing that personality is the most important factor. “I had experience in the Union myself. I was involved heavily in Societies and had training, which was handy, but it isn’t necessarily essential. An awful lot of it is to do with personality”, he said. “Training is all done over the summer in June and August, so you’re trained up to your eyeballs by the time you take up the role for the new year!”, he continued.

Adding to this, Walsh highlighted “empathy, kindness and an ability to listen” as the key to being a good Welfare and Equality Officer, “Being a good listener, I think, is the most important thing” said the science student.

Education Off icer Cameron Keighron has run on policies relating to exam reform and ease of transition between undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The former Postgraduate Taught Officer explained that nominees cannot expect to change everything in one term. “I think, in these roles, it’s important to recognize you cannot get everything done in 12 months but

rather set the foundations for those that come after you”.

Keighron outlined organisation as an important trait in doing the job. “It’s important to be able to organise your work to ensure you get the most out of your year, putting time into reading materials before meetings, engaging with key stakeholders for relevant meetings and a willingness to adapt what has been done before”, they said. The education Officer also highlighted time management and understanding as other key skills for anybody hoping to assume the role. “The Education Officer sits on around 25 University Committees, this requires a lot of planning and timing to ensure you represent students well on those and have time to meet students, as well as eating and sleeping and taking care of yourself. Understanding is especially important when meeting with students, understanding that everyone has their own journey in college and need different supports, as one solution may not work for everyone.” they added.

Among all three of the current officers the advice for those considering running was very clear – Don’t be afraid to throw your hat in the ring, because student politics is as important as it has ever been.

Latest instalment of unofficial ‘RAG’ Week hits Galway

By Saoirse Higgins

The notorious ‘RAG’ week made its 2020 debut on the 10 th of February in Galway. ‘RAG’ week (‘Raise and Give’ week) is officially meant to be a designated week in which events take place for students each day of the week to fundraise for charities. It occurs over different weeks in various colleges across the country. Generally, students partake in an excessive consumption of alcohol over the week’s period, contributing to a general party atmosphere for the universities involved.

‘RAG’ week has not been an official NUI Galway event since 2011, when it was banned following arrests of students and damage to property. It has been slammed for coinciding yearly with excessive consumption of alcohol and illegal substances. The former Students’ Union President Emmet Connolly said in his statement on the proposal to remove ‘RAG’ Week that “RAG Week has descended into a week-long embarrassment to the University and an embarrassment to you – the students”. In return for abolishing ‘RAG’ Week, the University promised to increase funding for other student initiatives.

The decision to ban ‘RAG’ Week did not dispel the tradition of drinking alcohol, although it now comes with out fundraising for charities. Yet, since its abolishment, some argue that the consequences of the week have gotten worse. In 2019, ten arrests were made on ‘Donegal Tuesday’ alone, according to MidWest Radio.

Owen Hanley, a Social Democrat and Galway City East Councillor, said when speaking to SIN that “RAG Week should be officially reinstated by the Students’ Union.” He argues that ‘RAG’ Week has negative consequences, yet we should combat this by regulation, not by banning it.

Cllr Hanley doesn’t deny the carnage that comes from the week of student drinking, yet he argues that we are not looking at the right solution. “Any excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol obviously encourages bad behaviour. However, I think we need to have a proper discussion around drugs and alcohol and not just with students, they’re just part of the wider tradition that has been in this country for years”. Galway’s nightclubs and bars were, once again, packed with students and more Gardai were deployed to the city for the week. The Hole in the Wall pub, which has become a hub of student drinking during ‘RAG’ Week over the years, especially on ‘Donegal Tuesday’, has seen a recent change in ownership. The new management were keen to reaf

firm their commitment to the safety of participants of the week-long drinking fest. “Our first priority is people’s safety. We aren’t running any drinks promotions this year. There is a cap of three drinks at a time when you’re at the bar and everybody gets a bottle of water on the way in”, said a member of the pub’s management.

The Hole in the Wall receives notorious attention every year for the photos of students queuing up outside to gain

entry. Keeping in touch with its “raising and giving” traditions to which ‘RAG’ Week in itself owes its name, COPE Galway were also present at the head of this year’s long queue, collecting money at the doors for a good cause.