SU22 - Our questions to Campaigns and Engagement officer candidates

Questions to Campaigns and Engagement officer candidates, Jenny Steele, Aidan Moran and Eibhlín NicCormaic

What’s your number one priority?

Jenny: My top priority is campus safety working groups. These groups will identify what the recurring problems on campus are, whether that is harassment, accessibility, or what the SU can do to make campus life more enjoyable. The evidence gathered can then be used to lobby the university and make change.

Aidan: Dismantling the idea in the student culture that we cannot change anything. There is an overwhelming idea within students that the status quo cannot be challenged. I want the SU to empower students to take action where they see issues because that is the only way real change will happen.

Eibhlín: I am the current Irish Language officer and have spent two years in that position. For me the Irish language is a priority issue. Irish speakers have continually had their rights denied by Queen’s. If elected I will continue to lobby and campaign for Irish language rights, as language rights are human rights - cearta teanga, cearta daonna.

Student engagement in SU elections, referendums and campaigns is low. How will you change this?

Jenny: There is a root problem with community belonging at QUB that needs to be solved if we want to address student engagement. That’s why my manifesto focuses on ensuring students feel represented and safe. Whether that is disabled or international students, women, LGBTQIA+, or others. I will ensure information is accessible on the SU website, working groups will be in place to hear students’ safety concerns, and clubs and societies will have the necessary training to thrive. If students feel represented by the SU and part of a community, they will start to care about what happens to it, and naturally, engagement will increase.

Aidan: There are two issues here. Firstly, students aren’t aware of what the SU does. This can be helped by making frequent press statements as any other political entity does as well as having more funding going to our own media institutions. Secondly, students don’t feel their voice will be heard in the SU. This requires a more dialogue-based approach. The SU needs to be having more meetings with clubs and societies and has to have an active presence in student life. We do this for elections so it’s ridiculous that we don’t do it more regularly.

Eibhlín: The schools in Queen’s all vary in voter turnout, with some schools voting in large numbers and some schools not voting at all. I would target the schools that there has been a lower voter percentage in consistently to encourage participation in elections, referendums and campaigns regularly. The students in these schools can be disengaged with student politics but face the same issues as those students who do vote. I want to give them a chance to have their say. I would encourage these schools to inform their students when elections are happening - to spread awareness of the events and to increase voting numbers, thus making the results a more accurate representation of the student body.

Six months after you start, in what tangible ways will clubs and societies be better supported?

Jenny: Six months in, I will have revamped clubs and societies’ forums. I intend to hold monthly forums that will be arranged based on the classification of the club or society. For example, there will be forums specifically for academic, social and charity societies, or sports clubs. This means that the sessions held can be tailored to specific needs. For instance, fundraising sessions for charity societies, or sessions on how to hold networking events for academic societies. In having forums that are specific, as well as providing an avenue for continual development, clubs and societies have the opportunity to continue their progress throughout the year.

Aidan: Firstly, one role of the Mental Health Action Group will be to ensure that every club and society has an individual trained to deal with any mental health issues in the appropriate fashion. Secondly, there needs to be more visibility to all events. The campus should be a bustling environment where everyone feels welcomed into following their interests. Collaborative events in new and creative ways should be arranged and encouraged. Regular forums, not just for presidents but for varying officers in societies should be in place. These should be both general and focus-based (academic, sports, leisure etc).

Eibhlín: In my first six months, I want to provide more funding for clubs and societies that will allow them to host more events and draw in more members. I want increased and improved training for committee members that prepare them thoroughly for the year ahead. Another tangible way in which clubs and societies will be better supported six months after I start is by changes on the website. I would encourage all committees to actively update and improve their space on the clubs and societies list, so that students can browse and get a proper view of what any specific club or society is really about.

How have your personal experiences shaped your manifesto?

Jenny: The continued representation of disabled students features heavily on my manifesto and that’s because I’m registered with disability services for dyslexia and anxiety, and it’s not something I’m ashamed of as it’s a part of everyday life. Disabilities can cause students to become isolated and can cause a lack of engagement. Similarly, as a woman, I have been at the other end of harassment from strangers and peers alike. I have been in situations where I have had to grab onto bouncers in fear of not being able to get away from someone who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. These experiences are the reasons I am determined to ensure all groups on campus have a voice. We need to make changes to readdress how students view each other, as well institutional changes that can ensure all sections of our student population feel safe and welcome.

Aidan: I was made brutally aware of power dynamics before I came to university. From exploitation in my workplace, to fascist domination of the streets, to fighting against apartheid in Palestine. Here at QUB, however, no one really knows how to oppose the status quo. I’ve seen my old boss give in to every demand, I’ve seen fascists retreat off the streets and the IDF give up. I’ve never seen QUB back down. There are many students who want to oppose their exploitation from the university and many others, but there has been no platform for them to do so. I’ve seen changes in power dynamics happen that I thought were impossible and I know they can happen here. We need an SU that can empower the student body and utilise the 24,000 members of our union to create genuine transformations we as students, and people, need.

Eibhlín: One of the main things I am passionate about in life is the Irish language. I was brought up bilingually with Irish and English, having gone through all my education through the medium of Irish. I have seen first-hand the lack of respect that some people have towards the language, and I have personally experienced discrimination towards my language. In my time studying, Queen’s have shown time and time again that they do not respect the voices of Gaeilgeoirí. Irish language activists on campus have worked tirelessly to make the progress we have made so far. This continuous work is very important to me, and this has largely shaped my manifesto. I will continue to work toward language rights on campus. I will continue to work for visibility for Irish as visibility leads to normalisation and normalisation leads to acceptance.

If you could have dinner with three famous people, dead or alive, who would they be?

Jenny: Firstly, my uncle Alan (he’s not famous, but is to me). He passed away when I was young but left a massive impact! He didn’t have it easy but always managed a smile. I would give anything to have another chat with him. Then Adele and finally, Freddie Mercury. No explanation needed.

Aidan: Firstly, Fred Hampton. As an activist, speaker and revolutionary, I’ve an undying admiration for him and what he stood for. Second would have to be Rosa Luxemburg for similar reasons. Lastly would be Hillary Clinton, because the idea of her sat at a table with three Marxists is honestly hilarious.

Eibhlín: Although the three people may not necessarily be in anyway similar, and the dinner party may be a bit awkward at first, the three famous people I would choose to have dinner with would be Taylor Swift, Greta Thunberg and Grace Brinkly. Thankfully they’re all alive so the dinner could still happen!

NewsThe ScoopFebruary 22, 2022