Sabbatical Elections

stereoroid

Question: are these elections for "Sabbatical Officers", in the sense used by the Wikipedia article? That is, students who get paid to take a year off, in the middle of a degree, to do SU stuff? If so, that would explain a few things... :eek:

Ballerina

stereoroid wrote: »

If so, that would explain a few things... :eek:

like what?

stereoroid

Ballerina wrote: »

like what?

That's a yes to my question, then?
Like: the reason candidates are campaigning so actively, of course. I originally thought these were voluntary positions, for SU duties on top of their studies. I didn't know that it would mean getting paid to do SU work in place of studies. I'm not saying that money's the only factor - so don't come back accusing me of making personal attacks (I'm not) - but now I know that it is a factor, this makes more sense. No wonder these politicians are enthusiastic about getting elected.

Why didn't I know? Because the word "Sabbatical" has been used on the assumption that everyone knows what it means - no-one made any attempt to explain this during campaigning. (No, buried on some website does not mean it's been explained, not to those of us with no interest in SU politics.)

I know I look grumpy, and I don't mean to, but so far, all concerned have done a very poor job of explaining just what is going on here, and what is behind the campaign politics. The stuff in the UCD newspapers has been more campaigning, but no substantive explanations. At least 1/4 of the students at UCD are new, every year, so you cannot assume everyone knows what it's all for. If you vote for a TD, you know what you're getting, and what they're supposed to deliver (not that they do)...

Notorious

The_Minister wrote: »

Sorry, but no.
Lots of people dislike Lynam, for many varied reasons, but idiocy isn't one of them. The man is smart, well-read, and knows everything there is to know about the education area.

Well then socially the guy is a moron. He may be well read and educated, I don't mean to take that away from him at all. I'm just part of the people who dislike him it seems.

Stepherunie

Well in fairness UCD sabbats are paid the least amount of any sabbat in the country so I don't think you can really blame people because they're paid.

In TCD sabbats get 19,000 a year, free on campus accommodation and free meals. UCD sabbats get 19,000 a year.

Stepherunie

Stepherunie wrote: »

In TCD sabbats get 19,000 a year, free on campus accommodation and free meals. UCD sabbats get 19,000 a year.

I'd love to hear where you're getting your information from. I was on €261 a week in 2005/2006. The accommodation was indeed paid for, but my wages were €13,833 for the entire year (53 weeks).

I believe the wages went up to around €275 a week for this year's sabbats, which is still considerably under €19,000. And free meals? No-one told me!

DIT are the best paid sabbats I think, someone mentioned the €450 - 500 p.w. mark a few years ago. Not sure exactly though.

Stepherunie

I'm gonna go give out to my sources there Myth!

DIT get average industrial wage or some such so it's close 30,000 and they get a 2,000 bonus if they stay on for a second term.

Riamfada

just to reming everyone

its on now

Belfield FM Debates

panda100

Notorious wrote: »

Eh, I dunno about anybody else but I thought Stephen did a poor job (although better than Holly Irvine last year). All I ever saw on campus was adverts for electronic music (and I like electro, but variety is the key), and those trashy (reads: s***) 'indie' bands like Delorentos. The UCD ball he promised for the start of term fell apart, and that was what he was fronting his election campaign with. That and his 'connections'.

I agree with you to a certain extent. I do not like the complete commercilization of the ents office this year and Im sure Gay Redmond will continue this next year. Ents now is all about getting these big,expensive,trendy,cool acts and this isnt what ents should be about. Ents should be about making UCD a community encompassing all students to have fun on campus. Ents is being run like promotions company at the moment with detriment to the student body.
Ents is continously aimed at the same type of people. It would be nice to have some diversity,Theres been no ents event for gay students this year for example. I remember back in third year the ents officer held lunchtime puppet shows.It was somthing fun and differnet that mightnt be cool or trendy but would bring a nice warm, fuzzy,fun vibe to belfield camus.
Or perhaps people think getting big acts is the most important thing in an ents officer?

arsebandity wrote: »

It's too much of an intrinsic community, and even going into the corridor for a cup of water is intimidating. I don't like it, I don't like the atmosphere surrounding the whole thing. What's more, I don't like how interlinked it all is.

Dan O'Neill is playing his "Break up the Party" card pretty heavily but it's holding no sway for me when he's walking around with a possé of other candidates, these aren't the attitudes of those who are going to pull their flailing co-workers in line. Join the queue Dan, no one believes promises like that from those that behave in a manner that gives the impression of the opposite.
.

If your not in the clique,you wont win an election. You need to be in the union clique to a certain extent so you can get class reps to canvass for you. Without the canvassers you wont win and only union hacks are willing to give up a week of study to canvas for someone.

Just on Dan O'Neils manifesto, perhaps Angel of fire can answer,what exactly was the students for free health care campaign? Is this students against the health service levy?
I dont think setting up a bebo page and organising one meeting makes you the 'organiser' of a student initative .
It wasnt one individual that organised the opposition to the health service levy it was a combination of a variety of groups on campus, the unanimous voice of class reps at union council ,the socialist party distributing leaflets and circulating petitions, the union raising awarness,etc etc. I think it very unfair that he hijacks the initatives of class reps and other activists and takes credit for it.
I like Dan,but this annoyed me.

pretty*monster

Anyone who thinks the union is too cliquy is living on another planet as far as I'm concerned. The idea that you could have a bunch together on anything for a year or longer and thet those people won't want to become matey with each other, date each other, have in jokes with each other and generally hang out in the same social circles is ridiculous.

Red Alert

Ents now is definitely better than ents was when I was a first year. I swear I'd get sick if I saw Damien Rice or Aslan ever again after that. To be fair to them this year the acts were very good, and the mix was quite varied by genre. The big blip on the Ents radar was that fool Holly Irvine who was elected to a job she hadn't the capability or cop on to do.

remus808

The_Minister wrote: »

I will remind people that everyone who is a member of a campaign team has to announce it here. That is everyone, no exceptions. I will look at this sometime Monday afternoon and get out the ban-stick if affiliations for some people are not posted.

Jeez, Pedantic much?

Campaign team for Dan O'Neill.



edit: it's not dishonesty, I just didnt think it was relevant. After all I'm not going around spreading propaganda..?

The_Minister

karmabass wrote: »

Jeez, Pedantic much?

Campaign team for Dan O'Neill.

No, not pedantic, honest. People have a right to know if you have an interest.

Also, that kind of dishonesty got the SU banned from boards for a while (someone else can fill you in.

redcar

Grimes wrote: »

just to reming everyone

its on now

Belfield FM Debates

Will it be on YouTube or somewhere else, didn't have a chance to listen?

Stepherunie

I don't think they were recorded.

CTN interviews also aren't going up due to a hogging of bandwidth apparently, I'm very disappointed.

Was great fun watching them though.


Oh and Karmabass - the fact that you weren't willing to declare and don't see why you should is woeful.

You're on a team, even if you don't say anything the fact you're not willing to declare is ridiculous. Being secretive about these things is why the Union got banned from this in the first place.

remus808

Stepherunie wrote: »

Oh and Karmabass - the fact that you weren't willing to declare and don't see why you should is woeful.

You're on a team, even if you don't say anything the fact you're not willing to declare is ridiculous. Being secretive about these things is why the Union got banned from this in the first place.

Any particular reason you feel the need to attack everything I post on these boards??

Im not unwilling at all, I just didnt think it was that important. I'm not going around being all "VOTE DAN" or anything. I may be helping out a friend, but I wouldn't say I had an agenda.

Stepherunie

I've attacked the post purely because I think it's the wrong tactic to take. The fact you fail to see the need to disclose it, yes you're new here but it's done every year, just like the way the SU affiliations thread occurs every year. It's the done thing here.

If it seems I've attacked every post you've posted it's because I attack many posts, this is a place for discussion, people discuss and disagree, many have disagreed with me and i've continued the lively debate.

Ballerina

am i the only person who didnt realise that link to belfield fm just showed whatever is on now and watched a guy playing three songs before realising????just me??yea thought so

speed in getting things done that may take some time!!ha!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

panda100 wrote: »

If your not in the clique,you wont win an election. You need to be in the union clique to a certain extent so you can get class reps to canvass for you. Without the canvassers you wont win and only union hacks are willing to give up a week of study to canvas for someone.

That's a load of bull. What is referred to as the Union clique, are the people who spent the majority of their days in the union corridor - it does not mean every class rep, who holds a seat on council. Not every class rep is a union hack and those who have union hacks on their campaign team, are at a bigger disadvantage, because they spend more time in the corridor than out there with your average student and your average student, couldn't give a flying toss about who's been involved in the union the longest and who's the bigger hack. Your average student will vote on the basis of a manifesto, a poster or whoever their mates ask them to vote for, if they vote at all. If you think only those who live in the clique world of the SU can win an election, you're living your life through SU tinted glasses. Viv, Shanahan and Quinlivan were less involved in the union last year, than their oponents and they all won. FACT!

MarkOShea

Open question. Do the Sabbats do much work over Christmas/Easter/Summer? It might not be fantastic money, but €275 a week isn't too bad. Especially if free accommodation is thrown in.

No affiliation's by the way. Can't even spell the word!

Stepherunie

UCD Sabbats dont' get free accomodation.

They work over the summer and easter, christmas they get a two week break iirc as UCD itself is completely closed during that time.

And Captain Negative.... Just because someone hangs out in the corridor does nto mean that they don't spend time with the 'students' or work for them. That is a woeful generalisation. I'd spend time on the corridor, and yet I've somehow managed to put in huge hours as a class rep and done about 3 other major activities too.

I don't see how having a 'hack' on a team is a disadavantage. Yes they no more about the union, but they've also probably seen more elections than most, hence they know more about they're run, that can be an advantage, I know that at least one candidate has said to me that they fact they were never involved before has felt like a disadvantage to them as they didn't really feel like they knew what was going on and how best to run the campaign.

Sometimes experience is an asset.

MarkOShea

Myth wrote: »

I was on €261 a week in 2005/2006. The accommodation was indeed paid for, but my wages were €13,833 for the entire year (53 weeks).

Stepherunie wrote: »

UCD Sabbats dont' get free accomodation.

Who's lying to me?

Stepherunie

Trinity get free accomodation, Myth was a trinity sabbat.

MarkOShea

Ahhh....gabh mo leithscéal!

€275 or whatever is pretty crap so. Suppose it is something for the CV though.

Stepherunie

Stepherunie wrote: »

Trinity get free accomodation, Myth was a trinity sabbat.

*waves*

gubbie

Stepherunie wrote: »

You're on a team, even if you don't say anything the fact you're not willing to declare is ridiculous. Being secretive about these things is why the Union got banned from this in the first place.

I disagree. I don't think there's much choice stating who you're for if you're not discussing them on boards.

CaptainNegative wrote: »

That's a load of bull. What is referred to as the Union clique, are the people who spent the majority of their days in the union corridor - it does not mean every class rep, who holds a seat on council. Not every class rep is a union hack and those who have union hacks on their campaign team, are at a bigger disadvantage, because they spend more time in the corridor than out there with your average student and your average student, couldn't give a flying toss about who's been involved in the union the longest and who's the bigger hack. Your average student will vote on the basis of a manifesto, a poster or whoever their mates ask them to vote for, if they vote at all. If you think only those who live in the clique world of the SU can win an election, you're living your life through SU tinted glasses. Viv, Shanahan and Quinlivan were less involved in the union last year, than their oponents and they all won. FACT!

Shows what you know. Quinlinven was Finance Officer the year he ran and a lot more involved then either of his people. Viv too, two years back was the disabilities officer and helped Jean a huge amount last year. Shanahan was the only non Union person

remus808

I understand the need for fresh faces in the union, but I don't think having people with no prior experience coming in is a good idea either. Lets face it, it'd be like having some randomer running for Taoiseach. IMO a minimum of a years experience with the union is needed to effeciently operate any of the Sabbat offices.

edit: irrelevant this year as all candidates have union experience anyhow

edit 2: shame the BFM debates aren't up on youtube like last years.. watched last years just there and to me they seem like a great, accessible way to assess the candiates

Chakar

The debates should be uploaded to youtube at some stage but first they have to be edited I'd imagine.

The_Minister

Chakar wrote: »

The debates should be uploaded to youtube at some stage but first they have to be edited I'd imagine.

Aye, did you notice Ciara scratching:D

Riamfada

I apologise for the lack of downloadable debates but as they took place yesterday and its at least 6 hours work editing them they wont be available until the end of the week.

If anyone is interested in getting them tomorrow please bring a memory key or a few blank CD's to the Belfield FM office between 9am-3pm ill be more than happy to accomodate.

You know my number

G