SU Elections

lilmissprincess

Nathan Jege didn't submit a pdf form of his manifesto, and didn't complete hustings speech, leaving after a few seconds onstage. His name was on the ballot but he didn't seem to canvas on campus - what more are they supposed to do?

Absolutely heartbroken for Lauren and Audrey.

UnknownSpecies

Ah that makes sense so!

Sully

titan18 wrote: »

Most people didn't know there was a referendum until that late. I found out a few days before, but afaik most didn't know until last weekend.

Delighted for Sam, but Lauren not getting it was a shame. She's so far and away the best person for the job, it's a bit of a disgrace she didn't

Does UCC not have a constitution where notification on such must be given well in advance?

titan18

Sully wrote: »

Does UCC not have a constitution where notification on such must be given well in advance?

Not too sure what the rules are for SU stuff like that. At least with Societies, AGMs etc have to put up with 2 weeks notice to students. Someone else might be able to answer better on the SU, I only really got involved this year

ReacherCreature

Personally I felt the campaigns weren't advertised enough. In previous years there was quite the spread and features about the candidates. Nothing this year. Just kind of crept up on me and I didn't have a clue what they stood for.

titan18

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Personally I felt the campaigns weren't advertised enough. In previous years there was quite the spread and features about the candidates. Nothing this year. Just kind of crept up on me and I didn't have a clue what they stood for.

Ya, I thought that was a problem alright. They wanted to confine on campus campaigning to the 2 days voting took place on. There was only a week between nominations closed and voting too, so actually getting anything on candidates sorted was difficult. Think the Express might have had something, but not sure. Other than that, it was manifestos on collegeroad.ie, so unless you were interested in it/ knew people running, it was difficult tbh.

I think it might have had a part to play in some of the more populist candidates winning rather than the people who are best for the positions.

ReacherCreature

titan18 wrote: »

Ya, I thought that was a problem alright. They wanted to confine on campus campaigning to the 2 days voting took place on. There was only a week between nominations closed and voting too, so actually getting anything on candidates sorted was difficult. Think the Express might have had something, but not sure. Other than that, it was manifestos on collegeroad.ie, so unless you were interested in it/ knew people running, it was difficult tbh.

I think it might have had a part to play in some of the more populist candidates winning rather than the people who are best for the positions.

I'm not around campus as much so I missed on nominations and the like.

I've no idea how popular collegeroad.ie is but the overall turnout was extremely low compared to the college numbers.

titan18

ReacherCreature wrote: »

I'm not around campus as much so I missed on nominations and the like.

I've no idea how popular collegeroad.ie is but the overall turnout was extremely low compared to the college numbers.

It always is, it was only 300-400 down on last year which I was surprised, thought it'd be lucky to get 3000.

Like I was campaigning yesterday, and whilst I probably annoyed the hell out of people, most people honestly don't care about it.

That imo is stupid considering its there money that pays the SU and if more people got involved, they'd be improving their own CVs, improving the college meaning their degrees were worth more and it's actually fun and you get to meet a lot of people.

PhatPiggins

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Personally I felt the campaigns weren't advertised enough. In previous years there was quite the spread and features about the candidates. Nothing this year. Just kind of crept up on me and I didn't have a clue what they stood for.

No Keith O'Brien = No campaign buzz. The guy had a few things that riled me the wrong way but he knew how to sell himself and forced everyone else to do the same.

Sully

Same down in WIT - most people never have a clue who they are voting for and don't care. The thing I find with these Unions is that they tend to be very clique. If your not in the group, you don't really get looked at much. Than you have the class reps who just want to sort out any class issues and are not interested at getting into the thick of it.

titan18

Sully wrote: »

Same down in WIT - most people never have a clue who they are voting for and don't care. The thing I find with these Unions is that they tend to be very clique. If your not in the group, you don't really get looked at much. Than you have the class reps who just want to sort out any class issues and are not interested at getting into the thick of it.

I disagree to an extent. Whilst it always going to be a bit cliquish, if someone really wants to get involved, they can tbh. I mean its not like you come in and start helping at the top, you do need to do stuff either with societies, or peer support etc to at least be friends with people in there.

They tried to start the SU Crew this year too and it kinda failed, but it'll hopefully be brought back in again next year, since it's a pretty good idea.

Jeebus

It's just a big popularity contest for people to have something to put on their CV and everybody knows it.

EyeSight

titan18 wrote: »

Ya, I thought that was a problem alright. They wanted to confine on campus campaigning to the 2 days voting took place on. There was only a week between nominations closed and voting too, so actually getting anything on candidates sorted was difficult. Think the Express might have had something, but not sure. Other than that, it was manifestos on collegeroad.ie, so unless you were interested in it/ knew people running, it was difficult tbh.

I think it might have had a part to play in some of the more populist candidates winning rather than the people who are best for the positions.

i must disagree with you. i find the campaigners to be VERY pushy and annoying. there are hundreads of them around so if you wanted to know about the candidates you would ask the campaigners or maybe read the leaflets being shoved in their face.

don't get me wrong, i know that people need to campaign, but if you see me walking around you, if i politely tell you i don't want the leaflet and you still continue to follow me its very annoying and i definitely won't vote for you. it happened to be about 6 times walking through college in one go.

if campaigning went on for an entire week or so it would be torture. You may be passionate about student politics(and that's perfectly fine) but not everyone else is

KCAccidental

I'd give Audrey Walsh some welfare i'd tell you that! :P

titan18

EyeSight wrote: »

don't get me wrong, i know that people need to campaign, but if you see me walking around you, if i politely tell you i don't want the leaflet and you still continue to follow me its very annoying and i definitely won't vote for you. it happened to be about 6 times walking through college in one go.

Ok, tbf, at least I didnt follow people, and from what I saw others really didnt do it to people. That's probably too far. I and others from what I saw, stood, tried to hand out leaflets to people and asked to vote for the candidate we're campaigning for.

Also, I campaigned but I wouldn't say I'm passionate about student politics, I was just helping someone out, and it give me the opportunity to meet new people, which is always nice

gubbie

It's interesting that USI were all over Cork like a rash (a saying, I'm not comparing them to a rash) when they needed reelection but there's not sight nor sound or any information about who is running for election in USI.

Anyone know where one can get information?

Sully

gubbie wrote: »

It's interesting that USI were all over Cork like a rash (a saying, I'm not comparing them to a rash) when they needed reelection but there's not sight nor sound or any information about who is running for election in USI.

Anyone know where one can get information?

On USI? Their website/facebook/your local union for biased information.

Read news/college news reports for factual (or partly factual) information on what they do.

Liona

Student Council is on this Thursday at 6.30pm in Kane G19

As per the Agenda USI Hustings will take place for National Congress Election the following is a list of running candidates:

President
John Logue (manifesto attached)
Ciaran Nevin

Campaigns
Kate Acheson (manifesto attached)
Rob Munnelly

Welfare
Denise McCarthy (manifesto attached)

Education
Cat O Driscoll

Equality
Laura Harmon
Justin MacKay

Irish
Peadar de Bluit

Southern Area Officer
Ben Honan

Sully

Denise is very dedicated to Welfare anyway, very focused on the job. Currently Welfare officer here in WIT.

Eliot Rosewater

So next year 4 of the current 5 SU full-time officers will still have full-time student political positions: 2 in UCC SU and 2 in the USI. These peoples' lack of ambition to get out of the cot and into the real world never fails to astound me.

KCAccidental

just like any politician. milk what you can, while you can

SEEMagazine

That's an unfair assessment. Do you think that EVERYONE who ever left 3rd level did so with the necessary, requisite, experiences for any number of positions?

50 years ago it was the same argument being made, saying that those who went to University didn't want to enter the real world either...

Those of you who work in big firms... Did your boss get where (s)he is by virtue of some sort of Bill Cullen-esque rise? Not everyone can be a Guy Laliberte. Or perhaps you would prefer that the person you need to fight your corner when something goes terribly wrong is someone with absolutely no clue as to what to do? If you even want someone at all.

People are ludicrously quick to lambast the political caste with no real knowledge of what amount of work is needed. Now I freely admit that during my own time in the SU I had close to zero responsibility and little to do; but when I needed to help students with departmental difficulties I did so.

Some day soon, you'll leave college, move into the 'real world' and find all you have is a piece of paper, with a grade on it... and not a tap of 'experience'. Fionnain Sheahan was Education Officer in my time there, and he called on the student body to seek out Clubs, Societies, whatever, just to get expand their understanding of life outside of just getting an education, then a job...

While I appreciate that semesterisation and general recessionary barriers mean that students can't dilly dally and need to get their 3/4 years done in one go, I'm amazed at the level of ignorance surrounding the need to be something more. Employers don't want a drone. They need people who understand that a job is often more than A,B,C.

I was never the greatest academic, and certainly could have done better, but I did my time on the SU, and in Societies... And now I get to hang out with diplomats, CEO's, venture capitalists worth 100s of millions... And doing so is busting my balls. I work 80 hours a week for **** all money, but it's a job I would have killed for at any stage over the past decade.

The SU saw some total wasters in the past, and some incredibly weak Presidents (who did more harm than good, and the students are still suffering for it if you ask me) but in the past 6 years I've seen a far better standard of student politician stepping up and doing their part.

And for what it's worth I feel UCC should withdraw from USI because there's a body which has stagnated immeasurably in our time as a member. I voted against joining Day 1...

Eliot Rosewater

I'm not really sure what you're actually trying to argue. If you're arguing that experience is a good thing and worth chasing down I totally agree -- it's something I've done in the past, and this summer I've a lovely full-time job that I'll be able to do while travelling around Europe lined up for myself because of that.

But, I don't think that people take prominent positions (SU, Guild, etc.) in college to boost their experience. I think that being elected to these of kinds of bodies satisfies a human desire to be popular, thought highly of amongst a certain peer group, to have some kind of power, or to be "successful" in some kind of socially defined sense.

And, I don't think you can genuinely argue the experience card for people who are taking more than a year out. At that stage they've got the experience. And while it may be hard working in these student positions, they're not positions that attract a lot of accountability - and so are in a very key sense easy. Example: the Guild spent €1000 on a crossover dinner and after the revelation nothing has happened to anyone involved. Suppose you misspent €1000 of money belonging to the company you worked for. Would nothing happen there?

In this sense, student society is a microcosm of national politics. Bertie Ahern was blatantly corrupt in 2008, and FF were blatantly unpopular in 2009, yet they could still hang on. It is my belief that there is a lower level of accountability in elected positions than in regular jobs. This is why I think student politicians staying on are avoiding the real world.

Eliot Rosewater

SEEMagazine wrote: »

While I appreciate that semesterisation and general recessionary barriers mean that students can't dilly dally and need to get their 3/4 years done in one go, I'm amazed at the level of ignorance surrounding the need to be something more. Employers don't want a drone. They need people who understand that a job is often more than A,B,C.

In fairness, I think that's an over-generalization. In technical jobs - engineering, financial mathematics - employers are far more interested in hiring people with a track-record of intelligent thinking than ones who can court votes at society AGMs. A student in my class was offered an excellent job 2 years before he graduated - and he's never touched extra-curricular activities in college. It all depends on what you're doing.

SEEMagazine wrote: »

I was never the greatest academic, and certainly could have done better, but I did my time on the SU, and in Societies... And now I get to hang out with diplomats, CEO's, venture capitalists worth 100s of millions... And doing so is busting my balls. I work 80 hours a week for **** all money, but it's a job I would have killed for at any stage over the past decade.

That sounds quite interesting! Would you mind sharing more about what you do?

titan18

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

And, I don't think you can genuinely argue the experience card for people who are taking more than a year out. At that stage they've got the experience. And while it may be hard working in these student positions, they're not positions that attract a lot of accountability - and so are in a very key sense easy. Example: the Guild spent €1000 on a crossover dinner and after the revelation nothing has happened to anyone involved. Suppose you misspent €1000 of money belonging to the company you worked for. Would nothing happen there?

€1000 for a dinner of around 15 people, possibly more, when none of them were paid(at the time) for the work they put in during the year to ensure societies run smoothly. Considering the work some of them do, it's not entirely unreasonable. Also some companies have parties that are paid for by them for their staff.

SEEMagazine

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

That sounds quite interesting! Would you mind sharing more about what you do?

Executive Editor, SEE Magazine.... (www.see-magazine.eu)

As Dr Bill would say I get to hob-nob with de big nobs at de nob-dos.

As much fun as that can be it does involve the alarm going off at 7am 7 mornings a week and not seeing the leaba til midnight most nights.

SEEMagazine

titan18 wrote: »

€1000 for a dinner of around 15 people, possibly more, when none of them were paid(at the time) for the work they put in during the year to ensure societies run smoothly. Considering the work some of them do, it's not entirely unreasonable. Also some companies have parties that are paid for by them for their staff.

I certainly appreciate the local economy more these days. Could put a hefty meal & 2 litres of 7% craft beer in front of 15 ppl here for 200 euro. Wouldn't see that in the Main Rest*








*You could have seen that in the Main Rest once upon a time but one of the aforementioned weak-ass Presidents tinkered with a winning formula and the end result drove on-campus catering prices up through the roof. Could get soup and a roll for about 1.15 euro back in the days (roughly)

Eliot Rosewater

titan18 wrote: »

€1000 for a dinner of around 15 people, possibly more, when none of them were paid(at the time) for the work they put in during the year to ensure societies run smoothly. Considering the work some of them do, it's not entirely unreasonable. Also some companies have parties that are paid for by them for their staff.

I'm not suggesting a crossover meal is not called for, but €1000?! MathsSoc have a crossover meal every year -- last year the bill was €130 (15 people again) as the society only subsidized the meal and we chose somewhere cheap.

x43r0

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

But, I don't think that people take prominent positions (SU, Guild, etc.) in college to boost their experience. I think that being elected to these of kinds of bodies satisfies a human desire to be popular, thought highly of amongst a certain peer group, to have some kind of power, or to be "successful" in some kind of socially defined sense.

FWIW I did the job on the guild mostly to boost my CV and I'm nearly certain the experience and skills I came across from doing the job got me hired into what I'm doing now (Grad programme - Investment bank - London). How can I be so sure? My grades were crap

This surely adds some weight to the argument that there are employablilty benefits to doing this kind of stuff

Byron85

How much is the wage for Guild President? I ask because i've just been informed that all three candidates for election tonight are planning on taking the wage, as it's optional.