Class Rep?? Pros and Cons Any thoughts?

Whats expected: In reality, organizing a few nights out and maybe a weekend away. Trying to sort out crap timetables.

There are however a ton of other responsibilities, chief among them stifling the ego and stupidity of "that type of guy" who also goes for class rep - ie for his own gain with an eye on a run for an SU position. Typically the worst of these are members of political parties. Sometimes these dominate the class rep council because all but the most dutiful class reps dont bother going to meetings.

If you want to contribute to the better emnt of student life I'd suggest bypassing all that crap and operate independently and utilizing the petition/referendum route if you feel that there is something major to be done.

Hmmm. Maybe another point of view could help. And I apologise in advance for the wall of text :P

Being a Class Rep is a great way to help your class get represented. And the timetable, lecturer liaisons, class nights out and the like; they need to get done. It can be a thankless job, depending on your class. But generally, they realise the amount of effort that goes into doing the job well, and appreciate it.

Furthermore, it's a way of meeting (what I found over 6 years) very nice and enthusiastic people who genuinely care about improving the way student politics is. Student apathy has always been a problem in DCU. And the Exec relies on the Reps to help with this.

Finally, you get things done. Policy changes happen at Class Rep Council. Important things are discussed, debated and decided upon. A class without a decent rep, frankly, suffers from the lack, and so does CRC as a whole. Your class needs a rep, basically.

Yes, some people use it as a stepping stone. And yes, some are only in it to get their names known and pad CVs. What I don't see is why a few bad examples should demean the entire system. Some of us did it for love of the job, ya know :P Maybe if a few more who actually cared about student life ran, more might actually get done.

I can also tell you that the idea of the SU Clique is total cr@p, because you can wander into it at any given time, and I'm pretty sure that's not what cliques are like. You tend to make friends with people you see a lot, so regular attendees get friendly. This is not a new concept, and I have never once understood why people see the SU as anything but open and friendly. After all, all of those people were Freshers once too.

I've seen all the arguments before, and it boils down, ultimately, to what you want yourself. Personally, I loved it, and some of the people I met through these activities remain among my dearest friends. I wouldn't change my experiences for anything, but I also know people that didn't enjoy it, didn't care, or both. I say all this as a Class Rep for 4 years across 2 courses, a former Executive member of DCUSU, and as an individual unaffiliated with any political parties, with no political endeavours to speak of.

I'd encourage you, OP, to try it on for a year. If you don't like it, you can always step down. There's nothing to lose. But also get in on Clubs & Socs, because they're awesome in ways I can't easily explain :P