TheGown. The Independent Student Newspaper at Queen’s University Belfast, Established 1955
THE GOWN GUIDE TO QUBSU ELECTIONS
INTERVIEWS WITH THE CANDIDATES
FR
EE
Monday 3rd March 2014
RAG CHARITY ELECTIONS
NOTHING TO REPORT
6/7 STUDENT OFFICER POSITIONS UNCONTESTED
The Gown Election Special
M O N D AY 3 RD M A R C H 2 0 1 4
02 The Gown Editorial The Gown is the independent student newspaper at Queen’s University Belfast, established 1955.
Tara McEvoy Editor @tara_mcevoy
The Gown Team 2013/ 2014 Editor Tara McEvoy editor@thegown.net General Manager Megan Liddy business@thegown.net News Editors Kylie Noble Fiachra O’ Maolcraoibhe news@thegown.net Assistant - James Douglas Arts Editor Peter McGoran arts@thegown.net Assistant - Conor Kerr Correspondents Film- Patrick McAnea Music - Hayley Gault TV - Adam McAllister Features Editor Matthew Law features@thegown.net Assistant - Níamh Marley Lifestyle Editor Sonia Benhassine lifestyle@thegown.net Health Correspondent Michael Grant Sports Editor Michael Doran sports@thegown.net Assistant - Conor Coyle
It doesn’t take a gambler to work out that nine candidates running for seven positions in this year’s Student Officer elections equates to some pretty good odds. Maybe a bit too good, even, considering that – by virtue of the fact that every Queen’s student is a member of the Students’ Union by default – QUBSU currently boasts over 22,000 members. The fact that six of seven available sabbatical positions are uncontested, with only one candidate running for each of the vice presidential seats, has raised some serious questions. And try as we might, they’re not easy to answer. As the dust settled following the close of nominations, a myriad of
Business Manager Orry Robinson business@thegown.net Web Manager Anna Growcott Social Media Manager David Stewart Design Editor Matthew Morete Election Team 2014 Megan Liddy Fiachra O’Maolcraoibhe Kylie Noble Niamh Marley Matthew Law Sonia Benhassine Peter McGoran Michael Grant Amy Slack Liam Cassidy Kaity Hall Niall Coleman Anna Cafolla Andrew Doherty
@TheGownQUB /TheGownQUB letters@thegown.net The Gown Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union University Road Belfast BT71NF 028 9097 1057
So what next for student politics at Queen’s? It seems somewhat paradoxical that the numbers of
those running for sabbatical election has plummeted so drastically at a time when student activism continues to thrive across the UK; with university staff continuing to stage industrial action amidst threats of a summer marking boycott and the ever-present prospect of fee hikes looming. Closer to home again, outrage has been sparked within the last few weeks alone with The Belfast Telegraph’s revelation that the Vice Chancellor is to be paid almost £250,000 next year, following a wage increase. In this context, the hypothesis posited by Gown contributor Liam Cassidy, writing on page 12 – that this year’s election season may mark something of a watershed moment; a “death knell or wakeup call” for student politics – is difficult to dispute. Ultimately, it seems likely that the response to 2014’s call for nominations will prompt constitu-
tional reform from the Students’ Union Council in an effort to fortify the Union’s democracy. In the meantime, there’s the small matter of a vote to worry about. A huge proportion of positions may be uncontested, but familiar face RON (Re-Open Nominations) will nonetheless be a recurring option on our virtual ballots. It’s been stated that many of those frustrated with the election race should have run if they truly wanted to make a change. Whether there’s any validity in this accusation or not, one thing’s certain: the only remaining way to voice your opinion is by voting – so log onto QOL between Tuesday March 4th and Thursday March 6th, and have your say.
The Hood The Hood The Hood is The Gown’s anonymous whistleblower cum satirist. Founded in 1976 by a generous donation from the Sir Humphrey Hood Foundation, the Hood has consistently broken news of wrongdoing in the elected officials of the Students’ Union, as well as the wider student movement and the university itself. Loved by people who care too much about SU politics and despised by officers who should care more, the Hood delivers the news and the schmooze on those who waste your union dues. @upthehood
Opinion Editor Brian Martin info@thegown.net Photography Editor Darragh Hobbs Assistant - Desmond Eastwood
explanations were offered as to why candidate turnout had dropped so sharply, the level of nominations standing at just over 50% of what it was last year. Much criticism has been levelled at the ticket system and the way in which elections were marketed (both factors are analysed in greater depth later in this issue). The truth of the matter, however, proved elusive – too multi-faceted to try and pin down in a single status-cum-polemic on social media, although many had a go. In reality, it’s a tall order to try and address an issue which may be informed by a host of tangible factors, but also necessitates a reconsideration of the entire culture of student democracy on campus.
Well, I was going to make a joke, but...
Letters
Want to have your say on the issues covered in The Gown or those matters affecting students more broadly? Get in touch with us at info@thegown.net!
Letters reflect the personal beliefs of their authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gown’s editorial team. “Our Students’ Union Has Failed to Connect” Dear Sir, It is a travesty that our Students’ Union has failed to connect with the wider student body to such a grave extent. The lack of candidates running in the upcoming Student Officer election is deeply concerning, 6 of 7 positions being uncontested. There are many views on what has lead to this disengagement and the lack of candidates wanting to represent our student body. Here are my thoughts on the issue.
that into £420's worth of propaganda to be inflicted upon anyone who walks nearby. The sleekness of the GAA/Law ticket and the feeling that they cannot be defeated may have put off several possible candidates. Standing as an independent you have no chance of defeating the machine. In the past many people have put themselves forward just for the craic - see presidential candidate Captain Ciarán Gallagher. I wish we had more like him (that’s not an endorsement just approval of his election spirit).
Primarily the issue of tickets (where several people run for office together) in my opinion, is the largest factor putting people off. Running as a ticket allows you to pool the £60 allotted for promotional materials and turn
Secondly, the lack of advertising and the awful marketing used to encourage students to nominate themselves. Unfortunately the ad campaign has, apparently, dismally failed to catch anyone’s attention. Rather than ask-
Election Timelines 1) Number of candidate nominations received between the years 2010 and 2014. 2) Number of votes cast in elections between the years 2009 and 2013.
1
ing people to represent their peers, the marketing campaign employed the slogan, “We’re hiring”. The last time I checked, you get into this paid position by being elected, not hired. Referring to the officers as the “Super 7”, well - it’s just a bit cringe worthy. The manner in which these elections have been promoted, or indeed not promoted is also something we must question. Thirdly and finally, the bullying and personal attacks on those who do put themselves forward. In my five years at Queen’s, the use of social media to promote candidates has increased dramatically; the use of social media to hide behind a computer screen and make personal attacks on candidates can only put off
2
prospective candidates. No candidate should have to face a torrent of online abuse because they want to represent their peers. The election rules need reform. Student Council voted against changes proposed over the past two years. Student Council has the power to make changes for the better, but so far there has only been strong rhetoric - not action. I hope at the next council meeting personal agendas can be put aside and a working group can be set up, to bring forward agreeable proposals - to change future Queen’s elections for the better. Student Council is supposed to represent our peers: it’s time we helped the Student’s Union reconnect with them. Cathy Corbett
M O N D A Y 3 R D M A R C H 2 0 1 4
The Gown Election Special
Election 03 Drop in Nominations for 2014 QUBSU Election Six of seven sabbatical positions are this year uncontested – the highest recorded number of uncontested sabbatical positions in Queen’s Students’ Union election history. As election season begins, The Gown gives you the run-down of 2014’s race - and speaks to the Union’s Deputy Director, Dominic Doherty. The Gown Staff Members @thegownqub
“Whenever nominations closed, there wasn’t whooping and cheering and high-fiving and jumping about, and actually those students [the candidates running in this year’s election] were in the main a bit disappointed”, stated Dominic Doherty, Deputy Director of the Students’ Union, relaying to The Gown the atmosphere that descended on the Union in the wake of the close of nominations, “I think everybody would have hoped that we would have had far more interest in terms of nominations than the nine people we’ve got. That said I’m sure the nine candidates will approach the election professionally and will go out and try and maximise their votes, but there’s no getting away with the fact that no one can be happy with the level of response to the nominations call”. Indeed, disappointment has been the prevailing mood amongst the student body in the days since
262 x 185 - Gown ad.indd 1
it was announced that only nine candidates would be running in this year’s election, marking the lowest number of nominations in recent years – and a sharp decrease from last year’s seventeen candidates. Furthermore, with six of the seven Student Officer positions having attracted only one candidate, 2014 represents the first time in the history of QUBSU Student Officer Elections that so many posts have gone uncontested. The candidates for these six positions are all members of seven-person ticket (group of running mates) “Breaking Thru”: VP Campaigns and Communications candidate Colin Stevenson, VP Clubs and Societies candidate Niall McKenna, VP Community candidate Chloe Patterson, VP Education candidate Hannah Niblock, VP Equality and Diversity candidate Caoímhe MacNéill, and VP Welfare candidate Patrick Sally. The only contested seat is that of President, with independent candidates Ciarán Gallagher (running as pirate Captain Ciarán
Gallagher) and Katie Matthews running against current Sabbatical Officer and member of the “Breaking Thru” ticket Martin Lilly. As the race for the presidency heats up, it seems that a lack of competition for the other posts has already had a negative impact upon election spirit. Whilst candidates’ receipt of promotional material the week before polling usually results in a flurry of activity around the foyer of the Students’ Union, Peter Froggatt Centre, Medical Biology Centre and Elms as candidates jostle for prime wall space, this year it was a decidedly lacklustre affair. Looking ahead to how the three days of polling (Tuesday March 4th – Thursday March 6th) will pan out, Mr Doherty suggested, “I guess we now have to look at, what is the dynamic of the six vice-presidential candidates being unopposed. People always will say, “Yes, I’ll run every bit as hard as if I had two or three or four opponents” – that’s what they’ll say. But will they? I ran years ago
for VP Clubs and Services unopposed, and I know for a fact that I probably didn’t put as much effort in as I would have done had I been facing up to a number of real-life, breathing opponents as opposed to simply RON (Re-Open Nominations). So, you know, you can ask, will the VPs get their teams out in the same way their teams would have come out to help them if there’d been opponents?” Talk has already turned to the factors behind the decrease in candidate nominations – factors examined in this issue – and suggestions on what may be done to counteract similar situations in future, with Mr Doherty remarking, “The status quo’s not acceptable and we have to look at that. All of us – Council, Student Officers, staff - we all have to ask ourselves very difficult questions, and we all have to be prepared to be radical in our thoughts and radical in our actions. And I think we will be”. For the meantime, though, Queen’s will be focusing its attention on 2014’s election race. Whilst only one position is con-
tested by several candidates, all nine hopefuls for sabbatical office will have to beat the threat of ReOpened Nominations (RON) if they are to succeed. Yet such a prospect looks likely: RON has never before won. Mr Doherty, calling the vice presidential contests “essentially a foregone conclusion”, agreed, “I don’t have an expectation of that [RON winning] happening this time round”.
For all the latest news on QUBSU Elections 2014 - including liveblogs from Candidates’ Question Time, polling, and the all-important results night - keep an eye on our dedicated election coverage over at thegown.net!
26/02/2014 11:49:45
UCD_Mathematical_Science_School_NewspaperAdvert_V_Layout 1 24/02/2014 16:42 Page 1
UCD School of Mathematical Sciences
www.ucd.ie/mathsciences
ŠUCD
Graduate Studies UCD School of Mathematical Sciences UCD School of Mathematical Sciences invites applications to its graduate programmes from graduate and final-year undergraduate students with backgrounds in quantitative disciplines such as Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, Finance and Physics.
Programmes available: Grad Dip/ MSc Actuarial Science (Institute and Faculty of Actuaries accredited) MA Statistics/MSc Statistics (Royal Statistical Society accredited) HDip Mathematical Sciences, HDip Mathematical Studies & HDip Statistics MSc Mathematics, MSc Mathematical Sciences, MA Mathematics, Online Data Analytics Programmes available from March 1st PhD's in Statistics, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Simulation Science and Mathematics Further information and scholarship information
Questions?
www.ucd.ie/mathsciences/graduatestudents
Contact pgstudies@maths.ucd.ie
M O N D A Y 3 R D M A R C H 2 0 1 4
The Gown Election Special
Candidate Interviews 05
Presidential Candidates Tara McEvoy Editor @tara_mcevoy
Ciarán Gallagher Why are you running for President and what would you bring to the role?
having gone to the preliminary meetings, but I thought people were just playing close to the chest.
The reason I’m running for President is because I do have concerns for the Students’ Union. I’ve been around long enough to know the jist of how it works. I think it’s about time that the usual monotonous outcomes of these elections could do with a bit of a breakthrough.
What would you say to those who argue running a novelty campaign (as a pirate) trivialises student democracy?
What are your thoughts on the number of candidates to run for election this year? I was really, really shocked. I didn’t think it was going to be a big turnout,
I wouldn’t say it mocks democracy itself. I think it instead makes a mockery of the institution from which the elections are being held. Which is sort of the point - we are making fun of how its run, but nothing below the belt, or actually targeted at any individual. First of all, if I did get the role however, I would of course take it seriously. But it’s undemocratic in a way as well to
leave people out of this circle (of the Union). You could well argue it’s not the best way of getting people onboard (that’s a pirate ship joke), but I think it’s worth a damn good shot, at least to see what the effects would be, because it hasn’t been tried on this campus as far as I know, certainly not in recent years. What policies are you focused on realising? I want to install cannons on the roof of the Union and fly the Jolly Roger 365 days of the year, for those of us who see ourselves as pirate by cultural heritage. Cheaper pints in the Union, of beer and cider. Abolish morning classes.
Presidential Candidate Ciarán Gallagher.
Martin Lilly Why have you chosen to run for the position of President? I think I’ve had a great year running as VP Clubs and Societies. I’ve had a lot of good experiences, but I feel like I can contribute more and I think going for President is the natural progression of that, to have more of an impact in that way. What qualifies you for the role? I think first of all, experience in Queen’s. Being involved within the Students’ Union, being involved within different clubs and societies, involved in Council, as well as being involved in my current role. It’s given me more of an idea of how things work and how to go about making
change and working alongside, and also essentially holding the university to account. What are your thoughts on the number of candidates running for office this year? Obviously it’s disappointing. I think it takes away somewhat from the experience of the whole thing. We want a healthy level of debate on how we feel these things should be done. What is your biggest priority for change? In its current mechanism, I think things need to be simplified. I think that maybe there’s a growing culture of red tape that needs to... there needs
to be some issues addressed with things there. But I think as Student Officers, it’s important that our roles are respected in their full manner. We’re mandated, we’re working for the students, so I think we need to maybe... I think we need to make sure that people are aware of that and why we’re there. We’re there to work with the University, but we’re also there to hold the University to account. So if we need to shout at them, if there’s stuff they’re doing we don’t agree with, we need to be on the ball and campaign vigorously for that. So there needs to be maybe a realignment of roles, as to: we’re Student Officers, this is what we do, and you know, essentially respect us because we’re elected and we have a mandate to do stuff. Presidential Candidate Martin Lilly.
Katie Matthews What has motivated you to run for President? I like to think I’m an approachable person, and I’m definitely prepared to speak up for other people. That’s something that’s close to my heart. It’s an important thing, because there are always going to be people who feel like they can’t necessarily voice what they’re trying to say. I’ve always been prepared to speak up for other people, because when you see injustice, things that aren’t fair, when you see people that can’t voice themselves, I’ve always been prepared to step in and do that. What would you bring to the role? I’ve had a lot of experience in representation. That is something that is very important for me. I’ve come into contact with a lot of students and have a lot of ideas to bring to the table.
My manifesto is full of – hopefully fresh - ideas, but also ideas that have been there before, that we could try again. There’s nothing wrong with trying something again. Just because it’s failed once, doesn’t mean it’s going to fail again. Beckett said, “Fail again, fail better”, you know. Another thing I would say I bring is positivity and enthusiasm. Constantly motivated, always wanting to help. What are your thoughts on the number of candidates this year? I think it is unfortunate that six of the seven roles are uncontested, however, for them to want to put themselves forward in the first place should obviously be acknowledged as a brilliant thing. Will your affiliation with NI21 (as Women’s Officer of NI21 QUB) im-
pede on your ability to impartially represent the entire student body? For me personally, I don’t feel like my political affiliation would ever represent the way I represent other people. I know from all the experiences that I have had, and all the people I’ve come into contact with, it’s never affected that. What is your biggest priority for change? My ethos: “We Value Your Voice” would run through everything that we do. There should never be a student who feels they can’t come to us. We are there to represent them, we are there to be their voice, and to be receptive. That, for me, is the most important thing: that we are there to represent every single member.
Presidential Candidate Katie Matthews.
The Gown Election Special
M O N D AY 3 RD M A R C H 2 0 1 4
06 Candidate Interviews Campaigns & Communications: Colin Stevenson Fiachra O’ Maolcraoibhe News Editor @fiachra1992
What are the responsibilities of the VP Campaigns and Communications? Make sure that the students know what’s going on in the Union. For example, Volunteer Week is a big week within the Union and students should be made aware of this and the benefits that are associated with it. I feel there are good opportunities for study abroad and stuff. There are a lot of people going to study abroad but I feel the numbers could be increased a lot more. It would be beneficial for alumni to come back and explain to students the benefits of studying abroad and how events such as this can really bolster up your CV, and make you more employable. What do you think about current situation between UCU (Univer-
sity and Colleges Union) and the University? Obviously it’s not good. There is a strike. Things should be identified for the lecturers and if they’re not happy with their current situation people should sit down and look at why they’re not happy and if there is anything that can be done to improve the situation. But from the student side, you know, I can say that some lecturers... you’ve got lecturers with different languages, and I know you promote diversity amongst lecturers but sometimes it is hard to understand their English level and the way they speak it, it’s kind of harder to understand. You know, I was in America and the lecturers were more involved so I feel from the student side that could be done to make it better for everyone as a whole. What do you think of demands for a 3% pay rise for university staff?
Well, I wouldn’t agree with it. Because, you know, what we’re paying, what student fees are paying, is extortionate. What are the major campaigns that will matter to the student body at Queen’s? I really like Stand Out Week, for the employability. Media Week was done well last year, they got people in to speak to the students and so, you know, it could provide a shining light to students who are thinking about what careers they want to go in to. Also I would like to promote the SU Magazine. I was thinking of improving the transportation services for students around the Union. It could be good to have cycling hotspots around the university so people could rent the bikes. It wouldn’t cost that much, because buying a bike isn’t really a financial option for most students.
VP Campaigns and Communications Candidate Colin Stevenson
Clubs & Societies: Niall McKenna Megan Liddy General Manager @AlrightBolly
What qualifies you for the role? I’ve been involved in clubs and societies since I came to Queen’s. I joined the GAA club [football] and the Engineering Society and I’ve really enjoyed it. It definitely takes stress away, when you’re doing a heavy course. You need some sort of outlet, I’m really passionate about it. I want to get as many people involved [in clubs and societies] as possible. Have you got any key ideas on how to get more people more involved? Just make them more aware of all the clubs and societies available. There’s
a lot of people in my class who never got involved in clubs and societies and I find that strange, just bizarre. Why do you think they didn’t get involved? Some people are like that, just don’t want to get involved. There’s others that just weren’t aware, maybe missed the Freshers’ Fair and never got started in a club or society. I want to make it easier for people to get involved beyond first year. Clubs and societies are so crucial for development. Martin Lilly, presidential candidate is VP Clubs and Societies now. Niall McShane, the current President, served two years as VP Clubs and Societies before that. What do you think the biggest successes of their terms in office are?
Just increasing numbers. Increased footfall at the Freshers’ Fair every year. I think the awareness of clubs and societies can really benefit you. It increases your development. Employers are looking for people who are well rounded. You’ve mentioned the Freshers’ Fair. That’s obviously a huge job for VP Clubs and Societies, but it’s over by the start of October, have you got any big ideas for throughout the academic year? Increase awareness throughout the year. If a person misses the Freshers’ Fair, they can still get involved, get in contact with me, if I get elected, or in contact with the Chairperson. Making it more accessible is the most crucial thing.
VP Clubs and Societies Candidate Niall McKenna
Community: Chloe Patterson Kylie Noble News Editor @Kylie_Noble94
Why have you decided to run for VP Community? It sort of started out when, this year, I was elected as Charity Officer of the Law Society. It’s quite a large society, with between 500-600 members, so you have to get them all involved. You know, it can prove quite difficult sometimes, so I sort of came to grips with that, solving that problem. It’s been absolutely fascinating creating new events, getting people I’d never met in my year, and years below, involved. It’s been heartening and really nice to see. So I’d like to make the
post of VP Community an extension of that. I’ve got quite close ties with Sarah Louise [Baird, current VP Community] this year, and I think she’s done a fantastic job. I’d like to continue on her good work [...] to build a place where everyone feels welcome. What would be your main goals if elected? From my own experience, I really appreciate volunteering and value volunteering, and I don’t think enough people do it. My other main point would be, coming from a joint degree path, I feel the links between the schools are really poor. I’d like to increase those links, and build on them. I think what the University’s doing at the moment
to integrate international students is really good, and I’d like to do more of it. A major part of Community is dealing with residential bodies and the City Council. My goal this year would be to get students to come and talk to me about problems. I just don’t want any student to feel like they’re out of their depth. Law Society aside, how have you been involved with university life? I’ve been on the SSCC (Staff Student Consultative Committee) for Law. I’ve been involved in the Literific, I love the Literific! And I think it’s great – their popularity, how much they’ve increased this year. VP Community Candidate Chloe Patterson
M O N D A Y 3 R D M A R C H 2 0 1 4
The Gown Election Special
Candidate Interviews Education: Hannah Niblock Matthew Law Features Editor @Nantan_Cochise
Why are you running for VP Education? It wasn't a long-term plan to run, but the only position I would ever run for is VP Education. Mainly because of my experience: I've been a student now for six years, (three years History, and three years in Law), and in that time have spent five years on the Staff Student Consultative Committee, of which I was Chairperson in my third year. What changes do you plan to make to SSCCs (Staff Student Consultative Committees) if elected? SSCCs can be quite slow to change things, which is something that I
really want to work on. In an SSCC, you go in, have a wee chat, and nothing happens as a result, most of the time. We need to make SSCCs more responsive. I think they’re good at the minute, but they could be great.
on campus last year, to twenty-five this year - a whole variety of employers. The Students’ Union actively engaging with initiatives like these will help to make them long-term, and will give continuity.
What are your plans for improving the careers service at QUB?
Where do you stand on the proposed marking strikes by the UCU?
The careers service is brilliant, and certainly as a student, I have benefited immensely from the service it provides. However, I think it's a bit disengaged from the rest of the university. Students aren't overly willing to walk over to the Student Guidance Centre to go to careers events. One thing that's worked really well is the utilization of the common
I'm supportive of people sticking up for themselves in their job. However, I think the affect of not grading papers is extremely different from that of not running a class. It's something I would at least like to be able to discuss with those who wish to do it. I'm here to represent students, not staff members. So, my role, first and foremost, would be to look after the
rooms for careers events – it’s really improved attendance. I set up a careers committee, and we have gone from having two or three employers
welfare of the students, and if I felt they were being unfairly penalised as a result, I would certainly stand against it, I'd have to be honest.
VP Education Candidate Hannah Niblock
Equality and Diversity: Caoímhe MacNéill Níamh Marley Assistant Features Editor @GownFeatures
What are you most proud of from your 2013/14 term as VP Equality and Diversity? Being involved in the InnovateHer programme was really heart-warming and it was so great to see women confident in their abilities, even if they weren’t from business backgrounds. Pink Training was fabulous. It went off without a hitch and to think that I had a hand in making that happen was a proud moment. I would like to do more political campaigning if I am elected next year. Student-driven campaigns can make such a massive difference, and I want to use my position to have students’ voices heard.
Why do we have so few candidates this year, in your opinion?
What do you want to achieve next year if you’re elected?
Maybe the different style of publication this year has had an impact. Personally, I think the amount of abuse candidates get when campaigning is a factor. It was a very tough week. Some of my friends couldn’t believe I was running again, after the harassment of last year. I was petrified of my first Council meeting! But it’s not the fault of the candidates running that there are so few candidates. We haven’t asked people not to run. Yes it’s disappointing, but we stood up and said, we want to do this for the people of Queen’s University. If RON [Re-Open Nominations] wins next Thursday, fair play to him or her, but I’ll run again. I want to be here next year. It’s more than a job.
Increase engagement with hard to reach groups, like international, postgraduate and mature students. It will take planning and hard work, and you need more than a year. I want to increase student-led campaigns and initiatives. Last year, for example, Council passed a policy to have Transgender Day of Remembrance as an official event. As someone who doesn’t identify as transgender, I don’t feel it was my place to take lead on that event. So I worked with the LGBT society to act as a facilitator and provide logistical support and advice. It was crucial that the event was what they wanted it to be. It’s not about me. I really want to build on the work I did last year.
VP Equality and Diversity Candidate Caoimhe MacNeill
Welfare: Patrick Sally Sonia Benhassine Lifestyle Editor @MissSoniaBH
Why have you chosen to run for Vice President Welfare? I spent a year in America with the current VP for Welfare, Tiernan McAteer, and out there you get a comparison to Queen's life - I realised some students were underrepresented: in my case engineering students and some postgraduate students. What experience will you bring to the role? Like I said, I spent a year [studying] in America, so I’ve seen the pros and cons of both universities and highlighted the problems with
Queen's. I figured, coming into Queen's, you came with people you knew from home (from my own experience, I came to university with friends from Omagh). But once I went to America, I realised how hard it was to fit in. I combated those problems by getting involved in things such as clubs and societies. I haven't been involved in student politics, but with other things around the University such as the launch pad programme for starting up a business and I enjoyed it, so I would encourage students to get involved in similar things. What do you think the current VP Welfare has done well? The “Are Ye Well” campaign has worked well (even with [former VP
Welfare] Joanne O’Neill the year before) but I wish to expand on it, to have the teas and coffees provided during exam time extended to meet the needs of those working at dissertation deadlines, and medical and dental students who do not have conventional deadlines. Why should students vote for you? Some students are underrepresented in the Sabbatical Officer elections - the last Engineering student elected was Niall Bole - so it would be nice to have another engineer in the office. I would like to make the Union for all schools within the University.
VP Welfare Candidate Patrick Sally
07
UCD_Mathematical_Science_School_Poster_AW_Layout 1 26/02/2014 10:09 Page 2
University College Dublin College of Science
MSc Actuarial Science Graduate Diploma Actuarial Science Why UCD? ■ ■ ■
Top 2% world university Strong industry links Earn examination exemptions
■ ■ ■
Research/innovation pedigree Full professional accreditation Fast-track your career
UCD School of Mathematical Sciences introduced actuarial science to the university sector in Ireland in 1991. We offer the longest running and widest variety of actuarial programmes in the country. The MSc and Graduate Diploma can fast-track your career, with significant actuarial employment links to Dublin’s insurance market. Both programmes are accredited by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK), allowing you to obtain exemptions from their Core Technical (CT) 1-8 examinations. Applications now open to graduates and final-year undergraduate students with backgrounds in quantitative disciplines such as Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, Finance and Physics. Scholarship and paid research placement positions available for a number of students as part of the MSc Actuarial Science programme.
Further information: www.ucd.ie/graduatestudies Questions? Contact pgstudies@maths.ucd.ie
M O N D A Y 3 R D M A R C H 2 0 1 4
The Gown Election Special
Election 09 The Gown Guide to Students’ Union Elections Baffled by the deluge of leaflets you’ve been receiving? The Gown provides a rookie guide to election season. Michael Grant Health Correspondent @mickgrant
posts for Campaigns and Communications, Clubs and Societies, Community, Education, Equality and Diversity, and Welfare. So what do they do?
happening in your Students’ Union, and support you if you wish to start a campaign for a cause within the university.
If you’re like me, you spend this month each year scratching your head. You know everyone’s talking about some kind of elections, you receive endless #Vote4[Insert Name] invites on Facebook and enthusiastic young people accost you with flyers outside the union. But you’re none the wiser as to whom these people are or what they’re trying to do. Well, that all ends now. Here is The Gown's rookie guide to student elections.
The President is effectively the voice of the people. Whoever is elected to this position is supposed to focus on making the most of your university experience by representing the issues that are important to you. Their duties include championing students’ ideas to the university hierarchy, the government and the public as well as helping to coordinate the day-to-day activities of the Union itself.
VP Clubs and Societies support student clubs and societies in whatever way possible. This may come in the form of funding, training or even just some friendly advice on the how-to’s of running or establishing a society.
Each year there are a “super” seven positions available to Queen’s students to run for: the President of the Students’ Union, and Vice President
The VP for Campaigns and Communications has a purview of ensuring that your opinions are heard. They also keep you informed as to what is
The VP Community is in charge of helping to establish the feeling of community within the local student population and ensuring your safety during your time at Queen’s. This officer should be the first port of call for those of you dwelling in the Holylands, as it is he or she that can represent you to local residents and the City Council
(A good person to contact after your third noise complaint on Rugby Road). VP Education helps you with any and all issues that reside in the realm of academia. Struggling with exams, unreasonable deadlines or think there’s a way to improve how your course is taught? This is the person to call. VP Equality and Diversity: this post does what it says on the tin. Their role is to ensure that you are free from discrimination and prejudice during your time here. Be it issues to do with race, age or sexual orientation – this Student Officer should try their best to promote diversity and equal opportunity for all. VP Welfare sees to your general well be-
ing, mental and sexual health, housing, safety, and all-round happiness. Theirs is the shoulder to cry on. So now that you know what’s up for stake, how will you vote? Get online to the Students’ Union website and give each of the candidates’ manifestos a thorough going-over. Not satisfied or still have a few burning questions you’d like to grill one of the candidates about? Well, the “Super 7 Candidate Question Time” takes place on Monday the 3rd of March and will give you the opportunity to do just that. Voting takes place on QOL from the 4th to the 6th of March, so make sure not to lose out on the chance to have your say. This is your Union. This is your vote. Make it count.
Who Is RON...And What Happens If He Wins? You may have heard tell of a mysterious opponent facing all nine of this year's candidates for office. But who is RON, and what happens if he wins? Megan Liddy General Manager @AlrightBolly
Níamh Marley Assistant Features Editor @GownFeatures
Over this election period, RON is the talk of the Union: the sole opposition in six out of the seven sabbatical elections taking place. RON is a handy acronym for “Re-Open Nominations” – in other words, if a voter is dissatisfied with the candidates, they can essentially cast a vote for “none of the above” and vote to have the nominations re-opened. Six of the seven ‘Breaking Thru’ candidates are unopposed: only the presidential election is contested. We’re in a unique position this year. Although there have been uncontested elections for individual positions, most recently Adam McGibbon for VP Welfare and Fiona Kidd for VP
Campaigns and Communications in 2011; never before has there been so many uncontested posts in the QUBSU elections. Of course, RON is not unique to one candidate races. The option to vote RON is always there, in every election, every year. RON is there as a viable option to protect student democracy, and provide a medium through which the electorate can express their malcontent with the proposed candidates as, without paper ballots, there is no way to “freely spoil” a vote. RON is a protest vote, a vote that says, “I think we need to try this again”. RON has never won any election in Queen’s and a victory this time around is very, very unlikely. That said, if any year is going to be RON’s year, 2014 could be it (there are already multiple versions of ‘Vote RON’ campaigns on Facebook and Twitter). So what if the almost-impossible happens, and RON wins?
There is a provision within Union procedures for an election to take place if RON wins any or all positions. There is a referendum held in the second week of May each year to ratify any changes to the constitution. If there is a RON win, nominations will reopen in March, with the election to run online in May. This enables any result of the referendum to go to the June Senate meeting. Although there has never been a RON win in QUBSU history, there has been one occasion within the last ten years where a single position election was held in May. If RON wins, the losing candidate is entitled to run in a re-election if they wish. If the candidate wins one sixth of the votes cast in their election, they will be entitled to have their deposit returned, which can be put towards re-running. However, in the past the SU Council has voted to return the deposits of candidates who have failed to meet the quota of one sixth of the votes.
RAG Charity Elections Amy Slack Contributor QUB's Raise and Give (RAG) Society is holding elections concurrent with those for sabbatical office, to decide which four charities will be spotlighted in their campaign during the next academic year. This year, RAG were inundated by applications from a wide variety of local charities, making it extremely difficult to create a shortlist of only eight, according to co-chair Fergal McFerran. The decision to choose the final four is now left up to the university's student population. All eight shortlisted charities would benefit greatly from the funding that RAG could provide, as they rely heavily on their own fundraising activities, as
opposed to receiving government support and grants. RAG have raised over £109,000 for this year's charities, through events such as the Freshers' Pub Crawl. The shortlisted charities for 2014-15 are: • Action on Hearing Loss, which offers day-to-day care for people in Northern Ireland who are deaf, while also campaigning to improve services and awareness, and running a world-leading biomedical research programme to help find a cure. • Autism NI, a charity dedicated to supporting people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder based on their individual needs, by encouraging research into autism and campaigning to improve the welfare of individuals living with autism.
When we talk about RON, we don’t mean this guy... Rupert Grint aka Ron Weasley, photo from Wikimedia Commons.
The sabbatical election isn’t the only one taking place for at Queen’s between March 4th and 6th.
• Aware Defeat Depression, the only Northern Irish charity that works exclusively for those with depression, by running a network of support groups as well as a dedicated helpline manned by trained volunteers. • Guide Dogs NI, who “will not rest until blind and partially sighted people can enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else”. Alongside training guide dogs, they fund ophthalmic research projects and campaign for equal rights for those who live with a visual impairment. • Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI, who “fund research into the causes and possible cures” of haematological cancers, and support the Leukaemia Research Laboratories in the Centre for Cancer
Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) and Belfast City Hospital. • NI Children's Enterprise, who promote peace between Northern Irish community groups, and give young people opportunities “to make connections and develop positive relationships with people they would not get the chance to meet otherwise”, according to Queen’s student volunteer Odhrán Devlin. • SOS Bus NI, a charity which takes trained volunteers and medical staff in specially equipped vehicles to Belfast's streets at night, in order to assist anyone who may need help. • The Welcome Organisation Belfast, a group dedicated to working with people who are homeless, by offering a daytime
drop-in and support centre, as well as outreach services for “rough sleepers”, and accommodation for women in crisis. Fergal McFerran called upon Queen’s students to vote in this election, as “the fundraising activities which we carry out every year will make a significant and genuine impact on the capacity of these local charities and the work that they can carry out”. For more information on the shortlisted charities, visit the RAG website, at www.ragqueensbelfast.wordpress.com. All Queen's students are eligible to vote for their chosen charities through QoL. As is the case with Student Officer nominations, voting opens at 7am on Tuesday March 4th, and closes on Thursday March 6th at 5pm.
The Gown Election Special
M O N D AY 3 RD M A R C H 2 0 1 4
10 Election Marketing Campaign Attracts Mixed Responses The “Super 7” campaign was launched in a bid to attract students to run for election, but seems not to have had the desired effect. The Gown Staff Members @thegownqub
The marketing campaign designed to attract students to run in this year’s Student Officer election has prompted mixed responses. The “Super 7” campaign – launched on in mid-February – marks the first time that elections have been actively advertised by the Students’ Union. Yet it has been heavily criticised in the days since its publication, with complaints ranging from those about the slogan “We’re Hiring” to the rhetoric which encouraged potential Student Officers to “Change stuff”. Criticism of the campaign turned especially severe following the close of nominations of candidates for this year’s election, with some – in part - blaming the “Super 7” campaign for the sharp drop in the number of those putting themselves forward. The campaign was discussed in The Irish News over the course of several days. Speaking to that paper, SDLP MLA Alex Atwood stated, “It is being advertised as career progression rather than what it is – leading stu-
dents in their interests. The danger is that it comes across as an exercise in careerism when it should be seen as an exercise in leadership”. DUP MLA Peter Weir echoed these sentiments, positing, “I think a lot of people from across the political spectrum would be sad that positions within the Students’ Union are being advertised more as being “for hire” rather than to the winner of an election. It would seem that there isn’t now an environment to encourage much political debate for the future”. Speaking to The Gown on the intentions underpinning the campaign, Dominic Doherty, Deputy Director of the Students’ Union, said, “We do feel that the message we were trying to get was that the student body was in effect hiring students to speak on their behalf and to do a good job on their behalf. Perhaps that message became a little bit garbled”. Responding to those who argued that the campaign ran the risk of “dumbing down” student politics, Mr Doherty stated, “What we need to remember is that the language
Just the Ticket? Megan Liddy General Manager @AlrightBolly
A ticket, for those not in the know, is a group of election candidates who come together to form a team. It’s a pooling of resources: each individual will campaign not only for themselves, but for their running mates too. The supporters that each individual brings to the team can result in exponential person power. Indeed, each candidate is individually allowed a budget of £60 to spend as they wish on their campaign (e.g, extra posters, t-shirts etc). However, a collection of individuals may not only pool person power, but also budgets: those £60 individual budgets quickly add up. The old adage of strength in numbers certainly seems to apply here. This year, there is one ticket running as a group of seven: the “Breaking Thru” ticket, comprised of two current VPs and five upcoming hopefuls. Candidates for all vice presidencies are unopposed. Although there have been unopposed candidates for election before (in fact, our very own SU Deputy Director, Dominic Doherty ran only against RON (Re-Open Nominations) in 1988), never have so many positions gone uncontested at once at QUBSU. Naturally, this has created a huge wave of discussion. There has been a lot of finger pointing, with the ticket phenomenon under particular scrutiny. Mr Doherty tells us that there has always been the tendency for people
to run together, sometimes united under party lines, sometimes united under a looser “shared vision”. Having been at Queen’s for a while, the Union’s Deputy Director is able to lend a unique insight. In days of yore, when paper ballots were the only option (as everyone was presumably leading very productive lives, waiting for the internet to be invented), polling took place over three days, but not all elections were open over three days. Day one comprised of the presidential election, day two comprised of the elections for VP Welfare, VP Education, VP Equality and Diversity, VP Community, and Deputy President (a position which is closest to our modern day VP Campaigns and Communications), and day three comprised of the elections for VP Clubs and Societies and VP Entertainments (a now defunct position). Now, polling takes place on Queen’s Online, over three days, with all elections open between 7am on day one and 5pm on day three. Mr Doherty makes the point that this fact lends itself more easily to ticket candidates. Since the first online election in 2007, ticketing in elections has soared in popularity. In 2011, there was a very healthy mix of tickets and independent candidates. There was a six person ticket running under no team name, headed by Jay Downs for President. Only two of the six people, Nuala McAdams for VP Education and incumbent Adam McGibbon (running unopposed) were successful from the largest ticket that QUB had yet seen. Incumbent Fiona Kidd, from an unnamed three
of democracy is an inhibitor to many students. There hasn’t been an election in this part of the world since 2010 so a lot of our students have never voted in any election, of any shape or form. And we have to be aware of that, and we need to tailor the message accordingly. It’s not treating people like they’re stupid, it’s just keeping the message straightforward and plain”. Following the flurry of attacks on the campaign posted on social media sites, Mr Doherty sent an email to all members of the Student Council on February 27th, besieging Councillors to, “Recognise the significant hurt that is caused by some of the comments that have been posted” regarding, “a small group of human beings who, because they are contracted staff members, are unable to log on and defend themselves in relation to comments made on Facebook and Twitter”. He added, “The staff in our Marketing Department are, on every single working day, trying their very best to make the student experience better and to enhance the work of the Students’ Union, and their effort and commitment to the Union can-
A screenshot of the email sent out to students, encouraging them to run for election. not be questioned”. He later told The Gown, “I hope that my email has the impact I hope it did, where people take a step back and draw breath and think, “Okay,
I’ve had my say, I’ve vented, let’s all move on now”. I think it’s time to move on”, and acknowledged of the campaign, “We [the Students’ Union] will learn from it”.
The ticket system of electioneering has risen to prominence over the past few years: has it contributed to the lower number of nominations witnessed this year? person ticket - headed by Sam Tan for President - was successful by default, after her opponent Lorcan Mullen was forced to withdraw from competition due to a technicality - resulting from the rule surrounding academic standing. In that mixed election year of 2011, four out of five candidates on the “Change 4 SU” ticket, headed by Jason O’Neill, claimed success.
advice for those who may consider running in the future, stating, “Student politics here is changing, why not be part of the change?”
In 2012, QUBSU saw its first ever full, seven person ticket in the form of ‘Team Connect’, again headed by Jason O’Neill. There were other tickets that year, including a “FEE – Free Education for Everyone” socialist ticket – who banded together under a common cause, but “Team Connect” was victorious in every position. After that, it seems that the idea was cemented that a full ticket was necessary for victory.
It would seem that last year, “Student Action” hoped to beat the ticket with incumbents on it by “playing them at their own game”. On election results night, every candidate, victorious or not, is invited to make a speech. The common theme of the “Student Action” losing speeches was that they had been glad to give the incumbents, along with their chosen new running mates, “a run for their money”, and hoped that they would inspire hotter competition in future. It’s obvious that this goal has not been realized. Rather than acting on the rallying cry for ticket action in 2014, it appears that the population of QUBSU has collectively shrugged.
Last year, fifteen candidates ran for election: three (very brave) independents and two full, seven person tickets - “Backin’ Students” versus “Student Action”. After a very heated contest, with a margin of just thirty votes in the closest election, every member of the “Backin’ Students” ticket won the contest for their position. Given this recent history, it’s not hard to see why tickets are the topic of much discussion. In the most recent issue of the SU Mag, published in May 2013, Connor Daly, who successfully reran with “Backin’ Students” for his position as VP Campaigns and Communications, wrote an article on the rise of tickets within Union politics. The article gave campaigning
Obviously, the students who have put themselves forward for election should not be in any way admonished for putting themselves forward. In a typical election, the key concept is that the voter chooses the best option available. There must be a winner, there must be a loser. One must enter an election hoping to win, but prepared to lose. Dominic Doherty reported that many Students’ Union Councillors have said that the impact of ticketing in general (particularly, one consistently successful ticket with a shared genealogy in recent years) has created a perception where the competitiveness of the election is removed. If an election ceases to be competitive, why compete? How-
ever, as Mr Doherty also pointed out, this has, to an extent, become a self fulfilling prophecy. There must be a winner, there must be a loser. If one is not prepared to risk losing, one fails to offer the voter an option, fails to add to competition. There was an attempt to reform the ticket system at SU Council post 2013 elections, however, it largely failed, after some councillors walked out - resulting in a failure to meet the quorum required for constitutional change. It’s a fair assumption to make that some returning councillors will be kicking themselves for not channeling their dissatisfaction with the status quo into a push for electoral reform earlier in the year. The National Union of Students currently recognizes tickets as a legitimate way of organizing during student elections. Ergo, it is clear that tickets cannot be banned, as was called for in 2013. What is clear is that the status quo is not acceptable. What is also clear is that - although there has been a lot of blame laid at the door of ticket organizing, and it is probably not blameless in creating the current mood - there is no one factor solely responsible for the state in which we find ourselves. Reform of some sort - possibly quite drastic reform - is needed. Despite the current mood, the students of QUBSU are essentially all responsible for the current state of play. The ball is very loose in one very large court. Things can, and almost certainly should be changed.
M O N D A Y 3 R D M A R C H 2 0 1 4
The Gown Election Special
Election
11
“Why is no one talking about the big grey thing in the Room?” Could a rethink of the way in which we vote increase student participation in elections? Megan Liddy General Manager @AlrightBolly
It’s clear that we need to take a long, hard look at the whole process of elections at QUBSU. There are plenty of factors that have played a part in creating this record low candidate participation. One fairly can’t point a finger at any one explanation, because if we’re really honest with ourselves, we are all responsible. Factors which have to which some blame has been attributed include the elections’ marketing, and the ticket system. It seems however, that we’re collectively ignoring a factor that has been a part of the elections consistently over the years – accusations of foul play. Almost every year, there are accusations of foul play - ranging from the fairly minor, like early postering, to the more major accusations, like interfering directly with the casting of votes. Accusations of foul play may be brought forward to an election court, which, if called, normally takes place after the close of polling, and after results have been announced. Dominic Doherty, Deputy Director of the SU,
has noted that historically, accusations are brought, but ultimately fall due to lack of evidence. At the Candidates’ Briefing on Thursday February 27th, appropriate conduct during polling was discussed. Of course, there is an element of trust in candidates, but Mr Doherty is keen to stress that if, when casting a vote, a student feels that a canvasser is behaving inappropriately, they must come to the Union, and report it. This year, there will be an official complaints form available in the Students’ Union. How the elections are run is determined by the Union Constitution, which is decided by the Council. Looking at the election rules in the constitution, it is clear that they are outdated, fitted more appropriately to paper balloting (which last happened in 2006). Some rules and conventions associated with paper ballots and traditional polling booths are just not applicable now. Once, it was common practice to mark out a zone around polling booths that no campaigner could cross. Now that voting is carried out online, and with the advent of mobile devices, everywhere is a polling booth. I’m neither out to sling
mud, nor prove or disprove accusations made in the past. What I want to emphasise is that because the rules are outdated, there is a significant grey area. This grey area increases the likelihood for accusations of foul play to surface. The truth of an accusation doesn’t really matter; if the system is not perceived to be tamperproof, it creates cynicism and, ultimately, apathy. What we need to consider is the way in which we can ensure that students’ trust in polling - and the elections as a whole - is rekindled. Yes, online polling increases voter turnout, but could it be argued that the potential distrust caused by grey areas in the system could be a factor in the low candidate turnout? This year UU have returned to the paper ballot system. Should QUB do the same? The advantages seem clear: polling areas are more easily defined. However, various QUB alumni (who were students as far back as the 1960s) tell stories of ballot boxes being stuffed with falsified ballots as almost routine. And now that the student body has expanded to 23,000
Former Student Officers Speak Out Fiachra O’ Maolcraoibhe News Editor @fiachra1992
The start of election season at Queen’s University Students’ Union is never without controversy. However this year there has been an abundance of criticism and outrage concerning elections - and the run up to them. In recent years there has been a serious overhaul in the way Union elections are perceived by students, although the precise roots of this change are hard to pin down. In the increasingly distant past, Queen’s was a hotbed of political action. Activism ran through the very soul of this Union, with the vast majority of students holding some sort of political conviction. The sixties were without doubt an exciting time, and the subsequent events which
scarred our land and shaped the current political landscape can be seen as formative for our current maturity in terms of peace and politics. However in the present day it seems as if the student body at Queen’s has lost all interest in political and social issues. The same issues that affect them, regardless of their apathy. This is reflected to some extent in the worryingly small number of nominations received for this year’s Student Officer Elections, with so few having decided to take up the challenge of an election that six out of seven positions being uncontested. The Gown spoke to a few past Student Officers in order to gauge their thoughts on the current situation. Firstly we spoke to former VP Campaigns and Communications Fiona Kidd, who had this to say: “I can ap-
preciate what staff/ officers are doing to try and create more interest in the student elections, especially from people that have not previously engaged in the elections, and I applaud the “Super Seven” comic strip concept. However, I was dismayed when I saw the screenshot of my friend’s QOL page, stating that the Students' Union are “hiring seven officers”. Trying to portray the positions as lucrative job offers with financial and career incentives - with the only reference to democracy and student activism being “You get to change important stuff” is insulting to all those who respect and participate in student representation, democracy and activism. In my opinion it is sending the wrong message out entirely, and if the only way you can drive student turn out up is by selling-out, I'm frankly disappointed”. Ms Kidd conceded that she believed
UUSU Returns to Paper Ballot The Gown Staff Members @thegownqub
The University of Ulster’s Students’ Union (UUSU) is to return to using a paper ballot in its Student Officer elections for the first time in several years. Online voting was first introduced to the Union’s election process in 2010, and has been integral to UUSU elections ever since.
Speaking to The Gown, Mark Bell, President of UUSU, acknowledged that, “This year the University was unable to host our online voting”, adding that this was, “of course was not an ideal situation”. Mr Bell addressed the potential drawbacks of returning to paper balloting, noting, “We originally had worries that this would impact on our ability to produce a truly engaging election period for students”. However, the UUSU President added
The constitution currently contains provisions for a paper ballot system. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. how would it be ensured that polling booths are accessible, how would we ensure that each student votes only once? I’m not an expert, but I’m sure that in such a huge university, we are not incapable of coming up with an alternative situation that is accessible but also trustworthy beyond reasonable doubt. Perhaps we could allow voting only on library computers, through a desktop-accessible link, possibly with a longer polling period. It’s not perfect, but campaigning is already banned in the libraries, and they
are buildings to which all students have access. If we can have a pop up about the National Student Survey on library computers, surely it’s not unreasonable that we could have the same kind of pop up about elections? The fact is that most people will abide by the letter and spirit of the elections, but we must reduce the size and scope of the grey area surround polling and electioneering practices. It’s better for canvassers, candidates and voters.
Former Sabbatical Officers Fiona Kidd and Treasa Harkin speak to The Gown about this year’s elections. the marketing campaign was in the best interests of boosting nominations and voter turn-out but added that it is important to, “entice people to participate for the right reasons; defending the student voice, trying every day to make a difference, using your passion to drive change for the betterment of the student body”. It should be noted that this is the first time QUBSU has marketed Student Elections to the wider Student Body at Queen's. Indeed it seems like the right thing to do in order to attract people towards the Union and its democratic structures. However, somewhere along the way it seems that the fact that these positions are based on election has been lost in translation. This has caused much anger within the Union – especially amongst those who, each year, cling so desperately to the idea of fair and democratic represen-
tation through elections, debate and participation through association. When asked what she thought of the marketing campaign, Treasa Harkin – former VP Equality and Diversity told The Gown, “Basically I was really shocked over three things: the lack of candidates, the lack of thought and understanding that has gone into the “Super 7” campaign and its timing, and the advertisement of the sabbatical positions as job vacancies. The idea that these positions have been marketed as jobs and not elected positions has really hit a nerve with some people and justifiably so”. She concluded by saying, “I think the focus needs to turn to increasing participation and a real review into the role of a Sabbatical Officer: its differentiation from a corporate role needs to be defined going forward”.
Those voting over the course of the University of Ulster’s Students’ Union’s 2014 elections will have to use paper ballots for the first time since 2009.
that the system also had advantages, claiming, “We have realized that it will give us an opportunity to create a real sense of involvement on campus with the paper ballot”. Mr Bell finished by gesturing towards his hopes for the election season: “Through increased SU activity during the election period we will be able to create the kind of atmosphere on campus that we always aim for!" The University of Ulster’s Students’
Union elections will take place later this month, between Monday March 10th and Wednesday March 13th, with results announced on the evening of the 13th. 17 candidates are running for 7 available positions, with only the Union’s presidency going uncontested – the incumbent Mr Bell is the only candidate for said role. The other candidates are as follows: Tomas Adair, Paul McGinley and De-
clan Shiels for Sports Union President; Sarah Curran, Elliot Lyness and Jade Blair for VP Campaigns and Communications; Robyn Galway and Sarah Gordon for VP Belfast; Robbie Banham, Jemma Dolan and David Burch for VP Coleraine; Annmarie McKee, Chris Murray and Colum Mackey for VP Jordanstown; Claire Donnelly and Micky Quigg for VP Magee.
The Gown Election Special
M O N D AY 3 RD M A R C H 2 0 1 4
Opinion
12
The following articles are based on the personal beliefs of their authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gown’s editorial team.
“Election 2014: Death Knell or Wakeup Call?” What will this year’s election mean for the future of student politics at Queen’s? Liam Cassidy Contributor Many epithets have been produced this week to describe the Student Officer election process: an anticlimax, a non-event or just a good old-fashioned disappointment. What I’ve found most disturbing, however, is the apathy that has smothered our student body in the past year. These - overwhelmingly uncontested - elections are only the latest in a string of events in the 2013/14 academic year to illustrate the sheer lack of interest in student politics at Queen's. Thursday night saw candidates receive campaign materials and, indeed, proved a non-event. While in previous years the Students' Union has been plastered with the endearing faces of numerous candidates for election season, prime advertising space has this year been claimed uncontested and with minimal struggle. It all felt rather redundant. One over-zealous canvasser was rebuked by Students' Union staff for beginning to hang a poster too early, which last year may have caused a scandalous removal of that particular poster, resulting in a no-man'sland prime for commandeering by
another candidate. But this year such action felt comical. His earnestness was laughable because he won his spot uncontested: his poster would hang in the union proud no matter what. If he hung it up early, he would gain no advantage for his candidate. If it were taken down as punishment, would it really have mattered? Is it too much of a stretch to assume this may prove to be demonstrative of the entire election process? What must be interrogated then is what has caused such circumstances. It is difficult to settle on one singular cause to blame, from the emergence of the ticket system to the poor “advertising” of the positions by the Union. Cumulatively these factors have generated apathy among not just voters, but also potential candidates (which is a far more worrying prospect). If those who would have run don't care enough to "change stuff", if only nine members of our student body care enough to put themselves forward, perhaps this election will prove to be a death knell for student politics at Queen's. Obviously all this isn’t the fault of the candidates who’ve put themselves forward. It’s unfair to dismiss candidates on the basis of them running uncontested.
Supporters of candidates for sabbatical office assemble to poster the Union. Photo by The Gown. Student democracy is supposed to give students a chance to choose the candidate that they feel would best represent them. But doesn’t an election with so many uncontested positions diminish this chance? The responsibility now passes to the student body, especially those on the Student Council to prove apathy has
not crippled political participation at Queen's. However, the 37% drop in voter turnout for October's Student Council elections does not bode well for this hope. Perhaps RON (Re-Open Nominations) is the only outlet for some students who wish to voice their criticism of this year's election process, but the absence of anyone campaigning for RON on Thursday
27th may be telling of even RON's chance of success. Only the election statistics will truly tell. This election season can either serve as the death-knell for student politics in Queen's, or it may prove to be the wakeup call that's been coming for the past six months.
“Students: Just Not That Into Student Politics?“ Does the relative lack of candidates running for election this year speak to a wider political malaise in the student body? Kaity Hall offers her opinion on the widely-discussed phenomenon of “student apathy”.
The posters of some of the candidates running for office this year. Photo by The Gown. Kaity Hall Contributor
In the university rush of readings, assignments, tutorials and lectures it can be difficult to balance commitments, to say
the least. So, throw student elections into the mix and I think I'm right in saying that student politics go over most student's heads. The thing is though, that someone has to be elected eventually - and with six of this
year's candidates running unopposed, is it time we stepped back and actually took the student elections into serious consideration? Our generation is not famed for
having an interest in politics. In fact we are widely thought to have a great indifference to politics – student officer elections are seemingly no exception to this rule. However, what has struck me most about the elections is the "17k pay check" highlighted in the "Super Seven" advertisements. Multiply that 17k by seven and you have quite a hefty sum of money. Mostly bereft of opposition, the current candidates (aside from the presidential candidates) have no-one to beat but Re-Open Nominations if they are to be elected to their respective positions. The relative lack of opposition they face connotes a startling lack of ambition and enthusiasm for what should really be sought after, paid positions that grant individuals the power to make positive change. It also paints an unrealistic picture of the job market our generation will be entering upon leaving university. Consider this lack of enthusiasm alongside the confusion of some students as to what exactly each
of the seven positions entails, and we have the 2014 student elections summarised. Perhaps the run up to elections could be more efficiently advertised on campus, beginning earlier than it did this year and offering more information into what each of the officer positions entail. That way more enthusiasm could be generated, encouraging more students to apply. Or perhaps students just don't feel they have the time or indeed interest to truly look into candidacy flyers relentlessly making the rounds on campus. Maybe it’s unsurprising that RON (Re-Open Nominations) has caught some momentum on social media: after all, would you simply give away over £100,000 to just anybody, unopposed?
Thanks for reading our election special - for more news, analysis and opinion, check out thegown.net!