July 9th-16th

Hey everyone!

Last week has been fairly hectic getting stuff together for the final part of Fresher's Guide and drafting the plans and dates for the campaign weeks!

This week I finished off the guide with the designer Barry and Rachel. Took almost 4 weeks, delighted its over but it looks great and will be launching a competition for it hopefully this week.

Most of my days have revolved around meeting with LGBT Noise and UCD LGBT on putting together an action plan for the March on August 12^th. I began with a survey which gave us an understanding of what students thought of equality and same sex marriage. I'm designing up the results now but they're very positive with over 90.2% calling for equal marriage to be written into the Irish constitution. Next step is the official launch of the campaign with a press realise and photo call later on in the week then the editing of a video on why we need you to get out and march.

Being doing a bit of homework on ideas and material, so check out the two links below for more info. They're pretty cool
Marriage Equality Australia

"I do" Same Sex Marriage

Lastly began planning for Orientation week with location and bags for the Orientation tent and structure of rep training this week.

We had our first exec as well and met with Colm Jordan on planning the campaigns and what we want to achieve for the year.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend and see you later,

Paddy

Firstly sorry for the blog being so late! Things got very busy.

A good few things have happened since my last blog. The Rate my Tutor facility that I had in my manfesto for Grindsfile has been installed on the website and is going to be launched on Monday! I'm really pleased with how it looks and so glad to have gotten it in place.

I met with a lot of the Deans over the past couple of days inculindg Science, Arts and one of the most fascinating conversations I've ever had with the Dean of Architecture, some man for one man!

Myself an Mícheál really started planning our joint campaigns for the year and designs for posters as well. It'll be so good to have this stuff out of the way so I can give you guys my undivided attention come September! Joint projects like Exam guides are looking good so get ready for "Weducation". Also I must say I like the name of the blog "Comer's Communiqué ar an gCéadaoin".

The Grant Information Campaign plan is also coming along nicely. I'm going to launch the campaign on August 13th, just before the old LC results come out. Remember to log onto www.grantsonline.ie if you're appying for a grant for the first time.

Planning for registration is also still going well so hopefully we won't have the any of the drama we had last year with registration. Sitting on the RIOG committee has given me a real insight into the sheer scale of the operation that goes on for registration.

I'm also planning a Study Skills initiative in week 12 of Semester 1, the week before revision week so keep you eyes and ears open for that. I'm pretty happy with how that is developing. It hasn't really been done before so fingers crossed it goes down well!

Also really excited about Thursday. All five of us are heading to Galway for one night. Colm Jordan, a former USI President, is coming to. Its sort of a team bonding/planning session where we plan out our whole year, any campaigns we might have etc. Colm is fantastic as has trained in so many Sabbat teams so I'm really looking forward to working with him.

That's my lot for the week guys! Sorry for the delay. Might not have one next week. The whole team are off to Athlone for USI Student Leadership Union Training so we'll see how that goes!

'Til the next time a cháirde!!

Shane

xoxo

First week finished and I'm really beginning to settle in well. The daily blogs are actually good fun and we all eagerly await to read one another's weekly instalments of: Heffo's Home Truths Tuesday, Comer's Communiqué ar an gCéadaoin, Guiney's Gazette on a Thursday & Breslin's State of the Union Friday Address. The blogs really express the different personalities of the officers. What's my Monday instalment to be called I hear you ask? I think Mícheál's Mirror on a Monday is appropriate, as like the Mirror newspaper I have the writing capabilities of a ten year old.

Here's an update you as to what I've been up to over the last week: Condoms, condoms and even more condoms! I've gotten the best rate in town for the condoms if any societies wanna get their orders in through me check out my Google doc here: https://docs.google.com/a/ucdsu.ie/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dC1ySEEwODBvQnRpMGZCZzJCU242WWc6MQ#gid=0

Ok, I think the last paragraph makes me sound like a bit of a sex fiend ranting on about condoms, but remember they are vital to prevent STI's and unwanted pregnancy.

I've also been taking quite a few personal cases helping people sort out accommodation issues, representing them to Student Welfare Fund committee meetings and simply being someone there to listen to students who are in distress. I really think the peer support that our Students' Union provides is one of the most indispensible aspects of the services that we offer. I say this in light of different surveys and reports releasing shocking statistics such as 7% young people having attempted suicide (My World Survey) and 34% of students nearly dropping out of college due to course related stress (campus.ie survey). Looking at these concrete evidence based studies help me conceptualise how I'll effectively run student campaigns during the year.
On the campaign front I've been flat out with the whole team getting in gear for the 12^th August March for Marriage, Paddy & I went into town to meet Marriage Equality last Wednesday to do some pre campaign planning. Shane & I have also been policy researching for the SUSI information campaign launch on August 13^th, as well as working with Paddy storyboarding an information video for the campaign.

I think for my next blog I'm gonna do something fun, like making all the sabbats do a personality test and throwing in my own analysis from knowing them. They're by far the most interesting team I've had to work with in my life so far, all of them possessing powerful personalities.

Anyway, that was this week's instalment of Mícheál's Mirror on a Monday tune in next week for another dose of Welfare related fun. :)