July 2nd - 8th

Hey everyone!

The weeks after standing for election went quicker than expected with the exams coming and going. To be honest I was bricking it when it finally began to sink in but the best advice my predecessor gave me was to start planning what I wanted to achieve with my term straight away and that's what I've tried to do over the last two months.

My first real experience of Campaigns was the 3rd level online funding Preferendum which gave students the choice on what way they wanted to pay for their degree. This was a "learning on my feet" experience where myself, the incoming President and team worked with the new exec who hadn't even taken office yet! We spent countless days and nights making videos (one which even had the Ents Officer Heffo in the lake), emailing students, launching competitions and contacting the college and local papers by ensuring that as many UCD students as possible had the chance to decide. By the end of it we were exhausted but managed to reach quorum and had the highest online turnout compared to any other 3rd level institution in the country! The overall outcome was Student Contribution, this is when both the government and students pay a proportion of the registration fee. Regardless of the outcome I was particularly proud of the work ethic of the exec/volunteers and stance we took by giving an objective view and purely encouraging students to vote on what they wanted.

Nearly straight after the campaign ended we made a team decision to collabarate the Orientation Guide with the Students' Union Freshers Guide for the first time. This clashed with the usual publishing deadline of August 1st and final print was to be July 5th instead. The Freshers' Guide is always edited and drafted by the C&C Officer so before beginning this task I swatted up over the weekend on any guides I could find from unions around the country and consulted with the two previous Officers in this role. I thoroughly enjoyed making it and my ethos when writing was to portray what I or a typical 1st year would like to read when arriving through the gates of UCD for the first time. It's a publication we can stand over and be proud of for the sheer work the whole sabbatical and exec team and volunteers put in for the new tight deadline. The main theme that runs though the guide is what the Union can do for the everyday student through its services and how they can be a part of it.

With the tieing up of the last few bits for the Freshers' Guide I've began to look at campaigns for the upcoming year and proposed calender. This has been a collective effort where we have worked together as a team with the campaigns' forum so the events of ents, issues of education/welfare and campaigns can work in sync thus ensuring that when term kicks off in September we have a definitive plan on achievable goals for the year which will run smoothly.

One of our main goals for the months ahead is equal marriage for everyone. All Sabbatical Officers marched under UCD LGBT banner in pride last weekend and one aspect I found to be uplifting was the support from the Dublin community especially the younger generantions with their families who waved and cheered as the 30,000 strong crowd arrived at Merrion Square for the finale, hopefully when they're our age this will be a thing of the past and be a should be a part of society. Its been a huge learning experience for me and I find it hard to understand in 2012 why a state should deny any two people the legal rights to marry someone. I met UCD LGBT and Marriage Equality with the Micheal and began our part in this movement. Currently the legislation in place is Civil Partnership this is far cry from actual marriage with 156 differences between the two. It stone walls the community and from what I've read it effectively puts them as second class citizens. On the 12th of August the "March for Marriage" is taking place. If you believe in an Ireland that should pressure its government and say this is fundamentally wrong then show your support that day at 12am. You can start by checking out the event link below. We'll definitley be there as well walking alongside the LGBT community.

LGBT link here

Finally I met with the UCD's Commercial Manager today to discuss the introduction of mealdeals for students in all Kylemore outlets. I also met with the Head of Communciations to utilize a new tab for the Union on every students blackboard and use the screens around campus to publish ads and videos from the union.

Really enjoying work with the team so far and excited for what's to come but can't wait for a pint on the weekend!

If you have any ideas for campaigns or something that you want to see happen in your building even something as simple as a water fountain then feel free to mail me at anytime or give the phone a ring.


Slán go fóil

Paddy

Campaigns@ucdsu.ie

087-1189425