Election Time

Stench Blossoms

So it's that time of year again.

Are you going to bother to vote and if you are who are you going to vote for?

Baggly

Vote for Ron.

But really i will vote, but am still disgusted that there are 4 candidates for 3 positions.

Stupid College.

I dont know the candidates (apart from Andy) and have not read any manifesto's or material, but i know who i am voting for based on my weird quasi-logic.

Binomate

Nobody. They all failed at pursueding me that I should vote for them, other thant putting up crappy "Vote for <insert gobshite here>" posters. That's right, I'll put in as much effort as they did.

shoutman

I'm going to vote to reject all candidates apart from that ruth girl running for Trading and whatchamacall it, she is the only one who seems to have any plans for doing anything!

melekalikimaka

tis a sorry state when theres so little competition, its such a big deal in other colleges, yet in DIT no one cares

shoutman

What is with the apathy in DIT, are the people getting elected getting a raw deal with regards to pay, hours of work etc? Are people just not seeing much of a change and thinking they wouldnt be able to do it either, or is it another case of a lack of campus etc

melekalikimaka

indeed accom and roughly 300 a week plus god knows what else perks for trinity, what does dit get? not alot. maybe a decent pres would speed up a few things round coll, it tis rather in shambles

Baggly

This has come up before, but DIT president gets 25k for the year, with VP's getting 22k rougly i think.

But then no accom for DIT sabbats.

With regards to apathy, tbh, im not sure the SU's in other colleges are that big a deal. I mean, because most other colleges have one campus everyone is grouped together and maybe thereby more SU types group together, but to be honest, the last time i checked, the USI, and indeed many of the other SU's (barring UCD, which seems to be a breeding ground for loud mouthed idiots) are suffering the same wave of apathy.

This may be because all the SU does is largely unrecognised by the student population (alot of committee meetings with long term focus), or because the SU 's are not capturing the student body's imagination, but tbh its not from want of trying. They did host a rag trip (no matter how short notice i percieved it to be marketed), its just no-one bought tickets.

Likewise, Hustings were held all this week and last. But relatively few people attended. Is this because there were only a few candidates, or are there only a few candidates because, well, who gives a flying monkey whatever happens.

Creamy Goodness

there's an election on?

ditpaintball

shoutman wrote:

I'm going to vote to reject all candidates apart from that ruth girl running for Trading and whatchamacall it, she is the only one who seems to have any plans for doing anything!

The only plans she seems to have is to go have nights out every night, just turning the college year into one big party. Then she tried to mention something about facilities that we actually needed.....then she forgot the rest of her manifesto at the hustings in bst.

The other three seem sound enough for the job, but will we see much of a difference or will it just throdd along.

Het-Field

Andy, Martin and Sean are getting my votes. No bullcrap about them. They all seem like very steady candidates

Sundy

One of them, Sean i think it is is campaignin for a half day on a wednesday so everybody can play sport without missing labs etc. For that alone he should get in. Anyway i wont be around next year so i dont care and never did really.

strychnine

Its not really worth discussing what perks they do and dont get, they are not doing it for material gain, most of them are graduating this year and so could go on to earn a lot more money in industry.
I know it sounds innocent and naive but they are genuinely doing it because they want a better student experience for us all, the least everyone could do is go and vote.
As for me, i think ill vote for Ruth. The college takes care of the academic side of things, the SU is there to make life a bit more fun, and she seems to want to do that.

ditpaintball

strychnine wrote:

As for me, i think ill vote for Ruth. The college takes care of the academic side of things, the SU is there to make life a bit more fun, and she seems to want to do that.

The would like nothing better than to cut costs and not have as many computers around and to cut extra work shop hours and want charge a levy. The students union is there to to make sure that DIT do their job and also to improve the quality of college live. Ruth seems too focused on having a good time with the red soc from what i hear.

Free time for people to play their sports and take part in soc's is more important that a few sessions a week in my view.

Baggly

Agreed

Binomate

strychnine wrote:

Its not really worth discussing what perks they do and dont get, they are not doing it for material gain, most of them are graduating this year and so could go on to earn a lot more money in industry.
I know it sounds innocent and naive but they are genuinely doing it because they want a better student experience for us all, the least everyone could do is go and vote.
As for me, i think ill vote for Ruth. The college takes care of the academic side of things, the SU is there to make life a bit more fun, and she seems to want to do that.

I had a big long response to this post, but I didn't post it, because the word "bullshit" sums up what I was trying to say quite neatly.

If you can show me that any of them give a damn about making improvements in DIT for the entire student body, then I'll vote. Sending spam to anyone stupid enough to sign up the DIT text aleart system, about nights out in Tramco with less overpriced drink deals that they didn't get, are not improvements for the student body. Neither is organising the same old shitty events every year for rag week.


Face it, the Student Union in DIT is made up of 10% lol, and 90% fail.

projectmayhem

Binomate wrote:

Face it, the Student Union in DIT is made up of 10% lol, and 90% fail.

qft.

ditpaintball

Binomate wrote:

If you can show me that any of them give a damn about making improvements in DIT for the entire student body, then I'll vote.........

Face it, the Student Union in DIT is made up of 10% lol, and 90% fail.

Did you attend the hustings and ask them your self and ask them what improvements they were going to make? And if so, were you not happy about their answer?

If you feel that the canditates are no good, are you going to vote for re-opening the nomination's and run your self to do something about it?

You can't complain if you don't vote, and if you do vote but you are not willing to do anything about it your self, expecting other people to do it.

Thats my opinion.

And before you ask, yes i would run for a position if i didn't think any of the canditates would be up for the job and if i was in my final year.

Baggly

Vote for RON. Re open nominations. Btw i am not running.

Partially because im not in my last year, partially because i think i can get a better job elsewhere, based on my skills and not upon who can make the best poster in photoshop.

strychnine

Binomate wrote:

I had a big long response to this post, but I didn't post it, because the word "bullshit" sums up what I was trying to say quite neatly.

If you can show me that any of them give a damn about making improvements in DIT for the entire student body, then I'll vote. Sending spam to anyone stupid enough to sign up the DIT text aleart system, about nights out in Tramco with less overpriced drink deals that they didn't get, are not improvements for the student body. Neither is organising the same old shitty events every year for rag week.


Face it, the Student Union in DIT is made up of 10% lol, and 90% fail.

Ok, so list out in detail exactly the improvements you would like to see in DIT and exactly how you would go about implementing them. If you think the events are ****ty, then tell us exactly what type of events you would orgranise, where you would organise them and how you would organise them.

Theres no point in criticising something if you cant put forward a solution. If you dont think the candidates are up for it then you tick the box saying "i dont want the above named candidate to be elected". Did you even know that?

strychnine

ditpaintball wrote:

The would like nothing better than to cut costs and not have as many computers around and to cut extra work shop hours and want charge a levy. The students union is there to to make sure that DIT do their job and also to improve the quality of college live. Ruth seems too focused on having a good time with the red soc from what i hear.

Free time for people to play their sports and take part in soc's is more important that a few sessions a week in my view.

Ruth is going for a position that is all about organising events etc. Theres another guy, Martin Dunne, going for "Student and Academic Affairs", which takes care of the stuff you mentioned above. Are any of the people in this forum actually in DIT!!!?

Baggly

Its not just about organising events, its about running a large part of the shops and making sure they dont go belly up like they did a few years ago.

Personally i wont vote for someone who's focus is on party's as opposed to clubs and socs.

strychnine wrote:

Theres no point in criticising something if you cant put forward a solution.

That is a very stupid thing to say imo. We want cadidates to have seen problems and come up with solutions. And of course there is a point to criticising, its so those who are being paid to solve the problems, will solve them.

projectmayhem

strychnine wrote:

Ok, so list out in detail exactly the improvements you would like to see in DIT and exactly how you would go about implementing them. If you think the events are ****ty, then tell us exactly what type of events you would orgranise, where you would organise them and how you would organise them.

have you put these questions to the candidates? is there even an open forum where these questions can be put to the candidates by the student body?

it's the job of the electorate to complain about things, then it's the job of the campaigners to try to alleviate those complaints by providing solutions, not the other way round.

Baggly

projectmayhem wrote:

have you put these questions to the candidates? is there even an open forum where these questions can be put to the candidates by the student body

yes, they were on the end of last week and the start of this.

shoutman

They could of done with a bit of advertisement tbh, there really isnt a big hooplah made about elections, last year i didnt even know they were going on, where or when to vote or anything.

melekalikimaka

melekalikimaka wrote:

indeed accom and roughly 300 a week plus god knows what else perks for trinity, what does dit get? not alot.

Not sure who you've been talking to but I was on €261 a week last year in Trinity. Accommodation was a perk, and if you take the monetary value of it, it would have brought me up to the legal rate of pay. Just.

€500 or €550 a week sounds quite attractive tbh. Especially as I believe they "aren't allowed" work weekends. Madness.

Binomate

ditpaintball wrote:

Did you attend the hustings and ask them your self and ask them what improvements they were going to make? And if so, were you not happy about their answer?

If you feel that the canditates are no good, are you going to vote for re-opening the nomination's and run your self to do something about it?

You can't complain if you don't vote, and if you do vote but you are not willing to do anything about it your self, expecting other people to do it.

Thats my opinion.

And before you ask, yes i would run for a position if i didn't think any of the canditates would be up for the job and if i was in my final year.

I have a box of care, but unfortunatly there's no care in it.

No I'm not going to run for it myself, because believe it or not, I actually care less than the candidates we have already. I'm fine with how things are at the minute because unless the shop closes down, I'm not affected by the Student Union in any way.

strychnine wrote:

Ok, so list out in detail exactly the improvements

Improvements? How about some interaction with the student. Use the friggin student list once in a while to send a few emails around.

Make the compact more regular and stick it online, with blogs, podcasts, image galleries etc. Then get rid of the shite columnists who are offended about how they have to spend so much money on getting pissed off their face, when they are can barely afford to rent an appartment.

More interaction with the class reps and the class. Maybe even a class meeting with the the someone from the Student Union once every month or something.

More advertisment about the services they provide around the campus.

Less of the same events every year and more originality.

Ban the red soc for their faggotry.

There are a few, I'm sure there'd be some more if I cared a bit more, but I don't. Besides, I'm not a candidate, I don't want to be a candidate, therefore what I would do is irrelivant. Nothing appeals that any of the candidates offer.

projectmayhem

LOTP wrote:

yes, they were on the end of last week and the start of this.

did you get satisfactory answers? was there a large group of the student body in attendance?

i don't think people are as satisified with the whole election campaign as you seem to be. maybe it's because they know nothing about the candidates, and see the jobs as just that - jobs. something to get good money and a year out of college, but with the added bonus of having something very attractive on your CV.

Binomate

I want Stalin.

Baggly

projectmayhem wrote:

did you get satisfactory answers? was there a large group of the student body in attendance?

i don't think people are as satisified with the whole election campaign as you seem to be. maybe it's because they know nothing about the candidates, and see the jobs as just that - jobs. something to get good money and a year out of college, but with the added bonus of having something very attractive on your CV.

Never said i was happy about it. In fact ive been complaining for two years about the way they have been run, and the lack of candidates.

ditpaintball

strychnine wrote:

Ruth is going for a position that is all about organising events etc. Theres another guy, Martin Dunne, going for "Student and Academic Affairs", which takes care of the stuff you mentioned above. Are any of the people in this forum actually in DIT!!!?

From the DITSU site

''The Vice President for Services & Trading deals with all SU organised social activities throughout the year, DIT sports, DIT clubs and DIT societies. S/he also represents all students within DIT in regard to commercial activities and facilities, such as shops & canteens and DIT building maintenance.''

There is a lot more there that just events, are you in DIT? You may have gotten that impression from listening to her, because its all she seemed to talk about

No I'm not going to run for it myself, because believe it or not, I actually care less than the candidates we have already. I'm fine with how things are at the minute

Then why even bother posting in this topic if it does not bother you or you dont care.

I'm not affected by the Student Union in any way.

Are you in DIT??? Would you like to be paying higher fees that what you already are? Would you like to be heading outside of the college to get little things like paper, tea or coffee or even a bar and a bag of crisps.
Did you ever had a problem with a lecturer or with a room that was solved one day ( probably by the class rep letting some one in know in the union)
Did you ever sit down one day and listen to a band playing or watch somebody perform?

All of these little things are all done or helped to be done by the union. And the best bit is that your paying for it.

Binomate

ditpaintball wrote:

Then why even bother posting in this topic if it does not bother you or you dont care.

If you'd care to read the original post, Orla was asking the masses what they thought of it all. No matter what stance I take on this, carebear or not, it's relivant to the original question.

ditpaintball wrote:

Are you in DIT??? Would you like to be paying higher fees that what you already are? Would you like to be heading outside of the college to get little things like paper, tea or coffee or even a bar and a bag of crisps.
Did you ever had a problem with a lecturer or with a room that was solved one day ( probably by the class rep letting some one in know in the union)
Did you ever sit down one day and listen to a band playing or watch somebody perform?

You mean higher than the €750 we pay per year set by the government? Answers to your other questions are: yes, no, no.

ditpaintball wrote:

All of these little things are all done or helped to be done by the union. And the best bit is that your paying for it.

See above.

strychnine

The hustings are there for people to interact with the candidates. Also, two of the candidates were around Kevin Street today drumming up support. So no one can say they didn't have oppurtunities to interact with them. Remember that DIT covers a massive area, they cant be everywhere at once.

Binomate wrote:

Improvements? How about some interaction with the student. Use the friggin student list once in a while to send a few emails around.

Make the compact more regular and stick it online, with blogs, podcasts, image galleries etc. Then get rid of the shite columnists who are offended about how they have to spend so much money on getting pissed off their face, when they are can barely afford to rent an appartment.

More interaction with the class reps and the class. Maybe even a class meeting with the the someone from the Student Union once every month or something.

More advertisment about the services they provide around the campus.

Less of the same events every year and more originality.

Ban the red soc for their faggotry.

There are a few, I'm sure there'd be some more if I cared a bit more, but I don't. Besides, I'm not a candidate, I don't want to be a candidate, therefore what I would do is irrelivant. Nothing appeals that any of the candidates offer.

At 3pm today there was an email sent to the all students list that starts off with the following words
"Hi everyone, Heres a quick run down of what's happening in DIT Students' Union!"
The email goes on to basically flush your argument above down the toilet.

Binomate

strychnine wrote:

The hustings are there for people to interact with the candidates. Also, two of the candidates were around Kevin Street today drumming up support. So no one can say they didn't have oppurtunities to interact with them. Remember that DIT covers a massive area, they cant be everywhere at once.


At 3pm today there was an email sent to the all students list that starts off with the following words
"Hi everyone, Heres a quick run down of what's happening in DIT Students' Union!"
The email goes on to basically flush your argument above down the toilet.

I got that wall of text earlier as well. I thought that it was pretty funny myself, that I should get my first email from the student union in the two years that I've been going to DIT the same day that I mention that there's sweet fuck all communications between the students and the students union.

As for the hustings, nice of them to inform everyone that they were on. Terrible communication on their part. If you think sending a single email, the day before voting starts is satisfactory, then, well.... lol.

Now that they've taken the time out of their busy lifestyles, to use a simple feature of our wonderfull mailing system that allows communication with the masses, for the first time in time itself, I've been informed of what some of them stand for and why they're running an election campaign. Now that they have actually attempted to communicate with me, I might take that in to consideration and I might just vote.