USI Election candidates

IheartGOW

I know wee have three candidates this year in different races.
Feidhlim Seoige is our Irish language officer and is going for ofigeach ne gaelige in USI

Paul Curley, the president, is going for VP for Campaigns

Kevin Donoghue is going for VP for the border, midlands and western region.

It might be nice to get a few Galway people I think the president of gmit is going for usi president also. Does anyone know what their chances are or what the story is with them?

mrkiscool2

Fedhlim Seoige is looking very good, Maynooth, GMIT, AIT and ourselves have all endorsed him for votes, be interesting to see. It's gonna be close, but he should win.

Kevin Donoghue has got it already like, NUIG, GMIT, Maynooth and AIT carry him over the line, unless the delegates break mandate (which won't happen)

Curley is in a lot of trouble, can't see him winning.

Once Joe O'Connor announced he wanted to run, no-one else decided to run. He is going to win no bother, he has been a great man for GMITSU and USI.

isilidur1980

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Fedhlim Seoige is looking very good, Maynooth, GMIT, AIT and ourselves have all endorsed him for votes, be interesting to see. It's gonna be close, but he should win.

Kevin Donoghue has got it already like, NUIG, GMIT, Maynooth and AIT carry him over the line, unless the delegates break mandate (which won't happen)

Curley is in a lot of trouble, can't see him winning.

Once Joe O'Connor announced he wanted to run, no-one else decided to run. He is going to win no bother, he has been a great man for GMITSU and USI.

I wonder who from UCD is running! Oh wait...they pulled out of this nonsense and decided to keep UCD student money supporting UCD students!!

mrkiscool2

isilidur1980 wrote: »

I wonder who from UCD is running! Oh wait...they pulled out of this nonsense and decided to keep UCD student money supporting UCD students!!

Even though they are still in it for the next year, as well as having 2 candidates running for positions. But sure, UCDSU will be grand with massive debt, no national representation and having no say anymore in campaigns!

IheartGOW

isilidur1980 wrote: »

I wonder who from UCD is running! Oh wait...they pulled out of this nonsense and decided to keep UCD student money supporting UCD students!!

Seriously? They mismanaged there money in a ludicrous fashion. I don't know if they figured it out but last year they were unable to account for anywhere between 100k and 1 million euro and where it went in the last decade.
Also they do have a candidate running. It kind of takes the sting out of your remark when you see the overwhelming majority that voted in favour of staying in USI in maynooth, the fact the dcu decided to join and the fact that the no campaign in ucd was based completely around the claim that USI was the reason there was no college bar on campus anymore.

isilidur1980

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Even though they are still in it for the next year, as well as having 2 candidates running for positions. But sure, UCDSU will be grand with massive debt, no national representation and having no say anymore in campaigns!

No national representation! LOL! I'd say they are particularly worried about that seen as our national representation are laughed at by the government and the general population!!:D

isilidur1980

IheartGOW wrote: »

Seriously? They mismanaged there money in a ludicrous fashion. I don't know if they figured it out but last year they were unable to account for anywhere between 100k and 1 million euro and where it went in the last decade.
Also they do have a candidate running. It kind of takes the sting out of your remark when you see the overwhelming majority that voted in favour of staying in USI in maynooth, the fact the dcu decided to join and the fact that the no campaign in ucd was based completely around the claim that USI was the reason there was no college bar on campus anymore.

I'm always wary of the huge percentages!! 87% of what?? 1900 students!! Just goes to show the complete irrelevance of both bodies in the eyes of students!
DCU faired slightly worse! Roughly 1500 students!! LOL!! The SU's and UCI will be listened to now! In the words of John Logue "We go from strength to strength!" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! If it wasn't costing me money, it would be really funny!!:D

IheartGOW

isilidur1980 wrote: »

I'm always wary of the huge percentages!! 87% of what?? 1900 students!! Just goes to show the complete irrelevance of both bodies in the eyes of students!
DCU faired slightly worse! Roughly 1500 students!! LOL!! The SU's and UCI will be listened to now! In the words of John Logue "We go from strength to strength!" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! If it wasn't costing me money, it would be really funny!!:D

You seem so aware of the problems of USI and SU's in general what have you done to help fix them? Beyond the ever so influential boards post that is.

mrkiscool2

isilidur1980 wrote: »

I'm always wary of the huge percentages!! 87% of what?? 1900 students!! Just goes to show the complete irrelevance of both bodies in the eyes of students!
DCU faired slightly worse! Roughly 1500 students!! LOL!! The SU's and UCI will be listened to now! In the words of John Logue "We go from strength to strength!" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! If it wasn't costing me money, it would be really funny!!:D

I could insult you so much right now, but your doing it to yourself. You do realise that if any SU left USI, it only gives a fiver back to the SU right? And if we didn't have SU's, we would just be paying that money to the college anyway? You seem to believe that if we were no longer part of the SU, 25 quid would magically appear in our pockets. What lulz

I could list a shed load of achievements that SU's and USI have got over the year, and there are more this year! Also, national representation is very important. UCD will not have a say in whatever campaigns happen, and will lose out on things like expertise (as SU officers generally have a 1-2 year rollover). There are lots of reasons USI is good, and lots of reasons why USI have failed. But as a member of the exec, we did discuss USI affiliation this year and decided we were way better off with it than with an extra 72,000 euro.

isilidur1980

IheartGOW wrote: »

You seem so aware of the problems of USI and SU's in general what have you done to help fix them? Beyond the ever so influential boards post that is.

You would be very much mistaken if you think I criticise the SU without ever having experience of their inadequacies.

isilidur1980

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

I could insult you so much right now, but your doing it to yourself. You do realise that if any SU left USI, it only gives a fiver back to the SU right? And if we didn't have SU's, we would just be paying that money to the college anyway? You seem to believe that if we were no longer part of the SU, 25 quid would magically appear in our pockets. What lulz

I could list a shed load of achievements that SU's and USI have got over the year, and there are more this year! Also, national representation is very important. UCD will not have a say in whatever campaigns happen, and will lose out on things like expertise (as SU officers generally have a 1-2 year rollover). There are lots of reasons USI is good, and lots of reasons why USI have failed. But as a member of the exec, we did discuss USI affiliation this year and decided we were way better off with it than with an extra 72,000 euro.

Insult me away! It only goes to show the caliber of the student union representatives if they resort to threatening to insult people, especially those they are meant to represent, on a social media forum.
Where did I ever say I wanted the SU's to just "go away"? I am criticising the leadership or lack of it and the failure of the leadership to deal with the apathy the majority of the students have with regards to the SU. You should probably be trying to inspire me and people like me instead of threatening to "insult us"!
I agree that the USI, as an ideal, is good. But they have failed! You can feel free to tell me all the great things they have done over the last year. I will tell you that they have failed miserably on grants and fees! Students have been hit in every budget over the last few years. Other groupings in society have got some reprieve in some budgets but students have constantly, year after year, been hit. That, to me and most students, is a failure of the so-called national umbrella body, the USI.
As I have said, you can feel free to list all these wonderful achievements both have achieved. You make them sound so impressive. It must just be a communication problem the SU have(it is pretty bad alright) if they fail to try to use these wonderful victories to inspire a student body that frankly sees ye the same way as I do.
I have tried to utilise the SU, by the way, and do feel hopeful every new election but I now see it just amounts to lip service.

IheartGOW

isilidur1980 wrote: »

I agree that the USI, as an ideal, is good. But they have failed! You can feel free to tell me all the great things they have done over the last year. I will tell you that they have failed miserably on grants and fees! Students have been hit in every budget over the last few years. Other groupings in society have got some reprieve in some budgets but students have constantly, year after year, been hit. That, to me and most students, is a failure of the so-called national umbrella body, the USI.

I would agree almost 100% with this. USI have definately failed that's without question. Other groups getting a reprieve is not as accurate. OAPs yes but a lot of groups have been as successful as USI. My question though is, what would you do in terms of protest or action against this. I'm not asking you to do anything, just wondering what you would like to do or what you think could work.
I ask out of genuine interest and not as a sly remark!

Ficheall

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

I could list a shed load of achievements that SU's and USI have got over the year

Go on.

mrkiscool2

*sighs* Where do I begin? In order of great to little achievements
1. Secured the Student Assitance Fund (which was due to expire this year) as well as an extra 3 million in funding for it
2. Managed to presure County Councils in reversing there decision to withhold grants from students whose parents hadn't payed the household tax.
3. Managed to protect the grant from being cut, some Labour backbenchers have also said the grant may be protected again next year.
4. Bringing DCU (a college who left due to massive failures in USI after the USIT scandal) back into the fold, as well as retaining NUIM. UL are considering having a referndum on this next year due to the perceived effectiveness USI have been seen as having over the last few years.
5. Better campaigns. USI realised this year that they needed to have stuff like more involvement on campuses with certain campaigns (SHAG Week, Rainbow Week, Alcohol Awarness week). They have been more active all over Ireland this year
6. Our own SU has raised more awareness in Sexual Health through Condom Wednesdays, information stands and more information.

I could name other successful campaigns in other SU's around Ireland, but I think USI's success outweighs there failures this year. Do ye actually believe that USI in austerity could ever manage to stop the Government increasing fees, especially when both the Troika and IMF wanted it? Ye are severely mistaken if you believe that.

Squeeonline

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Do ye actually believe that USI in austerity could ever manage to stop the Government increasing fees, especially when both the Troika and IMF wanted it? Ye are severely mistaken if you believe that.

Well yes, since Labour ran with the policy of not increasing fees, reg or otherwise and FG were supposed to be the saviours from FF.

I have little problem with fees (with a proper grant system, those who can pay, should etc) but I wouldn't call what USI has done "a success". I'm not saying scrap it. but it needs to actually do things rather than whinge to ministers.

mrkiscool2

Squeeonline wrote: »

Well yes, since Labour ran with the policy of not increasing fees, reg or otherwise and FG were supposed to be the saviours from FF.

I have little problem with fees (with a proper grant system, those who can pay, should etc) but I wouldn't call what USI has done "a success". I'm not saying scrap it. but it needs to actually do things rather than whinge to ministers.

Trust me, I do not believe USI have been a success, I just believe their successes have outweighed their failures this year. And did you honestly believe FG and Labour when they said "no fees?" they just wanted to get elected and into power, thats all.

isilidur1980

IheartGOW wrote: »

I would agree almost 100% with this. USI have definately failed that's without question. Other groups getting a reprieve is not as accurate. OAPs yes but a lot of groups have been as successful as USI. My question though is, what would you do in terms of protest or action against this. I'm not asking you to do anything, just wondering what you would like to do or what you think could work.
I ask out of genuine interest and not as a sly remark!

A couple of years ago, I read an article in the newspaper which grabbed my attention. It was regarding a flashmob of students which occurred in Dublin. It caught attention but that was it. I would have loved to have seen highly coordinated actions around the country like these. And get creative with these too. They are in essence a creative art. And be persistent with them. And disruptive.
The SU's/UCI should also hold written communication protests. Every week, TD's should be chosen and students should be urged to write emails,etc to them, on the same day, talking of their disgust at student fees/grants, etc. This should again be coordinated to occur on the same day to the same person.
The walkout idea should be used. At a specific time on a certain day, students should just get up from lectures all around the country and just walk out of the universities. I'm thinking this would make national headlines if it was coordinated properly.
Everyone knows of the different forms of protests, the SU's must get creative and grasp attention with these. They must be willing to escalate to more destructive forms once they have grabbed that attention. I don't mean riots when I say destructive. An example would be raasta roko, where students, again coordinated nationally, would block busy city centre traffic,etc. Escalation from this would be sit-ins in lecture halls. At first, it should only last a day but if the government and university authorities ignore this, they should be escalated each time.
There are many ways to protest!! First grab attention by creative, persistent,coordinated forms and escalate to more damaging forms! I'm sure the SU has considered things like these but unfortunately they haven't followed through. Tying themselves to a radiator or two every six months clearly doesn't work!

Ficheall

isilidur1980 wrote: »

The walkout idea should be used. At a specific time on a certain day, students should just get up from lectures all around the country and just walk out of the universities. I'm thinking this would make national headlines if it was coordinated properly.

Why would anyone care?

freyners

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

*sighs* Where do I begin? In order of great to little achievements
1. Secured the Student Assitance Fund (which was due to expire this year) as well as an extra 3 million in funding for it
2. Managed to presure County Councils in reversing there decision to withhold grants from students whose parents hadn't payed the household tax.
3. Managed to protect the grant from being cut, some Labour backbenchers have also said the grant may be protected again next year.
4. Bringing DCU (a college who left due to massive failures in USI after the USIT scandal) back into the fold, as well as retaining NUIM. UL are considering having a referndum on this next year due to the perceived effectiveness USI have been seen as having over the last few years.
5. Better campaigns. USI realised this year that they needed to have stuff like more involvement on campuses with certain campaigns (SHAG Week, Rainbow Week, Alcohol Awarness week). They have been more active all over Ireland this year
6. Our own SU has raised more awareness in Sexual Health through Condom Wednesdays, information stands and more information.

I could name other successful campaigns in other SU's around Ireland, but I think USI's success outweighs there failures this year. Do ye actually believe that USI in austerity could ever manage to stop the Government increasing fees, especially when both the Troika and IMF wanted it? Ye are severely mistaken if you believe that.

First I've heard of that

isilidur1980

Ficheall wrote: »

Why would anyone care?

On its own it wouldn't be much good. It would have a similar effect to the one off marches that occur every now and again. I was thinking more of a coordinated national strategy which would utilise many protest options in a persistent manner. Some would be used to grab attention, once this is gained others would be used to escalate the protest. At the moment, the general population and many of the student population are passive to whats happening. The SU's and UCI should aim to change that before they can ever hope for any success regarding fees,grants,etc!