DKIT is entering an exciting new chapter in its history with this year seeing the initiation of University College status under Queens University Belfast, an unprecedented expansion of cross border institutional relations.
And no doubt the Students Union will play a pivotal role with relevance in relation to helping to oversee this transition, both logistically and administratively as well culturally and socially, making sure the dynamic remains balanced and DKIT students remain as advocated for and represented as possible more than ever.
This is a special election for DKITSU and next year will be a massive academic year for union affairs. It is imperative that we have in place a passionate, experienced and hard working personality in the leadership seat to spearhead this new chapter. That is what I want to be if given the honor and privilege.
Even with this greater outside context put aside, there are still multiple circumstances that have been subject to campus discussion and voiced to me by peers in my tie being enrolled.
The cost-of-living squeeze, like all other areas, is very much felt by DKIT students when it comes to food and beverage services provided by the main catering contractor on campus. Despite negotiations and assurances made by the executive both last year and the year before, canteen prices continue to climb. The approach so far by previous executives has essentially been to just keep asking nicely but seems to have failed.
I want to try an action-based approach that serves not only as a solution, but also a way of empowering local former student entrepreneurs and contributing to the local economy rather than giving more and more proceeds to a corporation. I will do this by welcoming various food trucks and local food businesses, multiple of which such are run by excellently talented former students, already familiar to the college body such as the ones already seen during special events onto campus much more frequently.
This increased competition and therefore potential revenue going to these food trucks over the canteen will be intended as a cost-effective venture on the campus’s behalf to encourage a lowering of prices to compensate.
The matter of parking difficulty has also been an immensely stated topic of frustration for students, with parking lot 9, which is free of charge, being particularly open to misuse by non-attendees of the college.
The faculty use financial expense and how it “only affects” 104 students as the reasons not to have acted. However, with the merger with QUB coming, the faculty ought to have extra funding at hand to implement either a new registry system, security presence to better enforce appropriate use or ideally even a combination of both. 104 may be insignificant to faculty, but my desire is to represent students and represent all students.
Every one of those 104 is a student that could potentially miss an exam, or an important class, or a training session for sports. It could be someone who has a bad mental health period and that’s just the last little straw. This affects things like motivation and causes stress. Every student will be prioritized for me.
Since the Covid period, there has been a decrease in student events and society engagements. I want to change this and make campus livelier, especially pertaining to events that actually happen on campus.
I want to do revive campus social scenes by keeping up with other colleges throughout the country in allowing alcohol to be available at certain areas during certain times on campus, promoting a sensible attitude of healthy moderation and trust in adult responsibility with my policy rather than one of prohibition.
I will oversee the creation of a new council within the union comprising of the president, vice-president for engagement and the various club or society presidents to better encourage communication and cooperation between all extra-curricular groups and coordination of student events planning.
Student activism and political participation hold such a special place in the development of any society and the quality of any community. As the student sphere of one of Ireland’s greatest towns enters an incredibly exciting new chapter, I want those on my campus, peer and faculty alike, to know that there is a president ready and able to take on the responsibility of being at the forefront of it.
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