Science and Health Convener #2: Sarah Flanagan

Nick Sheridan / Other Positions, SU Elections / 0 Comment

Pondering over what characteristic sets her aside from her opponents, Sarah Flanagan laughs: “Definitely my pink hair.”

The good-natured 3^rd Year Biotechnology student is joking of course. She believes there’s a lot that makes her the candidate for the position of DCU Science and Health Convener 2012.

“I’ve been involved in the SU, having been Class Rep for two years. I’m also involved in Dance Soc, so that gives me a grounding in society life.”

The Science and Health campaign  is probably the oddest race of the entire collection, with two of the three candidates missing from campus during voting week! Sarah’s opponent Aideen Holden is running her whole campaign from Australia, something which Sarah believes may not be a wise decision:

“I would say it does put her at a disadvantage, her campaign has to be over Facebook and Twitter! But then, I’ll be gone on my INTRA placement from Monday, so I won’t be here either, it’ll just be Robbie (Reid) left on campus. I want to hire some people to go around with masks of my face so I can have a presence on campus,” she laughs.

What does Sarah want to do in the next year, if elected?

“I want to make more students aware of what the Convener does, especially first years, a lot of them don’t even know they have one! Science and Health is very broad, with the pure science subjects, then sports science, nursing, the mathematical sciences, it’s a big step up from being a Class Rep but I think I’m the best person for the job!”

The Uaneen Module is also high on Sarah’s list:

“I’d like to make students more aware of the Uaneen Module, we (in Science and Health) were never told about it, we don’t know much about what it is, I want to change that. I also want to interact with students one on one, deal with any personal issues they may have.

“I’m approachable, a lot of people know me to say hi, I’m always around campus. There’s no one thing that sets me aside, I think it’s the whole package put together.”

Science and Health Convener

Nick Sheridan / Other Positions, SU Elections / 0 Comment

Aideen Holden, Science and Heath Convener, talks to DCUfm from Australia, on why students should vote for her next week.
Do you think running this campaign from the other side of the world will leave you at a disadvadvantage?

Running from Australia is definitely going to be harder and require a lot more hours, but I don’t think I am at a disadvantage. I have some lovely people in DCU to put up posters and I have an internet campaign. Sure, I don’t have a physical presence, but I’m hoping people will see how dedicated I am to this role by my long distance campaign.
I have wanted this position since I arrived in DCU and this is my first opportunity to fully commit to the job.

Why should DCU students vote for you? 

I think students should vote for me because I am going into this campaign knowing exactly what is needed from a convenor. I have been very active in my role as class rep for the last three years, attending faculty meetings, helping students in need and working within my course to make it better for future students. I am already hugely involved in the Students Union and I love being part of it all, most of my free time is spent there. I see the work that people have put into the SU roles before and I’m 100% dedicated to giving this position everything.

What problems do you see in this year’s convenership that you would like to change?

Gary has done an excellent job, there are no flaws in any of his work. He has set up great communication channels and put in so much work that I wish to maintain and build on if at all possible

What are the main policies and points of your bid for this position?

Overall, I just want to make the Science and Health Faculty as good as it can be. I wish to gain the trust of Class Reps and get to know them on a personal level so they are able to approach me on any issue. This way all problems that arise can be dealt with swiftly.
I would like to tackle the larger issues, especially problems that have become more apparent to me in the last year. As a 3rd year student, INTRA is very important and it can be hard preparing for interviews when you don’t know what to expect. I plan on working with the INTRA office and Class Reps from INTRA classes to set up CV workshops and mock interviews to ease the burden of INTRA preparation.
Another area I wish to tackle is online voting. I can see how frustrating it is not being able to vote because of placement, INTRA and exchange. This has been an issue in the Nursing faculty especially. I was part of the Electoral committee in 2nd year, so I feel that I have the experience and knowledge of the election system of DCUSU to tackle this issue.

The main issue regarding events is the Science and Health Ball. Gary has put in so much work already that it just needs the right person to finish it. I believe that I can do this as I would love to see a Science and Health Ball before I leave DCU.
Any other things you think the students should know about you?

I have the experience needed to understand the workings of DCUSU and am very passionate about upholding its integrity. My friends call me a “union nerd” as I have memorised the DCUSU constitution before and can’t go a day on campus without visiting the Hub. I have been ESH class rep for 3 years, was on the SU charity committee and electoral committee and was a student representative at DCU open day. Many people have seen me around election times sitting at the polling stations, therefore it is weird to be on the other side of the election system.
I will give this convenor position my all and will not let anyone down if they vote for me.

by Nick Sheridan.