By 1st Year Editors Aaron Carroll and Felix Mordaunt.
Last week, The Bulletin DCU’s first year editors found that the average first year student isn’t particularly aware of the operations of the Students’ Union. But that hasn’t stopped some of them trying to change that narrative.
Azanat Kareem (a first year Mechatronic Engineering student) and Charlie Savage (a first year Gnó agus Gaeilge student) both put their names down on the ballot paper for next week’s student elections.
Kareem is in the running for Engineering and Computing student leader, while Savage is the only candidate in the running for Ceannaire Mac Léinn Gaeilge.
Engineering and Computing Student Leader
In her manifesto, Kareem states that she will work with campus vendors to provide affordable meal deals for students, not only those in Engineering and Computing.
“It’s a very general thing. I know a lot of engineering students, they all say that they don’t have money in school. But it would end up helping all students,” she adds.
Stronger links to the industry for students in her faculty was another point she heavily emphasized; “this year I’ve only experienced one engineering talk and I feel like there could be more”.
“Just to get more people talking about what they do, and then engineering and computing students know what they’re in for,” the candidate explains.
She explains that she has links within an Energia wind farm which she could use as a starting point for these talks.
She also vows to work one-on-one with students on their issues.
“I’m planning to go to lectures of first years, second years, third years, fourth years, and just take five minutes at the end or start of their lecture just to ask, if you have any concerns or anything to say at all and just come down and let me know,” Kareem states.
Only one candidate ran for Engineering and Computing leader last year, and Kareem is one of two this year. She thinks it’s about advertising to students, and spreading the word about the elections.
“I’ve noticed when I was asking for student supporters to fill in my application, a lot of people didn’t even know that the nominations were open,” Kareem reflects.
“I think it’s just about getting it out there and letting people know that it’s actually on. Because a lot of engineers and computers didn’t know that it was on at all,” she adds.
With the other candidate – Kamil Kasza – being a second year Computer Science student, Kareem thinks she might be at a slight disadvantage, but believes this is something she can overcome.
Finally, Kareem said she was looking forward to the campaign; “I’m excited because I have stuff planned and lots of free stuff to give away. So that’s going to be fun.”
Ceannaire Mac Léinn Gaeilge
Charlie Savage is the only candidate running for Ceannaire Mac Léinn Gaeilge [Irish Language Student Leader], hoping to fill a position that has been vacant since current VP for Community and Citizenship, Emily Cathcart left at the end of the 2024/2025 term.
He is committed to increasing the visibility and usage of the Irish language across all campuses, and plans to do this, firstly, through making Irish-speaking accommodation available on campus for students.
“It’s a kind of accommodation dedicated for people who want to speak Irish day-to-day even if they’re not studying it,” the candidate explains.
Savage plans to contact those running Scéim Chónaithe in other colleges to find out how they brought it in, and then try and implement it in DCU.
As well as that, he plans to introduce Irish into DCU student cards.
“On the back [of the cards], it has the, kind of, disclaimer in Irish and English, but then on the front it doesn’t have the fada on the name, so if your name is Seán, or Síofra, it’s kind of just like Sean or Siofra, and then it just has it in English. So I think it’d be better if it’s just kind of both in Irish, because if they have the Irish on one side, they may as well just have it on both. “
Thirdly, Savage wants to work with Clubs and Societies to promote more Irish speaking events on campus, specifically with an Cumann Gaelach, who have been trying to accomplish goals similar to the ones set out in his manifesto.
He has already done events with an Cumann Gaelach, and is also on the committee for DCU’s Surf’n’Sail Society noting that the Surf’n’Sails committee has members interested in Gaeilge, and possible events.
Savage said that his main concern is that Gaeilge isn’t promoted enough in DCU, especially, he says, around Glasnevin campus.
Savage himself is studying Gnó agus Gaeilge [Business and Irish] on DCU’s All Hallows Campus, and said it sometimes feels like students studying Gaeilge are “hidden away”.
“It does kind of seem like that, like what’s the craic with Gaeilge… especially up in Glasnevin, there’s not a lot of emphasis on Gaeilge.” Savage hopes to change this.
His concern about a lack of promotion of the Irish language is echoed by the fact that he is the only person in two years to have run for the position of Ceannaire Mac Léinn Gaeilge.
“It is a bit concerning that no one else did go for it”.
He said that an Cumann Gaelach offered to put someone forward for the position in the 2025/2026 term, but that the Student Union said it was too late, and instead proposed a bi-election in the 2026 term. This bi-election never happened.
When asked if he was excited or nervous about taking on the role, he said it was a bit of both.
“I won’t be just doing it by myself. I can link in with the Cumann Gaelach, and especially my course, it’s a nice small course, so I have people there who would have their own opinions about Gaeilge, but the feedback I’ve gotten, people are delighted that someone’s finally going for it [the position of Ceannaire Mac Léinn].”
Voting will take place from the 16th to the 18th of February.