The candidates: Dundalk IT gearing up for student elections tomorrow

It's the time of year again where the Student Elections are taking place in Dundalk Institute of Technology. Six candidates from two teams will be up for election in a bid to secure a vote for the following positions: Students’ Union President, Vice President for Welfare and Equality and Vice President for Student Engagement. 

The election count takes place tomorrow, March 11th in the grounds of the college with a large turnout expected. 

The candidates running for election are as follows: 

Students’ Union President: Taidgh Kavanagh and Glenn McCourt

Vice President for Welfare and Equality: Caitlin Connor and Niall Kearns

Vice President for Student Engagement: Cian McCrave and Christopher “Chacho” O’Neill

With a busy week of campaigning and hosting events, a number of candidates took time out of their busy schedules to speak to the Democrat to answer a couple of questions in relation to their campaign and some of the goals they wish to achieve if elected into office.

Caitlin Connor

At 21 years of age, Caitlin is currently a final year Business and Management student in the college. Originally from Drogheda, this is Caitlin’s first time running for a spot in the Student Election. If elected for the position of Vice President for Welfare and Equality, she will be the first female in this role in over 10 years. 

What made you decide to run for the Student Election?

Personally, I feel like I have a lot to contribute to welfare and equality here in DKIT, but of course, I have a lot to learn which is why I’ve been asking students for suggestions and opinions as to what they’d like to see me contribute to their welfare and equality while attending DKIT as I’m only a potential representative of the student body.

What would be the main challenge that you would like to tackle if elected on Thursday?

A core issue I aim to tackle is towards individuals who receive their periods every month as I am trying to tackle period poverty within DKIT as there’s non-existent availability of complimentary sanitary products in OUR lavatories throughout campus. Our period has a price tag here within DKIT for basic sanitary products when on campus. 

For example, students who wish to stay late in the library to work on assignments have no access to sanitary products after the student shop and students union closes, but the SU rarely has availability of sanitary products and has been dominated by males the last ten years. 

If I was to be elected, I would be the first Welfare & Equality Officer who is female within the last ten years. It’s reached a time to break the stigma surrounding shame and embarrassment of a period and this is what we need to work on as a community here at DKIT.

Cian McCrave

At 21 years of age, Dundalk native Cian is currently a final year Business Studies student in the college. This is also Cian’s first time running for a spot in the Student Elections with the hopes of becoming the new Vice President of Student Engagement. 

What made you decide to run for the Student Election?

What made me decide to run for the election was that last year I was a part of the election campaign and I really enjoyed the whole experience. I consider myself a people’s person and I love mixing with people, therefore, I thought that the role of student engagement would suit my personality perfectly. 

What would be the main challenge that you would like to tackle if elected on Thursday?

Personally I think my main challenge is definitely student power! It’s a big point in my manifesto. I want to basically take power from the students union and give it back to the students so they can make more meaningful decisions. At the moment there is low class rep involvement which leads to a loss of communication with the students. I want to focus on putting the student’s needs and wants first and to do that, we need their voices to be heard.

Glenn McCourt 

Glenn, who is also a native of Dundalk, studied Culinary Arts in the college and is the current Students’ Union President in the college and is seeking Re Election for this role this year.

What made you decide to run for the Student Election?

I studied at DKIT for 3 years and during those 3 years, I represented DKIT on many different levels. I was a Class Representative and Student Ambassador as well as representing the college in National Cookery Competitions. I worked closely with different Presidents and Vice Presidents in making a real change over my time as a student and felt that I was best placed to take over the role of SU President and so I decided to run in last year's election and since then, I have never looked back. It’s been a fantastic experience representing the 5,000 students of DKIT.

What would be the main challenge that you would like to tackle if elected on Thursday?

One of our biggest challenges this year as a Student Body was keeping our Graduation Ceremony on campus. It had been planned to take it to town, something which disgusted students as they like to graduate in the place that they put all their work in over the 3, 4 and 5 years. I was so proud to lead the students of DKIt in peacefully protesting the decision which was eventually overturned, thank god. Next year is our 50th anniversary as an Institute and we will be making sure that the graduation is celebrated on campus, especially if I am re-elected. 

I stand with our colleagues in TUI in calling for urgent action on securing the TU status for DKIT so that we are not left behind in the education landscape in Ireland when it comes to both government funding as well as recognition. We’re situated in an ideal location on the Dublin-Belfast corridor so we must secure TU status for the college and I will be joining our colleagues and friends in TUI in calling for this if I am re-elected.

The Democrat contacted Niall Kearns, Christopher O'Neill and Taidgh Kavanagh, but had not received a reply.