Hi, my name is Marcus Yarrow and I am running for the position of UCC Students’
Union President. Having completed a Single Honours B.A. in Economics last year,
I am now studying for a MBS in Management and Marketing in UCC.
From my own four years of experience as a UCC student I know what problems
students meet with, from the ongoing irritating things like library opening hours
to the larger issues such as finance and worry about the future. I have worked in
many areas of college life, from being a class and entertainments representative
to a promoter of various pubs and nightclubs in Cork City. In addition to this I
have worked for large multinational firms such as Red Bull and Apple and feel I
possess more than enough experience that can be highly beneficial to YOU, the
students of UCC. My goals are attainable and realistic and I am confident they
will be achieved should you choose me as UCC Student Union President for the
coming year.
Experience
During my four years as a UCC student I have learned a lot about myself and also
how the Union operates. Through my various work experiences in college I have
built up relationships with many members of UCC staff and have established
strong working relationships with the Cork business community, be it pub and
nightclub owners to managers of companies and multinationals who can help
generate more part time work for you, the student. I’m an experienced leader
with the ability to drive initiatives thanks to captaining various sports teams as
well as my Class Representative duties. My experience across a wide variety of
areas will be used for your benefit as UCC students.
Entertainments
We have seen some great developments in campus entertainment this year, and
the success of R&G week was brilliant for all involved. We must continue to
maintain this high standard for the coming year and make it bigger and better.
My entertainments plans will not be beaten by any other candidates due to my
wealth of experience in this area and the group of contacts I have built up. This
will ensure you have the best entertainments possible, which for many, can be
one of the most tangible services the Union has to offer you, the student, and as
President I will ensure the high standard will not only be maintained but also
improved. This will be achieved by working closely with both the
Communications & Commercial Officer and the Entertainments Officer to ensure
all dates, locations and ideas are locked down and ready to go once the students
come back to college after their summer break. I fully support our current
President’s policies on improving media attention during R&G week and
introducing more alcohol free events such as the highly successful “Hands off my
car” or stand up comedy acts.
Sorting The Smaller Things
While not necessarily considered the most urgent of matters, the smaller
challenges and frustrations that persistently irritate you take away from a good
quality student experience. Here, the most pressing issue has to be library
facilities. Yes, we know we should never leave those assignments until the last
minute, but the fact is many of us are ‘last minute’ finishers and the demand is
genuinely there for extended opening hours at peak times of the year. This has
been an ongoing issue with responses that security costs are high and so on, but
we must push to get this demand met once and for all. We also need the number
of books in heavy demand and put on reserve to be increased. It would also help
greatly if more sockets were provided in the older parts of the library or if more
student parking was made available at a reasonable rate. The water facilities in
the Mardyke Arena and the last Park and Ride bus leaving at half 6 are other
issues that annoy you, the student, and as President I will strive to fix all these
nagging issues which will help you experience a greater quality of life.
Finance
The Department of Education spent €336 million on third level grants to
approximately 80,000 students last year. This represented a €25 million cut in
funding. Thresholds have changed this year, which may mean up to a 1,000
students will lose their grants. In recent weeks, Minister Ruari Quinn has
proposed means testing thousands of families involved in farming with assets
over €750,000, causing not only a rift between Fine Gael and Labour but also a
rural/urban divide. This has divided our government and has the ability to
divide society in a similar fashion.
Even with eligibility, the manner in which grants were dispersed last year
through SUSI is perhaps the most offensive fiasco experienced by students under
this government and has resulted in hardship for thousands of students. By
January of this year, 28% of eligible students had still not received any of the
funding they are entitled to. Speaking on national radio, the President of DkIT SU
reported that the Union had approached local supermarkets and businesses
seeking donations of food for students who literally had no money to eat. This
situation, which was not confined to Dundalk, cannot happen again, and while
the Department of Education issues reassurances of extra staff, fixing teething
problems, clearer information on forms to avoid appeals and so on, working with
the Welfare Officer, I commit to closely monitoring how SUSI operates from Day
1 and to ensure all students are supported in receiving their grants on time.
More Part Time Work For Students
I intend to promote the recruitment of students seeking part time work. The
presence of a University in any town or city generates millions in revenue for a
wide variety of businesses, pubs and clubs and landlords. I intend to canvas
businesses that benefit hugely from student resources, however meager at times,
to reciprocate and commit to hiring students. I will encourage them to advertise
posts which become available on our website and display stickers on their
windows saying they support UCC which will encourage more students to spend
there. It needs to be a give and take system.
Along with the opportunity for work, I would like to persuade large outlets like
Tesco, Dunnes and Spar to provide food for a week for fixed amounts like €15 or
€20 and upwards. It would generate income for the supermarket and help
students avail of a more balanced diet at an affordable price.
Graduate Employment
What happens when we finish College is a huge concern, and not just for final
year students. I plan to increase the awareness amongst students of the many
companies who offer good graduate programmes in Ireland and abroad and also
internships and exchanges with foreign Universities. We need to increase the
number of companies who visit campus on the milk rounds. I would like to
stagger these visits so that companies visit on a sector by sector basis in the form
of an Employers Fair. Meeting representatives from a company is a good help in
decision making and getting a feel for the company ethos and how you might fit
in is invaluable.
Related to this is the need to maintain the quality of our Degrees so that they
continue to be held in high regard by employers and other Universities here and
internationally. With the current cuts and the fear that more are coming in the
future, this is more important than ever. This means we need to maintain
pressure on the Governing Body to protect our reputation as students and
graduates and ensure the current standards in teaching are maintained.
Student Support Systems
While there is a good range of supports available for students, I believe many are
under-‐utilised and I would like to highlight what is in place. I also want to know
from you when there is a need that is not being met and commit to providing
that service. The peer support system is available for first years, uLink Peer
Support, and also the Genio Trust, which provides mentors for first years who
may have experienced mental health issues, such as depression, and who may
find it difficult to cope with or integrate with University life. This is a brilliant
service but not enough students are aware of it.
There is ongoing emotional support available for all students through free
counseling services. Everyone has to be aware of these services, both for
themselves or those they may know who are experiencing problems around
exam stress, image and financial problems, depression, drug experimentation
which leads to addiction, feelings of overwhelm and many more. I would like to
take away the stigma from what are broadly called mental health issues. We are
all likely to experience some of these problems at some point, and encouraging
students to both talk about these issues and to increase the uptake of the
services available is part of this process.
Students are finding it more difficult than ever to find employment when they
leave College and I would like to see the Careers Office having a bigger
involvement in seeking employment for UCC students. I propose to set up
workshops for students which will be given in areas that you, the student, would
like to improve on. This would include areas such as interview techniques,
computer skills and ways to improve and enhance your CV. I would like to see
the Careers Office encouraging and helping students to think outside the box and
explore less conventional areas where their skills and knowledge could be
valued. These workshops would give UCC students a huge advantage when
hunting for employment at the end of their college life.
Thank you for taking the time to read my manifesto and please feel free to
contact me on the details below if you have any queries or would like to be part
of my campaign team.
Remember vote Yarrow number one on March 11th and 12th for a better student
experience!
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MarcusYarrow4President?ref=hl
Twitter -‐ https://twitter.com/VoteYarrow
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