 Hello and welcome to DCU TV News, a Student Union election coverage 2018. I got the chance to speak with the candidates running for the position of VP for Welfare and Equality, Jason Esbitt a Ashlyn Fhaigan, and asked them why they felt they were suitable for the role. So Jason, why are you running for the position of VP for Welfare and Equality? I'm running for Welfare and Equality officer because it's a position that I've been passionate about from almost day one in first year. When I was in first year I was having a really hard time getting into college life. I was really struggling with it and a friend recommended I go talk to the Welfare officer and he gave me a lot of advice on how to get involved with societies and the support systems that were available to me as an access student. Then from that day on I was like, that's a job I want to do. I need to help people the way I've been helped. I'm quite passionate about all areas of the job, whether it be physical health, sexual health, mental health, representation of the quality. It's always been a passion of mine. It says in your manifesto, you know you're a treasure for DCU's mental health society and in manifesto it ruins how you want to create a mental health sanctuary for the new hope. How necessary do you feel this is on the Glasnefa campus? I feel very necessary about that but there are campuses that have paths that have Java. I'll have to chill out some as well but in Glasnefa we don't have a designated de-stress. I don't think about college for a couple of hours. I feel like the constant thing to it is maybe the library, where the company seats are but even being on the library can stress you out. But I feel like it's definitely necessary to have a safe space almost to just chill out. I'd love to do workshops and different events in there throughout the year focusing on mental health and mindfulness. Whether it's a film screening just to chill out or a yoga class or a speech on keeping good mental health and finding a work-life balance in college. And you also want to introduce an LGBT plus week and you want to host specific dates dedicated to different cultures. Do you feel embracing diversity is something which is lacking across all the DCU campuses? I feel it's not lacking but it's always something that we can have more of. In recent years in celebrating diversity the SCU has done a great job but you can always do more and with the LGBT plus week it's not something that's ever been organised by the SCU. The LGBT society does that themselves but I feel like their work that they do is not often supported enough and that's where it's lacking is really supporting the community and people who are working to educate, destigmatise and all of these things. You want to introduce classes and workshops for first years to help them settle into college life. Do you feel students starting out in DCU aren't adequately prepared and what do you hope to achieve from this? I feel like not necessarily like it's not really a blanket statement for all students but when you are someone who is 18 years old moving away from home, having to make independent decisions that affect your life can be very stressful and often I know myself a lot of things like with general adult things you're really like how am I supposed to do this and no one's ever told me something as simple as getting a new passport and you're like well I've never had to do this before how do I do that or setting up a doctor's appointment it's really like I feel like it's very important while not everybody might need it it would be great to have it available where you can't ask a stupid question that you might think you and there are no wrong questions whether you think it might be pacing and you're like oh I don't know how to live on a budget and you're like well here's the system you need to apply and know how much money you have or general health eating and exercise how do I find time well here's how and just regarding controversies surrounding student unions all over Ireland in the past academic year as a candidate do you feel there is a certain way that an SU representative should act or behave? I feel like it's being very mindful of the people that you represent and there has been problems that it would speak like being culturally or in other words insensitive which is the thing that you always need to check yourself on and be aware of the people that you are representing it's a certain responsibility you have OK well thanks for speaking with us Jason and best of luck with everything Thank you So Ashley, why are you running for the position of VP for welfare equality? So I had a lot of experience with the two welfare office before I was going through like a bad time and I went to both Cody and part and they helped me in ways that I didn't think imaginable I'm so passionate about people I love helping people it's what I do every day I'm a volunteer every day and I'm always the one helping my friends through difficult times and I just want to be that person for all of the DCU the ways that the welfare office has helped me I want to be that person and I want to give back in the way that they help me And in your manifesto you speak about diversity and you want to introduce a rainbow week and DCU Pride Festival so could you just explain to me a bit more about them and how they would work So a diverse student in general I think Ireland is becoming more and more diverse every day and I think it's so important to embrace and celebrate this diversity in every way and especially here in DCU like international students we've got mature students you've got students from different backgrounds ethnicities, religions and we have such a large LGBTQ plus community as well So I was talking to the chair of the LGBTA society and he said that DCU had never done a rainbow week before and I thought it would be a fantastic idea and I've got a plan for next year and I think all students across the board would really enjoy DCU Pride Festival I think it's so important to celebrate the pride that is involved and to let all of these LGBTQ students know that they are so welcome here and should be so comfortable in that all of DCU celebrate together You also want to introduce weekly wellbeing workshops Now how would these differ from Wellness Wednesdays which are already in place? It is quite similar it's a similar idea but I just think that I really want to instill a culture of self-care in DCU In general as students we all completely forget to look after ourselves we're so busy and we're always going out and our sleeping patterns are completely thrown like not eating the best and things like this like I'm guilty about myself we all are so I'd love to introduce healthy eating workshops sleep clinics continue with the free STI checks and positive mental health seminars and it's building on Wellness Wednesdays and introducing more different things to it I mean like art therapy and more frequent dog therapy everybody loves the dog therapy once and all the time And you're also saying around the festival you want to employ a part-time accommodation officer to help students who are struggling to find accommodation which is obviously a very tropical issue so what would this officer like how successful do you think this position will be what would this officer be doing I think accommodation is one of DCU's biggest problems there's just not enough room for the growing demand and it's an issue that we've all struggled with again I've been there myself and it's such a panic throughout the summer and having spoken to four of the previous welfare officers they all said that accommodation was one of the biggest struggles for them personally during the job and I think that for the welfare officer to have to deal with accommodation plus spending the summer getting everything prepared for the coming year I think it would be really beneficial to have one person solely in charge of just accommodation so they can be there around the clock and just constantly working on accommodation because it is such a pressing issue And in light of controversies surrounding student unions in Ireland as a whole the past academic year do you as a candidate feel there is a certain way that an SC representative should act or behave Obviously I think there has been a lot of controversy but I think keeping your personal opinions out of your professional job I think is really important obviously we all have our opinions but for a welfare officer I'll be going with my opinions will be in accordance to the way that the student union has voted or the students have voted to go with Well thanks for speaking with us Ashlyn and best of luck with everything Thank you So there you have it Either Ashlyn or Jason will be VP for welfare inequality You can log on to loopnow and ask your vote across all categories with results being announced on Friday Michelle Townsend DCTV News