Patrick Lavelle | College Affairs Editor
David Gray
David Gray is a 21 year old Senior Sophister Law and Business student. Hailing from Cabinteely, Co. Dublin, he is interested in music and sport, particularly water and snow sports. Over the past year he has held the position of Events (Nights) Manager for Trinity Ents, assisting in the running of events such as Surf Sail Salmon and RAG Week.
If elected Gray plans to better utilise the ‘Ents Crew’. He sees collaboration and group participation as something, which is paramount to a successful Ents team, ‘whether it be in relation to establishing committees for different events or utilising the creative talents of students keen to leave their mark on college life’, adding that he wants ‘people to stop talking about this point and actually implement it’. He also plans to attempt to renegotiate the Trinity Ball contract with MCD, given turbulence in recent years, particularly in relation to line-ups.
In terms of his broader views about college, Gray would like to see a full implementation of semesterisation, which he believes would be both to the good of students and for Trinity’s academic success in the future.
Conor Parle
Conor Parle is a Senior Sophister Maths and Economics student. The 22 year old from Tallaght, is extremely interested in music, as well as comedy and international relations.
Parle is active in several areas of college life. He is currently Ents Officer for the Society for International Affairs (SoFia) and is involved in the inaugural Film Festival Committee. In his first year, he co-founded the Germanic society and held the position of Ordinary Committee Member (OCM) in Mathsoc. He has also served as a Peer Mentor, held the position of Debates Manager of the Student Economic Review, and been involved in the Voluntary Tuition Programme (VTP).
If elected, he would like to give students more direct involvement in Ents, which includes his plan to hold monthly townhall meetings. He would like to expand the Ents crew and to set up sub-committees open to any student to join. He plans to launch a “Student Innovation Fund” for events ideas by students, which would include monetary support and master-classes from professionals in different areas like event promotion, comedy, music and the arts. He also plans to hold more events on campus, such as festivals and campus concerts.
Notably, he feels Ents has a responsibility to launch a responsible alcohol policy on campus alongside Welfare, telling the University Times that he has had a close relative affected by such issues. He believes it is essential to set up a new policy and to build a substance abuse support group in Trinity.
On a broader level, Parle believes we need to continue to foster a good community atmosphere on campus. Speaking to the University Times, he said one of his main aims was to foster a spirit of collaboration between the Students Union, societies, sports clubs and publications. He feels ‘we need to continue to improve positive relations on campus and foster an inclusive environment for all’.
Katie Cogan
Katie Cogan is a 20 year old Junior Sophister Functional Biology student. Born in Belgium, she describes herself as being ‘from all over the place, so Trinity is sort of my home at this stage’. During her time in college, she has developed interests in DJing, TV presenting and creating radio shows.
Cogan is the current Secretary of DUDJ and Head of Presenting on Trinity TV. She is a class rep, describing herself as ‘an active and vocal member of the SU’. She is also an S2S mentor, and a creator and presenter of a science radio show on Trinity FM. She was part of the Ents subcommittee for the Fashion Show.
If elected, Cogan would like to see an Ents office, which is more open and inclusive, allowing students to give feedback on how they feel things should be run. Speaking to the University Times, Cogan said: ‘I want to ensure that the entertainment provided to students is actually reflective of the student body’s interests, and that people feel the office is working specifically for them, rather than seeming distant and separate from their college experience’.
In terms of her broader views about college, Cogan believes that it needs to take more notice of the needs of students. She said students should be the most important concern of college, yet ‘too often the students are overlooked in the hierarchy, and are left feeling like the college’s priorities do not lie with them’. She believes that while the SU has a responsibility to make its voice heard, college also has a responsibility to listen.
