Neo O’Herlihy, a stage three English, Drama and Film student, is the sole candidate for the role of Entertainments (Ents) Officer in the UCDSU Executive Elections.
O’Herlihy spoke positively of SU engagement this past year, saying “From what I’ve seen, the transference of online, to being cautious being on campus after COVID, to finally getting to do bigger, fuller events this year - I’ve seen both lulls and also raises in engagement with students, with the SU. I think that some of the big Astra Hall events, such as the ABBA event and The Monster Ball, were great ways to get lots of students engaged in one space. Not only that, but stuff like the scavenger hunts! I like their simplicity, they’re easy to set up, and they’re a great way to get students across all of campus to get involved.”
O’Herlihy has perhaps the weakest knowledge of SU and UCD management structures of this year's candidates, however his events experience through student societies leaves him with clear competencies in the role he is running for.
O’Herlihy claims prior experience in the Harry Potter Society, Windsurfing Club, and UCD Dramsoc, as his qualifications for Ents Officer, with his work across the three societies giving him a firm grasp of the nature of events and promotion in UCD. “This is my fourth year being in UCD, and since my second year in UCD I have been on committees. In my second year I was in Potter Soc, I was on Windsurfing the next year, which was last year, and now I’m on Dramsoc. First one was OCM [Ordinary Committee Member], and then on to PRO [Public Relations Officer], and PRO once again, and I’ve seen the interchanging way that events are set up, and the way that you get people to go to events, and I’ve kind of been putting myself more into the production side of events, setting up technical aspects and things like that.”
I’ve seen the interchanging way that events are set up, and the way that you get people to go to events
“I’ve seen over the past four years the ways in which events have been set up - I’d like to take that on board and go somewhere with it.”
O’Herlihy highlights the experience he gained over both PRO roles, through which he designed social media posts and promotion, as well as society hats and jumpers, as well as writing emails and wider correspondence to membership. Through this he has gained competencies in Photoshop, and learned how to “input [his] own personality” into his promotion. “I’m constantly learning all this stuff, and constantly wanting to learn more, and I’m not willing to say ‘no’ when a barrier comes in my way.”
O’Herlihy has already begun canvassing students on events via his campaign Instagram, and says of the main issues students face regarding events, “So far it’s been venue, notice and transport. The venue; I know Astra Hall has been used as a main venue for big events and I’m very excited to see the response to UCD Ball and see how that goes, because I know it's the first time that has been done in quite a few years [...] People want a different venue to Astra, and people also want more notice, and I can see that being done. With [being] PRO and promoting events already, I already have experience and know the resources to do this.”
I’m not willing to say ‘no’ when a barrier comes in my way
Regarding transport, O’Herlihy spoke of having to find the balance between finding the right venue, and the right transport to and from that venue at an appropriate price, saying that this is an issue he would have to look into further once he enters the role.
O’Herlihy’s manifesto focuses primarily on event location, student-led planning, and harm reduction. He wants to expand on event venue, bringing events to Richview and across the wider campus, as well as bring in more off-campus, SU led events. He also wants to expand student involvement in events organising past the current Ents Forum (a group of volunteer students who help organise and facilitate events), to ensure that more students are being served by the events run by the SU.
I know that there are drag queens in UCD that could have had a chance to open for that event, and I don’t feel like they got that opportunity
Regarding the student-led direction O’Herlihy promotes in his manifesto, he gave the example of the drag show, starring Regina George, the SU held earlier this year. “[it] was great, but also I felt like there was space for...I know that there are drag queens in UCD that could have had a chance to open for that event, and I don’t feel like they got that opportunity. I would like to see something like that happening, not just for a drag event, but for all events.”
O’Herlihy also wants to work with the Graduate Officer to bring mirror events to Smurfit, so that “No student of UCD feels left out of their full experience.”
For O’Herlihy, “The single most important part of the position for me is, I think, the students [...] There can’t just really be one important part of events, but students are my main concern when it comes to events, because it’s mostly them who will be responding to events that are set up by the SU.”