UCDSU Election 2021: Entertainments race analysis

While lone candidate Sarah Michalek’s knowledge of UCD is not totally comprehensive, as she was not able to name the UCD Bursar, and was not aware of what FRAMC stands for and does, she has a thorough understanding of what the role of Entertainments Officer entails.

There is ambiguity surrounding a number of Michalek’s plans, due to the ambiguity around when and if a return to campus is possible. However, Michalek also lacked certainty regarding the details of a number of her manifesto points, including how she would balance events for freshers and her proposed welcome events for returning second years who are yet to see UCD campus. The potential for continued restrictions on gatherings combined with a possible small budget due to an SU low in revenue from the SU shop means that many of Michalek’s ideas may not be feasible.

The theme of her campaign is building on what she has learned over the previous year and collaborating with other sabbats and societies. Michalek has experience from her term as Entertainments Officer, having had to adapt to a challenging year. In the very likely event she beats RON, students can expect more of the same, but with lessons learned.