Peter Donnelly, Editor
In the run up to the Student Union Elections, taking place from Monday 1st March 2021, The Gown is featuring candidates who are running for student office in the Queen’s University Student Union Elections, for the next 2021-2022 academic year.
The Gown is grateful to Katie Ní Chléire for sending us her objectives as Queen’s University, Belfast Student’s Union President in the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year.
It’s time to put mental health front and centre of this university once and for all.
Students are in a mental health crisis and we need radical change to tackle it.
As Welfare Officer this year, I’ve seen first-hand how the University’s decisions impact on students’ mental health.
I’ve seen how your academic pressures like bunched deadlines create an unsustainable workload that impacts your wellbeing.
I’ve seen how the hidden costs of your course add financial pressure, never mind the fact that you’ll be leaving University with tens of thousands of pounds of debt.
I’ve seen how corrupt landlords exploit students for cash and then refuse to let them cancel their contracts.
I’ve seen how the University is prepared to charge international students extortionate tuition fees while offering them little support.
Most of all, I’ve seen how the University prioritises their profits more than our lives. It’s not good enough.
Students deserve better.
We deserve a University which treats your wellbeing as a priority and which tackles the environmental factors that impact your mental health.
We deserve a University where international students are supported, not exploited.
We deserve a University which operates like a place of learning, not a business.
And we deserve an education system in which students don’t bear the burden of funding higher education and to which everyone has access.
I’m running for President so that we can push QUB into making the big changes that students need.
Our students are in crisis and we can’t wait any longer.
Vote Katie for President to put mental health front and centre of this University for once and for all.
As the 2021 SU Election campaign approaches its final stages, The Gown continues to invite all candidates standing for election to contact us in order to be given a platform to unveil their campaign objectives and pledges. Given the current public health circumstances, in which we all find ourselves, it is these times that homegrown, student-led societies, such as The Gown, are an invaluable tool for spreading the student voice.
A full list of candidates are available on the Queen’s University Student Union website, here.
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