David Flood is a third year Mechanical Engineering student from Dublin. He is a class rep and the current Captain of the Trinity Surf Club. When speaking about what motivated him to run for this role, Flood said he “saw the events that were going on in College and I was confident in my own ability to put a really fun spin on them”.
When asked about how his experiences in the Surf Club applies to the position of Ents Officer, he said that his collaboration with societies, and organising events, means that it is “coming more naturally to me”. He added: “When you bring that together, so much of that encompasses what an Ents Officer should be doing,” citing “Wind, Wave, Rave,” as a collaboration of the Surf Club with DUDJ, DU Wind & Wake amongst other clubs and societies.
In response to how he is distinct from the other candidate in the race, Flood said that he has “practice in not just running nights out but running entire events”. This experience, he states, means that “you’re constantly learning on your feet” and “reapplying it to what you’re doing”. Flood also said that as part of the Surf Society he has collaborated with societies and organised trips abroad.
“I wanted to keep coming back to the experience of the student,” Flood commented. He said that he wants to “put the emphasis back on the student and make them feel like these nights are for you”. Flood believes that the enjoyment of the student is “number one”.
Flood was also asked if, at present, Ents lacks inclusivity. He said that it is “not so much inclusivity, but the events could be a lot more far-reaching”. He added, “while it is welcoming, it’s not reaching out to people”. On the topic of inclusion, Flood spoke about his plans to have an elevated viewing platform for disabled people at Trinity Ball, which he called the “bare minimum”. The fact that this is not currently available at Trinity Ball, Flood says, shows a “total lack of regard for the disabled students within Trinity and it’s a total oversight which we have to change”.
While discussing his manifesto, he spoke about his idea for crowdsourcing the Trinity Ball lineup by creating a playlist that students can add their favorite artists to. When asked about the feasibility of this, with students listening to more mainstream artists, he said that it is a way for students to recommend “that small act that you love” – he noted that students must “keep your expectations in check, this isn’t Electric Picnic”. Additionally, Flood spoke about the “ball culture” in Trinity, and said that if students are going to “fork out” for tickets, they should make them “feel valued”.
When asked about the drinking culture of Ents, Flood said that the events Ents currently hold “highlight it”. He said that nightlife is the “bread and butter of Ents,” but “there’s more to that”. He expressed plans to have varied events, such as World Culture Day, which will allow for a collaboration with societies that doesn’t focus on alcohol.
On the topic of the issue of drugs and Ents, Flood highlighted the importance that students be educated. “It’s when people aren’t educated that problems arise,” he said. He did not propose as to how Ents could combat this issue.
When questioned about whether or not Ents should have a clear focus on social issues in Trinity or have neutrality, Flood asked: “Who says we can’t strike a balance?” Flood proposed that Ents should be able to hold events in collaboration with societies that have an interest in social issues. However, Flood said that there should be “a wide array of events”.
On his overall vision for Ents, Flood said that he envisions “an Ents that you feel welcome at, that’s exciting, that’s engaging”.
