John O’Hara, a Junior Sophister film student, is one of this year’s four candidates to be College’s next Ents officer. In the words of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), the Ents officer is responsible for “making sure that every Trinity student has a social outlet after lectures”.
O’Hara, who is an active member of the college community, currently serves as Ents’ Public Relations Officer (PRO). Additionally, O’Hara is captain of College’s men’s hockey team, previously serving as the team’s PRO.
Speaking on his experience, O’Hara advertised himself saying that he “has been as invested [in Ents] as possible for the entirety of the year”. Describing his time serving on the Ents executive, the candidate said that he has been “consulted and involved” with decision making, giving him knowledge of TCDSU and College policy. Additionally, O’Hara provided details of his experience as Captain of the men’s hockey team, and subsequently as a member of the broader Trinity Sports Union (TSU). Discussing this experience, O’Hara said that he has familiarity with bureaucratic institutions and has worked with bodies such as Leinster Rugby.
Delving into O’Hara’s manifesto, it is clear that the candidate views Trinity Ball as the Ents officer’s premier responsibility. Discussing the ball, the candidate said that College has “an onus” to provide additional financial support for the running of the event. Commenting on the price of tickets, O’Hara stated that while costs are increasing, keeping the price of tickets under €100 “is something that has to stay while we try to increase funds elsewhere”.
“It doesn’t really make a difference if MCD has [access to] all these great acts but we end up with Bakar.”
O’Hara also expressed displeasure with the production companies involved in the running of the event. Describing this, he said that Ents and the student body has lost much of their influence over the acts headlining the event. He went on to describe fears of being unable to sign acts associated with these agencies. Responding to these concerns, O’Hara stated: “It doesn’t really make a difference if MCD has [access to] all these great acts but we end up with Bakar.” This comment is in line with the candidate’s goal of returning the role of Music Officer to within the remit of the Ents officer. This would make the Ents officer directly responsible for the acts at Ents events.
Discussing the issue of convincing College to assist in the funding of Trinity Ball, O’Hara said that it is in College’s “best interests” to ensure the event’s continued presence on campus. When asked how he would convince College to provide these supports, the candidate recognised College’s stubborn nature in regard to the allocation of funds. He called for “a united effort from the students’ Union” in order to secure this funding. When asked whether this meant he would use direct action, O’Hara stated the President holds responsibility for campaigns and that he would follow their advice. The candidate added that he “wouldn’t be cocky enough to say that I know exactly the right way to do this now”. Speaking on other means of fundraising, O’Hara said that he would seek new revenue streams through the use of advertising at the event.
On the issue of connecting with the student body, O’Hara proposed a variety of ideas for increasing engagement. The candidate called for more accessible means of communication between students and Ents in order to facilitate the conveying of students’ thoughts on events. Additionally, he called for a submission form specific to accessibility issues saying that students could “anonymously submit what facilities they require for events in order for them to be accessible to them, and then from that point on, I will work with the Welfare and Equality Officer on the SU with external venues, with College staff in order to hopefully provide these facilities”.
O’Hara also expressed his desire to host Town Halls specifically for Ents four times per year. He students would be able to directly engage with the Ents committee and provide recommendations and or criticism. Speaking on this, O’Hara said: “I think it’s important to create an easier route of access for students to directly engage with us.” When asked, the candidate also shared his commitment to the Irish language saying that “It’s not only something that I’d like to do [committing to the Irish language], it is now mandated that Irish and English are treated equally across College”.
The next area of discussion was in regard to student safety. O’Hara was passionate in this area and called for first responder and bystander training for members of the Ents committee. Commenting on the current level of training that members receive, O’Hara described it as a “recipe for disaster”. The candidate said that he hopes for a motion supporting this idea to be passed at council.
The final area covered in the interview related to the use of student spaces. On this topic, O’Hara described a variety of issues. In regard to JCR events, the candidate believes that their scope must be widened to include first year students who do not live in Trinity Hall. He highlighted that students from the likes of Kavanagh Court, and other College associated residences, lack the resources put into Halls. Here the candidate expressed his goal of supporting the JCR while moving Ents and JCR events onto campus. Speaking on this, O’Hara said “The concept behind having Ents and JCR events on campus is that students in Trinity associated accommodation can be integrated into the JCR framework”. The candidate shared his own experience of attending Halls events in first year, where he did not live, and said that this privilege should be extended to all members of the College community.
Finally, O’Hara called for greater use of the Pavilion Bar (Pav) as a venue for all students. The candidate views the Pav marquee as a huge success and believes it should be used more often in order to support the likes of refreshers’ week and events for postgraduate students who are often forgotten.
Overall, O’Hara is a confident, insider candidate who wants to see an Ents committee which is more in tune with the entire student body, a committee who serves everyone.
