Part-time or Full-time debate central in Ents Race

For each of the 3 candidates for UCCSU Entertainments Office a key aim is to deliver on the long spoken about UCC Ball. However, the candidates are divided on how they would achieve this, as whilst two intend on taking on the role full time, one intends believes working on a part time basis would be better.Ents candidates are entitled to take the role as a sabbatical position, and with it receive payment of approximately €10,500, or carry out the position while continuing with their studies and receiving no payment. Sophie Olsthoorn and Dane Moriarty intend to do the former, with both pointing out that giving anything less to the role would be unfair to UCC students. However, Adam Finn believes that by being in lectures he would be more likely to have an understanding of what UCC students want.Finn argued that many students who he’d spoken to believed that since Ents became a full time role the holders of the position “were distant from campus,” and as a result were out of touch with what the wishes of the average student. He added that this would be fixed by taking the role on a part time basis as he would be “going to lectures... and talking and engaging” with students on a more consistent basis.However, Olsthoorn, who would take the position on a full-time basis, argued that “the role deserved that.” This idea was echoed by Moriarty who argued that being in lectures would be “a distraction” from the position and in order to build on the work of Paidi Brady, who was praised by all three, a full-time commitment was needed.The idea of a UCC Ball, designed on the similar model to what is currently offered in Trinity, was identified by each candidate as one of their major goals if elected. While such an event seemingly appears in at least one candidate’s manifesto each year, the contenders for the Ents position believe they can finally make good on that promise and have taken preliminary steps in doing so.After initial discussions Moriarty has received assurances from UCC Security that “they would be willing to facilitate” such an event, but added that whilst the student centre had offered itself as a venue he was hoping to take the event off campus. On venues which could accommodate such an event Olsthoorn added that while the student centre would be great, she wanted to go bigger and has already discussed the event with the Rochestown Park Hotel, which has a capacity of 1600.Finn noted that while he is currently involved in planning a UCC Ball for this academic year, even if the event does take place it won’t be on a big enough scale to accommodate all students. If a large enough venue isn’t available, however, Finn identified a day-long festival, in a venue such as The Farm, as an alternative he was looking at.Whilst all three candidates praised this year’s UCCSU Ents Officer, Paidi Brady, they agreed that more events which were not intertwined with alcohol consumption were needed. If elected, each potential Ents Officer wants to ensure these events are available, with all three agreeing that working with the Welfare Officer to remind students that they could have fun without risking their health was of primary importance.