So we’ve had a hectic 11 days since I last posted. Apologies for the delay but it really was absolute madness getting from pillar to post and getting to congratulate lots of people I’ve gotten to know through the years.
Conferrings
Last week was consumed mainly with watching over 2,000 people become UL graduates. I made 7 of the 8 ceremonies and it really did make me proud to be a part of what UL is all about to see so many people delighted to come get their parchment and shake the President’s hand.
There were moments when the heels trundling across the stage were almost taller than the person they were propping up which led to some near trips, but thankfully there were no actual trips.
Don shared some truly inspirational words last week. The sincerity shown by Don through his actions in his work backing up his words is rarely appreciated by students, so I would like to share some quotes:
“You cannot listen to what others say you should do or what society says you must do or what pessimists say you can’t do. The best way to be successful is to pursue what inspires you, what you love.”
“Nelson Mandela once said “There is no passion to be found in playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” And so I say to you: exhaust every opportunity, take every chance, and follow every road that will get you one step closer to where you want to be. This unfortunate situation our country is in will not last, it cannot last. So don’t lay the foundations of your future on it. Don’t settle because you think you have to. You have a long career ahead of you, a long way to go, so think BIG.”
“Find those who have so much potential but so little opportunity and do for them what your parents, guardians, teachers and supporters have done for you. Be as ambitious for them as all those throughout your education have been for you."
“We all share the responsibility to help shape a better future. The path ahead is not certain, however, I have confidence in the resilience, the talent and the passion of our students."
“….Ireland must develop larger numbers of indigenous companies. To our graduates let me say that each one of you has the knowledge, imagination, talent and courage to create and innovate- don’t be afraid to explore your entrepreneurial spirit, we need it now more than ever so dig deep and find it.”
“I have no doubt but that the talent required to deliver renewed prosperity to our country is sitting right in front of me. Over the last number of years we have seen you delight in discovery. For many of you I have seen for myself the results of your design and innovation through end of year shows and displays, projects and papers. All of us have been impressed by your inventive genius in the classrooms and laboratories. Please use what you have learned here in UL to explore your potential even further.”
**FUNNY ALERT**
Don also shared a much more light-hearted and humorous quote at the Grad Ball on Saturday:
“No, I do not have a lighter. I take out a cigarette, tell it I’m the President and it lights itself”
It is this quote that kept me laughing for a number of minutes when the story was relayed to me, and is the true measure of just what a down to earth character Don really is.
The Grad Ball was a fantastic event which went off without a hitch, apart from poor Aoife Kenny getting the wrong birthday cake and some unfortunate family with a baby called Ava getting a “Happy Birthday Aoife” cake for their christening the following day. That gave me a few laughs too.
Governors who travelled from around the country and around the campus to attend should also get a mention. I would like to thank them too. It really is important to the occasion that the stage has people on it and isn’t just a packed room with not many there from the University to show their appreciation for your hard work.
One other thing that was great to see some of the people who I have helped through my two terms as Deputy President\Welfare get to conferring. One of the most frustrating parts of the job is that when someone walks out the door chances are you won’t know what happened them after that unless you bump into them or see them around campus. It made a big difference to me to see some of those people there and I was really happy to see them get their parchments.
I think I managed to make about 3 meetings all of last week; one with the Gardaí and one Union meeting and one impromptu call about a crisis that wasn’t a crisis. Can’t even remember what it was now! It is a week that really shouldn’t be scheduled as a work week in the calendar as conferring takes up such a huge part of it.
Orientation
It has been a mad house around here since Tuesday when the first orientation groups started snaking through the campus. By tomorrow afternoon over 2,500 newbies will have been orientated and many of them disorientated.
My presentation from UCH is here for those that were there and were too bored or hungover to pay attention and for those of you who for some reason want to spend a minute or so flicking through it. I have a speech, but I don’t think anyone would really want to read through it, plus I do a bit of off the cuff stuff.
I’m really enjoying the buzz around campus this week and it has really tired me already. I’m wrecked!
Your Union – Get Involved
I want everyone to be involved in what we do as the Union this year, it’s not just about the ents and the craic, there’s a lot of influence from within the Union on University policy and you should have your say on that, you can get involved in campaigns, consultation teams or become a class rep.
We have the proposed new Council/Exec structure coming forward as described in a previous blog and we’ll be explaining that again in due course.
Clubs and Socs Fair is on next Wednesday the 7th September and I hope you guys will come along and join up. It’s a great way to meet friends and to get some personal development skills.
Your UL Path
I was at a graduate attributes seminar today with Kelly and Aoife where employers, teaching staff and administrators in the University came together and worked on what the most important things you need for them to hire you are.
A “spark” or “bit of whip” came out on top, academic performace ranked highly, as did adaptability. Employers are looking for people who take a task and make it their own. Initiative and adaptability are two of the main requirements of the modern workplace
One thing that came under fire was parents’ involvement in University life. I had to agree on this.You are all pretty much, if not, adults now; you have to stand on your own two feet, make your own phone calls and fight your own battles. You need to know how to properly construct an email.
First 7 Weeks
This programme allows you to settle nicely into UL, get familiar with the UL jargon like QCA, SAA, Campus Life, Aramark, KBS, UCH and the like. If you don’t know what they mean now, you will or should have been told by somebody by the end of week 7.
ULSU Services LTD.
Our services company is likely to have made a significant loss for the year to the end of June. Council will have to be informed of the figures before they can be made public, but this is going to impact on the level of gigs, services and campaigns we can provide.
The purpose of the company is to make a profit to put into those things so we need your help to turn it around. For the first time we have a dedicated Commercial Manager that has been tasked with turning a surplus for the company that can be re-invested in services for YOU.
I really need you to take up this challenge
While I’m not the most inspirational of people, I really am passionate about bringing your Union into the 21st century and bringing you as the navigator on that journey.
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