Meet the TCSU Committee and discover their 2018-19 plans

Every undergraduate at Trinity is automatically a member of the Trinity College’s Students Union. TCSU is run by a committee – a group of vibrant and dedicated students committed to welcoming Freshers and improving the student experience at Trinity. Here each committee member outlines their key aims for this term and beyond.

Molly O’Brien, President

I hope to improve student life for Trinity undergraduates, whether this be through transformative changes or by hosting more student-run, fun events. I hope to increase the relationships and communication between the student body and the College staff to achieve change and make Trinity a great place to study and live for all.  I will manage the TCSU committee and ensure that we follow the constitution and achieve the things that we have promised the student body.

 

Becky Shepherdson, Vice President

I hope to make Trinity a visibly more inclusive place that actively welcomes its students, regardless of where they are from, and make them feel as if they have a stake in their community.

 

 

Emily Song, Treasurer

I hope to ensure the sensible spending of TCSU’s budget to enhance student life at Trinity. Following the Cambridge Crepes and BeWaffle discounts for Trinitarians, over the next term I hope to secure more deals (keep an eye out). In addition, I look forward to continuing to work with the rest of the team to organise events and to address any issues or concerns the student body has.

 

Kerem Ergene, Computing and Publicity Officer

My long term goal is to completely update the information on the TCSU website. It is a lengthy process but I hope to have it completed by the end of the Christmas Vacation. I would like to maintain a regular weekly bulletin of events taking place in and outside Trinity. I will work with the College to effectively utilise the new screens in the Servery and Bar. In addition I will work on improving the formatting of the Freshers’ Handbook and the Societies’ Prospectus and create a style guide for TCSU, which will allow for more professional-looking documents in future.

 

Amelia Hutchinson, Entertainments Officer

Michaelmas is a very busy term for Ents Officers – busy in the best sort of way. As Freshers’ Week approaches, I can’t wait for Trinity’s new members to experience some of the many great events we have planned for them, from the much-loved ‘Nevile’s Ent’ party, to a tea-and-cake-fuelled ‘Meet the TCSU Committee’. Following the success of the TCSU Garden Party in May Week, the Committee have decided to host a Freshers’ Garden Party with food and live music. Planning and organising the Freshers’ Week events has revived memories of my own Freshers’ Week and I hope this year’s cohort will enjoy the night-time punting, BBQ on the backs and quiz night (to name a few!) just as much as I did. Freshers’ Week aside I plan to host another Trinity Halloween Bop at one of Cambridge’s favourite venues. I have also been in contact with other Colleges to plan some collaborative events.

 

Cameron Osborne, Environmental and Domestics Officer

I would like to Work with the Catering Department to put on a Green Formal every term, helping spread the message that being green affects all areas of life, yet  mean unpalatable changes. I will liaise with the Housekeeping and Catering Departments to ensure cleaner and clearer green waste disposal within College, and that this waste is appropriately dealt with in terms of recycling. I would also like to put together a Green Impact team to attain a good rating for the College.

 

Naemi Melvin, Junior Steward

This term I’ll be conducting a food survey, and I hope that from this TCSU can continue to improve the food and drink served in Hall, in the Bar and at Formals, in line with student opinion. I’m also aiming to make clearer the process of creating a new College student society and applying for funding, as well as streamlining the room booking process.

 

Lara Jenkin, Access Officer

My main aim is to increase the online presence of the College’s students and its access work so that students from access backgrounds who are interested in studying at Cambridge do not have to rely on their school for information, as there is huge variation in the amount of help that schools are able to provide. I am also working with the Schools Liaison Officers to reform the way that Trinity recruits its student volunteers for access events. This will hopefully produce a more organised system and better trained, more confident volunteers.

 

Frankie Postles, Male Welfare Officer & Ruth Warner, Female Welfare Officer

Fostering a friendly, inclusive and positive learning environment in College is something that we have been passionate about throughout my time at Trinity. A large part of our role involves hosting welfare events through term, as well as distributing free sexual supplies on a confidential basis. We have consistently striven to improve College welfare provision where possible – a new overhaul of all welfare bathroom posters and signage in College is a good step forward. Projects this term include campaigning for lighting to be installed from the main body of College to Burrell’s Field.

 

Kiran Jolly, BME Welfare Officer

My main goal is to help students increase their network of BME students around the University, and by working with BME officers from other Colleges as well as CUSU’s BME Campaign, to host events and initiatives to increase diversity in the University. Currently I am working with TCSU’s International Officer, Areeg, to organise a space in College that can be used as a Reflection Room, a religion-neutral area for any student for quiet contemplation or prayer, etc.  I will work with the Admissions Office to help increase BME intake by partnering with organisations such as Target Oxbridge to help encourage applications to Cambridge and Trinity from black and mixed-race students.

 

Areeg Emarah, Overseas Welfare Officer

I’d love to make International Freshers’ Week fun and useful so that incoming international Freshers can settle in and feel at home as soon as possible. I am also working with the BME Welfare Officer, Kiran, on a Reflection Room for students of all faiths and none to have a space for meditation, prayer and so on. Generally, throughout the year, I’d like to organise mingles with other Colleges to improve the social scene!

 

Anna Dimitriadis, LGBT Officer

My overall aim is to improve the visibility and awareness of LGBT+ issues in College, as well as creating a stronger sense of community for our LGBT+ students. To further this aim, I will present Council with a proposal to fly the pride flag throughout February, LGBT+ History Month.. I have also committed to making Trinity more welcoming of transgender and non-binary students by way of a JCR motion in support of CUSU LGBT+’s ‘Why Gender Neutral?’ campaign.

 

Hamish Trowell, Mental Health and Disabled Students’ Welfare Officer

I aim to provide a valuable listening service for students, allowing them to voice their concerns in a confidential setting, and help them to seek out further support in College and the University. Particularly during Michaelmas, I hope to help Freshers get used to life in Trinity, which can certainly feel strange at times! I’m also aiming to work with the other welfare officers at the start of the year to provide a useful guide to all aspects of welfare, which will be available as a Moodle course in the near future.

 

Anna Cardoso, Women’s Officer

I seek to support the women and non-binary people of the College and advocate fiercely and passionately for liberation and justice on their behalf. I hope to keep this up while running events. I also want to create more female spaces in College, create more networks of women in and out of College (for example I hope to start a mentoring programme). But most importantly I intend to keep supporting and protecting the women and non-binary people of Trinity in any way I can.