Clubs and Socs Awards set to be overhauled

DCU’s annual Clubs and Societies Awards are set for a major overhaul this year.

This year’s awards will be held in the Helix once more, following the success of last year’s change of venue from Clontarf Castle. However, there will be some significant changes in the format of the event.

Previously, the event has been attended by members of DCU’s various clubs and societies and has consisted of a three-course meal, followed by the awards ceremony and a DJ set.

This year, the meal takes place separate to the ceremony, upstairs in the 1838 restaurant on campus and will be attended only by individual nominees, members of the SPC and SCC and a number of university dignitaries and members of staff.

The awards ceremony will then take place in ‘The Theatre’ venue in the Helix, and will be attended by up to 400 students involved in clubs and societies in the university. By comparison, last year’s ceremony in the Mahony Hall was attended by approximately 200 people.

Manager of the Office of Student Life, Una Redmond, who sits on the organising committee for the awards, said the changes will mean that more students active within clubs and societies will get to attend the event and will “raise it to a new level”.

Redmond said that another benefit of the new format is that this year’s event will be “considerably cheaper” than previous years’.

“I think the awards had become a bit too extravagant,” she said. “The money that we save can be better invested in core activities for clubs and societies.”

She also believes the decision to move the Clubs and Socs Awards to the Helix last year has improved the event. “It’s nice to keep the event on campus and it also makes sense to keep money within the university,” she said.

DCU clubs and societies officer, Eimear Fitzmaurice, is also positive about the change. “There are so many people involved in clubs and societies in DCU beyond those that sit on the committees so, with this new format all these individuals will get recognition for their hard work and effort in making DCU a more vibrant place.”