Interviews
Name: Abdulqadir Kadrow Abshir
Title: Vice President of the Afro-Caribbean Society, Engineering with Management Class Representative (Junior Freshman)
About: The Afro-Caribbean society is a student-run group that was set up in 2006 in order to bring light onto the cultures and customs of African and Caribbean societies. This is done through a selection of student-organised events such panel discussions, food nights and even music nights. It's a society for all those on campus that wish to try something new.
What is your fondest memory from your first year at Trinity?
There are really so many fond memories to choose from! Although, without doubt, my fondest memory would definitely be the beginning of my first ever lecture. Sitting in the MacNeill lecture theatre packed with other apprehensive STEM students caused me to think about what lay ahead for me in my chosen course. I knew from then that I would love every moment of my time here as I would get the opportunity to study a set of subjects that I love with like-minded individuals whilst being taught by highly-accomplished lecturers.
What first sparked your interest in the the Afro Caribbean Society?
To be honest, at first I had no interest in joining the Afro-Caribbean society. I had no clue as to what kind of events they organised. However, after speaking to a few of the committee members during freshers’ week I was convinced that it was the society for me. The Afro-Caribbean society organise a wide-range of events, from high-energy concerts showcasing Ireland’s up-and-coming artists in “AfroJam”, to very heated discussions on topics such as America’s civil rights movement.
What do you enjoy the most about being involved with the Afro Caribbean Society?
The acting committee at the time were incredibly dedicated and ensured that everybody enjoyed themselves at each event. They were also very open to ideas as to how the society could be improved. Their open-mindedness enabled myself and two other students to form a reading-group, “The Pan-African Reading Group”, which now hosts the reading of any paper relating to Afro-Caribbean culture on a bi-weekly basis. Without their eagerness to listen to our ideas, I would not have become as involved with the society as I did.
What gets you up in the morning?
No two Trinity days are alike. Each day spent within Trinity offers an adventure in itself. To be a part of such a diverse day and to witness all that a day has to offer is enough to rip me from my bed at the crack of dawn in order take it all in again and again.
What is your proudest achievement to date?
It is getting the course that I wanted in the University of my choice. To read a subject as interesting as engineering in an institution with such an accomplished School of Engineering is a pleasure! I knew that I had made the right course choice as soon as my first week of lectures had drawn to a close.
What ways can alumni get involved with the Afro Caribbean Society?
We are planning on setting up an alumni network in the coming year in order to maintain contact with past members of the society. We also encourage alumni that have interest in remaining active within the society to come forward with any event ideas that they may have.