Student Elections 2017 Candidate Guide

YOUR CANDIDATES

Choose who will represent you!

Vote at eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections, via our App, or on MyED

PRESIDENT

Beth Harris

Patrick Kilduff

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

Lying in bed one night, I could not sleep at all because I kept wondering how exactly our generation would change things for the better. I realised we should start with changes in our university and go from there. That involves making ourselves heard, as individuals and a collective.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Communication. That’s better communication within university over course content, assessment and across disciplines. Better communication with EUSA, making it easier to raise issues and hear about campaigns. Better communication within the wider world through improved integration of student services, such as careers, into our day-to-day. Crucially, it’s communication for everybody.

Why should students vote for you?

My aim is for us to Make More Noise. We would all benefit from speaking out and addressing the things in our lives that aren’t working, be it anything from the bus services to sexism. We can absolutely make improvements but it begins with communication. I would start there.

Noah Makower

Since arriving in 2014, I’ve seen friends across the university let down by a system that feels like it works against rather than with them. That needs to change. I’m standing to ensure we have a university that works for all of us, not just us working for them.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

My pledge is smarter studying and more accessible learning. Creating an online roadmap for course deadlines and a study space availability tracker would suppress the stress when needed most. I would also make special circumstances more accessible, nobody should have to jump through hoops to get the help they deserve.

Why should students vote for you?

I fell in love with Edinburgh when I moved here. We study in an incredible city, I believe the student experience should match. We need to make sure students’ voices are heard across the campuses. I will work with students from all backgrounds to find solutions that work for everyone.

Christian Moorman Why are you standing?

Visit eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections to see Noah’s manifesto.

My heart would not allow me to sit idly by and watch another election result in a presidency that harms the people.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Free VK’s on the sabbath (technically Prow runs into Sunday)

Why should students vote for you?

Please refer to my answer to the above question.

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Ruairidh MacIntyre Visit eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections to see Ruairidh’s manifesto.

VICE PRESIDENT ACTIVITIES & SERVICES

Siobhan Brady Visit eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections to see Siobhan’s manifesto.

Kai O’Doherty

Eve Thomas-Davies

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

Since arriving in Edinburgh as an international student, I’ve found a home in the communities, events, services, and advice offered by the impressive diversity of societies and groups here. I want to help support the great work of societies in practical ways, and encourage different people to get more involved!

I have first-hand experience in dealing with the barriers to becoming a society, such as room bookings, funding, applications and getting your voice heard. I want to have the opportunity to make a difference and ensure ALL students feel like they are part of and represented by the union.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Develop a EUSA sponsored guide of venues around Edinburgh, making event planning easier and less expensive, and to encourage collaboration events between medical, veterinary, sporting, volunteering and EUSA societies. I also want to ensure university resources are enjoyed to their full potential by introducing a society/club discount and open-mic nights.

I plan to make societies easier to run (bureaucracy shouldn’t slow you down!), connect students’ efforts with the wider Edinburgh community (skills, sponsorship, future jobs!), broaden Student Association engagement to include postgraduates and international students (among others!), and make services more accessible (cheaper food deals, lift access, gender neutral toilets!).

Why should students vote for you?

As LGBT+ Officer this year, I collaborated with societies and community groups to run numerous successful events, giving me a good grasp of societies’ needs here. I’ve been involved in running a range of student groups for over ten years, and want to help societies here be even more amazing.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Why should students vote for you?

I aim to INCLUDE, INVOLVE and INSPIRE the student body in university activities and services and believe I have the experience and enthusiasm to have a long-term impact on the EUSA framework. I am genuinely passionate about making the union more representative, collaborative and supportive for everyone!

Voting now available on the Students’ Association App

Download the app now at eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections 2

VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY

Oliver Glick

Immie Terry

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

What is your key manifesto pledge?

What is your key manifesto pledge?

I’ve been heavily involved in community projects, and know how big a role the uni can and should play in community, both for students and the wider population. VP Community is a new and exciting position, and I’d love to shape it to best help students and their community work.

Create a platform for new student-led community initiatives to thrive, as well as support the growth of already brilliant and successful ones, such as Sexpression, and the Hearty Squirrel Food Co-op. Students have set up some fantastic projects and have many more ideas, and I’d like to help them flourish.

Why should students vote for you?

I’ve been actively involved in many facets of student and wider community projects, and know the importance of listening to people from all areas of our diverse student body when it comes to improving them. My experience in paid and volunteer organisations perfectly places me to make the best of the new community role.

I have always thought the best way to be is to just do, take risks, to grab whatever life throws at you. To have the opportunity to represent students and improve unity within the university is something I would love to throw all I have to offer at.

Unity and equality within and beyond the university. Whether that be in the form of transport costs, the ability to get involved in sport or building accessibility, ensuring that students feel valued and a core part of the university is vital to boost the day-to-day atmosphere of the university.

Why should students vote for you?

A vote for me as vice president community is a vote for change. I understand that change is fluid, so I have made it a priority to ensure that the established polices will build on from current progress as well as incorporating up-to-date student priorities.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOUR SABBATICALS HAVE ACHIEVED IN JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS! WELFARE • • • • • •

Worked with the University to reduce student accommodation rents New 9 month Student Ridacard — no more paying for months you won’t use!

Free sanitary products and pregnancy tests Mental health first aid training for all 1,300 Personal Tutors Taxi scheme to get you home when you’re stranded Creating a new Sabbatical Officer role focused on student welfare

SERVICES • • • • • •

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Removed minimum card spend in all Students’ Association outlets Gluten free burgers in KBH’s Mayfield and Teviot’s Library Bar Halloumi burgers back by popular demand!

Over £500,000 investment in King’s Buildings House £100,000 investment in the Wee Red Bar Development of world-class activities facilities at the Pleasance

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE • • • • •

Introduction of mid semester feedback Main library now open 24/7 University-wide lecture recordings from 2017/18 Exam dates released a week earlier Over 400 new study spaces in the Main Library

STUDENT FUNDING • • • •

£5,000 Social Enterprise Fund supporting student businesses £10,000 Participation Grant to help students get involved in Activities and Sports £10,000 wellbeing fund set up for student-led initiatives £2 million increase in undergraduate bursaries for low income students

#eusawi

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VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION

Bobi Archer

Geir Darge

Oli Perkins

Why are you standing?

Why should students vote for you?

Why are you standing?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my academic roles fulfilled at Edinburgh and seeing the direct benefits of my involvement and implementations. I feel this is the perfect opportunity to implement these ideas across the university so we can grow together as one, and not as individual schools.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

To relieve the pressure and stress on students in first semester, with the ambition to increase student performance and well-being. For there to be more focus on timetabling, especially concerning joint degrees, and freeing up Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curricular activities. Oh, and of course, subsidised transport and lecture notes!

Why should students vote for you?

I have come to notice is that there exists a disparity between what the students think the University should be doing and improving and what the University is actually doing. Having spoken to societies, as well as a range of different individuals, I hope that I can shed some light on problems that students are genuinely passionate about.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Improving student support and diversity within teaching.

To address this, I firstly propose restructuring reading lists to feature greater variety with regards to gender and culture, alongside questions relating to diversity in course questionnaires. Secondly, stricter guidelines for personal tutors, making it impossible for them to evade bi-semesterly meets.

I already understand the purpose of various Vice Presidential affiliated committees, as well as knowledge on school’s issues outside of Kings Buildings, as I participated in two Teaching Programme Reviews. I’ll also be reviewing Scottish Universities, simultaneously with VPE, allowing me to bring good uses of practise from other institutions.

Why should students vote for you?

James K. Puchowski

Baber Rasheed

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

I’m standing because there are critically important things our Students’ Association should be doing right now: for example, we ought to continue lobbying and campaigning to protect Erasmus & EU funding, we need to give our postgraduates a far better deal, and properly tackle how workload affects our stress levels.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

My key manifesto pledge is that we will keep our Edinburgh as an inclusive, international and fair place to study. We won’t let tuition be raised, we’ll push to promote Scotland’s cultures and languages, and we’ll make sure Edinburgh remains a university city open to the whole world.

Why should students vote for you?

They should vote for me if they believe that our Students’ Association should be doing far, far more to pressure Edinburgh to make sure we get the most out of our degrees.

It’s very simple - many students pay a lot of money to be here, and they deserve a world-class education.

I am committed to being the voice of the student body.

I think it is easy to try and only represent problems you have encountered at University, often candidates are very campus-centric. However there is the ECA, Kings Buildings and the Central campuses to consider.

I am standing to improve your academic experience at Edinburgh. I know what good education can look like and that Edinburgh doesn’t always provide it. I want students to enjoy, be involved in and be challenged by their learning, and I will fight for this.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

I will improve feedback by removing the teaching cap and by giving markers more than 20 minutes to mark essays.

Students are consistently dissatisfied with feedback, a lot of which is due to markers not having enough time. It’s more fair for you, and a better deal for the markers.

Why should students vote for you?

I have experience of education from three different universities as well as peer learning and science outreach, so I have experienced excellent education first-hand, showing me what to strive for. I have a good relationship with academics, which I would use to push and achieve my manifesto pledges.

I am standing for the position of Vice President Education because I believe that I am capable of shaping the educational experience for students to fit around them.

To ensure that studies are not just about getting a degree, but also stimulating, motivating and informative too.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

My Key Manifesto Pledge is to support all students (home, UK, International, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Distance Learning) in all schools by bringing the best of educational facilites to students. I want to ensure that students have the best of resources available to them. Also I really want to work with the exam team to ensure the timetabling of exams is fair for all!!

Why should students vote for you?

I have been a class representative 18 times, brought about changes for students, from lecture capturing in courses, to challenging and changing unfair deadlines. Leading on to class rep to become a school vice convenor and school convenor. I have successfully pushed for water fountain installation in Hugh Robson, successfully got study space for student and kitchen facilities too.

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VICE PRESIDENT WELFARE

Mel Bridgwood

Esther Dominy

Cara Christine Johnson

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

Student life can be very stressful, with pressure from all angles and self-care often forgotten. My aim is to help every student receive all the academic and extracurricular support needed to ensure that the university environment is fun, inspiring, inclusive — and realistic. Studying is important — but our wellbeing is vital.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Edinburgh has the best welfare provisions of any Scottish university — however, these amazing services and support networks are under-advertised. My pledge is to make existing provisions more accessible and available. I will achieve this by centralising information and negotiating a single autonomous space dedicated to hosting welfare resources and events.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Improving how the University treats mental health — at the moment it’s easy to get lost in a big faceless system. We should make counselling and support services better suited to students, but it’s also about simple things like spacing out deadlines and running regular stressbusters.

Why should students vote for you?

Why should students vote for you?

I’m a Trustee (member of EUSA’s governing body), so I already understand how EUSA’s run at a high level. I’ve led campaigns on student welfare, pressuring the University to pledge £140,000 toward counselling, and been at Edinburgh for 4 years, so I’ve seen what’s wrong and what can be better.

Aisha Khanna

Lois King

Why are you standing?

Why are you standing?

Results are key. I plan on making effective changes to welfare and inclusion across the university, not by promising grand yet unrealistic programmes, but by renovating existing facilities and resources to better meet requirements. This will guarantee that, as students, we see significant changes to how our university supports us.

It’s a fantastic opportunity. EUSA is a multicultural community.

This is something very important by all means. It’s a great way to expand your perspective about EVERYTHING. One should definitely think about that.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

Solidarity. We need to expand the conversation about underrepresented issues. We all know that this is a huge challenge. As a university student, I’m aware that students have to deal with their own issues as well as many others.

Why should students vote for you?

That’s a tough answer. I think it’s not just what I say but what I do. I guess it’s about the campaign. During the election, if people are really interested in what I’m doing, then I suppose that the outcome will be good.

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I’m running to be your first ever Vice President Welfare because while I’ve loved my time at Edinburgh, I don’t think the University takes students’ wellbeing seriously enough.

We’ve had the same problems for years and I want to work with students across campus to start tackling them.

During my four years at Edinburgh, I’ve noticed that it’s little things that really make a difference in someone’s student experience, and I want to be a part of a movement that makes this true for as many students as possible, because everyone deserves to feel included.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

I want to focus on a major issue we have here, which is a real sense of inclusion. That’s why I’m pushing for greater representation of not just BME and female counsellors, but also if possible non-binary and LGBTQ+. Representation truly matters and I can’t say this enough.

Why should students vote for you?

I’ve had my fingers in many pies! Having been committee member on the Afro-Caribbean society, President of UNICEF, PR Director of the Edinburgh International Asia Conference and Vice Convenor of my school, I have some understanding of what it’s like to represent students. It’s a daunting yet hugely rewarding responsibility.

The University of Edinburgh strives to be inclusive, often adopting policies that defend equality and represent diversity, and yet the explicit assumption persists that we’re near the finish line. As though progress was linear.

I strive to join our students in challenging not only the institution, but each other.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

As a community we must stop to consider events and policies that rely on normativity, and adjust them in favor of inclusion. I intend to collaborate with liberation and representation groups and, after considering their feedback, promote policies that benefit our entire community. In short — I’ll stop, collaborate and listen.

Why should students vote for you?

“I refuse to be limited.” This mantra, coined and adopted for my own life, will be central to the political approach I embrace as your representative. I believe these words reflect the full capacity of liberation — rejecting not only the limitations of society but also those we’ve assumed for ourselves.

Serafima Mehhovits Visit eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections to see Serafima’s manifesto.

Ritzy Rajaswi

Josh Simpson

Visit eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections to see Ritzy’s manifesto.

Why are you standing?

Because welfare is not a passive matter — we must be proactive. One way I can effectively be proactive is through the role of VP, Welfare. I have the skills, drive, and enthusiasm necessary to be successful in that role and to represent my fellow students on issues important to us.

What is your key manifesto pledge?

To implement a new Rapid Response System for students to escalate issues important to them and help ensure both a more immediate response and representation of all students, including those from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds (and a new Liberation Group focused on those students).

Why should students vote for you?

Experience. I previously practiced law for 10 years, conducting trials, managing other lawyers, and advocating for individuals in, for example, discrimination and equality cases in employment and fair housing matters. I know how to advocate, negotiate and lead. I will use this experience to improve the welfare of students.

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LIBERATION OFFICERS WOMEN’S OFFICER Kathryn Pearson Isla Whateley DISABLED STUDENTS’ OFFICER Chloe Marvin LGBT+ OFFICER Han Deacon Ruby Kelman Delphi Macpherson Megan Wallace BLACK & MINORITY ETHNIC (BME) OFFICER Saif Beejay Zuohan Ding Momo El-Koubani Vijay Menezes-Jackson Diva Mukherji

SECTION REPRESENTATIVES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE Yohanna Fung Daniel Gritsevski Jenny Li Ming Li Nitirot Phasitthanaphak Usama Qamar STUDENT PARENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE Lyndsay Moffat STUDENT CARERS’ REPRESENTATIVE Carol Hayward MATURE STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE Argy Rizos PART-TIME STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE Thomas Evans

SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES (DEANERY OF) BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Lauren Strickland BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Nicole Serzhantova BUSINESS SCHOOL UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Connor Bok Aayush Goyal Hedvig Heffer Flaata CHEMISTRY UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Paul Appel Miriam Engelke DIVINITY UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Stephen Dolan ECONOMICS UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE (Karen) Huiqi Huang Philine Meyjohann Tanya Mittal Jamie Ross EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Frederick Hervey-Bathurst Richard Nicolas Christian Schindler Michelle Wolodarsky Newhall

EDINBURGH MEDICAL SCHOOLS UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Tommy Le Emily Park Sidhant Seth

ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (ACADEMIC) Naomi Fallows

EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Vacant

ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (ADVICE & COMMUNITY) Rosie Hawtin

ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Hussam Ali Trisha Goklany Ali Khan

ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (APPRECIATION) Vacant

GEOSCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Luke Green Max Van Wyk de Vries HEALTH IN SOCIAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Hermina Simoni HISTORY, CLASSICS & ARCHAEOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Thomas Wrench INFORMATICS UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Alex Brisan Elena Lape Likhitha Sai Modalavalasa LAW UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Kenya Lin Katherine Liu Mohamed Masoud Dana Taher Robert Weir LITERATURES, LANGUAGES & CULTURES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Georgie Harris Ivan So MATHEMATICS UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Danni Cai May Underhill-Proulx PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY & LANGUAGE SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Robert Campbell Timothy Francis Jo-Anna Schuller Hagen Allie McGregor Karoline Nanfeldt PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Ruberta Bisson Cameron Perumal Yubin Zhao SOCIAL & POLITICAL SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Huatai Cui Camilla Hallman Jessy Ong Juliette Thijs VETERINARY STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE Mary Hall

Information was correct as of 8 March 2017 Edinburgh University Students’ Association is a charity (SC015800) and a company limited by guarantee (SC429897) registered in Scotland. Registered Office: Potterrow, 5/2 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL

ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES

ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (CAMPAIGNING & AWARENESS) Olly Marsters Molly Newhouse ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE) Vacant ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (EMPLOYMENT, TRANSFERABLE SKILLS & FINANCE) Siti Mokhsein ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (FAITH, BELIEF & SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT) John Nisbet ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (GAMING & ROLEPLAYING) Paul Sinclair ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (INTERNATIONAL & MULTICULTURAL) Yaxin Guo ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (MEDIA & BROADCASTING) Arran Byers Polly Smythe ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (POLITICAL) Kai Alexander Stuart ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (VOLUNTEERING) Keira Dobby Lizzie Rhoades ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (DANCE, MUSIC & THEATRE) Vacant ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVES (PHYSICAL & OUTDOORS) Vacant

NUS UK DELEGATE Lora Bedford Sutejas Chari Nicholas Daly Esther Dominy Patrick Garratt Jessica Husbands Sophie Johnson George Lapwood Sean Leonard Yueyi Li Noah Makower Olly Marsters Chloe Marvin Vijay Menezes-Jackson Mason Robbins Emily Robinson Jamie Ross Richard Nicolas Christian Schindler Kai Alexander Stuart Jacob Webber