Redbrick Guild Elections Guide 2017

Redbrick Guild Elections Guide 2017: Who will get your vote?

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NEWS

Guild Elections 2017

@redbricknews

Guild President

Current President: Ellie Keiller

The President of the Student Union's role entails leading the officer team and representing the student body in meetings with the university. It also involves representing UoB nationally.

Grace Duncan News Editor @gracieellen_

Kris Burnett Kris Burnett believes that he has the experience to make an excellent Guild President as he has ‘a good feel for the university’.

He told Redbrick that through his work on a sports team committee last year he got to work with all students, ‘from students who have been here for seven years and are about to become doctors and students who have been here for three weeks’.

"not promising to cure the world of crime."

One of his main policies is about finding more study spaces that work for students. He aims to achieve this by opening the Murray Learning Centre so that it runs 24/7. He ‘appreciate[s] the university aren’t magicians, they can’t just magic up more space in the library’, although he does propose getting the library ‘to assess how they are using the space, as at the moment there are spaces that I think could be better utilised’.

When questioned whether there is enough demand for more 24 hour spaces he said that the first exam period of the new library would demonstrate this and even so he ‘would rather the university had too many study spaces than not enough’.

He also voices the perks of opening the Murray Learning Centre for 24 hours a day as it is closer to the station; so, for students who travel in, it would be a lot more convenient than the library.

His main priority if he were to be elected would be to implement

his ‘Make Selly Safer’ scheme.

The scheme involves setting up ‘a sub-division of Nightline about safety for those who think something is not worth reporting to the police’. The idea of this is that students could report an incident to the Guild who would then be able to monitor the situation and pass it on to the police. He also wants more of a physical presence of Guild staff in Selly Oak after nights such as Fab or Sports Night, although he does acknowledge the difficulty of this, noting that he is ‘not promising to cure the world of crime’.

One other of his policies is to reduce the prices of food at the Guild. When questioned whether this is in the Guild’s budget, Burnett said that ‘I think people would go to the Guild more if it was cheaper’ and in the case of Fab that people ‘would spend more money’ as it is currently ‘ridiculously expensive’.

Ellie Keiller Ellie Keiller, the current Guild President, is running for re-election with a 5 point manifesto, each with an appropriate Jelly Bean nickname.

Her first, Very Cherry Voices, is all about standing up for students both on a UoB level and nationally in issues such as Erasmus. One of her main ideas within this is introducing an annual Vice Chancellor question time as ‘we should be able to hold him to account as students’ and she states that she has managed to make the Vice Chancellor agree for this to happen. But also more generally, since she has found that every single day ‘something arises where you have to stand for students’.

Her second, Strawberry Study Spaces, has a goal of improving and finding more spaces that work for students as there is a ‘dire need for more’. She believes that she is the person to do this as after a year

in office she has learnt how to ‘make that change and change the capital plan of the university’.

She also wants to improve study spaces by making areas more clearly marked by purpose such as for silent or group work and to invest in under-seat sensors as ‘other universities have got it,

"we should be able to support students in trying something new and getting involved" so we should get it too’.

She also wants to make sure that students are paid the living wage and help students save money.

One of her other main manifesto points is designed around helping students to get more involved in university life and activities. Her main way of doing this is through a Participation Bursary to decrease the cost of sport and other activities. Although expensive for the Guild and the university, she states that ‘we should be able to support students in trying something new and getting involved’.

Improving the Guild is also of importance with her ‘Peppermint Priorities’ manifesto point. She aims to make the part-time officer roles more manageable by offering the option to run for the position in a job-share type of structure, which incorporates online manifesto tracking, as she claims that currently it is ‘easy for people to drop off’ once elected.

When asked which of her manifesto points was her priority going forward she said she didn’t have one. She told Redbrick that ‘I have

the experience to know that every single thing on that manifesto is achievable’.

So why should you vote for her re-election? She said ‘Now I know how to have such monumental impact nationally and in the university’ and she ‘still care[s] so much for students and for making the Guild better’.

Xenios Matjilla If Matjilla were elected, he would carry out a ‘6 month plan’ to work on his main manifesto points which include starting a World Culture Day during Freshers Week, safer Selly Oak and increased focus on mental health.

His primary concern, as it is for many candidates, is mental health, ‘a lot of people on campus are speaking about it but there doesn’t really seem to be much action’. He will carry this out by ‘communicating with those who know what need[s] to be done’, such as charities within Birmingham who would be able to guide him. By bringing both student groups and charities together to work towards better mental health, he believes that higher

"I am just a normal student and I want to give back to the students." goals can be set and then carried out.

One of the things he is most intent on is trying to fight for NUS democratic reform. He thinks that it is vital that Birmingham ‘stay in the NUS’ but push for ‘one member, one vote system’, rather than a delegate system which he deems to be not ‘representative’.

The Guild budget is also something that Matjilla wants to reform

in terms of efficiency and transparency. He currently aims for the budget to be ‘as transparent as possible because that’s what the students deserve’.

Although he cannot speak for the entirety of the Guild budget, his position as Mason RA last year showed him that there is often waste in the system. Money that is allocated for RAs and events for students is often not completely spent on the purpose it is intended for. He wants to make sure that students know where this money ends up, although he recognises that this is very difficult task which he could not fully understand until he was elected.

Perhaps one of the most interesting of his promises is the return of £2,000 of his pay to the Guild for the investment into the things that matter most to students, with evidence to prove what he is spending the money on.

There have been concerns regarding this policy in terms of equity. It has been stated that it is unfair for him to give up some of his salary, ‘to provide better guild service’ when understandably others running for this position will be unable to offer the same sacrifice.

His plan for a World Culture Day would be for it to happen during Freshers Week with participation from the relevant heritage and culture societies to show freshers the breadth of culture within Birmingham.

He says that you should vote for him because he ‘is in it for the students’. ‘I am just a normal student and I want to give back to the students’.

Also running for the position is Thomas Skuse, who was offered an interview but did not accept.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

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Guild Elections 2017

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Activities and Development Officer

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Current Officer: Natalie Cox

The officer role involves supporting the groups and societies in the Guild and encouraging students to get involved with them.

Erin Santillo News Editor @ErinSantillo

Gregory Robinson News Editor

Adam Elmi Adam Elmi’s five years’ experience at the university has seen him become a committee member for Footnotes Comedy and Islamic Society, as well as holding roles such as a Guild councillor, NUS delegate, and student staff – experience that he believes has made him understand how the Guild runs; ‘I’ve got the connections; I’ve got the know-how’, he told Redbrick in a recent interview.

His Activities and Development Officer (ADO) manifesto is split into three main categories, with the first calling for increased societal support. Elmi does not criticise current Guild policy, but states that ‘at the moment, it might not be clear how [societies can] get that support’. He proposes to hold weekly drop-in sessions and workshops that run throughout the year, training student groups in skills such as event management and social media awareness.

"[...] be able to create an environment for groups to really excel" Elmi’s manifesto also pledges further cohesion between UoB and the Guild; he plans to ‘fix the relationship’ to create the potential for societies to be able to use larger venues, such as the Elgar Concert Hall and the Great Hall, for performances in the future. His final point is to organise a careers week for student groups ‘in collaboration with Careers Network’, in order to cater for ‘non-traditional jobs’ such as those in the charity sector. As ADO, Elmi claims he would ‘be able to create an environment for groups to really excel’.

Shannon Farmer When asked why she decided to run for Activities and Development Officer (ADO), Shannon Farmer said: ‘I have been a part of loads of societies since second year and being part of the Live Music Society has been the best part of uni

for me.’

Farmer intends to change the way students interact with the Guild’s app by making room bookings available through it. Farmer said: ‘everything is moving digital now.’

The Guild’s Media Centre, which is home to Redbrick, Burn FM and Guild TV, is one of the areas Farmer intends to improve by making the university’s media more ‘interlinked.’

Farmer said ‘In the library, they have a TV there. There is no reason why they can’t be playing Burn FM in the library or in the Guild.’

When asked how she intends to protect live music at the Guild Farmer stated: ‘I don’t even know if it’s protecting but starting and making sure it’s happening’. Farmer went on to discuss the two large spaces at the Guild: the Underground and the

"being part of the Live Music Society has been the best part of uni for me" Debating Hall. ‘Those are spaces that have stages and can be used for live music.’ With support from the Guild, Farmer suggests students will gain a better experience of live music. She said ‘I think students will love it.’

Awati Mohammed The International Student Officer (ISO) for 2016/17, Awati Mohammed is campaigning to graduate from her Business Management course and enter the office of the Activities and Development Officer (ADO) in September.

From her various societal roles, such as the College Representative for Social Science, she believes that she ‘know[s] how to work with students very well’.

Alongside using social media to promote student groups, Mohammed proposes in her manifesto to compile a weekly newsletter or events guide in order to ‘keep students aware of what is happening in each of the societies’.

She also pledges to help societies with the Guild’s administration processes so that they can ‘work effectively and efficiently’, such as by improving the room booking system with an online vacancy timetable similar to those used in other buildings, such as the

library.

"keep students aware of what is happening in each of the societies" Another point in Mohammed’s manifesto is to ‘enhance student nightlife’ by encouraging involvement in groups that attend social events.

Alongside increasing numbers attending socials, she told Redbrick, this would have a positive effect on student integration. Mohammed highlighted that this integration is particularly difficult for younger and international students.

This would just be one issue that could be resolved with her proposed weekly newsletter, she suggested; ‘it is not that people don’t want to engage, but that they don’t really know what is happening’.

Alina Morosan For Alina Morosan, the office of the Activities and Development Officer (ADO) is like an ‘arena’, a ‘place where you challenge yourself’, and she believes that her experience as a committee member this year qualifies her for the role.

Speaking to Redbrick, Morosan emphasised the importance of societies in university life: ‘it’s not just about going to lectures [...] it’s about what you can do to develop your skills and develop as a person’. Thus, the central point on her manifesto is aimed at increasing students’ involvement in societies via an online newsletter or platform that would offer students ‘an overview of everything that is happening on campus’ at all times of the year.

She indicates that although

"it’s about what you can do to develop your skills and develop as a person" Societies Fair is ‘very helpful, it just only happens once or twice a year’, and therefore, currently, students believe that they cannot get involved throughout the year – a newsletter would remedy this, she believes.

Additionally, as ADO, Morosan would push for collaboration with other student unions nationwide to ‘give students opportunities to do bigger things outside of the university’. This relates to her final manifesto pledge, which is ‘an idea in development’ regarding the boosted funding of groups through regular events, such as ‘Charity Ball[s]’, which could ‘reconnect previous alumni’ with societies and hence offer students opportunities further afield.

George Thomas George Thomas’ Activities and Development Officer (ADO) campaign revolves around the character of ‘Curious George’, a cartoon monkey who, speaking to Redbrick, Thomas described as ‘cheeky, exciting and fun - a bit like me’. Having developed from ‘someone quite shy’ to ‘someone quite loud, bracing and expressive’ through UoB societies, resulting in his leadership of the design team for the 2015 ValeFest, Thomas views himself as ‘an incredible candidate for the role’ of ADO. His manifesto focuses on

His manifesto focuses on 'growth and development' ‘growth and development’, the ‘buzz-words’ of his campaign, in areas such as the improvement of inclusivity in societies through increased quality of training.

Alongside offering budgeting and risk assessment information, Thomas’ proposed a ‘training pack’ would also help group leaders to become aware of ‘social needs and mental health’, so that all students feel comfortable: ‘societies could become more of a support network’.

Another key manifesto point is to modernise the ‘outdated system’ used by the Guild for room bookings through an app. This would involve a transition to online booking, since Thomas believes that the current paper system ‘may be a restriction for hopeful new societies’, and a potential collaboration with UoB staff so that societies could use ‘empty university rooms’ for sessions and storage. Reflecting on

his ‘#BeCurious’ branding, Thomas stated, ‘“curiosity” isn’t a pejorative term, it’s an incredibly optimistic, exciting expression’.

Maddy Tysoe During her interview with Redbrick, Maddy Tysoe revealed the three main pitches for her campaign; maximising society potential, assisting events management, and developing media collaboration. The Activities and Development Officer (ADO) candidate, who previously held the role of president of BEDSOC (UoB’s English society), claims she wishes to campaign for more funding for UoB’s media groups, which include Redbrick, Burn FM and Guild TV. Collaboration between these media groups, other non-media based societies, and the university are central to Tysoe’s campaign.

In regards to how she would be involved with managing the events for UoB’s student societies, Tysoe stated that she would introduce more taster and welcome events in an attempt to make Taster Day a better experience for students and society members alike by finding a ‘bigger area’ for the event to take place. This improvement in events management and coordination would be driven by her own experience in the sector; she is responsible for organising the National Student Television Association (NaSTA) conference later this year.

When asked about how she plans on maximising society

she would host one-on-one meetings with the heads of societies and committee members potential, Tysoe revealed that she would host one-on-one meetings with the heads of societies and committee members to ‘find out what they want’. In summary, Tysoe’s campaign attempts to discover the needs of student groups through regular conversations with society leaders, and tailoring her services to their own unique needs.

R e - o p e n Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

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Guild Elections 2017

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Representation and Resources Officer

Current Officer: Brandon Hattiloney

The officer role is responsible for aiding students to have a say in the Guild by using programmes such as Your Ideas.

Gregory Robinson

News Editor

Erin Santillo News Editor @ErinSantillo

Jess Levy The current Vice President of Carnival RAG and 3rd year Economics student Jess Levy spoke to Redbrick before launching her campaign for the role of the Representation and Resources Officer (RRO).

Having worked in Joe’s Bar since first year and led a national youth group at college, for which she was president, Levy believes that she has ‘established a great relationship’ with the Guild and has proven herself a good leader.

On her manifesto, Levy’s key policies have been organised into four categories. Under ‘Giving’, she indicates her plans to improve

the Joe’s+ card into a way of ‘rewarding students’ for societal work, to push for student staff support, both in terms of pay and security, and to review the ‘Your Ideas’ democratic structure to ‘get as many people involved’ as possible; ‘I want to find out why students aren’t engaging’.

Levy then reveals, under the title of ‘Greater’, to research possibilities for additional events, such as laser tag – which ‘is the dream’ in her eyes – at times when the Guild is quiet. If elected, she also plans to work with students to ‘take Fab to a whole new level’ by being ‘open to all [...] suggestions’; she expressed in interview that she was particularly keen on a karaoke in Beorma Bar. The final two categories include improving sustainability in terms of catering packaging, toilet water efficiency, and pushing for a more vigourous lights-off policy across campus – citing the Old

Library’s lights, which can be seen to be turned on some nights, as ‘just ridiculous’. Levy also aims to develop support for international and year-abroad students by focussing the work of the ISO to ensure that students ‘feel like the

"It’s a progressive move which lots more places are introducing" student union is there for them’.

Levy stated that ‘although it sounds corny’, her ‘love for the Guild’ drove her to candidacy; ‘I actually really care about this building’.

Nicola Woods In an interview with Redbrick, Representation and Resources Officer (RRO) candidate Nicola Woods divulged many of the points listed as part of her manifesto.

When asked why she decided to run for this particular role, Woods said ‘I feel like I would be quite

Sports Officer

good at representing a whole range of students because I have had a fair bit of experience talking to different people and getting to know different people.’

Woods stated she intends to make empty rooms in the Guild available to students as study spaces due to the lack of space in the library.

The environment is a key aspect of Woods’ campaign. In addition to being the current Ethical and Environmental Officer, Woods is also the VegSoc President and is part of the ‘Your Ideas’ assessment group. She wishes to focus ‘on food waste on campus. That will probably involve redistributing food waste, looking into how we can take food waste from the campus outlets and redistributing them to people in need’.

Woods also intends to work closely with the other liberation officers and minority groups, to represent all and to give students

a voice. She wants to help international students with things such as support ‘when setting up their bank accounts when they first get here’.

"I actually really care about this building" During the interview, Woods listed several ways to improve Fab, which is now open until 4.00am.

Woods proposes extending the last entry time to ease queues, stop the rush and give students who work late on Saturdays a chance to attend. Woods said: ‘I used to work late and I could never really go out on a Saturday because it would be really difficult with last entry time!’

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

Current Officer: Georgie Freeman

The officer role acts as the student voice of sport and works alongside the Guild and UoB to make sport work for students Emily Darby News Reporter

Helena Bailey While studying Sport Science as well as in her role as Social Secretary of Cheerleading, Helena says she has always been passionate about making a difference in sport at Birmingham, which pushed her to run for Sports Officer.

As part of her manifesto, she hopes to develop an app that will focus on improving the availability of Sports Night tickets, featuring a reserve and collection system – it would also display results for minority and majority sports equally.

Speaking about the delayed opening of the new 360 sports centre, Helena understands the delay may be incremental in perfecting new facilities but above all emphasises the importance of students gaining priority times above the public and hopes to work towards scrapping 12-month contracts

for a more flexible system.

She praises current Sports Officer Georgie Freeman’s progress with the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign and hopes to further the success. The final part of Helena’s manifesto discusses a campus wide sports day which would involve activities from as many sports teams as possible, all-inclusive activities and performances. Helena reaffirms that her passion and commitment to sport drives her to fight for the student voice to be heard across sport at Birmingham.

Georgie Lewis Club Captain of Netball, Georgie Lewis tells Redbrick she’s been involved in sports the three years she has been here, dedicated and passionate about her sport, she decided to run for Sports Officer to enact substantial change.

To increase knowledge of Birmingham sport in the local community she proposes a monthly magazine in her manifesto to increase sponsorship and draw people into watch University sport. The magazine would include match reports and special features on events like Lockdown or Xplosion. Believing that sport is a big part of university that everyone should be able to experience, widening sports for all abilities is key for Lewis and has proposed more ‘Try Sports’ sessions to encourage newcomers.

Lewis tells us she was lucky enough to have been given an exclusive tour of the new sports centre which has given her a special insight into the high-tech facilities inside.

Although she plans to utilise it as soon as it opens, she remains confident that it will be a fantastic addition to campus worth waiting for. Lewis combines a passion for helping sports clubs not only in higher performing areas but at grassroots level with a dedicated

and determined attitude.

Alice Perkins Being on the scholarship programme for Athletics, Perkins says she had strong connections with sports at UoB from the beginning, something she believes will help her to make an impact as Sports Officer. She proposes improved connections between sports clubs, starting off by sharing club successes on social media and celebrating Birmingham achievements in the wider community rather than exclusively amongst teams.

Mental health workshops will also be a key focus for Perkins who hopes to improve provisions and access to mental health organisations across sports clubs, culminating in a fundraising sports day to raise awareness with activities that everyone can get involved in.

Accessibility to sport is therefore pivotal in her campaign.

She wants to eliminate elitism within the sporting community and work on establishing drop-in netball or football sessions which

students would be able to easily opt in on a no-commitment basis.

Perkins also expressed her frustration at the lack of clarity surrounding the opening of the new gym but proposes sport club specific inductions to the high-tech facilities once it’s open as well as throwing out 12month contracts.

Perkins says her confident and open personality fused with realistic goals is what makes her stand out and urges you to expect big things if she were to be elected.

Also running for the position is Julio Tugnoli, who was offered an interview but did not accept.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

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Guild Elections 2017

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Education Officer

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Current Officer: Chris Wilkinson

The officer role is there to make sure you get the most out of your degree by working with the Student Rep system and the University to make sure that student voices are heard.

Holly Carter Music Editor

Rosemary Clark Education student Rosemary Clark, or ‘Rosie Posie’, has been involved with the Guild and student groups. Her course has given her insight into what is possible in terms of improving education and she is pushing for a three pronged approach to her prospective role as Education Officer – support, quality and represent.

"increase study space throughout campus" Rosie hopes to increase study space throughout campus and to ensure students have a say in what happens to the study spaces that

have been shut down. Panopto is the key focus of her plan to improve lecture materials, making it available to more students as well as looking into other forms of technology that would suit courses better.

She also plans to improve support for students on years abroad (YA) by opening up lines of communication between the university and students, so that there is better support when YA students are struggling, as well as preparing students better to embark on years abroad.

She also proposes to improve postgraduate taught hours and support for postgraduate researchers by working with the Postgraduate Students’ Officer, and to help

undergraduates by improving the roles of student reps. Her final key focus is fighting against fee increases on a national level and making sure students are not badly affected by Brexit.

Adam Goldstone Adam Goldstone, previous Guild Council member, NUS delegate and student rep, says that he wants to ensure student voices are heard and there is student consultation on all issues. With one of his key focuses inspired by the reaction to the new library, he wants to create a website to inform UoB students where to find free study spaces and utilize those spaces that students aren’t so aware of.

His plan to improve study

spaces also includes the creation of varied areas to reflect different ways of working and the creation of clear labeling of silent areas and eating areas. He also adds that he wants to push for a compromise on the issue of eating in the library.

Moving academic experience online is also at the center of

"push for a compromise on the library" Adam’s manifesto, and using Canvas’ potential with Google docs and group chats more effec-

Postgrad Officer

tively for group work is a big part of this, as well as moving to exclusively online hand-ins.

Adam’s final focus is on fighting the challenges to higher education that some students will face as a result of Brexit and recent government policy. He puts emphasis on making sure there are strong voices to fight against the Teaching Excellence Framework, believing that charging higher fees is not the way forward.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

Keanna Williams was running for the role but has since chosen not to stand.

Current Officer: Rose Bennett

The officer role is responsible for representing postgraduate students who make up 40% of the student body. They cover all issues that a postgraduate student may have, from education to welfare.

Astrid Skjold News Reporter

Rose Bennett Rose Bennett currently serves as Postgraduate Students' Officer, and is running for the same position in the 2017 Guild Elections.

Her primary motivation for reelection is to continue the work and projects she has started, as in her opinion it takes several months to properly settle into the position.

In her manifesto, Bennett has identified six areas of focus.

(1) 'A graduate school that works for you'. This includes increasing the prestige and voice

of the Graduate School at the University.

(2) 'Include PGT students in University structures'.

She thinks that postgraduate taught students should be included in the Graduate School as they are currently left out on several areas.

(3) 'More Study and Social Spaces'.

This will be a continuation of a project she started this year. While the lack of study spaces is an issue for all students, postgraduate students

often feel left out and without a 'home' on campus, according to Bennett.

(4) 'Better international student support'. Since the international student officer is not a full-time position, Bennett would like to take increased responsibility for the international postgraduate students.

(5) 'Dedicated Academic and Welfare Support'. The Academic Skills Centre is funded by and works for undergraduate students, postgraduate students do not have

access to it. Bennett wants to expand the centre so that they are included. She also aims to establish a welfare support service specifically for postgrad students, as mental health is a pressing issue.

(6) 'A fair deal for postgrads who teach'. Not much is known about the conditions for postgraduate students who teach. Bennett proposes to set up a charter, in cooperation with UCU, to make sure the students who teach are aware of their rights.

Bennett is content with her achievements from the first year, and feels like she has settled well into the role in terms of knowing who to speak to and where to go in

different situations. Most satisfied is she with having arranged a welcome week for postgrads at the beginning of this academic year, emphasising the importance of a strong postgrad community.

Also running for the position are Sarah Chung and Rosanna Rackley, who were offered interviews but did not accept.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

Make Your Voice Heard Voting for Guild Elections opens at 12pm on 23rd February and closes at 12pm on 2nd March at www.guildofstudents.com/ Presidential Debates on 24th February - Follow our live blog and our twitter for live updates @RedbrickNews Results will be released on 4th March with live tweets from @RedbrickNews

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Guild Elections 2017

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Welfare Officer

Current Officer: Ross Strong

The welfare officer role is to ensure that students can access all the support that they may need whilst at UoB. Megan Stanley

News Reporter

Alex Binnie After spending two years as the women’s officer for the Guild, Alex Binnie is running for the Welfare Officer position this year.

A main focus of for Binnie is the Not On campaign: ‘The Not On campaign is something I’m really passionate about. I’m looking into providing some sort of incentive for people to get involved. We want to make sure they are gaining something by getting involved, maybe put it onto the PSA system. In general, we need more funding, I want to work with the university to make sure they get the best funding they can which will mean we can expand the campaign exponentially.’

Officer.

If elected she hopes to provide night buses: ‘Students have felt unsafe walking home at night and I want to change this. I’d quite

"I’d actually like to have a sexual health clinic on campus"

Further points that Binnie is including in her campaign is to restructure counselling services and mental health support, she told Redbrick: ‘we have welfare officers in every department now but there’s not really direct training, as Welfare Officer I would be directly involved, plus bringing in student voices to help find out where it is lacking. I know for a fact people have to wait for a long time and staff are overworked.’

Binnie also wants to create a safe Selly Oak. ‘it’s been a concern at the moment.

'I’ll get more safety alarms and walking buses. We don’t want to scare people but make sure it’s an option so that if someone is scared to walk home alone they have the choice’

like them to be on Sports Night and Fab because that’s when most of the issues have happened. Also on certain days from the library, because sometimes students won’t go to the library because they’re scared to walk home at night.’

Green also wants to increase awareness about sexual health: ‘I’d actually like to have a sexual health clinic on campus, this would help increase awareness and remove stigma. It would be targeting the Umbrella Health group, who are currently helping out giving free condoms.’ She would also continue to work with the welfare tutors: ‘Ross has been working on providing training but I would like to build on this by having welfare tutors actually check in on students because I think some students are scared about asking for second help.’

Green would also like to implement a ‘buddy system’ in departments, she told Redbrick: ‘Some subjects might have a mentor scheme, but no one knows about it. By calling it the “buddy scheme” it will be generalised between departments and I’d like to encourage others to be a buddy by putting it on the PSA system.’

Henny Green The Sports Science student told Redbrick that her role as course representative and summer camp mentor have given her adequate experience to be Welfare

Rob Lawler The current Vice-President of Brumsurf, Rob Lawler, told Redbrick that if he is elected he would want to ‘make a happier university, I want to make sure

"We don't want to scare people"

people have the same access I had, if not better.’

A main point within his campaign is a 'university happiness index', when asked by Redbrick about this, Lawler did acknowledge the difficulty of implementing the scheme: ‘I want to see what kind of events and social media campaigns would make people less stressed. We would need a certain amount of funding.’ Regarding activities he wants to implement, Lawler told Redbrick: ‘we don’t really leave Selly Oak. However, Cannon Hill Park are always up for getting events in that park.

It’s walking distance away and it’s a nice area for people to chill.’

Lawler also includes increasing awareness of mental health within his campaign: ‘We have Mental Health Awareness week and last year they [Guild Officers] were really vocal about that. I think societies could do more about getting involved. Many members do suffer from mental health issues, but we don’t really talk about it.

Obviously they can’t provide professional help but they can open up about it and make it a more

"Many members do suffer from mental health issues, but we don’t really talk about it." discussed thing on campus.’

Anna Lyndon Fourth year psychology student, Anna Lyndon told Redbrick she feels her four years at UoB have given her good experience to be Welfare Officer: ‘I’ve seen a lot of uni life and I’ve been involved in various societies and

sports. Whatever sort of problem would come up, I would have a good understanding.’

A main focus of her campaign is to normalise mental health: ‘I want to improve awareness and access to the facilities we already have, as it’s not really clear where to go for help.

We have M e n t a l Health week, but other than that week it’s sort of hushed. Even if it’s good mental health and wellbeing, it’s sort of glossed over as a taboo subject. I want to support the “it’s okay to talk” campaign, because male mental health is very much overshadowed.’

In connection to this, if Lyndon is given the role of Welfare

"It's sort of glossed over as a taboo subject" Officer, she hopes to increase mental health training. She told Redbrick: ‘As a psychology student I get access to it but it’s still quite limited because it’s so popular.

So I’d like to make it so that anyone can sign up, and give everyone the chance.

Outside of university it costs almost £300, so is almost inaccessible’.

Cat Spencer The founding president of the BEAT society told Redbrick that through her time as president she: ‘realised there are a lot of issues that need to be changed and [that she’s] very passionate about changing them’.

She told Redbrick that she wants to create welfare training for sports and society committees: ‘They need to have basic fundamental training to support the

wellbeing of their members. It’s one of the areas that isn’t welfare trained at the moment.

It’ll probably take the form of a mega forum.

It wouldn’t be a long-winded system.’

Another part of her campaign is representation for religious groups: ‘As a theology student, I’m exposed daily to the negative ways religions are spoken about in current media, and I don’t want those to be paralleled here at university. You should be able to

"they should have the platform to advertise without the fear of stigmatisation" have freedom of religion, I want there to be more prayer rooms on campus and make sure that extenuating circumstances are being met. I want them to have the opportunity to have bigger celebrations. I believe they should have the platform to advertise without the fear of stigmatisation.’

Spencer also wants the installation of gender neutral toilets: ‘I would make it my priority to install gender neutral toilets campus wide.

People shouldn’t have to actively seek them. I want to push to make it compulsory to have a gender neutral in every department.’

Also running for this position is Huma Shaafie. who was offered an interview but did not accept.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

Don't Forget Your Part-Time Officers International Student Officer Mirabel Chu Vladyslav Dehtyar Zarif Karimli Xinran Lu Yuyang Ren Ming Xia LGBTQ Officer Lucinda Bleichroeder- Baker Elena Poulet Cain Zambra-Ashwin

Disabled Students' Officer Belle Linford

Community Action Officer Cameron Beavan-King

Satellite Sites Officer Max Seitler

Women's Officer Holly Campbell Amber Culley Scarlet Pestell Rebecca Posner

Ethical and Environmental Officer Nat Crawley Harry Lindow

Mature & Part-Time Students Officer NA

Anti-Racism and Anti-Facism Officer Shimon Kelly

Ethnic Minorities Officer Sheimona Jahan Jenny Karago

Home Students’ Officer NA

Unlike sabbatical officers the part time officers carry out their roles while they complete their studies and are unpaid. Due to the fact that no one is running for either Mature and Part- Time Students Officer and Home Students’ Officer, there is likely to be a mid-term election in the coming months.

NEWS

Guild Elections 2017

@redbricknews

Housing and Community Officer

07

Current Officer: Izzie Nicholds

The officer role is to make sure that students have a great living experience whilst studying at UoB from your time in halls to your time in Selly Oak. The officer works with the RAs, Community Wardens and Student Mentors.

John Wimperis News Reporter

Kris Ali Kris Ali thought that the Housing and Community Officer was the ‘perfect role’ for him

"not only do I have the credentials for [being housing and community officer] but I'm also experienced" because he’s been involved in the Guild and running events since he ‘first started at uni’.

Ali told Redbrick, ‘not only do I have the credentials for [being Housing and Community Officer] but I’m also experienced as well’.

Ali also claimed to have experience with the housing side of the role too, having worked for an estate agent in the past. He said that this helps him understand landlord procedure and regulations and so he ‘can offer good advice to everybody’.

One of Ali’s policies is to create a Vale Village bus service to run in the evenings so that people are not deterred about staying on campus late. It is something he would want to find money in the budget for, although pricing would depend on the bus company.

Another policy of Ali’s is to create a ‘housing app’. This would have several features, including a way for students to rate lettings agencies and landlords, Ali explained. He also said he planned for it to include a platform for students to advertise spare rooms and ‘find more compatible housemates’.

Ali also spoke to Redbrick about his idea to make Meal Plan an ‘opt on’ service, as he believed this would be preferential to first years.

Asked why students should vote for him, Ali told Redbrick, ‘I think having the experience from previous events with CarnivalRAG [...] is perfect for what I can do’.

Louis Holliday Louis Holliday said that he decided to run for Housing and Community Officer because ‘I do a lot of volunteering and I really enjoy being part of the community, so it really fits with what I enjoy and what I do at university’.

‘You can get so stuck in the bubble of students,’ Holliday told Redbrick, ‘and then you realise there’s so much more out there for you to get involved in’. Holliday is involved in several volunteering programmes and is president of the Monday Night Club, which works with adults with learning disabilities.

Furthermore, Holliday described the potential postponement of landlords releasing their properties onto the letting market until January as ‘something I’m really keen on but something that I want to stress I can’t promise’. He stated, ‘I just want to take the stress out of it’.

Holliday is also proposing the creation of ‘Birmingham Games’ between the city’s universities. ‘It would be more of an event in an arena-style venue where you’d have teams competing against each other,’ Holliday told

"you can get stuck in the bubble of students [...] and then you realise that there's so much more out there to get involved in" Redbrick, ‘but they wouldn’t be your stereotypical sports, it would be more like activities. [...] It’s meant to be a big community event’.

Another manifesto policy of Holliday’s is to give postgraduate students more housing options.

Holliday highlighted an idea in which postgraduates lodge with elderly people for a lower rate of rent, a scheme currently adopted at the University of Worcester.

Asked why, out of all the candidates, people should vote for him, Holliday said ‘I know that I would put in 100% effort [...] to make it a better place for students’.

Grace Lynskey ‘In first year I had a lot of disruptions with not getting accommodation, commuting, changing halls. Pretty much every issue; I’ve had it’ said Grace Lynskey when asked why she decided to run for Housing and Communities officer.

Lynskey told Redbrick that she believes ‘students really need more platforms to get support when it comes to housing.’

One of Lynskey’s policies is to give first years moving into accommodation more say in who they live with, something that Lynskey says has been effective at other universities where the accommodation application includes a ‘personality traits’ questionnaire. ‘I think it is important to mix with different kinds of people,’ stated Lynskey, ‘but also it's important to be happy in your flat.’

Lynskey is also advocating for an ‘online platform’ that would ‘give students the opportunity to rate their landlords and houses,’ as currently ‘students just aren’t given the platform to speak out’.

Acknowledging that ‘the issue of safety in Selly is never going to fully go away,’ Lynskey said ‘we need to think of a long term strategy’. Her idea is to create a ‘Selly Oak equivalent’ of the Residential Association scheme currently used in UoB’s halls of residence to make Selly

"I think it's important to mix with different kinds of people but also it's important to be happy in your flat" Oak more inclusive, as well as making it ‘quicker and easier’ to report issues.

When asked why students

should vote for her, Lynskey said that in ‘All areas: not just housing, not just accommodation. Every

about people, their safety and wellbeing. I want to listen to the students’ ideas and feedback’.

"I want to bring new landlords and I want them to co-operate with us without going to other lettings agencies"

Tom Thornhill Tom Thornhill cited his experience with landlords as the main reason he decided to run for Housing and Community Officer.

Thornhill told Redbrick, ‘I’ve seen how landlords can really take the mick with students: rip them off, threaten them with legal action.’

In fact, Thornhill’s top policy is to ensure free legal advice is available to students.

Thornhill told Redbrick that, thanks to living with the sons of two lawyers, he was able to get free legal advice when a landlord threatened them with legal action and so found that their landlord was in the wrong.

He said, ‘I want to make sure that all students get the support like that they need’.

Thornhill said that he was ‘pretty confident’ that local law firms would be keen to support

single aspect of this job role, I really feel like I’m suited to,’ Lynskey told Redbrick.

Joanna Prejbeanu Joanna Prejbeanu was motivated by the issue of safety ‘in the campus and in the Selly Oak area’ to run for Housing and Communities Officer. However, she also cited how difficult it is to find a good affordable house as a reason she decided to run for the position.

Prejbeanu spoke of having experience in working with people when asked what made her qualified for the role. She is currently a student representative for Government and Society. Prejbeanu told Redbrick she liked hearing feedback and that ‘where there’s more ideas, you can definitely make something great’.

Prejbeanu has plans to work with the police and UoB Security to bring about night-time patrols, as well as proposing the installation of CCTV cameras in ‘areas that lack a lot of light’ to the council.

When asked how she planned to deliver on her policy of making more affordable homes in Selly Oak available through Guild Lettings, she said ‘I want to bring new landlords and I want them to co-operate with us without going to other lettings agencies’.

Improving the Resident Associations’ mentor scheme is another policy of Prejbeanu’s.

Prejbeanu also has plans for Freshers’ Week, including using different ‘underground clubs’ as she believes many students are tired of the week’s events being centred around the same clubs each year.

When asked why students should vote for her, Prejbeanu told Redbrick, ‘I’m really passionate

"I’ve seen how landlords can really take the mick with students: rip them off, threaten them with legal action" students without a fee. However, he said that ‘if lobbying [the Guild] for money was what needed to be done, then I would do it.’

Another of Thornhill’s policies is to set up a ‘Guild supported landlord rating website’ which Thornhill described as a way for students to give their landlord a rating ‘like an Uber rating.’

Thornhill also wants to set up a ‘drop-in support centre for victims of crime’ because he claimed that often small crimes such as ‘someone’s laptop being stolen’ do not interest the police despite having a massive effect on a student’s life.

Citing having worked with the Guild and run Guild societies in the past, Thornhill said ‘I really do feel like I’m qualified’ for the position.

Re-open Nomination (RON) is also a candidate. If RON gets the most votes and wins, the election is run again.

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