Last week, I caught up with the only candidate running for Societies Federation President, Georgia Cheyne. This is the first time in four academic years that the role has been uncontested, but Georgia’s warm and easy-going personality should win over voters and see her elected as Sophie Sanders’ successor. Cheyne is approachable and easy to talk to, making her extremely likable, half the time during interview we were laughing and exchanging stories. I asked her Label’s five big questions and here is what she had to say.
-
What are the main reasons behind you running for SocFed President?
"I’m already the chair of the pole dancing society and events co-ordinater for the Societies Federation as well for the committee, so I think that I know the section and I feel like that’s the section I’ve been involved in most, although I’ve been involved with others like stage society and it’s just where I feel like I’m at home and I want other people to feel like that as well so if I took over I know how I want to run it already to develop and improve it where I can."
-
What do you think of the current SocFed president and is there anything you would plan to do differently if you were in that position next year?
I think she’s amazing. She deals with people really well. A lot of the things I want to carry on, she’s constantly developed and tried to integrate all of the societies, and that’s one of my manifesto points. Although she put it down as a manifesto point herself, it needs constantly developing and always needs people coming into the section. I want to try and really bridge the gap between the society committees because since being chair, all the chairs have made a facebook group and go out for meals and it’s improved the support network. If you’ve got problems that you can’t really speak to Sophie about because it’s not massive but you want to speak to someone about it you’ve got people in the same position to help you out.
I also want to introduce a summer showcase, which we don’t have at the moment. We do a winter showcase but the societies are at their peak in the summer after a full year of training. If we have a summer showcase it will really show them off and get more out of them than the winter showcase. I also want to try and encourage the societies to go out into the community and show why being in a society is so good. Perhaps Christian society to go into a youth club so they can show them what it’s like to be a part of something when they’re older, or stage society could go into schools and do a workshop with the students."
-
What is your one main manifesto point?
"I think the main one would be supporting the society committees and bridging the gap to bring more unity across the section. In that you bring a more fun committee training, I know when I did mine I felt like I was in a lecture, so I’ll make it more interactive and get people up and fun so people can really bond with their committee. When you’re thrown into a committee you want to love that role but you may not know everyone who you’re going to be working with for a year and if everyone gets involved really quickly it will really help with the bonding with other committees. My seconder is the chair of Rock Soc and proposer is the chair of Velocity, through societies and committees you make friends with people who you may not normally come into contact with and I want to really push that."
-
Why should students vote for you to be the next SocFed President over anyone else in Loughborough?
"I am really passionate about my section and that’s where I can really be myself. That’s where I belong in the union and I feel like if I could take over I’d do a really good job and help the section and really push it to be the best it can be."
-
In one sentence, can you sum up what you think the role of SocFed President involves?
"To be in charge of and support all societies and to help them maintain and push for a high standard and to help them with any problems they may be having."
All answers given are those of the candidates, recorded and transcribed word for word, and are not influenced by our writers.
Georgia is running at Georgia 'ginger spice' Cheyne in this year's Executive Elections. To see the rest of label's coverage, click here.
[[video|666]]
