During Media week, an important time for all candidates, Label had the chance to interview Jennie Cooper, running contested for the role of AU President against Tim Jenkins. Jennie came across as very strong and confident, who from the outset and throughout was a cheerful and vibrant character. We asked Jennie The Big Five Questions, and these were her responses:
-
What are the main reasons behind you running for AU President?
"I feel like I can make a positive difference within the Athletic Union, but at the same time nothing too extreme as the AU runs really well as it is. Just adaptations to make it a stronger unit of the Loughborough experience and hopefully everything that I have done within Loughborough sport over the past three years will allow me to succeed in the role."
-
What do you think of the current AU President and is there anything you would plan to do differently if you were in that position next year?
"I think the current AU President is… Well, you see the thing is with the AU, everybody is always saying that the AU can run itself as it has more extra staff than any other section. However, the President is the face of the AU and the face of Loughborough sport as a whole. I think events have been successful this year, however, there has just been a slight lack of communication, and that’s not necessarily the AU President’s fault, it’s just that we’ve got a lot of external bodies at the moment working with the AU and it’s just getting lost in communication, e.g. club chairs aren’t being made aware. My plan would be to create an AU where everyone is being heard."
-
What is your one main manifesto point?
"My main manifesto point would definitely be based around communication. Mainly between all AU club chairs and the AU president, whilst also focusing on the idea of one AU. So we have 53 sporting clubs and sometimes I feel like they’re all fighting to be heard, so I want to create one AU where we all work together to create an AU where everyone is comfortable and everyone can feel like they’ve been heard and so that successes can be praised and problems can be tackled."
-
Why should students vote for you to be the next AU President over anyone else in Loughborough?
"Because every sporting job that I have taken on and done whilst here at Loughborough I’ve committed myself to one hundred percent. I’m so driven, hard working and motivated, and I’ve dealt with a variety of different scenarios in the past few years that will really let me fulfil my potential as an AU President."
-
In one sentence, can you sum up what you think the role of AU President involves?
"Umm, that is a hard one. It’s being the face of Loughborough Sport and communicating and ensuring Loughborough’s sporting successes are heard."
All answers given are those of the candidates, recorded and transcribed word for word, and are not influenced by our writers.
Jennie is running at 'Call On Me Cooper' throughout this years elections. To read her opposition Tim Jenkins, answers to the big five questions click here.
[[video|671]]
