Name: David Edwards
Hall: Cayley
Course: Automotive Engineering
Position: RAG Chair
Another experienced candidate to add to the list, Dave Edwards has spent each of his three years at Loughborough involved in RAG in one way or another. Edwards aims to maintain the large variety of charities that RAG currently work with, but also wishes to develop RAG’s interaction with local communities. Despite dreading the long days and long nights, Edwards is eager to meet as many students as possible to get ideas off them concerning how the section could be improved.
1. Why are you running for this position?
I have been a RAG Rep for Cayley and I have also been on RAG Committee over the last two years, and I have absolutely loved every minute of it. I have watched the section grow and develop and there are lots of new reps coming in now and just doing fantastic work for so many different causes; I just feel like I want to put my own mark on it and help develop the section even further. You meet so many people with so many ideas it’s so much fun, as well as raising money for fantastic causes.
2. What makes you more suited than other candidates?
I feel that I have really always tried to get involved with it and have literally taken every opportunity that has been thrown at me. I have been on countless raids, taking collections across the country. I have been on external expeditions; I went to Norway last Easter and I have helped on committee with all the events and stuff, so I would like to think that I know the section really, really well from being involved so much. I think this will be really key to put across to people: I am really committed and I do know what I am talking about. I have all the experience that I think will give me the edge over the other candidates.
3. Tell us a bit about your campaign theme
(DE) My campaign theme is Toy Story, so I will be dressed as Woody. What’s great about doing something like Toy Story, or just a general movie, is that it is quite easy to do promotional material for it. Obviously, pretty much everyone has seen the film, so people can easily recognise all of the characters, and they are very likeable characters.
4. What would you say is the most important aspect of your manifesto?
Obviously, I think all points are important. The main point I have put first is getting AU clubs and societies involved in RAG. I have actually been to quite a few conferences with RAG and challenged quite a few people from different universities; it is quite weird that it is one area that Loughborough does not get a huge amount of money from – but don’t get me wrong, there are societies and AU clubs that do fantastic work. The amount is quite small compared to a lot of other universities, considering we are considered one of the biggest RAGs in the country. I know for instance that Portsmouth does a huge amount of work with their AU clubs. So I just thought it was an area to increase participation in RAG, and I think that there are so many different clubs and societies with so many different ideas; if you incorporate this then it gives us different ideas of how to do stuff and events and then we can promote them to other people as well. If someone is stuck for ideas we can say ‘oh this society or AU club did this event and raised this much money, it’s a great idea I think you should do something similar as well’. There a 56 AU clubs and such a diversity of societies that the potential to raise lots of money is there.
5. In one sentence, why should people vote for you?
I am hard working and determined and I really want to push the section forward and carry on with all the hard work that previous RAG chairs have done; this includes getting as many people involved and supporting/motivating the reps whilst raising as much money as possible for charity.
