Is it fair that second years should be allowed to run for a role on Exec? Or should it be limited to finalists only?
Holding the year long position of an Exec member is open for anyone to apply to, with it being used as a placement opportunity for those wishing to gain experience in a particular field in between their degree. However, if a second year is willing to apply for such a role, should they just not wait an extra year, gain more experience within the Students’ Union, and then put themselves forward for a role? If a second year were to win the elections would they then be putting a third year/someone who will soon be graduating out of a chance of really making a difference to Loughborough Students’ Union?
Last year Georgia Cheyne, who held the VP Societies role, was a second year and carried out her VP role as a placement between studying. Cheyne told Label that ‘Running in second year really depends on the individual. For me, it was the best decision I could have made. If you are considering it, you need to weigh up the facts and consider whether you could go back to your third year. It does however give you a work ethic that you won’t have had before with the number of hours you have to work on Exec. If you can translate that into your third year when you go back, it would massively improve your studies’.
This year the only second year campaigning for a role on Exec is James Bowker, who is hoping to become the next VP Finance and Commercial Services. Although only being in his second year at Loughborough, Bowker has impressive 
involvement within Loughborough Student’s Union, boasting the title of Cayley Hall Chair as well as sitting on the Board of Trustees. But would another year allow Bowker more of a chance to fully immerse himself in all that Loughborough can offer him? However, if he feels he is ready for the role now, then he should be encouraged to go for it. As of Saturday 28th of February 57% of 247 people believe that Bowker performed better at the Bubble Debate (according to a poll on media.lsu.co.uk), than the other VP Finance and Commercial Services candidate Charlie Staunton, which can suggest that Bowker is more than capable and ready for the demands of holding a VP role, despite only being at Loughborough for a year and a half.
Cheyne raised an interesting point when talking with Label, stating that if she had waited one more year she would not have been able to give campaigning her all, as the demands of studying would have been too much. ‘There were many reasons why I applied in my second year. I loved societies and had loads of ideas on how to improve the section. I felt that if I’d have waited until my 3rd year it would have been increasingly difficult to campaign with a heavy degree load and I would have had to step back in order to focus on my studies’.
The issue that presents itself for a second year going successfully into the role of Exec is that they will have to eventually return to their studies. To go from an environment that places you at the top, making the big decisions, to then have to be sat in the library slaving over books with the rest of us will be a strange adjustment change for one to make.
Cheyne didn’t actually complete her third year, but owes her experiences on Exec for getting her where she is today, ‘I didn’t actually go back for my third year. That was a tough decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I wasn’t doing the right degree for me and I knew that from first year. I now live in Sydney and have a really good job in what I want to do so it’s all worked out! I owe a lot of getting this job on the experience I got in my Exec role. I encourage anyone to run if they feel that they want to’.
Are second years more than qualified to hold a VP role? Let us know what you think!
Many thanks to Georgia Cheyne for answering Label’s questions (from the otherside of the world!)
