Label interviewed the candidates running for the paid Section Chair roles 2019-20 (not including College), read their responses below (in alphabetical order, we try and be unbiased here!)…
Action Candidate: Pippa Baynham
Sum up your main manifesto points in one sentence.
To increase accessibility of Action, exceed on excellence, and improve our financial organisation as a section.
What was your motivation for running?
Being on committee this year; I’ve seen what Joel’s done, and I want to keep moving forward, to make the section better for the longstanding of it, really.
What do you want to achieve this year?
Making sure that we connect with as many people as possible. Trying to make projects that target a wider audience including more town and departmental volunteers, and making them feel more involved within the section. So then once you leave halls, you don’t lose that involvement with Action.
What have you enjoyed most about life in Loughborough?
I really like living in the bubble, I like the fact that there’s students everywhere; I really love the fact that everything’s on campus, and the Union does so much, and is so involved with the students.
Rag Candidate: Maz Di Felice
Sum up your main manifesto points in one sentence.
I want to increase charity presence on campus, to encourage more students to fundraise for charities which they want to fundraise for, and to communicate better with Rag reps and promote available opportunities.
What was your motivation for running?
My motivation was that in my placement year I worked for a charity and absolutely loved it. I came back with so much experience and I think even though the charity gave me so much, I want the new challenge of this role.
What do you want to achieve this year?
I want to make Rag bigger and better. I also want to create a bigger family feeling in Rag and also support charities which people want to support, so people feel like they’re included and they’re doing it for their reasons, rather than just raising money.
What have you enjoyed most about life in Loughborough?
Everything. The people I’ve met, Rag being a part of this, hall life and the bubble life.
AU Clubs Officer Candidate: James Greer
Sum up your main manifesto points in one sentence.
The main things that I’m looking to improve are sport, communication and opportunities for our AU members.
What was your motivation for running?
I’m currently AU Welfare Officer; I feel like the stuff I want to give more to AU clubs I can’t really do within the role, but AU officer would give me access to help and support clubs. Not just from a welfare perspective, but from financial stability, issues to do with kit, transportation and things like that which I feel I could really help.
What do you want to achieve this year?
I think a lot of people feel like they’re not part of the constitution, that they’re not part of the Athletic Union, and I think that is really important. We’re not just an AU with 58 clubs, we are an AU that has 58 clubs that represent us. We’ve won BUCS for nearly 40 years, I feel like the clubs which don’t take part in BUCS need representing; they still wear the kit and they still go out and play for Loughborough. I think from a welfare perspective, that inclusion is really important.
What have you enjoyed most about life in Loughborough?
Challenging myself, throwing myself into situations where I never thought I could. I think that Loughborough is an environment which naturally pushes you to achieve the best, not just the best overall, but also the best within yourself.
Enterprise and Employability Candidate: Ashleigh Ponder
Sum up your main manifesto points in one sentence.
I believe that every student at Loughborough deserves the chance to start their own business, whether it’s now, or after they graduate, and I’m going to give them the skills on how to do that.
What was your motivation for running?
I run my own business, I was also encouraged by a lot of people to go for this opportunity, and I’ve always strived to build something new and start new ideas and I think that by being in this position I can give back to the Loughborough Enterprise Network.
What do you want to achieve this year?
I’d really like to meet more people who are wanting to start businesses. I want to develop their career skills, but specifically, I want to start a skill share in a student shop. By that, I mean a physical place where people can meet and network. At the moment, if you have an idea, you can approach services for help, but it can be quite lonely and it can be quite hard then to get a platform to showcase it.
What have you enjoyed most about life in Loughborough?
There’s almost too much to say. I Chair and helped found the Cooking and Baking society, so, that’s been really enjoyable. Cause obviously it’s meeting a lot of people on a social setting, but also running my own business and general university life has been fantastic.
Societies Candidate: Abby Reynolds
Sum up your main manifesto points in one sentence.
Power up societies.
What was your motivation for running?
Without societies, I wouldn’t have got the full university experience, so, wanting to run for the role enables me to provide that for other students.
What do you want to achieve this year?
From being on Societies Exec, you hear a lot of worries from chairs, so, being able to provide them with the resources they need, basically. Just to give them the platform to achieve their best, so that they have everything ready at their disposal when they’re first on committee to do everything they want to achieve.
What have you enjoyed most about life in Loughborough?
Everyone talks about the Loughborough Bubble, and it does feel like that a little bit. I remember falling in love with campus, because you have everything in one place. And it does feel like that, like everyone is under the same umbrella. If I want to go out, if I need a shoulder to cry on, if I just want to chill somewhere, everything is in one place.
Editor’s note: these interviews have been edited down, if you would like longer transcripts of our interviews, please email [email protected]
There is also another candidate for the AU Clubs Officer role, Seb Montero, however they were unavailable for interview.
Featured image by: Omeiza Haruna
