Name: Amy Ward
Hall: Robert Bakewell
Course: Social Psychology
Running For: VP Education
With a wealth of experience on her side, Amy Ward is one candidate not to be underestimated. Having undertaken positions such as Department Treasurer, Department Chair and Hall Chair (to name a few) in her three years at Loughborough, it is clear that Amy has developed the skills necessary to carry out the role of VP Education effectively. Despite recognising the pressure of running for Exec, Amy is eager to make a difference. She has taken advantage of her creative side by hand making much of her campaign including her costume and costumes for her campaign team. And in regard to her commitment, Amy completed the incredible feat of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro last year to raise money for RAG. If that doesn’t show commitment, what else does?
1. Why are you running for this position?
The reason why I am running for VP Education is because since my time at Loughborough, my whole experience of my education has been fantastic but I have heard that it’s not the same for everyone. I think that when you come to university you should expect the best and I just really want to be able to give people the enjoyment that I had through their academic experience. I loved my degree and I love the way I was taught and I think everyone deserves the same. Also I think that if you are happy within your course I feel like it makes you feel more able to get involved in extra-curricular activities because you feel more comfortable within your department, you can get on with your work so it feels like you can spread your wings a bit more. It’s just such an amazing opportunity to be able to enhance the student experience for your first ever job, you don’t often get that flexibility and how you can bring in your own stamp or completely change something in your first ever job. It’s just an amazing opportunity especially for a job that is so important for improving people’s education.
2. What makes you more suited than other candidates?
My passion is really there. I am so passionate about getting this role. Ever since a couple of years ago when I saw Laz doing it, I just thought it looked so fantastic and I have really gone head first into the academic side of extra-curricular activities. I was a Department Treasurer in my first year, so a Fresher going straight for Committee. I am Department Chair now, and I have been a Programme Rep for two years and am now Vice-Programme President, so I just love getting involved and feeling like I am making a difference. Even if it is just to a group of thirty students, as there is only thirty of us on my course, just to be able to improve it for everyone else. My work ethic is really focussed as well, I am an organised freak so my time management is probably the best skill I have. I will always do everything to the best of my ability, whether that’s to do with my dissertation or making my costume I will always do it to the best of my ability because that is just the way I am.
3. Tell us a bit about your campaign theme
It’s a bit querky! I just thought I wanted to be different, I wanted the buzz that candidates such as Izzie Rascal and Sarah Heart Haar created last year, in my opinion there was always a general buzz about their theme and everyone knew about their theme. So I thought a bit of a play on words; I want to deliver a first class education to people, and what better way to portray it than to stamp myself around campus on a first class stamp. I literally want to stamp my face around campus to show that I will be delivering a first class performance, I won’t be doing any less than that. And I thought it might be quite fun to make some stamps so you will see a lot of stamps I am sure and a lot of stamping on peoples hands. So it’s all based around ‘first class’.
4. What would you say is the most important aspect of your manifesto?
That is difficult, because Becky has done such an amazing job this year and so I really want to maintain the relationship she has created. She said that through frequent communication and strong relationships things have gotten done a lot quicker this year. But hopefully it will be my turn in office and I really want to bring in a departmental league. I am a hall chair as well and what I have noticed is that not everyone enjoys hall life and a lot of people enjoy spending time with their course friends, so I just think it is a bit restricting that there is not much that you can do to get involved in your department. There is the tri-sports cup, but I have spoken to the Sports Development Centre and they want to make regular sporting activities, through action projects, through departments, just so that those people who don’t enjoy hall life and do enjoy spending time with their course friends have the same opportunities as those in halls. Also to give a bit of an incentive to get involved in your department and make departments seem more important. Everyone raves about being on hall committees and I want that same kind of buzz about being on a department committee, I want it to be fun and for people to get involved. So many people miss out on sporting events and rag raids because they don’t necessarily like their hall, or have moved out of halls and are friends with people on their course and what have they got to offer? I know they have the university action projects and university sport but it’s not the same, there’s no competitiveness there. So I just really want to open up the opportunities within the department and make the academic side more fun.
5. In one sentence, why should people vote for you
I won’t let people down, I honestly will put everything into this and do everything I can to be the VP Education that people want.
