Label sat down with your candidates for Vice President for the 2021 Exec Elections!
Leon Dixon
What are the main points of your manifesto?
My points are: I want increased correspondence between the VP and HSF, greater welfare access for the student body and reinvigorated democracy to champion student opinions.
What previous experience do you have which is important to the role?
I spent two years on the Harry French Committee, I am in my second year now. I came on as an Action Rep in my first year and then also in my first year I became the Hall Chair for Harry French. That was a really exciting role. I was keen to do that as soon as I first heard about it but, in that year was the year Covid struck so, during Covid the Hall Chair role became infinitely more difficult. I am really proud of everybody who was on HSF that year and all of the Hall Chairs with the effort they put in. But the toile of that job and the things we had to go through: the constant changes, the constant manoeuvring to make sure everything was okay for students coming in the summer. I feel like that granted me a lot of experience for the job and within that role I managed to learn a lot about what students wanted when they came to Harry French in that summer. I spoke to a lot of my freshers and I know a lot the problems that they have been facing. So, I thought once the opportunity for Vice President came, I thought it’s an opportunity for me to do some good for the students that maybe had a bit of a lacklustre first year. I’m ready to make amends for that.
In what ways will you support the sections?
I think the sections are majorly important for the LSU as they offer so many opportunities for so many people. One main part of my manifesto was the links between the Vice President role and HSF so, in that way I will be able to have a closer connection between the Hall Chairs and therefore the student body. From there I can incorporate section events to the Hall Chairs, section events to every single hall on a more focused basis than before. In that way we can hopefully increase involvement. I feel like this year a lot of students may be have gone amiss with what a lot of the sections are. Like when I joined, I loved Action and that’s what got me involved in the LSU. We need to make sure we can get back on track with that. I feel like I can create a focus stream of volunteers to every section.
How important do you think your role is within the Exec?
I think it is very important. I think the Vice President has a very key role to play in student welfare, student mental health and student opportunities. I feel like if I were elected, I would be able to perform this role well; in a way that I can reach out to every single student at the University and make them aware of all of the opportunities available to them. I think the Vice President role is a very crucial role on Exec, obviously every single role is absolutely monumental to the functioning of the Union. I feel like this opportunity is great for me and every single student coming next year and every single student we already have.
Charlotte Style
What are the main points of your manifesto?
My first point of my manifesto is to try and make the Exec more approachable to students and to volunteers. Just because I feel like at the moment, it feels like it’s quite a hard thing to go up and tell them your problems. Especially with the support for volunteers I feel like it is really important that people are open and comfortable with talking to the people who are in charge. My second manifesto point is to bridge the gap between pre and post-Covid hall culture and town connections as well. Because I feel like it is going to have been lost a bit especially with first years this year as they do not know much about town and it’s making sure to stay in touch with halls and affiliations. It is really important for the Loughborough family and the way we do things with the student experience as well. My third one is just keeping communications open within the University, the Union and the students as well. Just small things which make a difference like when people drive on campus and they don’t know whether they can come on or not. I would also like to work on facilities as well, with being on IMS Exec it’s such a pain to try and know if things are working and stuff so it makes small differences but in the end it helps a lot of people.
What previous experience do you have which is important to the role?
I was a Hall Chair in my first year of Cayley. I think that was the first thing that started off me wanting to be involved in the University and volunteering. I then went on to be the Hall Students Federation President so, overlooking Hall Chairs and the Section Heads, which furthered my involvement. I have also been a member of the DRC Committee as well which has given me an insight into democracy representation and discipline which has really helped with running for the Exec Elections. Being on IMS Exec as well as given me an insight into sports side of the Union and hall sport as well which is a massive part of the Vice President role.
In what ways will you support the sections?
I will support the sections by just listening to what they need and going out and asking what people are looking for; to help improve their experience in being a volunteer and within their own sections. Even if I don’t know as much about a section, it would be nice to see how I could improve the experience of everyone involved.
How important do you think your role is within the Exec?
I think that Vice President is a really important role as it’s that connection to halls and halls is such a massive part; it’s the first thing you are involved in when you come to Loughborough and it really sets the tone for the rest of your time here. It introduces you to friends, it gets you into all of the sections as well. I think the Vice President has a lot to do with that and Hall Chairs as well. With the involvement of all of the different committees and boards, it’s just important to have that overview of the Union with how it all runs and keeping it together.
Voting closes on Friday 14th May at 4pm!
Header image designed by Christos Alamaniotis.
