The Activities VP position has got the three candidates talking about how to improve the sports and societies available at the university. We asked Kat Walker, Katie Blackburn and Andreas Zacharia about how they will improve upon the current person in the job and which activities the university should be providing.
Age: 21
Course: L3 Advertising and Marketing
Hometown: Ilkeston, Derbyshire
What are the two main issues you want to tackle from your manifesto and how you would achieve them?
Coaching links with coaching development and excercise science faculty to help sports students with any experience they may need and in turn will free up money to be spent elsewhere. So I will communicate with the lecturers and faculty reps to organise students who would be appropriate for the roles.
Tower Bar Take Overs – I want to increase the utilisation and promotion of them because they are a great fund raisers and advertisers for the sport or society for semester B intake or the following year. So if elected I will push for each sport and society to book their take overs and help them organise a theme and promotion.
Are there any types of activities you feel the university are not yet providing?
I believe swimming and track sports could be developed/established because swimming appeals to most people. Plus more course societies so if people are struggling they can turn to their peers and ones which are a higher level and have a better grasp.
Age: 20
Course: L3 BA (Hons) Journalism
Hometown: Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
What are the two main issues you want to tackle from your manifesto and how would you achieve them?
Since the changes this year from the AU to the SU I want to bring back the student focus into activities. If elected I plan to work closely with the student within the university, understanding their interests and desires. I believe any interest and passion can be put into an activity whether this is an academic interest or sport related.
I want to expand upon clubs and societies regarding fundraising. I would do this by communicating more efficiently with committee members seeing what their ideas and plans are and developing upon these. I shall work closely with the Engine Shed and Tower Bar to gain a wider interest in Tower Bar take over and other events that can happen to raise self raised funds.
How would you set yourself apart from the current Activities VP?
Next year there will only be one officer dealing with activities so that in itself will set me apart from the current officers who have separate roles to deal with. I shall be diverse enough to maintain a high quality balance between both societies and club departments.
Are they any types of activities you feel the university are not yet providing?
There are many types of activities that are not yet established within the university. It all depends on students’ interest as anything can be set up.
Age: 20
Course: L3, Advertising and Marketing
Hometown: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
What are the two main issues you want to tackle from your manifesto and how you would achieve them?
Knowing exactly what the students want and doing something about it. I will give each society and club ‘3 wishes’, these being their priorities and most important requests, that way I will know what they want and it will make it easy to monitor progress throughout the year.
It is very important to a university’s image, not only winning the Varsity, but getting as much support and backing as possible. I would widely promote it to all students, SU members or not, at all campuses, arranging travel for anyone and everyone to go along and support our clubs making it the biggest social event of the year.
How would you set yourself apart from the current Activities VP?
I feel I posses a lot more attributes necessary to be a representative of the university’s societies and clubs than the current activities VP. Leadership, charisma, drive and ambition are all characteristics I know I have, and I believe they are necessary for the job.
The university needs a strong and passionate figure to represent it and I truly believe I can be just that. Not to mention, I am proud and love being part of the University of Lincoln.