LUSU elections 2022 FTO and PTO candidates announced: Part two

This article is a continuation of our earlier coverage of this year’s LUSU FTO and PTO candidates which can be found here. 

Candidates for the Lancaster Students’ Union Full-time and Part-time officers 2022 have been announced.

The candidates for FTO & PTO positions began campaigning today, Wednesday 2nd of March at 9 am, with their hustings taking place Tuesday 8th of March at 7 pm in George Fox LT5.

The vote for the elections will open at 10 am on March 9th, closing at 3 pm the next day, March 11th, and results being announced at 7 pm the same day.

Below are the Lancaster Students’ Union candidates for FTO & FTO positions for 2022. Within each category, there will also be a candidate named ‘RON’, standing for ‘Re-Open Nominations’.

Vice President Sport

Megan Homburg (@Meghom4sports)

Megan (she/her) is a third year Marketing student who believes that over her three years at Lancs, she has been able to “identify certain areas to improve the organisation and running of sport across all levels”. Megan is a member of the uni first netball team, being a part of the Lancaster University Netball Society exec for the past two years, and is currently on the Roses Committee. Her aims include “to increase the variety and volume of sports practiced at college level”, “to improve training for executive members of sports clubs, and to ensure one of these roles is welfare based”, and “Set up a training system for college members to get a qualification in coaching their sport”.

Omar Aziz (@omar_az98)

Omar (he/him) is in his fourth year of studying business management, and has spent his years at the university playing for the “Rugby Union, Rugby League, and Cricket team whilst also playing football for County.” Omar has also spent time as the Sports Officer for County College, and says if he were elected, he would focus on: “Lancaster Sport Scholarships/Sponsored Athletes”, “Live Sport Venues”, “Return of Photographers for BUCS home fixtures”, “Welfare Training for Exec and Sports Officers”, “Try work to remove stigma between ‘LUSU’ Sports and Sports Teams”, “Carter Shield Cup Review”, “Recreational sports boost”, and “Social Media Coverage”.

Eva Ashbrook (@eva_ashbrook)

Eva is a third year who claims that “sport has been central to her university experience”, as she has been a part of the swimming and water polo club and has taken on various exec roles during her time. Eva has five main goals for if she were elected in this position: “GOAL ONE: Improve the sustainability of college and university sports”, “GOAL TWO: Focus on inclusivity”, “GOAL THREE: University wide sport colours and sport awards evening”, “GOAL FOUR: Improve and increase forms of communication between different sports clubs and the SU”, “GOAL FIVE: Improve welfare provision within sports”.

Vice President Societies and Media

Tabi Lambie (@tabitha.lambie)

Tabi (she/they) believes that as VP Societies and Media, “saying you’re going to work on communication isn’t something to celebrate; it’s the bare minimum.” Her manifesto focuses on five main points: “#WeAren’tYourDoormat Campaign in Protest Against University Management”, “renewed focus on society transport, “societies access fund”, and “administrative support for charity events and fundraising societies. They also plan on “reviving the ‘Make It In The Media’ Conference as the first step in a long-term plan to develop Student Media and eventually create a placement/internship programme.”

Dom Casoria (@dom_casoria)

Dom (he/him) is the current VP Societies and Media, and is running for re-election this year. Dom claims that he is “the one for”: “solving the disparity between sports and societies”, “society spotlights”, “making life on an exec simpler”, “provision improvement”, and “sustainable student media future”. Dom is also the former Grizedale College President and has been elected for NUS Delegate three times. Dom states he got involved with LUSU due to him being “sick and tired of students not being listened to.”

Students with Disabilities Officer

Cerys Evans

Cerys (she/her) is a Maths student on her placement year, running for SWD Officer, stating that due to her own disability “reading quickly exhausts me and I know that is true for many other disabled people”, so her manifesto is concise as a result. It states, “I want to build a community of disabled students where we uplift and empower each other while identifying and welcoming other students who need us”. She states: “If elected I want to continue building the forum by bringing together existing members to uplift and empower each other while also identifying and welcoming disabled students who aren’t yet part of the forum.”

LGBTQ+ Students’ Officer

Josh Newsham (@joshua_newsham) and Raen Nelson (@raenbow.jade)

Josh (he/him) and Raen (they/them) are running as a duo who state they are “extremely passionate about the LGBTQ+ community here in Lancaster.” Josh and Raen have “come up with a COMMUNITY plan to ensure every LGBTQ+ student feels welcome at the university by empowering the campaigns we already run, as well as some new ones, and increasing visibility of the forum in order to ensure that LGBTQ+ students know we exist and what we do”. They will be making sure to include “campaigns”, “inter-forum campaigns”, initiate a “winter ball”, create a ” Collaboration/College Ambassador”, create “uni level representation”, begin a “formal Relationship with Lancaster Sexual Health Clinic”, and begin “drug safety and awareness campaigns”.

Mature Students’ Officer

Rehmat Ullah 

Rehmat is a Post-Graduate student who is also a representative in the PPR department. Rehmat states he has “interacted with my classmates who are retired and pursue degrees after their post-retirement”, as well as “students who are already in services in their respective countries and study through Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships as well as students who pursue their future career as civil servants.” Rehmat believes he is “familiar with all issues”, and believes he is confident enough to “interact, guide and resolve their issues of various nature from college life to off-campus, homesickness, their personal health management, personal financial management, personal time management, benefits of meditation, and challenging academic assignment like essays, etc.”

More information on all of the candidates can be found here.

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