INTERVIEW: VP Engagement Candidates

As part of our Elections 2013 coverage, The Tab has been catching up with all the sabbatical candidates and hitting them with our own brand of questioning. This instalment features Fiona Cook, Claire Gilbert and Adam Moloney (as well as RON), who are contesting for VP Engagement.

ST. Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Fiona: I believe that my passion and experience with SUSU make me the best candidate. I have loved being involved in SUSU and genuinely believe that it has done a lot for me, and now this is my opportunity to give more back to a place I love. I have worked in a variety of areas such as RAG, democracy and Union Council, freshers, PhilSoc and SUSUtv. I think this spread of interest has given me a valuable insight into the needs of students and will help me in my willingness to represent the student body. I firmly believe that Sabbs exist to guide and support students and act as their voice, and I know that the things I have already been part of will allow me to do this. My work with Council and democracy have also given me a great understanding of how SUSU runs, and that allows me to realise what is achievable and what can actually be done for our students.

Claire: I have the experience, drive and passion to really define what VP Engagement is and can achieve. I shan’t bore you with policies here as you can check out my manifesto! I think I have the all round approach – my experience in a variety of areas means I can approach each different area with as much attention and focus it needs. BASICALLY for a long term strategy, vibrant innovative approach and experience, vote Gilbert for gold!

Adam: I believe I’m the best candidate for VP Engagement for two main reasons. Firstly, I have the most experience in the areas that this position covers. Last year I was RAG Officer, and restructured the committee in order to increase efficiency and ease of access for student groups. Since then I’ve also joined the Enactus Wiseminds project within Student Enterprise which has given me a great insight into how Enterprise operates and relates to the Union. This experience ensures my perspective of RAG and Enterprise will always have the interests of individual students in mind. Having experience in both of these key areas can be a great asset when it comes to running the Engagement side of the Union. This is mainly because having hands-on experience allows you to understand how changes can affect individual members, no matter how small. My goal is to increase the overall experience for these members, while ensuring the development of the student groups as a whole. Secondly, I’m an extremely passionate person who would work my arse off trying to improve the student experience and increasing opportunities for employability for all students. I put my all into everything I do, and if I was elected I would do my utmost to be the best Sabbatical I can. When it comes to Engagement I want to reach out to all students, particularly working with VP Communities to work with Winchester and other sites that currently have the potential for more student groups like RAG and Enterprise.

ST: Bearing in mind the definition of this role has changed, what are your main focuses on?

Fiona: I think that the changes to this role mean that the new Sabb will be able to focus on some key areas that may have been lacking in support. Obviously the main areas in general – RAG, Community Volunteering, Student Enterprise, External Communities and Communications – are my generic focuses, but for me there are some areas that I feel will need most initial support. Fresher engagement, a revitalised Bunfight and a Freshers’ week that is tailored to what students want are crucial, especially due to student priorities changing in recent years. I also feel that Student Enterprise needs a lot of support from SUSU so that we can recognise their already incredible achievements and help them to realise their full potential.

Claire: Collaboration has to be a big thing. Enterprise presidents and the University should work together. Students and Community action should work together, and RAG should work with all other areas of SUSU. For the communications side of my role, the focus has to be on accessibility through making the language on the website far clearer and more student-led.

Adam: I have three main goals. I want to increase opportunities for employability by signposting students to the Engagement groups of RAG, Enterprise and Community Volunteering. I want to encourage students to get involved with these groups because it will be a rewarding and beneficial experience for them. By capitalising on the relevant volunteering opportunities, students can vastly increase their employability. For example, I want the charities we work with in RAG to do graduate talks about opportunities in the third sector, and how the skills you gain at RAG can help you get a job after university.
My second goal is to develop the accessibility of the engagement groups. I believe getting involved with RAG, Enterprise and Community Volunteering should be simpler and more publicised. For example, I want to introduce an online sign-up system for RAG, so students can sign up to be a team leader in whatever field that interests them – be it events, publicity or even finance. I also want to create a new marketing strategy for Enterprise societies which will include a ‘project of the month’ campaign which highlights a particular Enterprise project, which may be in need of more volunteers, and showcases it to students. All of these changes will make a huge difference to the ease of access of these student groups, and will inform students of opportunities they may not even know about.
Finally, I want to increase the publicity of the engagement groups, particularly for Freshers. I want the union website to be sharper and more concise, with sections for students groups on the front page. This would include an online RAG totaliser, and the ‘project of the month’ campaign discussed earlier.

ST: Sum up your manifesto in 3 key words.

Fiona: buzzword, buzzword, buzzword? Awareness, recognition and student-voice/representation. Hard to pick just 3.

Claire: Visibility. Collaboration. Passion.

Adam: Employability, Accessibility, Publicity.

ST: A responsibility of this role is improving Soton students’ relationship with the ‘external local community’, but students in general don’t have the best reputation . How will you change this?

Fiona: I believe that SUSU has a lot to offer the external community and that this isn’t shown enough. We have some excellent societies that can provide entertainment and opportunity to the community, as well as to our students, through things such as AU taster days and PA workshops/performances. Inviting representatives from resident associations to come and talk to us will improve communication and is a much more realistic way of approaching such a wide body of people. It also shows that we want to listen to the community around us and avoid an ‘island of affluence’. Utilising the activities of RAG, CV and SE with the community is a great opportunity – we can fundraise, volunteer and work with locals so easily and I believe we should be doing this as much as possible.
Southampton students are here for at least three years and during this time it becomes home to us. I want SUSU to have a voice on local issues that affect our students and show the community that we care about the place we live in.

Claire: By creating more opportunities for students to work WITH the local community. One way is through actually making Community Action work for students, and by SUSU looking into the local area and asking where they actually want help. I have also worked in the past creating partnerships with local businesses/projects and student groups (using the SoCo music venue as a dance rehearsal space last year), I think by trying to set up more of these the local community will see all the good we do as students, rather than just the knocking-over of wheely bins and the noise! I wouldn’t be an apologist for students, but I also wouldn’t defend students if they have done something wrong. I believe it is important that we convey the good students do through all their different activities, without having to actually do too much more.

Adam: Students can often be seen by the local community as cone-wearing drunks who have a tendency to piss in people’s gardens. I want to dispel this myth by showcasing our student talent and volunteering work to the local community. If we can use our talents to our advantage, then we can create a lasting relationship between the Union and the Community. For example, I want RAG to work with more local charity projects, such as Southampton Women’s Aid. We can showcase our performing arts talent in local venues, and our enterprise knowledge by having Fish on Toast and other Enterprise groups doing business workshops in local schools and colleges. By extending the great work student groups to the community, we can improve our reputation and our relationship with them.

ST: Chick-o-land or Charcoal Grill?

Fiona: Always charcoal grill. Even their chicken wraps are good too.

Claire: Charcoal grill! Banter AND tables.

Adam: I actually haven’t been to either since first year! I figured out it was much more cost effective to make yourself a cheese toastie when you get home.

ST: Favourite building on campus?

Fiona: Building 42/ SUSU – it has food, alcohol, bean bags, a cat, a cinema, a club, TV and radio stations and everything I love in it.

Claire: Murray! (Rehearsal Space and I bloody love the pods in Tesseract)

Adam: Murray. They’ve got this room with these cool pod things. You sit in them and they are really comfortable. For such a generally bland building it is a diamond in the rough, a room of colours and comfortable spaces.

ST: What’s in your fridge right now?

Fiona: Butter and cheese. I haven’t been shopping for a while.

Claire: Pate, salad dressing, 1 scotch egg, bacon, a cucumber, mushrooms and some houmous. My diet has become very odd during campaigning…

Adam: Butter, Milk, Cheese, Quorn mince, jalapeños, salsa and pesto. Going to make myself some double layer nachos tonight.

ST: Who would you shag, marry, avoid out of all 2013 Sabb candidates?

Fiona: Shag Adam and marry Claire – keep your enemies close! Avoid Michelle Dando, as her beauty would just be too blinding.

Claire: Shag: Oli Coles (he is sat next to me currently). Marry Gilani (who wouldn’t!) and avoid…. David M-W (his girlfriend is too lovely I wouldn’t want to ruin that as they have good plans for the summer I just couldn’t get in the way of!)

Adam: I would: marry David Gilani, since he’s one of the nicest people I know!
Shag Michelle Dando, I don’t think I could help myself after watching that shower video.
Avoid Michelle Dando, I know this violates the rules of the game but after a passionate night with a blow-up doll I think I’d want to stay away from her.