VP Education Candidate Interview: Alexandra Turda

What made you want to run for the position?

I applied for the role because I have been passionate about and involved in improving the student experience throughout my degree, by taking on various roles such as academic representative, committee member and Education Zone Open Place member. I think being VP Education is a great opportunity to enhances this, and scale it up to the whole student body and not only my own department. I am now in my fourth year at Southampton Uni and I feel like it has given me so many great experiences and memories, through the various societies that I got involved in, my year in employment and the academic support I have received, that now I would really like to be able to use my experiences and give back to the university, students' union and other students. I feel like on top of the fantastic work that has been going on throughout the years such as improving student spaces and conducting consultations on printing costs, there are other forgotten issues which I would like to address if elected VP Education.

What is your favourite point in your manifesto?

What I like most about it, and what I hope people who read it will also appreciate, is the novelty of some of my policies, where I aim to tackle issues that have perhaps been ignored up until now.

Snog, Marry, Avoid- Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May and Boris Johnson?

Avoid them all.

So why do you think you’d be the best person for this role?

Since I started my degree I have always been interested in improving the student experience and I have sought out roles where I could do this. VP Education excites me because although it is a bigger challenge than my previous work, it represents a bigger opportunity to genuinely improve students' experiences at Southampton which is what I'm really passionate about. I believe this passion and drive will help me be successful in the role.

What area of SUSU do you think is the weakest right now?

I think that SUSU does an amazing job offering such a wide range of societies – everyone is bound to find something they enjoy! However, the number of societies has risen quickly and continues to expand, which has meant it’s increasingly difficult to find suitable spaces to accommodate them all. As VP Education, my role would be to improve students’ educational experience, but I think this goes hand in hand with enjoying all that the university and SUSU offer. I think this is something that all the sabbaticals could work on together to really improve student life outside of lectures.

Who is Your Dream Dinner Date?

One of the people I would like to have dinner with is Ellen DeGeneres because she has done a lot of good for people, she is funny and I find her really inspirational, because although she gone through hardships, she didn't let anything stop her and fought for her rights and beliefs.

What are you least looking forward to during the election campaign?

While there is nothing that I am not looking forward to, the most challenging for me will be campaigning as I have never done anything like this before. I will however do my best and I see it as an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and develop as a person.

What’s your favourite night out in Soton?

I love dancing salsa, so my favourite nights out are always at a salsa party, either organised by our own Salsa Society or Tracie’s Latin Club, which is a local dance club here in Southampton. The atmosphere is always great, people are very friendly and all levels are always welcome.