On these pages...
1: Student Support Officer
2: Elle Gray
3: Adam Mogford
4: Gareth Guyll
5: Anjola-Oluwa Adeniyi

Gareth Guyll

Student Support Officer

My name is Gareth Guyll, or as most know me, Guylly! I’m a 3rd year student studying criminology and criminal justice; I’m learning all of the loop holes to become a master thief! In my spare time I enjoy many of the fine pleasures in life such as sampling fine wines and cheeses, reading poetry... who am I kidding?! In my spare time just like any other red blooded male, I’m a fan of jugs of snakebite, reading the beano and eating curry’s from the Gate of India! However, when I’m not tied up with all of that, I’m a member of the men’s rugby club where I’ve played an active role from being a fresher to a captain, and this year I’ve been the social secretary, which involves committee work as well as organising social events and nights out. I believe that I’m the right guy for the position of student support officer for many reasons; over the past three years that I’ve been a student at Portsmouth, I’ve experienced many different things, the good as well as the bad! I know first hand how it feels to have your back against the wall and not being able to see a solution to your problems, be it money, housing or maybe just feeling that your voice as a student just isn’t being heard.

But fear not my friends, because there is always a solution, and I’m a firm believer that a sit down and a chat with a cup of tea can do wonders for any problem!

If elected as student support officer there are many things that in my 12 months of service I would like to implement, here are just a few; Students come first, this would be a rule of thumb, and I would ensure that the voice of every student is heard, just think of me as your megaphone, ensuring that everyone hears you! Students should be seen not as a group population but as individuals because every one has their own individual problems and needs.

If elected, I aim to promote greater campaigns, and to carry out at least one major campaign every two months, campaigning for the causes that affect you as a student.

Making RAG week one the most memorable weeks of every ones student experience, fund raising and promoting awareness of the causes associated with RAG by simply getting crazy and taking the previous work to the next level!

Get a larger attendance of students in the AGM, as well as the monthly union council meetings, ensuring that the issues that affect you as a student are addressed, making sure that the students union is run by the most important people...  you, the students!

Well then voters that pretty much sums me and my intentions up, the rest really is up to you. Just swing on down to a polling station and tick that little box, and remember that as lifeguard Guylly, if you vote me in, ill always be ready to rescue you!

Word Associations

• Support: Bra
• Welfare: Guidance
• Campaigns: Hectic
• Elections: Democracy
• AGM: Welsh Cash Machine

Questions

1. What do you envisage the role of the Student Support Officer to be?
An opportunity to assist students from all walks of life by incorporating their personal needs and ideas into the university environment, through the use of new campaigns, demonstrations and promoting general awareness by getting the students voice heard.

2. Why should students vote for you as their Student support officer?
I’m a friendly and approachable person and when presented with a problem I will go to any length to find a solution. I can think on my feet and I feel that with my outgoing personality and creativity I can take the previous work, and endeavours to the next level.

3. What is the most important thing to remember when supporting students?
Students come first!! Each student has their unique and individual needs that have to be identified, assessed and tackled head on, and at the end of the day a cup of tea and a chat does wonders!

4. What do you think are the most important issues that you would have to fight for as the student support officer?
Any issues that affect the happiness and university experience of the student, issues such as housing problems, financial situations or even if a student has got a house mate that smells funny, all can be problematic and can affect a student and there fore all such problems should be remedied.

5. As the Students Support Officer it’s your responsibility to run the Union campaigns. What would be your top three campaigns and why?
RAG-Because as a union we can have the potential and strength to raise a great deal of money.
Cancer awareness- cancer affects 1 in 3 of us in one way or another, statistics should not be ignored but used to encourage awareness and support.
Sexual health- the promoting of safe sex and encouraged awareness of STI’s is crucial!

6. Part of your role is to organise Union Council. How do you intend to improve and enhance this so that more students attend?
Effective publicity is crucial in generating a greater interest in the union council, the utilisation of amenities such as purple Wednesday, posters and flyers, spots on upsu.net as well as verbal adverts on pure FM. As well as addressing the issues that are relevant to the complete student body.

7. What would be your main agenda item at the union’s AGM?
Ensuring that the services of support and guidance that are available for students are efficient in carrying out their tasks via assessment, in doing so the flaws can be identified and corrected ensuring that we are providing the best service possible for all.

8. A major part of your portfolio is Raising and Giving (RAG). What ideas do you have for building on the RAG foundations?
Generating greater participation of students in the fundraising events, creating greater publicity of the events being held and also creating greater interest in RAG by promoting which charities are benefiting from our work and also how the money raised is being put to good use. Lets RAG, Let’s get crazy!

9. As a Sabbatical Officer, networking is essential and important; what is your best networking line?
If you want to talk about the intricacies of the transport control protocol within the mainframe of a computerised network... . ah who cares lets get a beer!