On this page...

• Video: my one minute speech
• My manifesto
• Favourite quote
• Candidate questions and answers
• Word associations
• Most-admired person

My one-minute candidate video

My manifesto

Hi! I'm Sarah, I'm a final year Business Student and am running for the position of Student Support Officer.

I came to Portsmouth as I wanted to complete my degree somewhere that would give me the opportunity to get involved in the Students' Union, to help other students and the wider community, and that's exactly what I'm doing!

So what have I achieved since coming here?

Well, quite a lot actually – far too much to write here, but here's a few of them:

• Been a dedicated, elected member of RAG, raising money and awareness for a number of different causes;
• Helped establish the Campaign Coalition, fighting for students rights across the campus, including lobbying the Minister for Universities for free education;
• Volunteered with VIP, contributing to last years success of winning Student Volunteer Team of the Year at the HEA Awards;
• Set up my own society, 101 Things, which was shortlisted for Best New Society at the 2007 VIP Dinner;
• Elected for the last 2 years onto the Society Executive Committee, helping to organise Refreshers Fayre, the Societies Carnival and the Societies Takeover.

And what will I be doing for you if I'm elected?

• Developing the Ethics, Equality and Diversity Committee: This new welfare committee which exists to offer advice and representation to you, the members of the Union, needs more support to flourish;
• Continuing to fight for your student rights, run campaigns where you want to see a change, and raise awareness of issues that affect you;
• Supporting students by setting up a number of support groups for issues such as alcoholism, eating disorders and bullying, and by facilitating the new RAG committee to achieve some amazing things!

What to do now:

Please have a read of my responses to the questions below, some of them outline what else I'll be doing for you if elected – I've got extensive experience of the Union and of lobbying the University on issues that matter to students, so if you've got questions of your own:

Come and talk to me! Like I said above – there's just not enough room here to go into depth on any of these subjects! So once you're convinced:

Get yourself along to the voting booths between Wednesday 12th March and 1pm on Friday 14th March, and

VOTE SARAH FOR STUDENT SUPPORT OFFICER

Favourite quote

“This is not the time to sit around; get up and enjoy the day” - Alex Seton on the modern panopticon. In my interpretation, we’re all here for a degree, but don’t waste all that other time sitting around doing nothing; it’s everything else that you’ll remember in years to come! 

Candidate questions and answers

1 What do you envisage the role of the student support officer to be?

Primarily, to look after the welfare of the students and offer support to them, whether that's to do with their well-being, financial worries, or housing problems. Also to co-ordinate student-led campaigns on the issues that really matter to them, and to enable students to get involved in RAG.

2 Why should students vote for you as their student support officer?

Because I honestly believe I'm the best person for the job! This year I've been involved in campaigns for free Education and for an Islamic Prayer Room, I'm a dedicated committee member of RAG, and have plenty of experience of Union Council and almost all other aspects of the Union.

3 What is the most important thing to remember when supporting students?

Every single student has issues, concerns or problems: Listen to what they are, understand what has led to the situation and solve the problems. Once this has been done, identify the root cause and fix it, so that it can help other students avoid encountering the same sorts of issues.

4 What do you think are the most important issues that you would have to fight for as the student support officer?

This list could be endless. One person's issues aren't any less important than others. I'll be fighting for issues affecting both the majority and the minority of students. These could be anything from an individual's issue such as bullying, to collective issues like safeguarding the rights of students in halls.

5 As the student support officer it's your responsibility to run the union campaigns. What would be your top three campaigns and why?

• Transportation: improving the University's Bus Service, Save Our Safety Bus!, Better Bike Security.
• Your Rights At work, At home (Tenancy Deposit Protection/Halls/Houses), Financial (Ensuring you get money you're entitled to!)
• Safety: registering as a Hate Crime Reporting Centre, 'Bulllying Sucks', Self-Defence Classes.

6 Part of your role is to organise union council. How do you intend to improve and enhance this so that more students attend?

I would like to see Union Council and AGM given a slot on all students' timetables, so that everyone knows when they are taking place and has the opportunity to attend. I also think we should be reaching out to students and not waiting for them to come to us!

7 What would be your main agenda item at the unions AGM?

I think the priority is that students know what an Annual General Meeting is all about and how ratifications of motions affect them. At the 2009 AGM, I would look forward to reporting how well the EEDC has developed over the year and how RAG has raised loads of money!

8 A major part of your portfolio is Raising and Giving (RAG). What ideas do you have for building upon the RAG foundations?

Amongst other things, to implement the new structure to RAG that we've been working hard towards this year; to move RAG week to earlier in the year, to ensure it does not clash with the coursework and exam period; and to ensure a display of fundraising totals in the Union.

9 As a sabbatical officer, networking is essential and important; what is your best networking line?

During campaigning for Free Education, it's pretty simple: "do you wish you had more money?" When I've got my RAG hat on, it's more along the lines of "can you spare an evening to have an absolute laugh and raise money for charity?" or "fancy jumping out of a plane?"!

Word associations

• Support: Network
  
• Welfare: EEDC
  
• Campaigns: Action
  
• Elections: Democracy
  
• RAG: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
  

Most-admired person

Danny Wallace, because he reminds me a bit of myself – Okay, I’m not a guy! but his ‘Yes Man’ project has many similarities to my 101 Things Society, which I set up to encourage students to try new things; the ‘Join Me’ project is all about carrying out Random Acts of Kindness, which we at RAG love doing!; and, although King Danny can give you citizenship to his very own country, I’m the gum queen, so I can give you gum!