By Maddy Russell, News Editor and Patrick Sullivan, Co-Editor in Chief
Voting for next year’s SU Officer candidates has now begun in earnest – polls are open between 10-12 March. Epigram sat down with each of the Equalities Liberation and Access candidates to give you the run down on their manifestos.
Catreya Mably
Second year, Liberal Arts
What are some of the key policy ideas in your manifesto?
I think that disabled students definitely need more support. My policies focus on five main areas: commitment to defend all students against hate speech on campus; an in depth study into inequalities on campus; to ensure correct facilities for people that need them – such and gender neutral toilets; make sure that the University offers students welfare support from people of similar ethnic backgrounds and collaboration with the student’s networks rather than just assuming to understand what they want.
Do you have any ideas of the sorts of campaigns you would like to run, should you get the role?
I would like to run a sex positive campaign where each network is able to create its own slant on the campaign. I would also like to reignite the Respect Campaign.
Izzie Castle
Third year, Theology
What are some of the key policy ideas in you manifesto?
I would like to work to change the culture of the University rather than the policies. I would like to focus on sustainability as well as making the campus more disability friendly. I would like to make sure that campus has more of a community feel and focus on bringing people together. I would like to place more emphasis on the multi faith networks and getting people more involved in those.
Do you have any ideas of the sorts of campaigns you would like to run, should you get the role?
I would like to start a campaign focusing on what is and isn’t acceptable within romantic relationships and the dangers of things like coercive control. I would also like to bring back the Respect Campaign and re-emphasise the problem of sexual violence on campus.
Jason Palmer
Current Equalities, Liberation and Access Officer
Why are you running for the Equalities, Liberation and Access role again?
I am running for the job again because I really care about discrimination, welfare and access on our campus. I have a conviction to ensure that students don’t ever feel like they don’t belong here. I would also like to tie together some of the projects I have been working on this year and see those to completion.
What have been the best and worst surprises in your role so far?
Best surprise has been how much impact can really be made in this role. Also, how passionate and proactive students can be about bringing change.
My biggest difficulty in the role has probably been that students can be so engaged in promoting change that it can pose a challenge at time. Also, it can sometimes feel tricky to represent all groups equally.
There have been some allegations made recently, by the Islamic Society, accusing both yourself and the SU of ‘failing’ to support Muslim students. Is there anything more you’d like to comment on this?
I would echo what a lot of what me and my team said in the AMM meeting, I am happy to unreservedly apologise for not providing as much support as I could have during Islamophobia awareness month and I do accept that my communication with students could have been better. I don’t think that that precludes from better work being done in the future and how a better relationship could be developed, and I am really keen to do that. Even if I don’t get re-elected I am keen to make sure that structures are in place for an improved working relationship next year.
Omar Chowdhury
Third year, History
What are some of the key policy ideas in you manifesto?
I wanted my manifesto to focus most heavily on access, because I think this is what brings about equality. One of my key focuses will be to make university buildings more accessible to disabled students. I also want to focus on promoting more careers events/advice for international students as I feel like there tends to be an ‘othering’ of these groups. I also want to change the rules that SU staff and officers can’t criticise the SU as they are trustees.
Do you have any ideas of the sorts of campaigns you would like to run, should you get the role?
I would like to run an Anti-Semitism awareness week or a similar event.
Following comments that you made to a Jewish student last year, there have been allegations of Anti-Semitism made against you. How would you respond to these?
My comments were made two years ago, and the allegations were a year ago. I formally apologised for my words last year. That doesn’t mean I am not accountable. I took ownership for what I said, I never tried to weasel out of it. But I have changed a lot since coming to University. My politics in a lot of different areas have changed since being at University.
The reason that these comments – when they came up – were a year old [was because] you had to go back that far to find comments like that. A lot of my opinions and my feelings about Israel have changed, but already before that during my second year I realised that a lot of that discourse about Israel, that I was part of, was quite toxic in some ways and I had already begun to distance myself from that. When the investigation came up, I did lots of research into Anti-Semitism and that’s why I apologised.
I can’t say it’s been perfectly smooth sailing with JSoc since then and some issues were raised about Pro-Palestine events BME Network have co-signed recently. We reached I realise that some people can drift casually into Anti-Semitism without realising it, which is why I wanted to start an Anti-Semitism awareness week to raise greater understanding of this.
Sian Amekuedi
Third year, Maths and Philosophy
What are some of the key policy ideas in you manifesto?
In terms of wellbeing I would like to see generally greater wellbeing for potentially vulnerable students and offer them more support. We need to be providing emotional support for student sex workers. We need to introduce a mentoring system for international students. I would like to see more LGBT+ and BME specialist councillors at the University as well as the introduction of LGBT+ flats in halls.
Accessibility, I would like greater signposting of building accessibility on campus, more SU events, for instance the introduction of quiet spaces. We also need a review of freshers fair, because it's impossible to navigate if you are a wheelchair users.
In terms of liberation I would like compulsory consent talks for first years, a tool for the reporting of in-class discrimination, mandatory Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism training for network chairs and a working group established to combat hate speech and build solidarity between liberation groups.
Feautured image:Epigram/Patrick Sullivan
Who will you be voting for in the SU elections? Let us know!
