Sara Bianchi Bazzi
U23 Italian Heptathlete
A key issue is the environment. York is lagging behind most other universities in this respect and this is something that needs addressing. If just being green isn’t enough then the economic benefits of going green should make you think. A related issue is on-campus accommodation. Rent prices are going up year-on-year and they have reached a worrying level. And what is the reason for this? Well, in part, very un-environmentally friendly practices and buildings (especially on Hes West) which lead to high running costs. These are then passed on to the already tight-on-cash residents. This year then, students should vote for someone who will be able to put these issues in the spotlight and go some way to becoming a friend of the environment and of their pockets!
Bob Hughes
YUSU Welfare Officer
Now is a vital time for students to be demanding more, and so students should really be considering who will be able to win the arguments and bring innovation into this fast-moving University sector. In my mind, this should be well thought-through policies that go beyond “making X bigger and better” and look at detail and strategy. Although this can be difficult to express on posters or in speeches, it can become evident during campaigning how clearly they’ve been thought about. Also, there are many courses we’re traditionally poor at reaching, and I would love to see candidates really looking at barriers to engagement and representation, and it going beyond lip service. With each candidate, I think we need to ask ourselves and them, “do they represent me, and would they be able to hear me out if I didn’t think they were?”
Marian Lally
President of Halifax College
Accommodation is hugely important to students- you want bang for your buck not just in terms of your degree but with regards to where you are living and what choices you have in it. The quality of porters is also vital. People living on campus should have support whenever they need it, none of this ‘one porter for the whole of Heslington West over the holidays’ nonsense! 24 hour porters in all colleges is key. Finally, with £9k fees we need value when it comes to teaching. Contact hours, helpful supervisors and accessible tutors are a must. Employability is a huge issue at the end of the day and graduates want jobs. Good teaching is key to our post-graduation success and we want more confidence in our job prospects at the end of our degrees.
Misa D’Angelo
Second Year Student
One of the key issues is safety on campus. Many students stay late at night in the library working and, from my experience, walking on campus at night with very few lights can be extremely scary. Our campus is open to anyone, and is a risk. There needs to be more encouragement to get involved with student life. I love the idea of the assemblies and the referenda but the only reason I heard about the elections is because a friend of a friend heard about it. It’s not well publicised and it’s a shame because I’m sure many students would love to participate. The last issue I would like to mention is academia. There must be strongers link between the students and teachers and it will be interesting to see how the future academic officer can help.