Manifesto Points:
For the win, vote Kaitlyn
1. A long term plan for societies
2. A guaranteed home on campus for societies
3. A breaking down of bureaucracy for societies
For the win, vote Kaitlyn
I’m Kaitlyn and I’ve been your Activities Officer for the past year! I’ve had a ton of fun working with societies to improve everything from funding, to campus space, promotional opportunities and more. So much fun, in fact, that I figured I’d stick around for another year!
More importantly though… the work is not yet done. The university keeps chucking more challenges at us. From a difficult financial environment, to a shrinking campus, the work is ongoing to ensure societies in York are guarded from these threats. We still have a lot to do to protect the easy, accessible and joyful existence of societies, long into the future.
1. A long term vision for societies
You said: You’re worried about the sustainability of your activities. You’re worried about finances, about how to support your groups in a cost of living crisis, about how you’re going to find the money to keep participating in activities.
I have:
– Created a long term strategy for activities at YorkSU
– Orchestrated record high uptake of activities access grants,
– Improved the transparency, accessibility and promotion of funding options
– Brought student groups into the room with university decision makers
– Argued with the university that their lack of support is creating an impossible supply/demand issue that needs urgent attention
I will:
– Continue expanding opportunities for students to advocate for their activity
– Restructure funding options
– Revive Challenge week for societies, to guarantee a new form of funding in the face of university cuts,
– Tackle this supply/demand issue head on to ensure that every society has equal resources, funding, support and encouragement in the face of whatever the university throws at them.
– Improve funding options for international students
2. A guaranteed home for societies
You said: You feel like campus has lost its vibrancy. Room bookings are too complex, the food options are too scarce, storage is cramped and inaccessible. You feel unwelcome running your activities on campus.
I have:
– Negotiated with the university to ensure societies can book rooms at previously unavailable times.
– Taken data detailing our dwindling storage and your space concerns straight to university decision makers
– Instigated the inaugural facilities group, reminding the university that their actions have consequences, that campus is not just used between 9-5, and that needlessly closing buildings has a detrimental effect of student life,
If reelected I will:
– Secure a long term home for societies on campus
– Provide student leader spaces, where society leaders can relax and refuel
– Expand storage facilities
– Fight for the right for students to be able to access food and campus itself on weekends/late nights!
A break down of bureaucracy for societies
You said: The processes are too difficult. The number of steps is insulting to students’ time and energy. Society leaders are struggling to keep up, particularly if they don’t know WHY processes are happening.
I have:
– Confronted the Estates department over their poor responses to accessibility concerns
– Created a work related learning module, allowing society leaders to earn credit for their work for the first time in York’s history.
– Secured an overhaul of careers offerings to ensure they are fit for the purpose of securing jobs for students
– Modernised the YorkSU societies training program
– Pushed YorkSU and York Parties to reconsider the effectiveness of their club night policies
If reelected I will:
– Restructure the procedures behind activities, encouraging decision makers to consider the real student experience when writing systems
– Simplify methods of communication between students and YorkSU
– Review our partnerships with club night providers
– Lobby the university to restructure and redesign Event Management Forms and other outdated systems
– Reexamine the YorkSU Code of Conduct and society behavioural guidelines to verify that these are fit for purpose in our evolving world.
… And so much more!
The manifestos appear here exactly as they were submitted to us. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of York Vision.
Don’t get us wrong, the York SU elections are very important. But so much of the election process is formal and serious…which means it can also (at times) be a little bit dull.
But we don’t think it has to be like this. So alongside their manifesto, Vision asked each candidate a series of light-hearted, get-to-know-you type questions. This should give you a little dive into the individual personalities of the candidates:
What would be the theme song for your campaign?
…Ready for it?
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?
A cup of tea… well more accurately mountains of tea
What would be your go-to activity date?
Oh I love this question…. So I’m typically a movie person, I think cinema outings are the best ways to spend a weekend! But I also love the idea of a bungee jumping date… it’s exciting and daring and is bound to scare of anyone not entirely committed. I bungee jumped a few years ago and it was one of the greatest thrills of my life!
We gave the candidate a word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:
Answer: Goose
Candidate Question: duck duck?