Manifesto Points:
- Creating clear signposting of existing accommodations and initiatives, as well as the creation of new ones.
- Empowering Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion officers across campus and in colleges to make meaningful changes.
- Ensuring the safety of those in minority groups, and supporting those who have reported feeling unsafe.
My name is Adeline and I believe we need to be breaking down barriers and creating more meaningful change. I hope to take what I have learnt from positions – such as gender equalities officer for Halifax, a student expert panelist, and vice-chair of ComedySoc – and use it to inform what I do as Equality and Inclusion Officer!
I believe to create equality for all it has to be a collective effort. Therefore, I propose creation of training specifically for Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) officers across university colleges to empower them to make more meaningful changes. I’d also like to create more contact between EDI officers, as well as the wider student community, and would like to start drop-ins to facilitate this.
This includes increasing the visibility of all the amazing resources, student groups and other initiatives that already exist. This includes clearer signposting, so that information is easier to find and not lost amongst the countless emails and posts students receive.
Nightlife in York is not currently safe, especially for women and gender minorities. I want to work with venues to evaluate why issues, such as the recent spiking, are being allowed to occur. I would work closely with partnered venues to understand the severity of the situation, to stop it from happening in future. I will also work on making the reporting process easier for those who have been spiked, so that we can have a clearer picture of what is going on.
I was gender equalities officer for Halifax in my first year, but I found I didn’t have much power to make meaningful changes, other than running events. I want to create training specifically for Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) officers and work with EDI officers across the university to empower them to make changes in their respective colleges. I’d also like to create more contact between EDI officers, both online or in person, and would like to start drop-ins to facilitate this.
It’s important now, as ever, that we support our trans and non-binary peers. I will ensure students have the resources to explore their identity, working with groups such as YorQueer, and starting initiatives like a binder recycling scheme, where people can donate old binders, allowing people exploring their identity without financial burden. Moreover, I’d like to continue the work already done with the uni to ensure smoother transitions on the system, such as creating new ID cards when people change their preferred name.
Moreover, I believe more can be done to ensure the wellbeing of disabled people on campus. I want to work with departments and disability services to check in on students more often, as well as making it clearer what sorts of accomodations can be offered to make asking for help easier. I will ensure that campus maintenance teams provide better communication when areas might become inaccessible, such as a lift being broken or loud noises occurring, pushing for this to be incorporated in the MyUoY app.
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?
The Giver – Chappell Roan (but specifically the part where she goes “she gets the job done”)
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?
My friend’s (plush) crab Crablo, he’s a very supportive guy
We gave the candidate a word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:
Answer: Socks and sandals*
Candidate Question: What graduation fashion choice would make Long Boi roll in his grave?