The York SU Elections concluded last week, with over 16,539 by 4,229 individual voters. Two Sabbs were reelected, with five new members joining the team.
Sabbs are responsible for continuing the work of York Students’ Union, but they will also seek to evolve the SU, and leave their mark on the roles. York Vision asked all of the candidates what their least favourite thing was about York SU, and it is interesting to see their answers as they take up the roles. Responses were taken from a questionnaire posed to all candidates, before they knew the election results.
This is topical after the Dialectic Union’s debate on the topic. At the exit poll, 58 out of 92 in attendance voted in opposition to the claim, “York Students’ Union is fit for purpose;” as student frustration with the body is clear.
Activities Officer: Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb
“The kettle in the kitchen is a bit slow…. ; )
“No in all seriousness, YorkSU is a wonderful place to work, but like all organisations it has it’s faults. It’s made up of the loveliest, most passionate, energetic staff… but as a standard organisation is also struggles with resource balancing. It’s limited on money, staffing numbers and hours in the day, and can’t always make everything we want to happen come true right away.
“It has to balance the wants and needs of 20 000 students, which is a tricky thing to do, and yes it doesn’t always nail this balance.
“So I guess my least favourite thing is that ultimately the union has very real, human limitations… and like, don’t we all?”
Community & Wellbeing Officer: Samuel Dickinson
“Vested commercial interests that stifles honest discussion of issues affecting students (on spiking, laundry…etc).”
As the Community Sabb Officer, he will be responsible for ensuring student interests are considered as York SU negotiates partnerships, so it will be interesting to see how he tackles these “vested commercial interests” that might harm students’ priorities.
Equality & Inclusion Officer: Abi Harrison
“The lack of focus on making the university accessible and inclusive for ALL students!
“For example, they’ve done an amazing job in the last year of rebranding Glasshouse to reflect the YUZU partnership, but there are still only a few tables where wheelchair users can fit under the tables, and the environment is not neurodivergent friendly for a lot of people!
“I want to make the venues on campus more accessible, by having better wheelchair access, and having one evening a week which is “sensory friendly”, with reduced music volume levels and less flashing lights.”
Union Development Officer: Anna Lindberg
“Not feeling heard. There’s a really issue of communication at the SU, where students both struggle to get in contact with them and then there are little results or actions when they do.
“I’ve had events planned where I’ve filled all the relevant forms and once I’ve arrived the staff don’t know the event and there’s none of the equipment requested. The response to that was to just find some tables and chairs on my own and there was no help from the SU.
“Or going into mandatory SU meeting for the societies I’ve been apart of, telling them the struggles of the society and then having it written down on a Google doc by them to never be discussed or actioned upon again (unless I send email upon email).
“This shouldn’t be the case. It shouldn’t feel like an us and them situation but it often really does. I want to be a Sabb that everyone knows how to communicate with, and everyone knows will truly listen and action what you say.”
Union Affairs Officer: Lewis Parrey
“I’ve been involved with the SU for a while, both as a student and an Officer. I think one of the most annoying things is the amount of bureaucracy that students sometimes have to deal with.
“The SU’s job should be to make it as easy as possible for students to engage and run activities. I hope with another terms that I can try and reduce this.”
These comments were given before these candidates were elected, and Vision will keep you up to date with the new Sabbs’ progress tackling their least favourite things about York SU. Note Vision did not receive responses from the new Academic and Sports Officers.