The Student contacted VP Activities and Services candidate Declan regarding his campaign and manifesto. To read Declan’s manifesto, click here.
Why have you decided to run for this position?
Having been fortunate enough to be current Vice President Intramural Sport at Edinburgh, I’ve come to appreciate just how important the wider student experience is for all of the student body. I’ve been an active member of various societies from AIESEC to TEDx and have sat on various committee roles for the past 3 years as well.But perhaps most importantly, for me, this role encompasses everything that I believe in when it comes to being a part of a community, empowering ourselves with learning new skills and above all else looking after our wellbeing from healthy eating to staying active and having a support network that we can all rely on.
How would you ensure that you are engaging with and listening to the student body?
I’m dedicated to hosting regular meetings with all societies in a town hall format as well as maintaining an open door policy for committees/society members who are looking for guidance throughout the academic year.
As part of my work, I’ll be making trips across all campuses on an equally frequent basis to engage all students on the issues that matter most to them.
Perhaps just as importantly, my online spaces from social media accounts to email will always be accessible and I plan to provide an option to remain anonymous in giving feedback or new ideas if desired.
What is the most ambitious aspect of your manifesto and how do you think you’ll overcome this challenge?
Definitely the zero-plastic waste at all Edinburgh University Students’ Association Venues.
I think that the more pressure we can put on the decision makers as a wider student body the better, and continuing to add incentives from discounted hot drinks to Free KeepCups will maintain the momentum.
It’s an ambitious goal but I’m a strong believer in small steps on a consistent basis and making change easier for students passionate about sustainability.
Your manifesto has over 20 points, and you only have 20 weeks of teaching to achieve your goals? How will you ensure you keep your promises to the student body?
Doing small things well every week and having the determination to succeed no matter what. I’ve always been a strong believer in staying true to my word and nothing is unobtainable if you’re absolutely dedicated and willing to go that extra mile.
I’ll be fortunate enough to be acting on a full-time basis outwith teaching weeks, also allowing me to focus solely on the promises that matter most to the student body I hope to represent.
In your manifesto, you mention partnering with local businesses to create internships. Have you spoken to any businesses about this? How will you ensure they engage?
Absolutely. I’m fortunate enough to have a wide network already from my time with Edinburgh Innovations as well as running my own nutrition startup business during my studies at Edinburgh.
For me, engagement is all about providing students with what they need most, and with such a rich pool of talent at Edinburgh a significant proportion of local businesses are desperate to appeal to our students.
Finally, is there anything in particular about your manifesto/campaign that you want to draw students’ attention to? What is your favourite policy?
For me it has to be guaranteed time off on Wednesday afternoons for sport or voluntary activities.
The happiest memories and best skills I’ve developed whilst at university have come from the rich variety of extra-curricular activities on offer.
In a world where more and more young people are graduating from university, it’s no longer enough to just have a degree. Being a more rounded individual as opposed to simply grades on your manuscript is much more meaningful for students and employers alike.
The following is a transcription of Declan’s responses during the Sabbatical Candidate’s Question Time which took place on Thursday 28 February 2019.
Some answers may have been edited for clarity.
I’m Dec, I’m current Activities Vice President at Intramural Sport at Edinburgh, obviously. Now I could stand and tell you about my manifesto and tell you about the points I’m hoping to work on, but I’m sure you guys have seen them already. So what I want to use this time today to speak about is, I guess a story. Not a story about someone specifically, but a story about us. Now one of my favourite books I’ve ever read is Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari, whose name I totally butchered so I do apologise. Now when it comes to the student experience, when it comes to life experience in general, I think we’re all the same. It’s so easy to focus on everything that’s different, how we are unique in different ways, but for me I think that we’re facing an epidemic. This could be obesity, mental health, even loneliness. We’re in a world today where we’ve never been so connected. We have phones in our pockets, social media, hundreds of followers, but for so many students out there, especially international students, students come away from home, and it’s a scary place. I mean I’m still scared! I’ve been here for five years and I still don’t know what I’m doing in many ways, except for this role hopefully.
Now the thing for me is, I get we’re all different, but I want to give everyone the same opportunity. I was speaking to one of my friends before I came in, and he was telling me how he had been a top athlete back home, he loves sports, its given him so much joy, so many skills, so much confidence. He came to Edinburgh and he had no idea. He’d not played sports in the last four years, he’d fallen behind in studies, and he’s kind of suffered for it. When you think about us as human beings as well, we need these things. We need community, we need to be moving, we need to be active, we need to be a part of something bigger, than ourselves.
What made you decide to run for this role?
Building on my speech, for me this is so much more than a manifesto and a few policy ideas. For me I wanna make a difference. That’s why I’m running for this role and working on these issues. I genuinely believe that there are so many barriers to many people playing sport, being involved in societies, and building these skills at university. It’s no longer enough to just have a degree. The job market’s never been more competitive. Now for me, everything I’ve done with my manifesto has this in mind. Empowering students, enhancing the student experience and encouraging new partnerships, and I think that is absolutely key.
How will you go about understanding and meeting the needs of our societies?
I think again it comes to the core issues; a lot of people have the solutions, but they need somebody to help, somebody to give a hand, offer advice and give them the confidence. For me, in terms of policy, when meeting societies myself, I generally listen. And for me, I’m a strong believer in “there’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth.”
Which area of services has the biggest potential for improvement?
I think to be really specific, from what I’ve seen, from the stories I’ve heard, international support. With the Sports Union, this is one of the key areas we’re focusing on. And when you think of the statistics, each statistic is an individual. International support is needed 100 per cent, whether that’s with sports clubs, societies themselves, mentoring, or just giving people confidence.
Image: Ross Armour