TB: What do you think is the biggest problem with how the ARC currently operates?
GS: I think the system is quite inefficient – getting rooms booked, getting events approved, getting funding allocated – there are too many steps. There are definitely ways that we can simplify the process and reduce the necessary bureaucracy. But I also think that there is unnecessary blame being placed on the ARC.
TB: More than 50% of societies who responded to our survey say that it is difficult to work with the SU. How do you plan to change that?
GS: I think that transparency is a big part of that. If we’re more transparent it will allow people to have more of a sense of empathy with what’s going on. Just giving reasons for why funding is rejected, and then what people can do to change that would make a big difference. We need to show that the SU has a human side to it. When I was society president I got this cynicism from those above me, this attitude of “fuck the SU!”. By making the process more transparent I think that and we can change the relationship between the SU and societies and pass on a different kind of attitude to the next generation.
TB: How do you plan to make the AU more accessible?
GS: I think that we need to give people more points of entry – for many people if they don’t make it during the first week, they basically miss their chance. Then there is also that stigma of being a second or third year getting into something… That’s why I think it’d be really good to have another trial period during LT to give students another chance to get into sports.
TB: Does the AU have a problem with misogyny and consent, and if so how do you plan to tackle it?
GS: I think it is something that needs to come from the top. There are flaws with the current consent training. Just telling people that no means no is not effective because, in general, people already know that. It’s more about fixing the things people don’t know. It think what people need is a far more personal form of training which involves listening to people who have been harassed and getting them to explain how something someone said made them uncomfortable.
TB: What is the biggest positive on the student experience that activities can have?
GS: Studenten activities can give you a sense of home and help you put down some roots in a major way. It’s also a great way of getting people to keep up with other kinds of development in the SU and in that way hopefully increase democratic participation.
TB: How are you going to win?
GS: It’s about showing showing my experience and my character. I’ve been there every stage: I’ve been a non-exec committee member, I’ve been President, I’ve been a network chair, and coming into all of these positions has given me a very good breadth of experience. Also, fundamentally, I just want to help people. I want to be that first point of contact.
