Hi, my name is Brandon and I am a second year SPECS student. From the age of 12, I have taken an active interest and involvement in youth politics where I have learnt the value of expression and representation.
During my time at Birmingham, I have seen many examples of the student body banding together to enact change. However I believe as a collective, there is so much more we can do together through me as your representative in creating real and effective change.
A Guild that represents you
Representation is paramount if you wish to achieve progress on any platform. I have always loved to be able to gather the ideas of my peers and spearhead them into action and this is what has inspired me to run for the role of representation and resources officer. I feel the guild over the years has lost its ability to represent the student body. We are currently on the path to moving back towards student representation with policies such as replacing the guild council with an online model. I believe this will enable everybody to get involved. I believe that it is important that every student has the opportunity to influence and impact change in their own guild and voice their ideas through me without having to deal with bureaucracy and red tape.
Bigger Better FAB
Secondly, I want to make the guild a bigger, bolder place. The guild should be the hub of student activity and I want to make sure every student loves their guild. While everyone loves FAB I feel we can make it better. In comparison to other student unions, the guild hosts very few events and has very few performances from the people we all want to see. I want to bring a concert atmosphere to Fab and create those memorable nights out.
Showcasing the guilds talent
Within the guild there are so many activities that are yet to be shared amongst the student body. People who spend their evenings and weekends rehearsing in the guild. In my opinion, this is talent that the people of the university want to see. I want to coordinate with societies and groups in showcasing that talent and activities that the members of the guild have to offer. At the moment when they perform in shows, there is a limited audience. I want to work with these groups in promoting their talents whether through helping publicise their event or organising available event spaces.
Better recycling in Selly Oak
Another key aim is to make recycling easier in halls and in Selly Oak. I plan to lobby the local council in order to help them introduce more points at which to recycle or to collect recycling as it is done in large parts of the rest of the country. This would be a huge step towards greater environmental sustainability within the University of Birmingham.