By Youssef Bashir

During Candidate Development Week, which is the week prior to Voting Week, candidates are briefed on the rules of the elections and campaigning. In that same period this year, willing candidates were interviewed on their policies, reasons for running for their according role, and what change they would hope to bring about to the university should they be elected.

The role of Activities Officer is a vital one to the enrichment of student life on campus. From heading student societies, to improving students’ feel of university social and sport life, this role covers it all.

Two of the current candidates for Activities Officer who were interviewed are Miné Muslu-Richards and Abdallah Ibrahim. Miné is a third-year studying Medical Biochemistry. Abdallah is a Master’s student studying Branding & Marketing Communications. On their reasons for choosing to run specifically for the role of Activities Officer, they had the following to share.

“I’ve been doing sports since the age of four. I started with Taekwondo and did that until I was eighteen. I also started Judo at the age of six and I’m still doing it, so sports and having that team environment around me has been a big part of my life. A big part of Judo is being able to give back, so this feels like the next step towards getting involved for me,” said Miné, sharing her incredibly active history with sports and highlighting the importance of having that direct experience for the role.

Abdallah had an equally personal take on the matter: “Outside of my student work, I am an Art Curator, so I have been in that position where I’m connecting with authorities to build activities for art exhibitions. This gives me a better understanding [of the responsibilities] when running for Activities Officer.”

With a background in sports and arts respectively, it was time to hear each candidate’s takes on policies to run on.

Miné shared her vision in relation to the effect she hopes to have on the wider community: “I would like to increase the engagement between the different sports and societies across the whole university. I hope to run events where we can highlight a sports team or a society and have activities where Student Voice Leaders, Society Presidents, Sports Captains, Resident Assistants, all of the influential student volunteers in the university, can come together, get to know each other, and create a nice network to build up the community.”

Abdallah, on the other hand, wants to target approachability: “What would be enacted in my era of office is the enhancement of the experience of how students operate in activities. I see a gap of human connection between the offices and the students in terms of planning their activities. I see a bit of a disconnect in terms of how they relate, so I’m trying to bring back that feel that the organisers are there to help you.”

In a final statement on why students should vote for them, they shared the following.

“I’m the current Judo Captain and I’m also a coach and a referee, so I have a finger in the pie, so to say,” Miné had to say, once more bringing attention to the relevance her experience and current activeness in the field would have for the role.

Abdallah said his strength lies in how he’s been on both ends of the situation, emphasising a similar point on prior experience: “I’ve been in positions myself where I’ve held [art] activities, as well as gone and participated in them.”

Miné and Abdallah, alongside the rest of the candidates for Activities Officer (namely: Aman, Francesca Blake, Labib Ahmed Chowdhury, Lathika Ajay Khosh, Maruf Ahmed, Mustakin, Nas, Nusrat Jahan) all hope to earn your vote. Voting has been extended to 8pm, so if you haven't yet make sure to cast your vote before the deadline.