With student elections only weeks away, this would normally be the season where candidates are sprawled across the atrium, their posters covering every available surface, desperate to get your all-important vote.
With the global health crisis, they might not be able to access the atrium. However, they’re still desperate for your vote.
One of the student campaigners in contention this year – running again for Sports President – is ex-sports studies student Edd Keeler.
We sat down with Edd to discuss his plans with the role of sports president. He said:
“My biggest belief is that you always have to go and ask people, don’t just guess.
“Having a varied background, I’ve been part of a bigger club, been part of a smaller club. I think that gives me a diverse experience that maybe other candidates don’t have.”
The biggest challenge for sports this year has naturally been the global health crisis, which Edd touched upon:
“When I came into this job in March, there were things that I didn’t expect to become a problem with the government banning me from doing sport and also banning everyone else!
“Whether this has been the most difficult year it is hard to say, because I’ve not done a normal year just yet. I’ll say it has been a very challenging year, because it has been a year like no other.”
“[My biggest challenge] has probably been people not being able to just come into the office to have those informal chats, that’s what I miss because it’s a very different vibe saying ‘hey let’s have a meeting!’
“So I’ve missed that more informal side of it, and being able to chat with people – which I love doing.”
One of the main points on Edd’s manifesto was the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ society, so we asked some questions about that:
“Yeah it’s massively important, I believe in using lived experience to guide my work, I’m not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but I don’t think that should stop me from being able to help.
“I have already worked with the LGBT officer, and now we have a gender-neutral changing policy as well gender neutral changing spaces in the new sports centre – which was something that wasn’t even being looked at before I came into office.
“I spoke to Avar about it and we said ‘what can we do to make this more accessible?’ I’m a massive believer in sport being for everyone.”
The other pillar the manifesto seemed to be built on is mental health support, which we discussed:
“I’ve had more experiences personally – I’ve struggled, as most people have this past year. I think that’s the rock that you build everything off of.
“In my manifesto I have said that I’ll be making it compulsory that at least one committee member from each club go through Scottish mental health first aid training.
“I believe in creating the tightest community possible, so that no-one falls through the gaps because that is where tragedies happen. But I do believe we can take more steps to progress on that front.”
The student elections take place on March 8, so make sure you keep up to date with all of Brig’s election coverage and cast your vote.
Second year student at University of Stirling studying Sport and Journalism.
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