Fourth-year psychology student Zoë Crosher is in the running for VP Communities. With years of voluntary experience under their belt, they think they’ve now got what it takes to be a Sabbatical Officer.
The Vice President Communities role involves being responsible for clubs and socs as well as working with housing, sustainability and volunteering.
Crosher’s manifesto focuses on supporting clubs and socs, student well-being, sustainability and the cost-of-living crisis.
Clubs and socs
Her “extensive” clubs and society involvement includes social secretary and publicity officer for the Marine Conservation Society and social secretary for the Psychology Society. She was also elected as Health and Wellbeing Officer this time last year.
Discussing her previous experience with Brig, Crosher said: “I think it gives me an inside look to how it all works.
“I’ve seen all the current officers in action… I already have good working connections with a huge majority of the Union officers.”
Student wellbeing
Supporting students’ mental health is one of Crosher’s main aims: “I want to provide mental health first aid training to at least one committee member per society.
“I’m gonna be pushing to be qualified and instructing anyway, but particularly, St John’s Ambulance Service provide these courses.”
Crosher is also fully in favour of sex workers’ rights, in line with the Support for Student Sex Workers motion that was passed at the last Union General Meeting.
“I want to support student sex workers more by providing an online anonymous chat service for them, potentially with student services or Citizen’s Advice.”
Supporting student parents is also on their agenda. Crosher described the lack of baby changing facilities at Campus Central as “abysmal”.
“There is nowhere for them to study peacefully without feeling guilty for the noise of their child,” she added.
“Every other student is able to come to the uni and study in peace, so parents should absolutely be allowed that as well.”
Sustainability
Talk turned to the divisive Plant Based Union motion: “I’m sort of very in the middle about it… I don’t eat meat but I don’t feel comfortable kind of pushing other people to not meat, especially because I’m so aware of dietary restrictions, sensory issues, eating disorders.”
If elected, she also wants to introduce more bins around campus. Frequently involved with the Marine Conservation Society’s litter picks, they said, “We get easily up to five kilograms [of rubbish] a week… obviously there’s a need for bins.”
To combat the cost-of-living crisis, she wants to introduce a warm space on campus, as well as a kettle and microwave “to make it easier for students to bring in meals from home.”
Finally, Crosher told Brig: “I have a lot of experience, I think more experience than most people would have in the Union… I’ve already been through the entire election process.”
They’re ready to get right to work, emphasising “I wouldn’t need the kind of introductory period of most people would.”
Find out more about the elections and read Zoë Crosher’s manifesto here.
Voting opens on Tuesday, February 28 at 10 am and closes on Thursday, March 2 at 5 pm.
Featured Image Credit: Jonathan Boomer
Film, media and journalism student. I like writing about my inability to eat gluten.
[…] Crosher is planning to prioritise clubs and societies, wellbeing, cost of living support, sustainability, international students and transport. […]