The Undeb Bangor Sabbatical Election campaign period is open, and your candidates’ manifesto’s have been released.
Seren presents a straightforward round-up of every manifesto, clearly summing up each candidate’s policy ideas.
Voting opens on March 6th at 12AM and closes on March 8th at 12PM. Make sure you vote – whoever you vote for.
Let’s take notice of student politics. Let’s be involved in the debate. Most importantly, let’s #BreakTheVotingRecord.
President
Mark Barrow
Course: BA History with Journalism (Graduated)
Experience:
- Current VP Education
- History Course Rep
Policies:
- Engagement: It is important students know what is going on at Undeb Bangor, and how to get involved. I will ensure the Sabbatical team are out there listening and learning from you.
- Pontio restructure and student canteen: There should be a student canteen, with reasonably priced food, besides computer rooms/study areas in the empty spaces. With a new Vice Chancellor coming soon, there is scope to enhance student locations and facilities.
- Healthy living: I want kettles and microwaves in common rooms/study areas, besides water fountains. Also, I want to develop a ‘rent a bike’ scheme, with the tens of push bikes that are left behind in Halls, each year.
- Job opportunities: I will liaise with local businesses, and set up a ‘jobs’ section on the Undeb website. This will be a place where employers post job vacancies. Living independently isn’t easy, so I want you to be able to get financial support through a range of part-time work opportunities.
- Plastic-reduction: We have had a good start in terms of plastic-reduction this year, but there is still loads more we can do. I will also work with local businesses to set up an accreditation scheme, so that they will be promoted depending on how little plastic they use.
Joshua Bebbington
Course: BA English Literature
Experience:
- LGBT+ Society Chair
- Writers’ Guild
- Seren
- Undeb Council
Policies:
- Make the SU more open and transparent across the board.
- Increase support for mental health services and work to resurrect the Nightline project.
- Support liberation groups and causes to improve equality, accessibility and inclusivity for all across the university.
- Work with the Housing Department to help students get a better deal on their accommodation.
- Hold university leadership to account so that students can trust that the uni is run for them, and not for profit.
Gax Liz Person
Course: BA Film Studies
Experience:
- 400 years of life experience
- Ruler of several planets
Policies:
- Sell Caban to Aberystwyth, and with that money I will ensure that Bangor University will be completely unaffected by the coming of the evil Anti-President.
- Weekly group meetings will be held with rusted group of invisible psychic lizard people, to make sure that I can be the voice of the students. Said group will also provide a back-up plan for whenever Blackboard gets shut down by using mail carrier pelicans instead.
- Increase in ceiling height in lecture rooms, in order for Bangor to be known as an environment of a high level of educational standards. Finally, I will also turn all the bathrooms into gender-neutral only bathrooms.
UMCB President
Lleucu Myrddin 
Course: BA History and Sociology
Experience:
- 3 years on UMCB committee
Policies:
- Keep a close eye on the University’s financial affairs and ensure that the Welsh language or the needs of UMCB students are not punished in further cuts.
- Promote further use of the Welsh language during the Welcome Week to highlight the presence of the language at Bangor University for first-year students.
- Strive to expand the provision of mental health support available through the medium of Welsh for Bangor students.
- Continue to support all of UMCB’s societies and sports teams with the intention of assisting in any way possible. I would concentrate on the Welsh Learners’ Society during my year as President as I believe there’s more that can be done to strengthen the relationship between UMCB and the Welsh Learners in Bangor.
- I strongly believe that UMCB has plenty to offer to the local community and therefore would promote more volunteering and money raising opportunities locally through the Undeb.
- Search for further developments to the way UMCB is marketed using additional videos such as Teledu UMCB and UMCB Radio.
- Ensure JMJ is not neglected after receiving new kitchens.
- A significant project that I wish to establish is commissioning a book on the History of UMCB which could be launched by our 45th anniversary in 2021.
- Continue to act for the rights of the Welsh Language within the University and Undeb Bangor.
VP Education
Corie Shorrock
Course: MA Criminology and Law
Experience:
- Sports Editor – Seren
- Rugby League Captain
- Undeb Bangor Council
- AU Executive Committee
Policies:
- Accommodation: Work with independent landlords in Bangor, aiming to keep rents down and provide safe and adequate housing. Overpriced, poorly maintained housing is not acceptable. Holding sessions where people can meet fellow house hunters to find adequate homes.
- Reward Academic Excellence: Give more recognition to all the amazing peer mentors, schools and students by making their event night a bigger celebration of achievements.
- Counselling and Student Services: Improve advertisement and publicity of the Counselling Service and Student Services to help students through difficult times in during their studies.
- Student Points System: Set up a points system where students gain points by attending societies, lectures, charity events and achieving high grades. With these points they can purchase vital things needed for university – stationary, books etc.
- Religious Festivals: Support & promote Religious Festivals Improve publicity and awareness of international events at Bangor such as Diwali celebrations.
Emma Horan
Course: BA Criminology
Experience:
- Peer Guide and Course Rep
- Course Rep Dragons Den Winner
- University Open Day Promo Team
- Social Science Society Chair
- Guides and Scouts Social Sec
Policies:
- Introduce further gender-neutral toilets across campus, to support diversity and inclusion.
- Work closely with the community to increase optional work experience opportunities and employability.
- Introduce page on UNDEB website for course representative contact details.
- Reduce food poverty within the University, working closely with local establishments to provide a communal fridge with collections of food.
- Development of app to allow online access to content and facilities, including lecture attendance.
- Work with the university to decrease the impact of cuts on students by encouraging transparency.
- Continue to promote the use of Panopto
- Continue working on increasing Mental Health provisions and awareness
Michael Hand
Course: LLB Law with French
Experience:
- Law Senior Course Rep
- Street Law Society Chair
- Bangor Law Society Vice President
- Bangor University Legal Advocacy Society President
Policies:
- Accountability: I want to be accountable to the student body by having an open calendar for students to come and discuss what issues matter to them and by sending weekly updates on what your union and your university are doing to improve student experience here at Bangor.
- Democracy and Participation: I want to introduce more university-wide events for students and Course Reps to effect change across the University, ensure all cross-school students (i.e. dual honours) have their own representation tailored to them and develop stronger links between academic schools to create new opportunities and bring the university closer together.
- Campaigns: I aim to continue the excellent campaigns run by Undeb Bangor and the sabbatical officers but I would like to ensure that campaigns run all year round, with a particular focus on mental health by launching a new ‘HeadFirst’ campaign to ensure the university can help improve student mental health.
- Resources: I want to raise awareness of the different ways Bangor can help provide students with assistance, including working with academic schools and the library to ensure Bangor has resources in place to put Bangor’s students at the cutting edge of academia and research. This would include fostering an online community by encouraging collaboration via Blackboard to enrich student learning.
- Environment for Change: I want to discuss with students how we can best use academic workspaces and buildings to help provide students with what they need from the University. It’s your university and you help to pay for it, so it should be tailored to you. This also applies to feedback, assignments and opportunities for students.
Paige Dixon
Course: BA Medieval and Early Modern History
Experience:
- Senior Course Rep
- Dragon’s Den Winner
- Student Councillor For Undeb Bangor Council
Policies:
- I will further diversify the academic curriculum. The teachings of minorities frequently are left out of school’s modules. I will educate the them on these groups and encourage them to include them in their curriculum.
- I will organize degree-specific job fairs across the university that will cater more specifically to students individual studies as opposed to generic job fairs.
- I will improve the university’s mental health services. As well as continuing the SU’s Big White Wall, I will organize professionally run seminars to educate students on how to better help their peers. Educating students as to how they can support their fellow students will improve the mental well-being of the student population.
Gabby Radzeviciute
Course: MGeography
Experience:
- Geography Course Rep
- GeogSoc Chairperson
- Peer Guide
- Open Day Promo Team
Policies:
- Mental Health: I know that it’s not always easy to balance the academic success with happiness and health. Hence I will launch a #HelpUsToHelpYou campaign, which will promote understanding of and remove the stigma of the subjects, including suicide prevention workshops, and pastoral training. I will explore the exact causes of stress of students at Bangor, therefore I will be working on a university wide survey, so that I can tackle these causes and give the best support to students.
- Student Support: Improve the support available for students who are; disabled, parents, carers, home students and mature students. Improve the awareness of student services across the campus and work on making access easier for students to university counselling services. Lobby for a 24hr or longer gap between examination days so students don’t have consecutive exams during exam period.
- Representation: Ensure that more study rooms and non-library spaces are open 24-7 during the exam periods, and securing longer study space opening hours during the regular term. Provide more ways for you to raise concerns and issues regarding your education by creating an online hub, so students can communicate with course reps easier and faster.
- Employability: University is all about what you get at the end: a degree, transferable skills and experiences. If elected I will work closely with Bangor Careers and Employability Services to launch a university wide series of career focused events to enhance personal career prospects. I want to help you to get the best career advice, and to be prepared for the wider world after graduation.
- Green Bangor: I will host #ShowtheLove, #GreenHero and other environmental campaigns across the campus to continue raising an awareness of and work towards a greener and more sustainable Bangor.
Harry Riley
Course: MSc Biology
Experience:
- Campus Life Co-ordinator
- Biological Society President
- Plastic Free Bangor campaign leader
Policies:
- Increase job opportunities by working with learned societies such as the Royal Society of Biology/ British Psychology Society as well as the University to offer a number of career enhancing skills and jobs.
- Panopto is meant to be used in every available lecture. It’s not. This has been a recurring issue and still hasn’t been solved. I will campaign to make sure Panopto is used in every possible lecture.
- More kitchen facilities around campus such as microwaves, water fountains and food bins to promote healthy living and sustainability.
- Continuing my work with Plastic Free Bangor I will campaign to further reduce the amount of plastic used around the University. I’ll also work with the Sustainability Lab and the local community to reduce waste and tackle Bangor’s litter problem.
VP Sport
Bethany Kiamil
Course: MSc Conservation and Land Management
Experience:
- Swimming Club Captain/Treasurer
- Spirit Of The AU Award Winner 2018
- Beach Clean Project Leader
- SU Sustainability Assistant
Policies:
- Introduce second semester taster sessions.
- Introduce an exam-period sports timetable to improve student welfare – ‘stress-buster’ sports.
- Continue promoting ‘smaller’ clubs.
- Ensuring coverage of any club’s competition/activities is publicised.
- Continue working towards sports fixtures as a legitimate reason for missed lectures/trips.
- Keep Wednesday afternoons free for everyone.
- Continue AU-events such as Sunday Circuits and other one-off initiatives, i.e. Superteams.
- Support and improve equality in sport to ensure the AU is inclusive and accessible to all – e.g. promoting ‘This Girl Can’ and ‘Pride in Sport’ campaigns.
- Encourage and support fundraising opportunities – especially for Movember and FeBRAry.
- Work towards creating a link with the Sports Science department – increase experience for sport science students and generate internal guidance for clubs.
- Promote sustainability – e.g. promote and support clubs working towards accreditations such as sailing with ‘The Blue Green’ campaign.
- Keep working on improving communication within the AU and wider SU.
- Continue working with Academi and their club sponsorship scheme.
- Help clubs find sponsors if they want one.
Henry Williams
Course: BSc Business Economics
Experience:
- AU Events Officer
- AU Club Captain
- AU Club Secretary
Policies:
- Ensure all Wednesday lectures are Panopto’d.
- Keep Wednesday afternoons lecture free.
- Create AU academic register that allows schools to schedule labs/tutorials/seminars for athletes around fixtures.
- Introduce rehabilitation sessions for injured students.
- Explore potential connections between au clubs, societies and academic schools for research and employability purposes.
- Further establish links with local community for coaching opportunities and use of facilities.
- Increase awareness for fundraising opportunities for AU clubs and charity, collaborating with RAG.
- Increase publicity and access to sporting qualifications.
- Safeguard and efficiently manage AU finances.
- Continue to raise profile of AU night, AU events and existing campaigns such as FeBRAry, This Girl Can, Healthy Living Week etc.
- Make a bigger push for mental health campaigns.
- Partaking in sport is beneficial to mental health, and I will endeavour to increase participation.
- Work closely with all sabbatical officers to ensure a holistic student experience.
- Explore alternative means of transport to achieve a more sustainable AU.
- Review VX3 deal, and improve the working relationship.
Hayden Saville
Course: MSc Marine Biology
Experience:
- American Football Captain
- Disability Working Group Member
Policies:
- Introduction of a new mental health campaign among teams, currently implemented in American Football with positive results.
- Give clubs access to Sports Psychologist/Physiologist, along with training on club specific injury first aid, to improve player safety.
- Keep Wednesday afternoons for both undergraduate/postgraduate students.
- Reduce cuts to clubs in the 2019/2020 season though implementing varying ways to make up shortcomings in finances. Ensuring student experience remains high during the proposed financial cuts.
- Increase fundraising within clubs, currently there are numerous unseized opportunities.
- Raise publicity of all Bangor clubs, through continuing ‘Team of the Month’ and ‘Individual Performance of the Month’ awards, rewarding teams on their success, and raising the awareness of our non-BUCS-Wednesday’s teams.
- Reduce the cost of Gym Memberships for students by introducing different gym packages.
- Increase coverage of Equality Campaigns like ‘Pride in Sport’, ‘This Girl Can’ and introducing disability in sport.
- Provide more coaches and increase quality of coaches who ensure inspiration, hard work and dedication to improve quality of sport at Bangor. Further aid in getting team members coaching qualifications.
- Improve the quality and availability of sports facilities. Such as Normal site, Treborth and Ffriddoed pitch. Also ensure that the 4G pitch is used to its full potential.
Maire Douglas
Course: MSc Biomedical Science
Experience:
- Women’s Hockey Club Captain
Policies:
- Ever wanted to go to an away game but feel you can’t as you have a lecture? I want to make it that all lectures on Wednesday must be recorded so everyone has the chance to go away with their team and get the win and feel like they’re not missing out.
- Try to boost the numbers of people signing up to clubs by giving serendipity a massive boost in publicity to increase numbers of people attending
- Increase the quality of coaching at the University, this could be bringing in external coaches or offering specific courses for students to go on.
- Question the price of the gym membership and try to stop any increases in the price and possibly try to lower it again
- To add to the ‘This girl can’ and Movember and other awareness campaigns like this, bring in a week to promote Men’s mental health.
- Push for all clubs to host fundraising tournaments and events for their chosen charities and also their own clubs
- If any issues arise with further cuts next year to the AU make sure that money is allocated in a fair manner with each clubs needs being taken into account
- Continue to promote BUCS fixtures with the use of focus fixtures, but also promote clubs who only compete once or twice annually and were possible promote going to support
- Look into brining back campus sport to allow everyone an opportunity to give different sports a go without the daunting feeling of going to an actual training session
- Continue to run ‘Team of the Month’ and look in to possibly offering an incentive to win it
VP Societies & Volunteering
Frederick Walters
Course: MSc Marine Biology and Zoology
Experience:
- Bangor Octopush Captain
- International Students Society Chairman
- Undeb Bangor Councillor
- Course Rep
- Endeavor
- Biological Society
Policies:
- To enhance membership, I plan to further build on the Societies Calendar by having an online version for societies to manually add events, and advertise these on a regular basis via posters, email or Instagram. I will additionally endeavour to promote all regular events permanently over Facebook.
- To increase funding, I aim to set up permanent relationships with local sponsors such as Chippy & Spice. If Undeb forms a relationship and acquires information such as the number of societies each will sponsor, we can set up a list and advise, making it easier to find sponsorships. Additionally, I will look into a sponsorship with “Transport for Wales” to give societies group-discounts when travelling with trains.
- To pull Volunteering projects into the open and stop their decrease in number, I will aid their expansion into further academic interests and liaise with the VP of Education to promote them directly in schools, for enhanced student experience and CV building chances.
Muhammad Firdaus
Course: BA Linguistics (Graduated)
Experience:
- Current VP Societies & Volunteering
- International Students Society Chairman
- Storm FM Station Manager
- Writers Guild
Policies:
- I will continue supporting and promoting Volunteering. Our volunteers touch lives, and deserve a Sabb who will empower them.
- I will continue pushing for Sustainability in all aspects of Societies & Volunteering – environmental, financial, cultural and social.
- I will continue improving communications and networking between societies / volunteering projects to help you get your message out there, collaborate, and succeed on your own terms.
- I will continue supporting internationalism alongside the Welsh language and culture, which has been so welcoming to me as an international student.
- I will be your inside Sabb. The biggest danger in this role is ego – but I’ve already been there, done that, got the sergeant’s chevrons. I am here to represent you, I will continue to listen to you, and I will fight for you. I know how it feels to be forgotten – I will not forget you!
Rhiannon Williams
Course: MZool Zoology with Herpetology
Experience:
- Societies Executive
- Undeb Bangor Council
- Coleg Cymraeg Welsh Language Student Ambassador
- NW Wales Amphibian and Reptile Group Chair
- HerpSoc
Policies:
- Promote societies’ and volunteering campaigns, projects and events.
- Promote and facilitate collaborative working to create big and different events.
- Represent the needs and opinions of societies and volunteering from university level to national conferences.
- Be transparent in my actions and be open and flexible in response to constructive criticism and feedback.
- Champion diversity, offering a platform for the unique challenges many students face.
- Be accessible and easily contactable, through media communication, regular drop-in sessions and an open-door policy.
James Martin
Course: BA History
Experience:
- Society Chairperson
- Society Treasurer
Policies:
- I will not promise more money or a radically golden future for your group or volunteering opportunity. I will, however, promise that if I am elected I will support your society and volunteering project as I have supported societies I have been part of since joining this University.
- I will aid your society and volunteering project if you have a problem or need pointing in a particular direction and if you have an event, concert, show or a fundraising opportunity I will be there to support you.
- I will have a light touch approach, but if I am needed I will help in whatever way I can. I will be there to help when or if you need me, I will not force my ideas on to you if you do not like them and do not feel they are necessary for the growth of societies and projects as a whole.
Osian Evans
Course: LLB Law with French
Experience:
- BEDS Publicity Officer
- SODA Secretary
- Law Society Treasurer
Policies:
- Contact: One of my main aims is to develop the relations that the Student’s Union has with the rest of the student population, we are here for you and your concerns are our concerns. To do this, I aim to revitalise the last week scheme.
- Promotion: I want to improve on the publicity involving events organised by societies and volunteering projects: you all work hard to do something that you enjoy and others should be allowed to appreciate all your efforts.
- Availability: I firmly believe that the Student’s Union exists to serve the students and to promote this, I would dedicate a portion of the week to welcome anyone who has questions that they would like to ask in person, without booking a meeting.
- Networks: A new concept that was introduced this year was the networks between societies of similar nature. I aim to improve upon these networks by organising meetings between those involved and encouraging cross-society events.
