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* Why are you running for the position of YUSU Sports President?
When I came to York, I'd never really done sport, yet as the last couple of years have gone by, I have found that sport is my life here at university.
* What important personal qualities would you bring to the role?
I'm very approachable and friendly but I'm not about to stand around and be another 'yes' man, I'm ready to really lobby and to really fight for the sports service that this top-ten university should already provide. I have connections with many local businesses through charity work I have done and through the social networking site I manage (york.citysocialising.com) and I want to use these contacts to source more sponsorship for sport at York.
* What makes you better suited to the job than your opponent?
I believe I have a great deal more drive than my opponent to really change things. I believe that I have the passion, drive and abilities to make sports at York become something every student can be proud of. What I would apparently lack compared to Sam is experience. However I have had just as much experience in management as Sam has, and for the past 8-10 weeks I have shadowed Sam at his office, met with presidents, captains and members of the YorkSport committee to gain a full understanding of what the job entails. I also have had numerous meetings with Jane Grenville (Pro-Vice Chancellor for students) David Duncan (Registrar and Secretary), Rob Wadsworth (Sports Centre Manager), Saul Bertoletti (CEO of YUSU) and Jon Greenwood (Director of Commercial services) to ensure that everything I promise to work for is achievable.
* How do you propose to improve sport at York?
I want to prioritise the improvement of current facilities. We need to make sure that all of our students have a space in which they are happy to play, and for me, the tent does not fit this bill. I want to ensure that the plans for the modernisation of the tent go ahead smoothly and soon! I intend to shape and influence the plans for the further developments over at Hes East to better suit our clubs. This will involve inviting members from the relevant clubs to be greatly involved in the consultation process. However, to make sport great here at York, we need to make it more inclusive and attractive. By working towards being a union that provides sports services to our students free of charge, not only can we increase participation, but we will also begin to attract elite sportsmen and athletes to our university.
* How do you think the new sports centre will benefit sport at York, and what would you do to try and ensure that students at York get the most out of the facility?
I don’t think it will benefit as many students as I would like, for two reasons. It will be open to the general public, so initially we will have the problem of who gets priority. There is also no sports hall, which highlights the need for the tent to be modernised. That said, the dance studios will benefit a number of clubs and the new gym facility will be very welcome for all those living at Hes East. In order to get the most out of the facility, I will lobby the University and the Council to ensure that students get discounted rates and prioritised bookings. I would also introduce an online booking system to make bookings for students easier.
* How do you propose to implement the plan to either reduce or scrap the York Sport £40 membership fee?
I feel that the university's current plan of reducing the fee to £25 is a poor compromise and I will fight for a system that doesn't charge its students before they've stepped into the sports centre. The YorkSport membership fee is an unfair tax and it has to go. For me, it is crucial that sport is placed high on the agenda for the allocation of tuition fee money, as at the moment it is horribly underfunded. Above and beyond that, I want to work towards a system where students get free membership, gym, pool, and pitch hire and all of this would be funded by the university. It is done at other universities, such as Imperial College London, and I will fight for such a system at York.
* What values do you place on college sport and how would you seek to improve it?
College sport is very important. I want a college sport system that is nationally recognised as inclusive, well organised and easily visible. Improvements start with establishing what sports are played, when, where, what’s needed, and who's in charge. I want to work closely with college sports officers and the JCRC's to come up with a simple, easy to understand system. Finally, I want to change the attitude towards college sport. I want people to be proud and excited to represent their college and this new attitude will help make college sport huge for students.
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