On 6 March, The Badger interviewed several candidates in the Sussex Student Unions’ Leadership Elections, including those running for Student Living and Sustainability Officer.
This role will involve improving the day-to-day issues which students face regarding housing, transport, community, campus facilities, finances and affordability. They will also create more awareness of sustainability and the climate and ecological crisis, as well as lobbying the University to respond appropriately to the urgency of this crisis.
Voting is open now on the Elections page of the Sussex Student Unions’ website until 5 pm on Friday 15 March. The results will be announced at 6 pm on Friday 15 March.
DISCLAIMER: The candidates featured in this article are the ones who attended The Badger’s media day on 6 March. You can see the full list of candidates and their manifestos on the Elections page of the Sussex Student Unions’ website.
Ella Goodchild
Ella Goodchild is a second-year Politics and Philosophy student, and staff member at the Union Bars. She describes herself as passionate about “turning the collective student voice into action and policy.” If elected, her first issue would be to tackle the rising cost of living at Sussex University, believing that basic necessities shouldn’t cost the world, and that students shouldn’t have to work an excess amount of hours to afford university. Goodchild prioritises working with student-led campaigns such as Access Sussex, Food Waste Cafe and Roots.
Isidore Gaba
Isidore Gaba is a third-year student, the President of Philosophy Society and the Co-President of Wellbeing Economics. If elected, the primary issue Gaba endeavours to tackle is the extensive maintenance issues on campus. She wishes to utilise the unused Student Union funds to extend the £2 meals on campus to span the whole day instead of being limited to a few hours, and be situated all across campus. She also aims to establish subsidised rent on campus for students who need it.
Elena Southard
Elena Southard is a final-year Anthropology student and the current Activities & Events Officer in the Sustainability Committee within the Students’ Union. If elected, her “absolute priority would be to start working on [her] housing-related policies, to get the costs of rent and facilities down as soon as possible for all students” and “ensuring the SU sticks to its pledge to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that supports Palestine.” Southard recognises “the need for radical change” while also “meet[ing] people where they are at.”
