SU Spring Elections 2025 Interviews: Sharlz Peters, VP Democracy & Development

In the run-up to the Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Spring Elections, The Boar and RAW 1251AM collaborated to offer all Full-Time Officer (FTO) candidates the opportunity to be interviewed.

Sharlz Peters, one of two candidates standing to become Vice President for Democracy & Development, discussed her campaign for the position with The Boar. The interview explored her ambition to empower marginalised voices at Warwick, combat rising prices on campus, and serve as representative for a broad spectrum of perspectives.

What are your key manifesto pledges?

“The key points behind the pledges of my manifesto were about reintegrating the different demographics of people into the SU. I’ve heard from different people that ever since the pandemic, they felt that the student union isn’t as diverse as it used to be – it’s always the same people that are in and interacting with the Students’ Union. There’s now a lack of participation from the wider student demographics, so the main point of where I was going with my manifesto is to reintegrate those people back in and let them feel encouraged. Give them the platform back to speak up when they have things that they want to say, instead of blocking student voices.

“It was also about helping the different demographics feel comfortable on campus as a whole – so it’s things like reducing prices for things that aren’t needed to be overpriced. For example, renegotiating produce within Rootes. Additionally, the bus prices have just gone up again this year. We need to see if that is needed and if there’s any alternative for students as a lot of people are struggling with transport. Also, accommodation fees keep rising; we need to find out why that is and find out how to make that more affordable for people who can’t afford £140+ a week just to come to higher education.

“So, the main points of my manifesto include finding out what happened after the pandemic and why students aren’t being allowed to speak up when they should be given the platforms to speak up.”

With declining turnout and engagement in recent SU Elections and All Student Votes, how would you make SU democracy more accessible, inclusive, and engaging?

“I would say the easiest way is just to talk to people. It’s easy enough to talk to people through the form of a one-off questionnaire, or to have a one-off interview with somebody to get a general idea. It’s easy to say that because one person stated some problems, then those are the problems which need to be addressed. However, you must actually be there in the student community, talking to people on a regular basis, and seeing what they’re struggling with – talk to them as you would talk to your own friends and family about these issues.

“I find that’s one of the things that is lacking – within the Students’ Union, it’s always the same faces. People tend to be in the same circles, and because of that they don’t get to know the wider student community and there’s a big disconnect. When I started to run, I asked people from the different groups that I’m in what they know about the SU and everybody said they didn’t know anything about it – they said that maybe they would go to their Societies VP if they had a society issue. But other than that, they don’t know anything.

“It’s completely different from where I did my undergrad, where everybody knew who was in the student guild even if they didn’t necessarily engage with it. In Warwick, I see the disconnect, which is quite upsetting because a lot of people repeatedly say the same problems, but they don’t feel that they can go to the Students’ Union at all – they don’t even know that it exists. So, first and foremost is just to learn who you’re dealing with because you can’t speak for people that you don’t know.”

As the Sabbatical Officer leading on sustainability, how would you look to achieve Net Zero on campus, and when by?

“The new goal is now 2030, so one of the things that I mentioned in the Question Time is that there needs to be an integration of digital alternatives where needed. If you don’t need paper, don’t use it – use a QR code instead. There are a lot of alternatives which are better for the environment that need to be integrated. I think the sustainability efforts that have already been introduced are good and I want to continue that.

“Also, as somebody who has a digital media background, I am learning more and more about new methods that are up and coming and which are currently being introduced into international organisations. I would love to integrate that within the Students’ Union as well and get more people excited about these initiatives.”

With rising living costs a major concern for students, how would you seek to keep costs low in SU outlets and encourage the university to do the same in theirs?

“First and foremost, see what’s going on and figure out why the costs are rising. We need to see if there are any alternatives and if there’s any way to keep them down, as the prices have risen a lot. I asked people who did their undergraduate here – and are still here as Master’s students – how they have felt about the rising accommodation prices, and they have said that it keeps going up every year. They aren’t small increases of prices and it’s students that need to be in these accommodations. So, I want to find out why they’ve increased the way that they have over the years and make sure that it’s kept to the minimum in future years.”

As DDO you will sit with the SU President on the University Council. How would you ensure that student’s interests are communicated and represented at this higher level?

“Again, it’s about making sure that students actually have a voice and that you’re listening to all the students, not just a select few who are politically minded and know how to advocate for themselves. Some students don’t have the confidence or knowledge to speak up. Some who do even have the confidence and the knowledge to speak up politically are just being barred and they’re not given the platform to have a voice. So, first and foremost is to listen to a diverse range of students to get as many viewpoints as you can; what the common patterns are between viewpoints, and find solutions that would help the most amount of people in the best ways possible.”

What makes you stand out from other candidates hoping to be Democracy and Development Officer?

“What makes me stand out the most is that I have a global mindset. I’ve lived in multiple countries, and I’ve talked to people from across the globe. I can speak to people in a wide range of social circles, whether it’s political parties or other organisations. I have a wide scope of things which affect everybody so I can speak to different people from a range of backgrounds. There is always a way to find common ground, even in two people who seem completely different, and make sure that you can advocate for everybody. My role will be about all students and my priority is making sure that all students feel represented and that everybody is safe on this campus – that is the most important part of the role and everything else is secondary.

“Education comes first – I’ve been to multiple different educational institutions including the University of Birmingham, the University of Thrace in Greece, and Keio University in Tokyo. I have seen how student-led organisations on different campuses run things and I can see what has worked for different demographics at different time periods.”

“I hope that both my passion for and ability to understand, advocate for, and get along with a wide range of people – including those who are not be feeling heard – will set me apart from other DDO candidates.”

This interview, along with all other interviews for Vice President positions, can be watched in full using the link here.

Read Sharlz Peters’ manifesto here.