SU Spring Elections Question Time Day 2: Part-Time Officers

As part of the coverage of this week’s SU elections, The Boar attended a Question Time for the candidates for Part-Time Officer positions.

Candidates gave short introductions, before answering questions from RAW 1251AM and The Boar. Audience members in the Kevin Gately room were then able to pose questions to all the candidates.

Widening Participation Officer

Two of the four candidates for Widening Participation Officer were present. Féth McPato and Mafi Quinn, running together, and Mia Mattu both spoke about their experiences as WP students and their pledges for the role.

Mattu expressed that WP should no longer be “seen as an afterthought” or “a diversity quota”, but instead truly seen and represented in the SU and wider university life. Being from Coventry, her own experiences with judgement at university led her to apply for the position. Mattu recognised that her own scholarship is a privilege not everyone is afforded, and she hopes to make WP “benefits accessible to all”.

Quinn agreed with these points, adding that WP is also misunderstood: “[It’s] not just that you come from a certain area, there’s a lot more to it.” McPato agreed and highlighted the University’s definition of WP to “improve access and opportunities to students from deprived backgrounds”.

What do you think is the biggest barrier facing Widening Participation students at Warwick today, and how would you address this?

McPato highlighted the day-to-day financial burdens of WP students and suggested the systemic lack of awareness and education should be addressed. “Widening Participation isn’t just giving a bursary and calling it a day, sure, it helps, but the problem is that you’re dealing with a lack of education. People don’t understand what Widening Participation is.” Quinn elaborated that they would look to create a handbook of contacts and support for WP students to help them face these barriers.

Mattu said it is hard to single out one main issue, but “after speaking to a lot of Widening Participation students, its time”.  She outlined how WP students struggle to balance their academic workload with the need for part-time employment, and the additional travel that entails. She spoke of her own experience learning to reference, finding academic resources unhelpful, and feeling disadvantaged in the university transition due to her unfamiliarity with academic language. She would look to provide WP students with resources to manage their time, which provides information in one place about how to seek support and other students facing similar challenges.

Students from WP backgrounds can also struggle when leaving university, especially going into the cutthroat employment market. How do you think the SU can best support these students in kickstarting their careers?

Mattu would like to develop WP experience days that help students find work experience on campus, feeling that existing structures are “materially less beneficial”. She noted that WP students lack the skills and connections of others, and this lack of preparedness for future careers means they will always face challenges. “The SU can help by giving people the resources to be able to flourish here, they can provide study sessions, ways to catch up, ways to not just expand on their education, because many WP students neglect student life.”

McPato noted that WP students lack a ‘safety net’, meaning their struggles often worsen upon leaving university. He therefore emphasised the importance of “getting the ball rolling early” and involving WP students in a welcoming community. He noted the need for improved communication of resources already in place, like the Workwear Wardrobe, to help students avoid a “crisis point” as soon as they leave Warwick, and to help “plug the gap” in the support they have received up to that point. Quinn doubled down on this and added that “the SU can better advertise the services that the University already offers”.

Some students might find there to be some stigma associated with accessing support from the WP network. As an SU representative, what do you think is the best way to navigate this?

Quinn noted that stigma will always exist and that the SU is an important tool for education. He feels students need a better understanding of what WP means, and why it occurs, be that social disadvantages from birth, or unforeseen circumstances that can occur at any time. McPato said they would look to implement a “giant guide” of what WP students are, or could be, going through, adapted so that it is accessible not just to these students, but also to the people that support them, such as Personal Tutors.

Mattu emphasised that “making these resources accessible to everybody” is important, to prevent those accessing them from feeling ‘singled out’. She feels that making these resources universally accessible across the student body “will improve everyone’s student life, and the people who go out of their way to get it are going to be the people who need it”.  “This is what I try to exemplify in my policies, that it’s not just going to benefit WP students, it will have a positive impact on everybody.”

Environment and Ethics Officer

Philip Nieora, Lara Perea Núñez, Marilou Schini Panagiotou, Maryam Ahmed, and Shen Jie Yaw were present at Question Time.

Nieora’s introduction emphasised their experience as an “environmental activist”, “community volunteer”, and protestor against the far right. They “aim to bring this level of care from my local community, to this community here. I want to use this position to create a healthy and environmentally friendly ethical collective”. Some of their pledges include re-wilding, prioritising local produce, and waste management, as they look to place community and environment “hand-in-hand”.

Núñez cited their experience working with four different NGOs and on various research projects to demonstrate they have “never stopped fighting for a fairer, better, more sustainable future”. They pledged “waste management, student engagement, and circular economy”. “I intend to make use of all the experience I have gathered, to bring the student community to a new level.”

Panagiotou highlighted their PPL degree and A-Level in Biology. They then spoke of their experience launching a start-up company, working with professors in Cyprus: “We’re using satellite imagery for environmental legal cases.” They also emphasised their work with Warwick Volunteers among others and passion for Global Sustainable Development.

Ahmed, running alongside Taran Talbott, who was not in attendance, cited their collective experience: “We’re freps for six different societies, including Warwick Greens and Climate Justice. In terms of my own experience, I have led my own nature connection campaign, and Taran is an SU Sustainability Forum member, which is an elected role.” Ahmed pledged to hold the University accountable, pushing for a more ethical investment portfolio, to make the campus more beautiful, encourage students to use the SU’s Sustainability Fund, and advocate for a waste-free campus.

Shen recalled his experience working at the Lord Bhattacharyya building, uncovering vast amounts of waste during the Covid lockdown. From this experience, he said: “I saved £150,000 every single year, based on my plan.” He feels he is “the only one with real experience working directly with Estates teams on campus, WMG facilities and third-party stakeholders. I will deliver the change that is desperately needed on campus.”

In a cost-of-living crisis, how do you propose students find the balance between shopping economically while also trying to be sustainable? What role do you think the SU has in supporting students with this?

Shen answered: “Affordability is a significant concern for a vast majority of students, and it can be increasingly difficult to make sustainable choices. I would look to expand the product ranges available on campus, whether it’s more sustainable food options or plant-based options, to add both variety and decrease the cost. I would also promote initiatives such as the Green Rewards app, so members can claim things like reduced costs in Curiositiea.” He also emphasised how it is important to make sustainability “more convenient, cheaper, and easier, so students [can] make the right choice”.

Ahmed agreed with Shen. They recognised the importance of more plant-based options and said that “we really don’t want cost to be a barrier”. “We also want action and more information. Everything we propose to do is aimed at improving student’s experience and their relationship with the environment.” She and Talbott will look to expand the SU’s community fridge and free breakfast club initiatives, as well as “more sustainability-focused SU events”, like upcycling schemes, gardening classes, and plant-based cooking workshops.

Panagiotou wants to “push to embed the values of the Forge and Solidarity themes of the Liberation Conference of 2026 into the Union’s own internal administrative and employment practices, ensuring that our leadership reflects these ethical practices”. They will look to introduce a discount incentive with deals on ethical brands, and integrate sustainability into food and drink, societies, and sports club mandates.  They want “ethical options [to be] the standard for all students”.

Núñez reiterated the ‘circular economy’ philosophy within their manifesto, which would look to prioritise recycling and waste management initiatives that were implemented in their high school in Mexico. “In exchange for paper or cardboard, you get a card which you can exchange for fruit and vegetables. Not only does that encourage local production, but also students will be eating healthier … That way, we can tackle the  intersectionality of the issue.”

Nieora said that “sustainable food and affordability is core to what I want to bring”. They strive to start a monthly farmers market “where people can go and buy groceries directly from farmers here”. With a “big market of students”, Nieora thinks “people will want to work with us to ensure affordable prices for all students to enjoy local and sustainable produce”.

Would you seek to prioritise environmental campaigning within the University or broader political advocacy?

Nieora said: “I think both go hand-in-hand, after all we’re a union of students, and many share political and environmental views.” They expressed that divides over political stances won’t stop them from promoting environmental issues, and that they will actively work with students of all political standings.

Núñez would look to bring the Local Conference of Youth to Warwick. “These are spaces where all students can come and debate about environmental subjects, we can have workshops. It is from a political standpoint, but it is focused on environmental sustainability and that way we can focus on creating new policies and bringing new ideas to the table.”

Panagiotou also feels that “politics and environment go hand-in-hand”, but some initiatives will either be more political or more sustainable. “When you see politics, when you see manifestos, any political initiatives, of course environment and ethics should be considered”, and so they reiterated that the two cannot be distinguished.

Ahmed reiterated her and Talbott’s experience with environmental campaigning, canvassing, and enacting change at Warwick in Warwick Greens and Climate Justice. They said they will “support collective student action and demand university accountability” through encouraging student engagement with “broader political advocacy”. They will look to introduce a “University-wide sustainability newsletter” that features current campaigns information, as well as opportunities to volunteer with local political and  environmental organisations. Ahmed also touched on their pledge for more SU nature protection campaigns on campus.

Shen expressed his view that politics and environment can be separated and are not fully related. Shen referred to ‘leaking urinals’ as an example of failures in the University’s reporting channels. “It’s all fun to have ideas but we need real change and implementation, I have the experience and skills to challenge the University, I’ve worked with the Estates teams and know what needs to be done. That’s exactly what I will bring to the table.”

What campaigns would you introduce to help improve sustainability in SU-run outlets, like the Dirty Duck and Curiositea?

Shen emphasised the importance of the “usual things”, like the Green Rewards app, reusable cups, and Too Good to Go bags. He also drew attention to institutions on campus encouraging waste, using the example of the Warwick Print shop, claiming that is cheaper to print 250 pages than 168. “No one looks at the numbers they just discuss the ideas, but who is going to actually go down, work with the stakeholders, pierce the institutional veil and bring transparency to the SU’s operations?” Shen concluded with a reiteration of the need for “real impact”.

Ahmed said she and Talbott would look to improve sustainability by focusing on plant-based produce, reducing plastic products, like cups, and providing smaller portions at SU outlets (with larger portions available on request for no extra cost). Ahmed highlighted Talbott’s work with the Warwick Food Group, which involves lobbying for more plant-based options, and working on the current pilot running in Pandi Mami in the Arts Centre. “We want to centre student’s choice and provide more ample food options, but we do think the default should be sustainable.”

Panagiotou said: “One of my main ideas is to establish an affordable farmers market. By securing a mandate that meets student demand for local, low-cost produce, I will coordinate with the food and drink departments to cut supermarket mark-ups.” They also proposed the expansion of the Pandi Mami ‘Too Good To Go’ initiative to other food outlets on campus, particularly emphasising Pret A Manger.

Núñez began their response by suggesting other candidates had been “disrespectful” when suggesting others are “inexperienced, nor have the capacity to drive forward real change, when we are all here very capable”. Núñez went on to emphasise their focus on food waste because it shows “the inefficiency of the current systems”. “If I were to be the Environmental and Ethics Officer, I would like to go directly to the people that run those establishments to collaborate.”

Nieora agreed that the ‘Too Good To Go’ initiative should be spread across all SU outlets and also feels more information about food waste should be published. They want to rid campus of plastic cups and provide more plant-based options. Nieora will look to receive feedback from “students who actively and consistently use our venues and use that data to show that there is demand for more sustainable food options at the University”. They pledged to lobby the University to adapt its food policies and provide more sustainable options.

Women’s Officer

Three candidates for Women’s Officer were present: Isabella Link, Zoe Holloway, and Polly Davies.

Davies’ introduction emphasised her passion about the role, feeling that women are not supported enough by the University at present. Her main pledges are concerned with the safety of women on campus and lobbying for the University to celebrate women throughout the year. “Safety on campus for women” needs to be prioritised, according to Davies, including “lighting and anti-spiking”.

Holloway cited her own personal experience using Report and Support and her experience “in discussion groups and chairing forums”. She pledged to advocate for “the voices of women, trans women, and non-binary students”, and “will take a stand against all forms of discrimination”. She cited her numerous societal connections and “good working relationship with the person in charge of campus security at the SU”. She pledged to continue ongoing campaigns such as End Period Poverty, and work with societies.

Link said that women on campus have many “more barriers to their academic, social, physical, and mental lives than men do”, and that the “symbolic façades of help” are not currently doing enough to support women. She emphasised the lack of funding support for students in need of prescriptions or menstrual products. She also criticised the Report and Support system: “So many women use that and there’s no help given to them at all.” Link continued: “Nationally, 60% of women who report rape or sexual harassment claim that their report is pushed under, and I will try and fix that that.”

As an SU officer, do you believe it is your responsibility to ensure gender equality within student societies across campus, and if so, how do you plan on achieving this?

Link noted how “gender equality in some societies is non-existent”, and how many societies are “run by men”. She called for misogyny training for society execs to be implemented, so execs can “better understand how to support female members of societies”. She also noted how it would be hard to enforce gender equity within society execs.

Holloway feels societies should be run “more equitably”. “To do that, I want to update the mandatory training that student councils and society execs have to take on their intake.” She said this training would include “information on recognising and reporting gender bias in societies and courses” and would discuss the impact of being an active bystander. Holloway will also look to improve the reporting process of Report and Support at Warwick to emphasise reporters’ anonymity.

Davies suggested that “working with societies gains access to all of the women on campus, so every type of woman, which is very important”. She would like to introduce a ‘Women’s Board’ made up of the women’s officers of Warwick’s societies, or exec members of female-oriented societies, to interact and work with them directly. She’d also like to see all societies have a women’s officer role, “because I want the women within every society to feel validated”.

Do you think the SU is doing enough to support female students who feel unsafe both on and off campus? If not, what more could be done?

Davies reiterated her pledge to improve lighting on campus, “which is a specific issue that affects women’s safety”. She will also look to target spiking on campus, by providing “affordable, accessible, reusable, and adjustable” drink covers at all SU outlets, “so that every woman can have access to spiking prevention and feel comfortable when they are going out”. She would also look to implement more ‘Ask for Angela’ training.

Holloway will seek to introduce a ‘Tell Me About It’ initiative, to facilitate direct discussions, as Holloway understands that she “can’t speak for every woman’s experiences, so I’d like people to be able to bring those issues forward to me so I can raise it for them”. She would also like to see links to Report and Support sent automatically via email when students purchase tickets to SU events and reiterated her plans to lobby for a change to the way Report and Support works, “to make sure women feel supported throughout the whole process of reporting an incident”.

Link agreed that women are not made to feel safe on campus. She claimed that current and ongoing campaigns against spiking aren’t doing enough and would like to see free drink covers at every SU bar, as “women shouldn’t have to pay for safety, which is disgraceful and not something we should be supporting”. She also drew attention to circles happening off campus, and the welfare concerns raised with no SU officers present. “I think campus security should be sent to these places where societies are circling off campus to avoid being regulated, to enable women to feel safer when they’re out.”

There’s a lot of men that are very misogynistic on campus. What are your proposals to discourage that?

Holloway recognised that the current exec training, and any future ‘anti-misogyny’ training, that is enforced may not be listened to by misogynistic students. She reiterated the importance of training all society exec members to recognise gender bias, so they know how and when to report it when it does occur, even if it occurs in a different society.

Davies agreed with Holloway, backing more training within societies on the Report and Support programme, and for recognising the signs of abuse. She said that the presence of misogyny and sexist language that creates uncomfortable situations for women is the responsibility of the exec: “I think that it is their responsibility as an exec member to follow through and look after the women of their society.”

Link discussed identifying the root cause of misogyny. “A lot of the male members [of Reform UK’s student wing] are saying that they are becoming misogynistic because they feel like they’re being left behind”, so there needs to be more emphasis on preventing men from being radicalised on campus.  “I do also think there are women on campus who enable these misogynistic views from men, they enable women to become harmed by men who have these misogynistic views, and they aren’t fighting against it … It’s an issue that both genders have to look at, and we need to ensure that this radicalisation is stopped.” Link suggested that exec training that is focused on recognition isn’t doing enough, and instead they should focus on prevention.

With the rise of the far-right, such as Reform UK in this country, how will you ensure that this does not have a detrimental impact on campus?

Link answered: “It’s hard to attribute Reform UK to the far-right. The far-right refers to the EDL, groups that cause harm. It’s no secret that I am right-wing myself … I think the harm is when you oppress [these groups], they start to become dangerous. When people start to fight against them, then they start to cause issues on campus.” Instead of boycotting these societies, Link suggests the SU should work with them to ensure they have structures in place to stop misogyny.

Holloway expressed her own political views as being “very left wing” and reflected on her “strong connections” with left-leaning and environmental societies on campus. “My goal as Women’s Officer would be to make connections with Warwick Anti-Sexism Society, who are more left-leaning. I would want to create networking events that focus on uplifting women” and give them a space away from misogynistic men or far-right groups, to “talk and share issues”. “My role would be to support the voices of women.”

Davies reiterated her ‘Women’s Board’ idea, saying she’d liaise with societies to share women’s “brilliance” and promote them in events that celebrate womanhood and their identity. “Being a woman at Warwick is what shapes the identity of Warwick, and that is very important.”

Ethnic Minorities Officer

Safiya Patel and Zaynab Ul-Haq were both in attendance, running for Ethnic Minorities Officer.

Ul-Haq expressed that “all ethnic minority students should have a voice and a platform to make their voice heard”. They outlined their experience in activism and devotion to the liberation of ethnic minorities globally. “Our university is complicit in a lot of the genocides going on and a lot of the communities here are the ones that suffer from it, so I want to make sure they have a platform.” Ul-Haq will look to make sure international students receive “information sessions to know their rights”.

Patel outlined the importance of representation – “whether externally, through movies or TV shows or in politics, but also here at university”. She emphasised the importance of having exec members that ethnic minority students can identify with and cultural awareness events for religious holidays, so people feel represented in societies. She cited her experience working as a volunteer for youth charities that give voice to the disadvantaged next generation in public policy. “I would use these skills of representing the youth here at university to represent ethnic minorities, and as my slogan says ‘For every culture, for every voice, and especially for you guys’.”

With levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia still high across university campuses, what would you do to support communities facing this kind of abuse and hatred at Warwick?

Patel first stated that she recognises this discrimination comes from “ignorance and lack of understanding” and strives to educate. “I would look to introduce awareness sessions, workshops, and talks, to help students understand their differences, potentially involving guest speakers to raise cultural awareness across campus.” She also emphasised how important it is to make sure that ethnic minority students “know they’re not alone” and are “fully supported by the University community and the SU”. She would like to improve the communication and accessibility of support systems in place and use the SU’s social media to “promote messages of respect, inclusion, and community solidarity”.

Ul-Haq agreed with Patel’s stance on education. They added that they’d like to work with the De-colonise Collective to educate students and improve our curriculum, as well as using the SU pages and social media. Ul-Haq feels the SU should be “there for those receiving the brunt of Islamophobia and antisemitism” and highlighted the importance of Report and Support’s anonymity in helping students. They’d also like to introduce an annual ethnic minority feedback report to understand if the SU is doing enough for students, “because they should decide and have a voice”.

The Ethnic Minorities Officer often champions campaign representation, such as Black History Month and the Tackle Hate project. If you were to be elected, what other campaigns would you promote?

Ul-Haq wishes to prioritise “community togetherness”. They feel that campaigns “secluded to certain months” should instead be expanded throughout the year: “Hate doesn’t just happen one month of the year, so campaigning shouldn’t either.” They’d like to introduce a ‘Culture Day’ in which different societies can celebrate together on the Piazza, sharing aspects of their culture. Ul-Haq also mentioned that past campaigns by the Ethnic Minorities Officer shouldn’t be forgotten.

Patel agreed with Ul-Haq’s points, reiterating that ethnic minorities need “broader representation throughout the year”. She emphasised the importance of accessible halal and kosher food, rather than the limited options currently available on campus and at nearby stores like Cannon Park’s Tesco. She also expressed the need for “shared cultural events” across campus, “so students from different backgrounds can share their food, traditions and cultures” and “genuine exchanges of culture” are encouraged.

Ethnic minority students are not always represented in society execs. Do you think more work needs to be done to increase, or even mandate, ethnic minority representation on society execs?

Patel acknowledged that representation in society leadership is important but felt that “mandating quotas” are “not the best solution”. “Instead, we should understand why ethnic minority students aren’t standing for various roles, and why they’re less confident to stand … Rather than forcing representation, I think the focus should be on closing that gap.” She aims to do this by introducing workshops teaching skills and confidence for society leadership roles. “By giving students these tools and opportunities, we can empower ethnic minority students to step forward naturally and confidently.”

Ul-Haq agreed and added that education for other exec members is important. They’d like to ensure training sessions for all society execs to prevent hate, discrimination, and cliques from being spread by societies. Ul-Haq emphasised the importance of societies being a “safe space” rather than solely its exec team. They mentioned the work of the current Ethnic Minorities Officer, Riann Mehta, who worked to instil compulsory BAME officers in societies – “I think having an ethnic minorities officer in society is important because our voices should still be heard even if we are a minority.”

 

The lone candidate, Willow Brown, for LGBTQUIA+ Officer, was not present at Question Time. There are no nominees for Disabled Students’ Officer and Trans Students’ Officer.

 

A recording of the entire Part-Time Officer Question Time event can be found here, courtesy of RAW 1251AM.

A list of all Part-Time Officer candidates and their manifestos can be found here.

Voting closes at 5pm on Friday 13 March.