Vote stand set up in iZone providing information on the UHSU by-elections

Ladies and Gents, Boys and Girls, the next month or two at the Students’ Union is to be positively buzzing for all those who care to know – with the By Elections which will hopefully see 13 part time officers elected to the Union Council!

The part time officers are literally the most important part of the Students’ Union, excluding the executive sabbatical team, all of which are given a remit by the constitution to oversee relevant campaigns, vote in the Union Council and ensure those that they represent are done so equally and fairly. Amongst the positions up for grabs at the Huddersfield campus are eight Union Councillor positions – of which myself and some politics writers shall be running for – Disabilities Officer, Environmental and Ethics Officer, Part-time and Placement Officer, Mature and Postgraduate Officer and a Multicultural and Faith Officer. The Barnsley campus has a committee member up for grabs, as well as the position of Chair, and the Oldham campus has three committee member positions.

So what is the point in getting involved? Well I asked Sohail Afsar, the current VP Internal Affairs Officer, that very same question. Sohail told me that he went to a couple of Union Councils and realised that he wanted to not only be more involved, but have a vote in what happens at the Students’ Union. The Union Councillor position fits perfectly into the hard working students’ timetable, with the main responsibility of attending the Union Council which happens around about once a month on an evening.

When I asked Sohail if it was worth getting involved, he told me that as a Union Councillor he acquired a real understanding of how the Students’ Union works – it is not just a bar and a shop, it is a massive system which he saw problems with. From his position as a Union Councillor, Sohail chose to run for the Internal Affairs position last March and won. Sohail continued by pointing out that he is very passionate about the Students’ Union and wants to see a more active student movement, and in his new position he has begun the move towards a more active union by a simple philosophy. Sohail wants to get more personal with the student body, get in our faces and tell us the facts – not just hand out leaflets – but tell you why he is campaigning for you, and ask you to get involved. So if you fancy understanding how the Students’ Union works, and believe that you have something to give the student body that you can represent then pick up an election pack from the reception desk after October the 15^th, and get involved.

This post is tagged By-elections, Elections 09, Get involved, Sohail Afsar