“I’d like to increase awareness and involvement”
Libby Martin – County College
Libby Martin hopes to increase awareness and involvement in LUSU’s democratic processes whilst also encouraging a greater diversity in events by engaging a wider variety of students.
Martin has sat on the Lancaster University Dance Society Executive for two years (President 10/11, Show Co-Ordinator 11/12) and was involved with organising ‘Once Upon a Time in County’, County Extrav 2011. She has been active as an Academic Officer (Departmental Rep/VP County/Academic Campaigns CCO) and previously expressed to SCAN experience in elections through ‘three society elections, a departmental election, a JCR election and a CCO election’.
Regarding big name events such as the upcoming appearance of Labrinth at The Sugarhouse, Martin said “In terms of having big name acts as this is pretty much the first we’ve done we’re not sure how students will respond to it. Obviously £16 – or however much it is – is quite a lot of money for a night in Sugar. I mean if students respond well to that, and they’re interested in that, and they want to do that then I’m happy to continue running events like that and maybe getting similar acts in at campus festivals as well.”
Martin went on to further discuss other live music events at Lancaster: “Battle of the Bands, I think, is wonderful and a great opportunity for student bands, and live music nights and concert nights are really good.” She added, “Just helping the officers to continue with that” is her plan for live campus music.
When questioned whether she had any fresh ideas to bring to the table, Martin questioned the effectiveness of student questionnaires used previously by LUSU. “I don’t know how many students actually fill them out,” she said. “If there was something in the [Alexandra] Square and maybe having a thing to write on – a board, to write your ideas on – a massive big thing in the square where everyone passes, everyday. Maybe that would be more beneficial than just an online survey when people get so many emails all the time, anyways.”
On the engagement and integration of international students, Martin advocated the use of international officers, commenting that “using [international] officers that have been elected into such roles and helping them to go around in block runs talking to [international students] and putting on special events specifically for international students like the cultural fusion events happening at the moment” was her perceived way forward. She added: “We should continue with those [fusion events], and make them bigger and better.”
When asked how she would improve postgraduate representation in LUSU, Martin stated: “work with the postgrad college exec, definitely.”
