Tom Mason is running for the position of Lonsdale Visual Media and Communications Officer. In our interview, he claimed his motivation for running for this position was based on his love for this college. Tom quickly established his devotion for Lonsdale which he has had since arriving at University. He expressed a desire to have a hand in running the college he loves so much. Visual Media and Communications Officer appeared perfect to him as he’d always had an interest in social media and communications.
Tom has gained a lot of experience from running the college football team Instagram. He claims that the page gained 150 followers in less than one term. This also helped develop his practical skills in making visual media on websites such as Canva. Tom did make it clear that he was a fast learner and willing to learn anything that will help him with the role.
When asked what sets him apart from the other candidates, Tom responded by saying he has a lot of contacts with the college which help him understand the workings of the JCR. This would allow him to prepare for the role as he understands its demands. From being involved in Lonsdale bar sports to various societies, Tom believes that this has helped him gather a range of views to further understand what the student bodies want. He believes that these make him a stronger candidate.
In his manifesto, Tom emphasises the need for clarity with the JCR and SCR. A lot of the student body is unsure of the relationship between the JCR and SCR. He would like to shed light on this to help students feel more involved and to know that their voices are being heard. He expanded on this by saying he wants to create “two-way dialogue.” This would be done by using polls and suggestion boxes on various college social media platforms. Tom believes this will not only help students understand the JCR and SCR but also help students feel more involved in the college.
Tom’s priorities in first term would be the College Winter Ball and Freshers’ Week. Freshers’ week is the biggest event in first term and he wants to ensure that the student body knows what’s happening in that week. There are many different tactics Tom would use to do this but he mentioned that Twitter and Instagram posts would be crucial to keep people constantly up to date. He explained that the 2020 freshers have already been disadvantaged by Covid19 and he wants to help them every way he can.
In the interview, we asked Tom about his own experience settling into Lancaster when he moved. He mentioned that his transition from London to Lancaster has helped him understand the difficulties of leaving home. He was lucky to have a Rep who looked out for him and his household. Tom would love to use his role to ensure that anyone feeling alone or unsettled could find events where they could make friends. The Cartmel Speed Dating event stood out to him and Tom said he would promote social events such as that to help people form new friendships. Tom believes a vote for him is a vote for most of Lonsdale. His love for his college is the driving force in his campaign to be part of the JCR.
