The results have been announced for JCR executive elections, which took place between Monday and Wednesday Week Eight, revealing the new officers to take Lancaster University into 2011.
For Fylde Ste Smith was elected as JCR President. He said: “I’m really happy to be elected president and can’t wait for the new year to begin so that our team can get cracking with some of the the brilliant projects that we have in the pipeline. I have decided that our main goal for the year is to continue improving participation in the college from things such as elections and campaigns to socials and events.”
Jasmine Blakemore, who was elected as Cartmel’s President, said: “I’m very happy being JCR president, especially now I can get more involved with the college and university events and hopefully inspire others to take part in everything from protests and socials to elections and sports. Over the coming year I’d like to continue Cartmel’s successes and keep the college going from strength to strength. I’d like to make Extrav a sell out again. I feel that we now have a very strong foundation to build on and can afford to take more risks- be it with bigger socials, or looking to turn the Patriots’ Cup (against Furness) into a weekend event.”
Rachel Essex was voted as the president for Lonsdale JCR. “I’m extremely happy to have been voted JCR president, knowing that I have a chance to represent Lonsdale across campus and make a difference within my college. I’m so excited to get started running socials, attending meetings, talking to Lonsdale students and carrying on the great work that the JCR last year did. It’s also very exciting to be the first solo female president that Lonsdale has had in over ten years. I want to run an amazing Extrav. And another priority for me this year would be to win Founders’ [the annual sports contest between Lonsdale and Bowland]. I want an amazing Founders’ weekend with great socials and exciting matches. I want to improve college involvement by Lonsdale students having a say in Extrav and other socials. As JCR President I want to listen to any issues students have in Lonsdale, and voice them at a higher level. I will fight for what students in Lonsdale want such as battling against the bar closures.”
Christy Parkes was elected JCR president for Grizedale. “I’m obviously really, really happy about getting the presidency, but also with all of the other candidates that have won in Grizedale. We have elected a lot of freshers this year which I think is really going to bring with it some great innovation and optimism. Grizedale’s 2011 JCR exec will be open and accountable to the college and its members.” He wants his JCR exec to be “a Grizedalian voice to LUSU and the University”.
“In order to achieve this goal we will be extending office hours, improving college media, and developing the communication link to and from the JCR all in the interest of making the exec only port-paroles of the college. Our main focus is to preserve the colleges. There have, over the last few years, been some issues concerning the running of the bars and more recently the value of inter-college sports such as the Carter Shield. As a JCR we all feel strongly about preserving the colleges and will be opposing bar closures and help to maintain all college sports to the best of our ability,” he added.
He listed other issues he wished to tackle, among them “the tuition fee crisis, the closure of the nurse unit, the end of 24 hour porters”.
Sam Crompton was elected as the JCR president for Pendle. “I am exceedingly pleased with the wealth of talent and experience within our new exec. My aim for Pendle is foremost to create an open JCR Exec. By doing this socials, welfare and finances can be tailored to best fit the majority view, but also cater for Pendle students on a much more individual scale.
“Community feel, as played on during hustings, is one of my biggest passions. I feel the most informal JCR exec meeting has brought the group together and will hopefully mean Christmas break will be a very productive time for all,” he concluded.
Jemma Gaskell was elected as the JCR president for County. “My priority this year is to sort out our bar. Until the University are willing to put money into the bars, people aren’t going to use them. My priority campaign, apart from the bars will obviously be related to tuition fees. County College had a huge turn out at the protest in London and I would look to continue the work of our current President Matt Saint with regards to raising awareness about this controversial issue.
She also hopes to “attempt to make LUSU a more approachable body [by] getting rid of pointless technical jargon and getting rid of inappropriate procedures [which] will help make the body something which everyone can feel involved with, not just the people who are elected and working for the body.”
Adam Pearson was elected as JCR president for Furness. He said he feels “absolutely elated to be able to give something back to Furness. My main priority is going to be solving the problems of my fellow Furnessians, after all I have been elected to look out for their interests in the college.” He said his main focus will “be the bars, as there is a lot of outrage in our college about the Saturday closure.”
Sarah Taylor, elected as President of Postgraduate Students’ Association, said she is “very grateful to all those who supported me”. Her plans involve addressing the college’s status on campus. “I think one of the main issues in the past has been getting our voice heard. I will strive along with my fellow PGSA members to represent the postgraduate community effectively, consistently and with both enthusiasm and imagination.”
She also hinted at redressing the structure of Graduate College, something she feels “together with LUSU we can work on to improve not just for this year but for those to come.” At present Taylor feels the PGSA and post graduate students aren’t always able to communicate as well as they should.
Anastasia Rattigan was elected as Bowland JCR President. She said she’s “mainly excited mixed in with a few nerves. I’m really looking forward to being able to represent the college and start implementing ideas that I’ve thought of in Bowland, mainly in terms of communication”.
She said she plans to deal primarily with “the bar refurbishment. Last year the bar shut, but we didn’t get a refurb. I want to make sure it happens this time”. She’s also going to start looking for an alternative venue for this year’s Extrav as the bar will be out of use. Rattigan also said that while she has campaigns in mind to lead, she wants “to ask what campaign the JCR thinks is the most important first, so it’s not just my opinion”.
