President Elect, Micky Armstrong, tells us his plans for the year ahead and asks what we want from the SU

If you can’t be bothered to read this don’t bother to condemn it! My first column for a student newspaper; I do not want to seem patronising, dictatorial, bombastic or idiotic… so bear with me.

I start my term in office having been elected in the most poorly attended elections of my university career. This does not shock me. Throughout campaigning I was amazed that many people didn’t know what the SU was, never mind what it was meant to be doing. Therefore perhaps it wasn’t student apathy that led to only about ten per cent of people voting. Then again, perhaps it was.

I see the SU and, particularly my job, as serving the needs and interests of all students throughout the University of York; be it from ensuring that the development of Heslington East has our interests at heart, to the welfare of people walking back from Toffs or Ziggys.

However, it seems that the SU is doomed. Students don’t like to be told what they need, nor how to live their lives. Any action the SU takes seems to be doing this. If students don’t tell us what’s wrong or what they want how are we meant to know.

To go back to my election campaign; I ran on the basis that the SU was meant to work for the student body, not the student body working for the SU. Therefore this year I aim to ask more of what the students want. This can’t fall on deaf ears, I need an answer.

It may seem great if nobody speaks out - I just do whatever I want and try and get away with it. But that is not what I want and that is not why I stood for President. Obviously I will continue the good work of my predecessors in the (seemingly) never ending issues of a central venue and student welfare etc. but I would love to know what else you would like from the SU.

I can’t promise much, I would love to have a union bar that sells a pound a pint, for every room to be en suite and for everybody to get a first without attending a lecture, but that might not happen. However I am sure there are things I am able to do and, therefore, if you ask, I can promise I will try.

My point is not to have a go at people for not voting, or to tell you to stop hating me or the SU, it’s your right to have an opinion. I don’t want to sound preachy or arrogant and if you think what I am writing is crap then turn the page.

My point is simply this, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong I can’t fix it, if you don’t tell me what you want I can’t give it to you. The SU is easily contactable and I’ll try my best to make it more so, so its now down to you. What do you want? What’s the beef?

President Elect, Micky Armstrong

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