Hi, my name is Katie, I am a second-year psychology student running to be your Whitelands President.

I know the power of our voice. As president of Roehampton STAR (Student Action for Refugees) society we have witnessed this with the success of the equal access campaign on the RSU Idea’s page. We asked Roehampton University to offer scholarship, bursaries and accommodation to refugees. We received a record breaking 221 net votes and this achievement was due to us working together towards a common goal. Despite success, we are still waiting for a response to implement the schemes, but we are still motivated and determined to achieve this goal. The perk of being Whitelands college president is free on-campus accommodation. If elected, I want to give my free accommodation to a refugee student. I have spoken to RSU, Head of Whitelands, Whitelands Accommodation, and Roehampton University’s Accommodation team to approve this; as it has never been done before it needs to pass one last stage before we can finalise it. This proves that I am dedicated and determined to make our ideas a reality. Starting now, we will make a difference together.

As Whitelands President I will have more influence on campaigning for other important ideas and issues that students raise. I want to represent your voice by listening to academic and residential issues, and developing solutions. For example, an on-going issue is the coin-only washing machines. These either need to be replaced with card payment or a card to coin machine needs to be installed in the laundry room.

A big change in the last year has been Whitelands social media presence. This is a great tool for promoting events and raising awareness of important issues. I wish to continue by taking over the Whitelands Instagram and making use of other platforms such as snapchat, to involve more students in the community. As the majority of Whitelands know, the Sett is often forgotten about. It has been promised many times before that this issue will be resolved but time and time again this promise is never fulfilled. However, as I have already mentioned I am determined and committed to achieving your ideas. It is evident that Whitelands need a space to relax and socialise in during the day and night. I have plans to increase the use of this space through various events such as pre-drinks before Bop on a Friday night and cinema nights. This will be an opportunity to meet new people and increase inclusivity by closing the gap between on-campus and off-campus students.

My main aims:

• Implement a years-worth of free accommodation for a refugee
• Implement solutions to issues raised by you
• Increase Whitelands’ community spirt

I want to be your voice. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact me at nguyenk@roehampton.ac.uk  as I want us to work together as a team. Together, we will make a difference.