Sophia Hanson

Hi, my name is Sophia and I am a second-year student of philosophy and politics. I've previously run a week-long campaign to raise money for an LGBT charity named Space and currently help run the committee at the LGBT society, which has given me the experience and provided motivation to continue advocating for marginalized groups. This history is good and all, but I hope we all can agree that the most important qualities for this role are the self-reflectiveness and openness to be led by the community. These are qualities I will strive to embody above all else if i am elected.

Here are a breakdown of my policies:

• Continue Southampton says enough
  • Utilise further surveys to determine if sexual harassment is decreasing in clubs/societies
  • Strengthen anti-spiking measures by including reusable drink caps as standard at SUSU venues while pushing Southampton venues to follow suit.
  • Resolve any unfinished business from last year

• Launch a lobbying campaign for gender neutral and accessible facilities at UOS and across southampton
  • Place a focus on greatly improved signposting around UOS that specifically marks toilets and changing rooms as gender neutral or accessible and directs to the nearest ones if none are available 
  • Push for more accessible and gender neutral and accessible toilets across southampton as a whole, working with local venues and the city council

• Work to bolster the student community and promote healthy values
  • Lobby for improved mental health support and push for greater visibility for men's mental health 
  • Work with the university to establish and improve regular socials in hall common places that involve giveaways of food and product samples
  • Introduce a ‘body positivity’ week with workshops and events focused on improving awareness and acceptance on eating disorders, disabilities and gender
  • Push UOS to include medical supplies in the common areas of student halls

• Place a focus on cost of living assistance
  • Continue and expand SUSU’s initiatives that provide free or discounted food to students who may need it
  • Offer free ‘meal kits’ made up of healthy, vegetarian/vegan tinned food to students who need them
  • Lobby for a reduction in bus pass prices for members of the university
  • Lobby for a “student off peak” ticket on busses

• Work with VP democracy to ensure susu fully represent the student populous
  • Commission surveys with WSA, postgrad, NOCS and mature students to find out what SUSU could do to improve their experiences at university.
  • See if it is possible and practical to increase the amount of sortocracy within SUSU

• Adopt a campus cat!
  • look at getting a campus cat for both WSA and highfield 
  • restrict it from spaces like the library and lecture buildings to minimise the effect on those with cat allergies or phobias
  • Work with local shelters to ensure our campus cat(s) are fit for the job

Thank you very much for reading all of this :). If you’d like to know more about my plans i encourage you to check me out on instagram at:

SophiaVP_welfare