Virgil Friedman - Vice President Inclusion

Over the course of my four years at this university and two years in representation roles, I have gained a deep love for the way student government works. I have had the honour and privilege of serving as a course rep and English department president, alongside several committee positions across various societies. These roles have equipped me with skills such as welfare experience, lobbying, student-staff liaising, event planning, and administrative experience, all of which qualify me to be your next VP of Diversity and Inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion is a cause close to my heart. I am a queer, disabled, Jewish, American international student, and I came to this university knowing absolutely no one. Through clubs, societies, and the students and staff around me, I have been able to thrive here, and I want nothing more than to improve upon that system and make things easier for future students like me, and like you.

During my term, I would like to focus specifically on the following five points:
1) Improve transportation and accessibility to and from all campuses
As a physically disabled student, I have personally experienced the difficulty of getting to many of UoS' campuses, alongside the issues regarding accessibility within UoS' campuses. I intend to improve accessibility in and around all campuses, such as investigating bus routes, ramps, automatic doors, etc.

2) Establish rest rooms for disabled/ND students on all campuses

Highfield Campus has the Clarkson Rest and Study Room, a safe space that students can go to should they need privacy due to overstimulation, medical episodes, etc. I would like to ensure at least one of these exists on all campuses, so that students who are not primarily on Highfield still have a safe space to go should they require it.

3) Improve accessibility in sports and fitness programmes
Presently, the university offers a wide range of sports societies, Be Active events, and similar fitness initiatives. However, there are a lack of options that allow disabled participation. I would like to establish an initiative specifically catered to disabled individuals, as well as improving upon the accessibility of already existing programmes.

4) Provide more resources for queer students

I intend on providing more resources for queer students. University is a time of self-discovery, and I know many students who have found out they are queer while away from home and away from their support systems. I would like to make resources more readily available for these students who may need them, such as links to local support groups, hotline information, and other support sign-posting.

5) Do more international student mixers and events

Leaving home for the first time can be difficult for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for those coming from a different country. I would like to bolster the university's pre-existing international student events, as well as add in new ones, making it easier for such students to cultivate a community both amongst each other, and at the university as a whole.