Dear all
The International Student Centre's first ever AGM is to be held on March 26th at 7.45pm in APPLETON TOWER LECTURE THEATRE 1!
NOTE - New starting time (7.45pm) this is due to the fact that we must be done at 9pm latest (AT closes at that time).
Any student at the University of Edinburgh can vote!
Here are our Candidates - remember for each position you may also vote Re-open Nominations if you believe a better candidate did not get to run:
President:
Max Palmer O'Connor:
There are many ways to state ones intent, the majority of which you will find heaped full of promises of suitability with an over-moderate splash of credentials. I will for mine deviate from this tried and true method and produce more auto-biographical account of my time with ISC in a hope that it will help motivate peoples understanding to why I’m here and why I am stating my intent for Presidency. I also write this statement on the assumption that if you are reading it; you are already familiar with what it is we do here.
I myself am not an international student all though by no definition am I native to Scotland. Over time I’ve become familiar with Edinburgh and indeed call it my home, three years ago was a very different story. I like to see my first year in Edinburgh as a toned down version of what many international students if not all of them feel when first arriving. Arriving at a new place to make new friends and experience new things is something that I myself went through in my first year when I reflect on the difficulties I had in comparison to what it must be like for those who travel across the world to go through the same experience I am nothing but sympathetic. My time at the ISC has given me a new found respect for people who study abroad, if I found it scary travelling 300 miles within the same kingdom how must it be to travel 1000, 3000, 5000 miles to do the same thing. Hence my interest in fostering a greater support network and international community was born.
The ISC is just that in my eyes. It captivates my desire to for better integration for international students, for greater interactions (socially) between international students, to me it’s an institution designed to enhance studies abroad and help reduce some of the hardships that going-it-alone in other countries might bring.
I’ve taken on a fair few roles at the ISC starting as a more than frequent visitor, a weekly volunteer and now a member of the Core Committee. It is the best example I hold of having worked my way up from the bottom and running for President in my eyes is the next logical step. This year I’ve had my fingers in several pies I’ve worked closely with other Core-Com members in an attempt to shape the direction we see as beneficiary for international students and the ISC itself. This has included among many things writing a constitution to ensure properties that ISC possesses remain, problems with the ISC disappear and the opportunity of expansion is kindled. These are processes we’ve all started this year and in my eyes are processes which need to continue next year – Hopefully under the guidance of someone who helped create them.
There are many ideas I have concerning the ISC’s future which like any will be subject to trial and error, I couldn’t even begin to list them all here but generally speaking I want the ISC to continue along its path of expansion and I want it to gain firmer footing within the University. The ISC to this day still remains a relatively unknown gem in Uni life this is something we have started to change and something I wish to continue. – This may seem a bit vague I’m going to leave the small print for my speech at AGM.
-Max
Vice-President:
Elina Jacobs:
Hi there,
My name is Elina, and even though you haven’t seen me around this year, I am an international student at Edinburgh University, I am just currently away on my exchange year (in Sydney, Australia) ☺
I have been involved with the ISC in my first two years, and I would love to continue with that when I get back next year in my fourth year!
First of all, having served in the Core Committee since my second semester in first year until the end of my second semester, I think I have the right experience to serve as the president’s second-help – I have seen how things are supposed to be run, I have shown commitment previously, and I would be happy to help out with the ISC wherever I can.
I am particularly interested in strengthening our links with EUSA and their commitments towards international students. I think I will be the right person to do this, considering it was me, alongside Kasifa, who first met Johanna (from EUSA) in my second year during Fresher’s Week as a Freshers Week volunteer, and I immediately told her about the ISC and suggested we should work together. It was during my second year that we started trying to establish bonds with EUSA, and I would be keen to keep working on that by attending the International Round Table meetings and working together with the various cultural and international societies at our university. Having been an exchange student myself also puts me into a great position to liaise with Exchange 360, a very successful society with which it would be great to cooperate. There are many great societies out there, and we are all working towards the same goal: ensuring international students feel welcomed and taken care off, and I certainly think it will be both our, the ISC’s, as well as their benefit to work together to achieve that.
Secondly, I think I am the ideal person to serve as the Trips Coordinator’s second-help. I did Trips during my first two years and I was the Coordinator myself in my second year, and this provides me with ample experience about how things are organised within the Trips Team, and I understand very well how demanding the workload of the Coordinator is. I will be honest at this point and say that I can’t promiss that I will be at all of the Trips meetings, however I can promiss that I will support the Trips Coordinator and keep up with what the Trips Team is doing through keeping in touch with the Coordinator and keeping up with the minutes of the meetings I can’t make. I loved doing Trips and would want to help out anyway, and I would say that it’s not the physical presence of the VP at the meetings that will be most important to the Coordinator, but the fact that there is someone who knows exactly what they are going through and can help in any aspect that is needed, and I can be that person without a doubt.
Finally, I will also be more than happy to help the Events Coordinator with the major events of the year. As Kasifa can hopefully confirm to you, I already did that anyway in my second year to a certain extent. I am the kind of person to get involved in lots of things, ie in a lot of societies, which means that I know a lot of people, which means that I am a great networker. When we first started International Evening in my second year, I brought in about a third of the performing societies and set up a Finnish stall with a few friends (even though there isn’t even a Finnish society). I hope this provides enough evidence that I’d probably do a great job at recruiting societies and helping out with the Events Team!
Altogether, I’d say my experience, drive and commitment provide me with all the qualities needed for this position, and I am very motivated to make the most out of this position. Having been involved in a lot of volunteering, various committees and teams, I have also developed the necessary leadership and teamwork skills needed for this position.
Please also read below further general reasons on why I should be in the core committee, which don’t specifically relate to a particular position! Thanks ☺
[The second part is under House Manager with a focus on that position]
Aurimas Nausedas:
I am a 3rd year undergraduate (again xD) doing BSc Chemistry in Edinburgh Univerity and am a lithuanian, which is one of the reasons you should vote for me. Also, as I will be a member of the council of Lithuanian Society thats is this even more reason to vote for me as it wold definately bring lithuanians closer to ISC.
I would like to apply for veice-president (MAIN), or secrear. During my yet short life, while being in Lithuania I had been one of the founders of Public Youth Club (VJK), which had activities ranging basically in event organizations, but more based on discussions. While beign an active member of VJK, I with couple of members were responsible for organsing forum with high government offiials, of which mainly involved student discussions with Lithuania''s prime minister or education minister about rights improvement for students and how could school education in LTU be improved, etc. whilie speaking not only with students, but also school administrations and teachers. The events organized usually had been based on discussion followed by questions type. It mainly was concentrated to politics, however some of the officials we had in forums involved university deans or representatives for the athlethics or team sports depending on what that week was the major topic chosen (if anyone has any question of how the VJK worked, what other topics were discussed and how were they discused - please contact me). Also, I was an active member of Civil Academy "Civitas", which mainly concentrated on talks with officials from different fields mainly involving arts and economics, but also science, education, business. Unfortunately, for the 1st 2 years, while being in university I did not belong to any of the social culbs or societies, event though in the 1st year I belonged to basketball club, while transferring to rowing club in my 2nd year. However, not doing (being an active person) activities like organizing stuff or arranging forums or talks and basically being active, are one of the things I miss enormously and cannot forgive myself for not going to ISC earlier while being in uni then now. Hopefully that is not a big deal. As I am a Lithuanian, I would also like to represent not only my home country, but aslo the other small baltic sea states: Estonia and Latvia. We, 3 of us, have a lot in common and the major problems why there are quite just a few of us in ISC is mainly to do with our pride and being afraid of all the big nations (yes, I agree that sounds silly, but we kind of have that unpleasant feeling). Hope that is not going to affect the voting as if I would be selected that would be immense to the ISC in whatever position I can be elected even though, I could best receal myself inn VP. I am definite about it. Just for fun: as part of a member I could easily intoduce you to the amzing cuisine of Lithuania (majorly), Latvia and Estonia. Hope international students find it interesting. Also, in 2012 - 2013 academic year I will have a lot of free time in 1st semester as I have already finished all of the coursework for the 1st semester (if anyone is interesed why please feel free to comtact me and ask it or anything else) so meetings and orgaizational activitis would be easily managed by me as I basically I baically have free 1st semester even though I am 3rd year student. Also, I think some of you might find interesting that for 2 years I have been a member of Lithuanian School Student Union with positions of regional and city coordinator, council member and treasurer (however it should be mentioned that it was done if I recall corretly for a month oly as the guy responsible for it had to live country for unexoected reasons). Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any qeustions and if you would like to at least see me - we can try arranging skype call as at the moment I am in my rehab facility in Vilnius, Lithuania (the main reason, why I could not show myself to you guys).
Kyle Ng:
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to put my candidacy for Vice President.
I first came to the ISC in the beginning of my second year and have grown very attached to the place where I have made so many friends. I would like to give back to the community that has given me so much. Previously, I had been active in the events sub-committee and as a lounge volunteer, but I wish to have the opportunity to do more for the ISC.
I believe I have the skill required to undertake this position. I am highly reliable and have been a part of almost all of the services the ISC provides, with the Trips committee being the exception. In addition, I work well in a team and believe I would be a valuable asset to the new committee. Furthermore, I have done many similar roles in the past, such as being the co-coordinator for underclassmen camping trips in my high school and as the class representative for Accountancy 1 in my first year. Undoubtedly these experiences would prove helpful in this role.
Treasurer:
Kyle Ng:
To Whom It May Concern:
I would also like to put my candidacy for Treasurer.
I first came to the ISC in the beginning of my second year and have grown very attached to the place where I have made so many friends. I would like to give back to the community that has given me so much. Previously, I had been active in the events sub-committee and as a lounge volunteer, but I wish to have the opportunity to do more for the ISC.
I believe I have the skill required to undertake this position. I have experience with mathematics and accountancy due to my degree of study (Joint Honors in Economics and Accounting), which means auditing the ISC budgets would be easy for me. In addition, I work well in a team and believe I would be a valuable asset to the new committee. Furthermore, I have done many similar roles in the past, such as being treasurer for my high school magazine and as the class representative for Accountancy 1 in my first year. Undoubtedly these experiences would prove helpful in this role.
Trips Coordinator:
Jaap van Leeuwenstijn:
Hi,
My name is Jaap van Leeuwenstijn and I am running for the position of Trips coordinator. I want to run for this position because I have been involved at the ISC before as part of the Events committee and I would like to adapt my skills to lead the Trips committee next year. I am an organized person and I have got previous experience in running committees. I love working with people and the fact that I study engineering has given me the ability to solve problems easily as they come up. Finally, I would love to put my time and effort into the Trips committee for next year!
Events Coordinator:
Ivo Zoller:
My name is Ivo Zoller and I have been on the events committee for over a year and have been attending and helping on events for over two. Being centrally involved in the planning of a multitude of events ranging from Monday Cultural Nights to the larger International Desert Nights and International Evenings, I am more than sufficiently qualified to take the ropes and hopefully improve on what was another successful year. As a motivated and organized individual, I believe I can make a difference and a great Events coordinator. The success of the ISC is already of great significance to myself and will only be more so if I receive the honor of doing this position. I already have various ideas on future events and extensions to current events and would like to test the possibility of an online ticketing resource and a simplified model for reimbursement of those hosting the events. My technical inclination means that I aim to push for modernization of the equipment used in Monday nights, but also of equipment in general.
As Event’s Coordinator I hope to also work together with the other ISC team members to continue making the ISC a friendly place to visitors and regulars alike. I also hope to further pursue the many new ideas and suggestions I have had the pleasure to discuss with the current committee, such as the possibility of a larger room.
I hope I have your vote for the position of Events Coordinator!
Secretary:
Disi Chen:
The International Student Centre has successfully brought together students from across the globe, and I would like to be given the opportunity to be a part of the committee and continue the smooth running of this community.
I want to pursue the role of the secretary, as I am by nature an extremely organised person and am able to prioritise issues accordingly. Furthermore, I frequently check my emails and will therefore always be up to date with correspondences.
Another reason I should be elected onto the committee as secretary is the fact that English is my first language, and I am therefore able to reply emails in a professional and concise manner. I will ensure that meeting minutes are also accurately typed out and distributed at the end of each meeting, keeping all committee members well informed on what’s happening.
Finally, as I am also currently running for the International Students Welfare Council Representative, being a committee member would greatly benefit other international students and the ISC itself. As I would be able to bring up issues the ISC has regarding events or other welfare matters when attending EUSA meetings.
As I am frequently at the ISC, it would make sense for me to dedicate a greater portion of my time to aid in running the ISC.
Aurimas Nausedas:
See under Vice-President.
Publicity Secretary
Clara Sophie Kantner:
Why I want to be Publicity Secretary:
I know that I would do a great job as Publicity Secretary because it is about advertising and promoting the ISC, something I have been doing all this year already without even noticing. I constantly tell all the people I know about events, trips and other things that are happening and I would love to do this on a more professional basis, posting on Facebook or putting up posters and handing out flyers. Right now, I am volunteering at the lounge and on the events committee, which I have enjoyed very much.
I feel that the ISC already has a very well established presence on campus and online, but I would like to increase the awareness among students as well as maintaining the current image. I am great at communicating on various levels, be it talking to people, emailing, calling or posting online. I really enjoy talking to new people and inform them about the current events and on-goings of the ISC.
But most, I would love to be on the core committee and contribute to preserve the greatness of the ISC. I feel like it is a small community that can do so much for Edinburgh University students and I would like to be more than just a volunteer. I want to contribute in the decision making process and support the core committee and our president with my personal input.
I hope to be there for next year and make it a great one.
Please vote for me.
Lounge and Socials Volunteers Coordinator
Jois Gonzales:
To whom it may concern,
I would like to put my candidacy forwards for the position of Lounge coordinator.
This is my first year at university and even though I already knew some people in the city before moving in, during Freshers Week I got introduced to the ISC and the people who run and visit it. They introduced me to the city, the university and helped me settle in. The ISC provided a great social environment where I have met most of my friends and they all were as welcoming as could be, and ever since, I have hung out at the ISC almost every day, even having three different shifts in the lounge (though shift or no shift I’m probably there in my spare time). Furthermore, I’m also in the events committee, helping Adam out organize events (such as the Mexican night) or simply helping out wherever and however I can. This enables me to get involved with the ISC outside the lounge and aids in my understanding of how the committee. Hence, I would like to run in the core committee to help create a friendly environment and social gatherings for everyone, as I would like others to have an even better time than I did.
I think I am a good candidate for this position as I believe I am an outgoing person who is easily approachable and can easily provide a nice atmosphere where people can feel at ease. Moreover, I can organize myself in such a way that I could easily keep track of the lounge volunteers and since I am at the ISC a lot of the time, can also keep track of who actually turns up for their shifts or not. I want the ISC to keep being the friendly and easy going place in which everyone can have a good and relaxing time.
Also, since I am a volunteer now and still don’t know other volunteers who turn up when I’m in tutorials or lectures, I think that it would be a nice change if there would be more social gatherings for the volunteers to know each other better, asides form the end of the year volunteer party.
Jois
Alexia Petri:
When I came to Edinburgh it was a completely new experience, I didn’t know anyone and was slightly apprehensive about starting law school. I stumbled upon the ISC through one of their freshers week events and haven’t left since. Last term I was a lounge volunteer and this term a events volunteer. I spend a large portion of my time at the ISC and feel that I could be an asset as the lounge coordinator. Having spent so much time at the ISC I feel that I know how the lounge is supposed to run and would be able to continue the tradition of smooth sailing. Furthermore, I love meeting new people and introducing them to the ISC and as such I feel I would be able to recruit the volunteers needed to keep the lounge running. In high school, I was the captain of my football team as well as a class representative, which show both my organizational qualities and my confidence. My main motivation for running for this position is mostly a selfish one: I love the ISC and how its become almost a second home and don’t want to see that change next year. The addition of social coordinator is a wonderful idea, which I wholeheartedly support and I think I would be able to find and plan activities, which would foster a sense of community within the lounge volunteers and the other voluntary sections. These would include but are not limited to football games in the meadows, pub nights and game nights among others. For those of you that know me, you already know that I’m sociable, motivated, confidant and outgoing, the essential qualities for this position. For those of you who don’t I look forward to getting to know you and proving that I not only posses these qualities but will put them at your service. Lastly, I feel that I would be perfect for the position, as I understand what it entails and am willing and ready to take on that commitment.
House Manager:
Ivo Zoller:
See Under Events.
Clara Sophie Kantner:
Why I want to be House Manager:
When I first started thinking about running for a position on the ISC committee, I thought that House Manager would be the good fit for me. I am fairly efficient when it comes to checking and replenishing stock and doing inventory, which I had to do at my last job as well. I generally like things to be organised and I have cleaned up and stored things away at the ISC on more than one occasion – cups, coffee filters or even pillows in the corner. I know I would do a good job at buying the regular necessities: coffee, tea, milk as well as food for coffee evening and staying within the given budget. When it comes to recycling, I feel that we can still do more to raise awareness, put up some signs or introduce a battery recycling box.
Alexia Petri:
When I came to Edinburgh it was a completely new experience, I didn’t know anyone and was slightly apprehensive about starting law school. I stumbled upon the ISC through one of their freshers week events and haven’t left since. Last term I was a lounge volunteer and this term and an events volunteer. I spend a large portion of my time at the ISC and feel that I could be an asset as the house manager. Having spent so much time at the ISC I feel that I know how the lounge is supposed to run and would be able to continue the tradition of smooth sailing. When tasks are set to me I always accomplish them, even if its just getting more milk and coffee. In high school, I was the captain of my football team as well as a class representative, which show both my organizational qualities and my confidence. My main motivation for running for this position is mostly a selfish one: I love the ISC and how its become almost a second home and don’t want to see that change next year. For those of you that know me, you already know that I’m motivated, confidant, organised and coordinated, the essential qualities for this position. For those of you who don’t I look forward to getting to know you and proving that I not only posses these qualities but will put them at your service. Lastly, I feel that I would be perfect for the position, as I understand what it entails and am willing and ready to take on that commitment.
Elina Jacobs:
Hi there,
My name is Elina, and even though you haven’t seen me around this year, I am an international student at Edinburgh University, I am just currently away on my exchange year (in Sydney, Australia) ☺
I have been involved with the ISC in my first two years, and I would love to continue with that when I get back next year in my fourth year!
[See under Vice-President for first half with focus on VP]
As I mentioned above, I have been part of the Core Committee for about a year and a half, and I have proven to be committed and willing to help out at whatever needs to be done at the ISC.
My classes will be based in George Square, which means that I will be around a lot, which again means that I will easily be able to check up on the ISC and make sure everything is stocked up during the week and for various events. I have shown that I am reliable and can be trusted with money, which is an essential attribute since it would be my job to buy things for the ISC. I am also by nature a tidy person and thus would certainly make sure the place stays tidy, as that is an important part of making a place feel welcoming. I am also a bit of an environmentalist, and thus I would be sure to be taking very good care of the recycling.
In general, I have a lot of experience with the ISC that I can contribute to decision makings and alike.
For further comments what I can contribute to the Core Com, please see below!
Further attributes I can contribute to the ISC Core Committee
I am very enthusiastic, reliable and organised. Being on exchange has been a great experience so far, and in a way it is also further motivating me to want to make sure all international students at Edinburgh, be it full time students, exchange students or postgrads, get a good welcome to our uni, which is one of the core missions of the ISC.
At the same time, having done an amazing volunteer program here at UNSW inspires me and has given me a lot of ideas that I think we can adopt in Edinburgh at the ISC, too – particularly to ensure that the whole process of volunteering for the ISC is as rewarding and fun as possible. As such, I would be happy to liaise with the Lounge/Social Coordinator to share ideas on how to make sure that volunteering for the ISC really is a great experience. I know you probably want examples, but I think that’s going to make my whole statement a little bit too long, so you’ll just have to trust me with my enthusiasm on that one.
I hope I have provided enough reasons on why should vote for me. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thank you for voting for me, should you decided to do that, which I obviously very much hope you will. Thanks
[Apologies to candidates for slight text edits to fit the format of this post]
So without further ado, I hope to see you all there!
Rasmus Dall
- President
