Written by Luke Alsford
The election for president of the student union is being contested between the current president, Dan Lonsdale, and Abdul Wahab Imran, a second-year accounting and finance student and president of Durham’s Pakistan Association. Palatinate interviewed both candidates about their reasons for candidacy and their plans for their time in charge of SU.
Dan Lonsdale
Dan Lonsdale came third in 2022 and is running for his third SU presidential election after winning an unopposed election last year. When asked why he is running for re-election, he cited the benefits of having a continuing candidate in the position.
Mr Lonsdale said he had already overseen “positive changes” as president and set himself “up for a successful second and third term”. He claimed that “it made sense to do it again” in his second year. Despite these successes, he said, “There’s a long list of things that need fixing…When the situation is this dire for students, it doesn’t make sense for me to step back and let someone else do it.” he admitted. [take over] It may be someone who has no interest or knowledge. ” He said securing further investment worth £500,000 from Durham University into the Durham Grant was a “major achievement” of his tenure so far.
Addressing County Durham’s housing crisis has been one of Mr Lonsdale’s biggest issues as governor this year and remains one of his re-election priorities. Part of the progress he touts lies in plans to create cooperatives, a democratic form of nonprofit homeownership. He believes cooperatives “will have a huge impact…over time.” [housing] price. ” Mr Lonsdale said members were “in the process of being legally confirmed” and were looking for the first property to become a co-op.
He said the most viable way for his plan to impact housing affordability in Durham was to “challenge” the prices of university-owned accommodation to come down. That’s because lodging makes up 38% of Durham’s market and is the root cause of Durham’s “affordability problem,” he claims.
When he ran for SU’s chancellor last year, Lonsdale promised to be “tough but fair and proactive” in leading the relationship between SU and Durham University. He promised to continue that stance if elected for his second year. He said their current working relationship is “healthy” and they “get the job done for the students,” but “we don’t let the students roll with us.” Mr Lonsdale said he wants to hold the university to account for its “regressive” decision-making process. This means it took three months after SU first proposed it to agree to an increase in Durham grants, which it claims means it will stop taking students “on board.” ”
Mr Lonsdale believes his plans for housing co-operatives “will have a huge impact on… over time”. [housing] price. ”
The relationship between the students’ union and the university’s JCR is also a central pillar of Mr Lonsdale’s re-election campaign, as he pledges to build “bridges between SU and the student community”. As proof of his own abilities in this “important” area, Mr Lonsdale pointed to the joint work SU and University JCR have undertaken this year on “housing and many other issues”. He claimed the cooperation was “rattling” and would “much anger the universities who are constantly trying to drive a wedge between us”.
Mr Lonsdale wants to overhaul university admissions procedures and introduce compulsory “social admissions” with the aim of creating a more “positive culture” around rape, sexual assault and discrimination. . He said this was needed to address what remained as an “elitist culture” in Durham, which was not addressed by the current “consent quiz” that the university required students to take. .In an interview with PalatinateMr Lonsdale suggested that the module could be worth five or 10 credits and could be delivered during Welcome Week, but that it would be “in line with other important parts of the academic curriculum that people are paying for.” It does not invalidate any part of it.”
The biggest challenge Lonsdale predicts he will encounter next year is the housing crisis, calling it “the most national issue facing students.” He believes the problem can be “solved locally” and looks forward to working with the new North East Mayors Coalition, who will be first elected in May. He said he had “proved” he had the “vision” to deal with the housing crisis, but his opponents did not know “how to solve” the problem.
Abdul Wahab Imran
Palatinate I also interviewed Mr Lonsdale’s opponent, Abdul Wahab Imran, who is running for SU president for the first time. The “main reason” he’s in the position is because it’s “the biggest and biggest position in the student council,” and he works to address issues he hears other students “complain about.” Because I want to. Wahab Imran believes he is in a position to “speak up” and “represent” student issues.
His experience as president of the Durham Pakistan Association, along with his ability to “engage with a variety of people and get to know their views” and his “interactive, friendly and confident” characteristics make him the right person for the SU president position. he said.
Wahab Imran reflected on how he evaluated the students’ union under its current president, pointing out the apathy towards the SU and its actions among the student body. He commented that the role of SU was “very unfamiliar” to many students and that many students “don’t care” about joining SU. Meanwhile, he wants to be a university president who encourages student participation, especially “students from different cultures that I want to bring together.” He said he would introduce an “online portal” that would allow students to submit university questions “anonymously”.
Respecting and promoting international and cultural diversity within Durham is a central element of his campaign. Wahab Imran, an international student himself, pointed out that many international students are “shy”. He suggested “frequently organizing cultural events” so that “people from different backgrounds” could come together and “get to know each other and the Students’ Union”.
Wahab Imran said only: “We will solve the housing crisis.” He acknowledged that housing issues this year are “much better” than in 2022-2023. He said his “main purpose” was to “speak out” and “highlight” housing issues and “speak to Durham County Council and the council”. A local politician who takes on the challenge of solving problems at an affordable price. Wahab Imran said his priority was to tackle the housing crisis by raising public awareness and claimed he “didn’t think the university could help much”, but the price of university-owned accommodation He promised to “definitely talk” with the university about this issue. “I hope housing prices will go down,” he added.
Another manifesto commitment of his advocacy is “24/7” JCR and MCR for students. Wahab Imran complained that while many JCRs and MCRs are open 24 hours a day, “cafés are not normally open” and “coffee machines don’t work.” He wants JCR to support students who are “studying late” and need “snacks” and coffee, which he will be available 24/7. Indeed, Wahab Imran said his own pledge meant the cafe would stay open until “at least 3am”, as many takeaways in Durham remain open until then. . The proposal also includes opening the gymnasium at night because “many students like to do things at night.”
A “key” part of Wahab Imran’s campaign is his idea to introduce electric bikes across Durham and at universities. His motivation is to support students who are “walking long distances in Durham” with what he believes will be a very affordable scheme for them. Wahab Imran acknowledged it was an ambitious plan, but said he would be in touch with e-bike companies and that “the university’s investment is not needed” to make the proposal a reality.
Nothing is impossible. In my opinion, the word itself says “I can do it.”
Abdul Wahab Imran
The most striking goal of Wahab Imran’s manifesto is that he wants to achieve “reduced tuition fees.” He said tuition fees had become “very expensive for many people,” especially international students who “don’t come from wealthy or affluent families.” He said he would “lobby” the university’s “management” to achieve this goal, hoping that those in charge would “at least consider” and “look into this issue.” Asked whether he thought the manifesto’s goals were realistic, he clarified that he was “giving no guarantees” that the pledge would “be fulfilled”. He added: “Nothing is impossible. In my opinion, the word itself says ‘I can do it.'”
Wahab Imran agrees with his opponents that his biggest challenge as head of SU this year is not only “tuition and accommodation” but also the housing crisis. To address these issues, he said, he would “go to university” with his ideas and “take their suggestions.” He added that he would be “talking to various real estate agents” to change the issue of housing affordability.
Voting for the student union election closes on Monday 12thth February.
Image: Dan Hodgson
