I was super keen to get involved with societies when I first joined UCL back in 2019 but wasn't really sure where to start or how it even worked. I found Pi to be a really welcoming society in which I felt I was part of a community who all shared a passion for writing and storytelling, and I knew I wanted to stay involved with that. Having been a writer for my first year, I decided to run for Social Media Officer when the elections opened and had a blast doing this in my second year. Having had such a positive experience of being on committee, I then decided to run for President.
I was really interested in learning more about the mechanics of a society, particularly a student paper. When I ran for President, my campaign focused on the values of community, inclusivity and accessibility. I've tried to champion these same things throughout my tenure as President this year.
Nominations are open now
Put yourself forward for election by noon on 4 March
It was a little strange running for election during the pandemic, and it meant I had to rely on social media to spread the word about my campaign. But this was a super effective method of campaigning, and I'd definitely recommend doing this even now that we're back to in-person activities. Lots of my friends who ran for committee and part-time officer positions even made their own social media pages dedicated to their campaigns.
Overall, the process was really easy. Submitting a short manifesto and photograph means it's super simple for anyone to run, and definitely makes the prospect feel a lot less daunting!
Leading the society out of lockdown and back into in-person activities was definitely challenging, and it was important to strike the balance between giving face-to-face opportunities and making sure that society members felt safe and supported. But I found establishing myself as a friendly, approachable face within the society definitely helped with this – it was particularly great to see so many new and returning faces during Welcome Week. We ran a really successful programme of events, which was a little stressful but incredibly rewarding.
I'm most proud incorporating my Holocaust Education work into Pi's coverage. I've been an Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust for three years now, and knew this kind of work, in advancing Holocaust Education and raising awareness of contemporary antisemitism and wider discrimination, was something I definitely wanted to incorporate whatever I did at UCL. Over my tenure as President, I've hosted events, conducted interviews, written articles and collaborated with UCL Jewish Society. It's work that is really close to my heart, and I'm grateful to have made an impact in this way.
Aside from this, it has been great to work on the first print edition of Pi Magazine since the pandemic begin, as well as host a London student media networking event for student journalists across UCL, KCL and LSE.
Being President is definitely a big commitment! The admin side was a little unexpected (but perhaps this was a naivety on my part!), but the wealth of opportunities the role has provided have made it undeniably worthwhile. It's super rewarding to see the impact you have had throughout the year. Being President of a society is an achievement in itself, regardless of what you do – just keeping a society running takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
Not only have I alluded to my role as President in pretty much every job application I've done so far, I've had a wonderful time leading such a large, vibrant and exciting society.
A leadership role equips you with so many useful skills that you'll definitely carry forward with you, but it's also a lot of fun – it has allowed me to meet some of my closest friends.
My advice for anyone considering standing - go for it! It may seem daunting (I definitely thought it was) but it ended up being the best decision. There's lots of advice and information available if you're thinking of running. I'd recommend getting in touch with the person currently in the position you're looking to run for, to pick their brains on what you might expect from the role, and what they would advise for a successful year on committee. Your role on committee can be what you make of it – grasp the opportunity to have a positive impact on the UCL student community.
Nominations are open
Each year in March, every student at UCL votes to elect the leaders of clubs, societies and the Students’ Union. 1,000’s put themselves forward and 1,000’s vote. The students you elect start work in the summer and spend the next academic year making more happen at UCL.
You can put yourself forward to lead a club, society or the Students’ Union, then encourage students to vote for you. The Leadership Race is open to all.
Most of the leadership roles are voluntary, undertaken alongside your studies, but six are full-time paid positions where those elected take a sabbatical year and lead the entire Students’ Union.