As part of the mini-series of 2015 sabbatical interviews, the Wessex Scene team are interviewing all sabbatical officers this week to catch up on their progress, whats gone well or badly so far and what plans they have for semester 2 and beyond.

At the midpoint of her term, Icaught up with VP Engagement Ellie Cawthera to talk General Elections,communications and communities.

What will be the biggest priority for the remainder of your time?

Can I pick two?

General Election, and encouraging and supporting student voter registrations, getting them to vote, and advising students on what issues are important to them so they can have an educated vote. Also, the other priority is Community relationships, and an initiative Im doing in January as part of Building bridges, door-to-door with police, students and council, student safety and theft, reminding students not to leave their windows open, putting footprints through the door. Also giving out teabags, which seems quite odd but it is going to have a message on it: have you met your neighbor, how about offering them a cuppa?

One of your biggest projects is going to be student participation in the General Election 2015. How do you think putting 20,000 into promoting voter participation will benefit students?

Union councilors have approved for SUSU to spend to up 20,000 but have been given 18,000 by trustee board. SUSU are doing a huge amount, and the initiative isnt just for University of Southampton students, its for Solent and Further Education (sixth-form) students too. Well be arranging hustings, which should engage loads of students. Well be doing large scale advertising, lobbying to make Mayflower Halls a polling station. Well also be creating our own website, where students can find out how they register, its also going to have a list of issues which will effect students, which they can order which is most important to them. So by the end of it we have a list of issues that effect students, and we can shake that stick to MPs and candidates what do you think about this?

Here is the original post:

Sabb Interviews: VP Engagement, Ellie Cawthera