Greetings!
We're Pablo and Sophie and we'd love to be your Working Class Students' Officers. Though we both fit exactly what would be considered "working class" by this position, we believe strongly that the very scope of this role should be widened. We reflect this by coming from different backgrounds as well, which will help us work together to make this a university for everyone, especially the economically oppressed. As unabashed socialists, we firmly stand on the fact as well that unless you own a means of production, you are a member of the working class and we will be your advocates through thick and thin at SOAS. This does not, however, mean that we will ignore our own disadvantaged demographic and we will fight hard to make sure that financially disadvantaged students get the resources and support they need. However, we can't do this alone and we will work directly with all of you, the working class, to truly make this position strong with the power of the people and truly revolutionary.
Some of the things we'd be fighting for and supporting are:
- Free or reduced cost food options on campus
- Reduced tuition and board costs (with the goal of free tuition and board) and the abolition of needless fees
- Increased funding for mental and physical healthcare directly on campus with the hope of having a clinic on campus and mental health professional ready to help students otherwise unable to get such help.
- More free activities for students on campus during breaks/reading weeks and travel reimbursement systems and/or free Oyster cards for students commuting from outside Zone 1.
- More student say in the administration of the university pushing toward unified student-faculty university management
- Supporting the the growth of financial support options at the university and methods to further fund them
- Supporting the employed staff of the university to make sure they are respected, paid a living wage, and given aid and assistance in labor disputes
- Calling for the establishment of a part-time undergraduate program so that students needing to work can do so while still being able to attend SOAS for their education
- Support and funding for campaigns fighting against various forms of intersectional and class oppression so that this will be a safer and more welcoming campus
- Proposing and supporting motions and statements in support of working class struggles worldwide and making sure we stick by them
Remember, we will fight for you tooth and nail and do our utmost to have all of these goals achieved and, if we can't, we want to make sure the next officer will be able to continue the battle with the work we plan to put in. Vote for us, Pablo and Sophie, and you won't just be voting for two officers, you'll be voting for representatives of the people.
Thank you and long live the working class!