Candidate: Hala Barakat

There are some things that you cannot place a price tag on. Friends, knowledge, and new experiences are only three aspects that every student at the University of Auckland deserves. These three aspects drive me to be here, re-applying for the University Council student representative so that I can continue my work in ensuring every student has an invaluable University experience.

The past year on the University Council has been incredibly challenging and fulfilling as I learnt to grasp the reigns of student governance. One of the most important things for me was visibility and that is truly something I believe I succeeded in. I have developed a close relationship with AUSA, attended Student Consultative Group meetings, Student Council meetings, awards ceremonies, lived and worked at student accommodation, been the Faculty of Engineering student representative, been a member of an array of clubs, all so that the voice that is being heard at Council is not simply just my own opinion, but a combination of the thousands of students I interact with.

Simply put, I don’t think it was possible to have done true justice to this role in one year. From the jargon used in meetings to the intricacies of the institution, the University is incredibly complex with hundreds of moving parts that if you want to enact change in one area, there are several obstacles in the other direction. I have volunteered myself into a number of working groups and included myself in several important conversations. These include discussions about decreasing the annual increase of Student Services Fees, SET review reform, discussing the policies related to returning assessment grades on time, and advocating for lowering accommodation prices with Resident Adviser subsidies.

These experiences and discussions have fostered close connections with university staff, providing the information needed to make fact-based promises and enact change faster.

With your vote, I will continue to remain visible and approachable within the community and be a friendly face you can rely on. I will see through the changes I have begun and ensure any future issues are brought forward to the highest decision-making body. I will work hard to have true and diverse representation, working in collaboration with other student associations so that wherever you are from, your voice is heard.