Harry Giles for Director of Representation

[duckgirl]

You are very welcome to ask me about anything related to EOW. I think it's ridiculous how much this has been ignored by most of the DoR candidates.

[Harry Giles]

Hallo Dave,

Yes, it is an oversight. It's an oversight that I could have attempted to cover up. I do know something about the issues, and I could have said what I do know: that we're an appallingly bad University when it comes to building access for the physically disabled, and we also tend to be pretty bad at offering a variety of media for learning resources to aid the learning disabled. I could have made a few policy commitments to deal with those problems.

The thing is, I would prefer not to blag my way like that. As my website will attest, I've plenty of experience and know-how in a lot of areas. I know the environmental, accommodation, representation and employment stuff inside out. I would be very surprised if any of the other candidates could display the breadth of knowledge I have on these areas (the length of my Sinner thread might attest to this), and even more surprised if they had not also failed to learn the issues in a few key areas. We're all going to lack knowledge somewhere -- there's simply not enough time to know everything!

Moreover, I think what I've offered in terms of policy -- promising to set up spaces in which students who these issues affect can represent themselves -- is perhaps the most the DoR can do. Rather than guessing at the issues myself, I should be allowing those who really know them to bring them forward. My campaign has all been about avoiding a paternalistic approach to representation, and adopting an attitude of empowerment.

I understand if you still have worries. You will equally need to have worries about the other candidates. I'd like to thank you for bringing this up, and showing me an area that I lack understanding in. All I can promise is, if I'm elected tomorrow, I'll make it a top priority to find out more about this issue in the coming weeks so that I'm fully prepared when I assume office.

[Harry Giles]

Hallo duckgirl,

You're right, we've all been pretty lax in addressing EOW issues. I did put some work into developing policy for it -- as my website attests -- but I have lacked in that area. I think there may be a root problem here about the lack of awareness of EOW issues that persists in the student body generally, and in the Association in particular. So on that note, another policy commitment from me (and I don't make it lightly): I'll work hard to raise the profile of EOW issues within the Association to give them the awareness they very much need.