The title of “Campus Celebrity” seems almost inadquate for Guild President, Toby Gladwin, who is quite possibly the most influential student on campus. Most of you may recognise him from his viral campaign video, in which he plays the part of Adele, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. But Toby plays a much more important role in representing all Exeter students, both regionally and nationally. In order to find out more about the Guild President, and what exactly it is that he does, Her Campus managed to catch a few minutes of his busy schedule in order to ask him a few questions…
What inspired you to become Guild President?
I was heavily involved in societies as an undergraduate and they formed the foundation of many friendships for me so I suppose I accidentally got involved with the Guild from there. I became increasingly more engaged with the Guild throughout my three years and saw a lot of benefits, but also some areas that could be improved both internally and in the wider University. I ran to be Guild President to be able to change these and help as many people as possible have a great student experience.
What sorts of things are you responsible for?
I’m the Sabb lead for the strategic direction and commercial services of the Guild. Sounds like a lot of corporate buzzwords but basically means the outlets on campus (Lemmy, Ram, Grove Diner etc) and shaping what the Guild offers in the future. I’m also in charge of representing the student voice to the University, regionally and nationally particularly towards the NUS.
Do you have a specific goal for the year? What do you hope to achieve?
I have a long manifesto to complete (11 out of 27 done so far) but since starting the role there have been some big issues surface that I am keen to work on as well. Hubs are being introduced across campus and I want to make sure that student input is at the centre of their development. I’m also working hard to mitigate some of the detrimental effects that the increase in student numbers at Exeter is having on the student experience.
Can you tell us a bit about the #NeverOk campaign?
#NeverOk began with the Sabb team from two years ago and aimed to highlight the issue of sexual harassment both on and off campus. We wanted to bring that campaign back with a focus around consent to continue to work against the sexual harassment as it is still a major issue across universities in the UK. The campaign kicked off in week one first term with over 1,000 signatures on our pledge. You can still sign it now and find out about the campaign on the Guild website!
Quick fire questions:
Favourite club night? The Lemmy (obviously), I think the new layout that includes the Grove Diner as a second bar is a great plus, it serves some craft beer so that’s a double tick for me.
What would your patronus be? I would love to say something like a lion but I reckon it would more likely be something woefully inadequate like a goldfish.
What is your Karaoke song? In Too Deep – Sum 41. It’s an absolute classic and on a side note has a cracking video.
What is the biggest difference between Fresher Toby and Guild President Toby? Aspiration.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Hopefully something that involves being creative, making a positive difference in the world and being paid well to do it. When anyone finds this magical job please let me know.