Abel Hartman: SU Community Officer Candidate
Her Campus Nottingham met up with Abel Hartman, a 3rd Year Economics and Politics student, who is running for the position of Community Officer. You can support his campaign here by liking his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HartmanForCommunity
Hey Abel! Why did you want to run for Community Officer?
For me, the biggest driving force that has motivated me to run for this campaign has been the answer to a question someone asked me not too long ago. I was asked whether the university would have been any different without my presence. Although I have made an impact on the life of the friends that I’ve made here, I don’t think the university itself would have been drastically different without my presence. I see this campaign as a chance to make some tangible changes that Nottingham will remember. Whether that’s in the housing market, dealing with transportation links on satellite campuses, making international students feel more at home, or making Portland a place everyone enjoys spending time in, they’re all aspects of Nottingham life I’m passionate about improving.
Why should readers vote for you?
I am relentless in the pursuance of the goals I want to achieve. Having lived all over the world, I am a good judge of different personalities and extremely adaptable to suit my environment, whether social or professional. In my free time I help run a social enterprise company called Re-Covered that has given me leadership and commercial experience. I am keen to draw on in this sabbatical role, most notably in dealing with landlords in the housing market. I am a good public speaker, an adept relationship builder and passionate about representing the community. I want to bring the Hart back to the community!
How have you incorporated housing into your manifesto?
The perennial issue effecting students on and off campuses remains the problems associated around private rented accommodation. Now although many of us are satisfied with the house we’re in, there are as many good landlords as there are bad. Having been through my own rough patch of housing, I know how it can impact your student experience and it is an aspect of my manifesto I am passionate about. My focus will be on picking up the pieces of the current Community officer, Sam Peake, whom I have met with a number of times, and injecting some of my own enthusiasm and passion to form my own approach. Three policies will allow me to do so. First, creating a comprehensive blacklist of rogue Nottingham landlords once the 2015 Housing Bill gains royal assent. Second, building a reliable, accessible, and independent Rate-My-Landlord website where student can submit reviews regarding landlords, agencies and properties. Lastly, I want to build on Sam’s relationship with the Nottingham City Council and persist in his demands for a mandatory published list of accredited landlords. As the SU and University’s relationship with Unipol – the main manager of Nottingham’s largest accreditation scheme – has broken down, accreditation has become a priority.
What about other aspects of your manifesto?
With Portland undergoing renovations I want to make place for more commercial spaces that accommodate to student needs. These range from a wider variety of restaurants to cater to students who want to be able to get an affordable breakfast option in Portland to providing an option to the students with specific dietary requirements. Celebrating the cultural diversity is another crucial component of the manifesto and international students have been vocal on getting a higher quality Asian restaurant made available. I also want to collaborate with other SU officers to put up an ‘International Week’ where people from different nationalities at university represent their countries by offering their national dishes in a food festival. Finally, with upcoming local Council elections late next year I want to ensure that candidates standing for election or re-election consider student issues in their manifestos.
Future career ambitions?
I’m hoping to pursue a career with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Future goals for your role- what do you want to have achieved by this time next year?
Tackling the housing issues through the three policies I’ve listed, as well as the getting the Portland renovations right are extremely important to me. Advocating for student interests vis-à-vis local political partners such as Nottingham City Council and the new police commissioner is what the role will demand of me and these are responsibilities I am keen to fulfil.
Favourite and least favourite thing about uni?
Favourite is the people of Nottingham; nothing has made me feel more at home then all the familiar and friendly faces I see on such a daily basis. Least favourite must be the poor and often unnecessary quality housing some students have to face in Lenton, Kegworth, Beeston or Dunkirk.
Thank you for your time Abel- we wish you the best of luck with your campaign!
Edited by Katie Randall