Full name: Nadya Ghani
Age: 21
Course & year of study: Biology, Integrated Masters.
Give us your pitch! Why do you want the job and why should students vote for you?
Uni should be a fantastic experience for everyone, but I recognise students face certain hardships and barriers that stop that from being the case. Students should vote for me because I believe I can be a great advocate for them within University spaces, fighting for their rights to better housing, transport, and increased community engagement. I also believe an aspect of student Welfare lies in the current climate crisis, as it is so daunting to think and plan our futures when the state of our environment is so threatened. Educating and mobilising people to raise our voices and make people in power listen to us is the only way of achieving change, and I believe students should be a huge part of this movement.
With an unlimited budget, what three things would you do to improve student-experience?
- Make sure everyone has housing and 3 meals a day – students should be able to enjoy their time at university without having to work unreasonable hours a week just to eat and make rent.
- Cover all financial costs of partaking in societies and sport clubs – joining canoe club has entirely shaped my uni experience in the best possible way, and I don’t want students to miss out due to costs.
- Expand the counselling service to cut down wait lists and make it more accessible.
Why is sustainability important to you?
No offence, but a bit of a silly question. Sustainability should be important to everyone. Not just to ensure livable conditions for future generations (although that’s also important) but because the actions of a few have led to environmental consequences that are impacting, and will continue to impact, the world’s entire population. More importantly, the people who are being, and will be impacted the worst are the ones that have contributed the least. We have a moral obligation to raise our voices and demand for change. We cannot fully care about being sustainable without adopting an environmental justice lens that encompasses social aspects of the climate crisis. I could go on and on about the history of the climate crisis and its relationship with other social issues (e.g. the reliance of the Industrial Revolution on the Atlantic slave trade), but I urge anyone reading this to think about the implications of “sustainability” and what exactly that means, as it goes well beyond reducing the use of plastic.
Three words to describe yourself?
Caring, approachable and strong-willed.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Jameela Jamil – actually mind-blowing that we’re both celiac and are Pakistani (albeit I’m half).
What’s the best city in the UK?
Edinburgh.
What’s your greatest fear?
Pineapple on pizza (I’m Italian).
You can time travel to any year in history anywhere in the world. Where, when and why?
I would travel to last week and stop myself from nominating myself 🙂
(for legal reasons this is a joke and as terrifying as this is, I’ve met so many wonderful people and wouldn’t change any of it)
What’s your meal deal? Not Tesco-exclusive, you can be edgy and pick a different shop…
Couldn’t tell ya – if a shop has a gluten free meal deal I cry of happiness.
Given the choice… pub, club or coffee shop? & Name your favourite pub/club/cafe in Sheffield depending on your answer.
Coffee shop all the way – Coffee Revs holds a special place in my heart <3
What superpower would you choose?
Healing.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
My mom. She’s everything I want to be and more. She’s a beautiful person in and out, super patient, calming, and just overall one of the best people I know. She’s genuinely one of my best friends and I love her so much.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Eating spoonfuls of peanut butter out of the jar… oops.
What’s your favourite thing about Sheffield?
You can walk everywhere (including the Peaks!)