Full name: Jonno Cowen
Age: 21
Course: Psychology with Placement Year, 4th year
Talk to us a little about your background…
I come from a little town near London called Bishops Stortford where I lived with my Mum, Dad, Sister and Nan. I have grown up with cats, chickens and bees (it was my dad’s midlife crisis).
Since coming to Sheffield, I have thrown myself into working at the SU. Starting as bar staff in the Foundry, I have been lucky enough to take roles on the welcome desk, Sheffield store and Advertising department.
Why do you want to be SU President?
I started at the University of Sheffield in September 2020 and it was not fun. I didn’t make any friends and I spent the majority of the year at home engaging in purely online learning.
I was forced to get a second year flat with people I had never met before (luckily they turned out to be lovely) and felt cheated out of the university experience.
Since starting at Foundry when the SU reopened in September 2021, my experience of university turned on its head. I met so many amazing people and was able to party like a Fresher and get paid for it!
The SU has given me so much since. It’s given me my friends. It’s given me my partner. It’s given me so many unique experiences that I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. This place is my home and I owe a massive debt to the SU. When you see things that need fixing in your home you feel a responsibility to fix them. That’s why I want to be SU President.
What are your policies, list 5-10 key pledges?
I want to make the SU exciting to come to every day by:
- Introduce 50% Off Friday, where each week a different SU outlet is discounted
- Create new events, fairs and markets like a battle of the bands or Christmas Market
- Support societies to run their own fun events and improve room bookings
- Working with advertising to bring in more brands to do pop ups and give out freebies
I want to support students through the cost of living crisis and reduce some financial burden off students by:
- Introducing a Cost of Living Lottery where students can opt in for a weekly lottery which will give out free tickets to events, meal and drink vouchers, society and gym memberships, swap shop tokens, etc
- Expanding the community fridge scheme into a community pantry by bringing in more dry goods and reaching out to more businesses
- Extending time that the SU is open and encouraging evening activity in the SU to provide a warm space for students struggling to heat their homes.
As an ex-Nightline volunteer and coordinator, I am passionate about fixing accessibility, sustainability and wellbeing issues at the SU by:
- Promoting the SU’s and university’s wellbeing services while developing a new student-led mental health service that the students of Sheffield actually want to replace Nightline after its closure at the end of last year
- Investing in clearer signage around the SU, automatic doors at key access points and lowered counters in all outlets, especially the Welcome Desk which is not accessible in its current state.
- Investing in visible recycling bins in late night outlets and providing more training around sustainability and recycling for staff.
What makes you different from the other candidates?
Having worked in the SU for nearly three years and being a student at Sheffield for nearly four, I have a unique insight into the SU and university. I have seen behind the curtain and know what issues need fixing and what issues can feasibly be fixed.
Everything I want to do is possible, and I am not making any promises I can’t deliver. My extensive knowledge of and experience in the SU means that I won’t need to find my feet as President and can hit the ground running from July.
What do you think are the main three problems facing students?
- Money and how expensive it is to live
- Stress and its impact on mental health
- The uncertain future and knowing what to do next
Three things the University does well?
- The sustainability action within the university
- The University Health Service
- The Paternoster Lift
Forge has reported extensively on the SU’s campaign to reverse the cuts to Zoom Cards – Sheffield’s discount bus & tram travel scheme for young people. Would you continue this effort, and is there anything you would do differently?
I would love to because I think it is important and useful for young people. However, I know that the Sheffield Council physically does not have the money to implement this anymore due to budget cuts.
An alternative could be to run an SU-funded shuttle bus to and from campus, which could include stops in student areas.
What are your interests outside of student politics?
When I’m not at the SU or university, I am at home with my cat, Sage! She is my baby and the light of my life!
I love building Lego and collecting new Crocs as well!
I used to volunteer for Nightline in my spare time before it closed. I was involved in the committee as a Publicity Officer and then Internal Coordinator and worked 1 to 2 shifts a week. I found lots of purpose in providing support for students and found family in the rest of the society. I really do miss it.
Talk to us about your future… what do you want to do after uni?
I started my degree to become a clinical psychologist. My dream is to be a therapist and help students struggling with their mental health.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
In ten years, I see myself in a Cat Cafe that I own. I can picture myself as a counsellor in a cosy room in the back doing cat therapy.
I have a husband, a cute baby, and many teens whom I foster and support through life.
You’ve got me feeling broody now.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Meryl Streep. 100%. She’s the only one I trust to capture my emotional range.
You can time travel to any year in history anywhere in the world. Where, when and why?
I would travel back to 1985 and have a party! Swing by Live Aid and then go out clubbing afterwards, probably with my mum.
What living person do you most admire and why?
AOC – I admire her achievements and what she stands for. I admire her relatability and her composure. I definitely could go out and have some fun with her!
You’ve just been elected SU president. How do you celebrate?
Have a lay in and a bottle of prosecco in bed with my cat!
What’s your favourite thing about Sheffield?
My favourite thing about Sheffield is the green spaces! The fact that the Peaks are only a bus away makes me so happy!