Full name: Maria Jose Lourido Moreno
Age: 21
Course & year of study: Politics & Sociology student, second year.
Give us your pitch! Why do you want the job and why should students vote for you?
We are entering a period which might make or break our educational experience, and I want to make sure that someone is pushing the University in the right direction from Day 1. I want to ensure that departments can’t keep failing to give you a good university experience and then get away with it because no one knows what the standard is. I want to make sure that we get a more inclusive, democratic, sustainable, and diverse University which doesn’t put money over values and helps people participate in university life as much as possible. I want to make sure that our representatives, student leaders, and committee members are given the recognition they deserve by being given credits and career support because they are the centre of our student community. I know that this sounds like a massive endeavour, but I have accomplished things like the evidence-free extensions, getting Sheffield student voice in regional and national affairs, support for student protesters and individual students in really tough situations, and much more, so I have confidence that I will be able to deliver on what I am elected on.
With an unlimited budget, what one thing would you do to improve higher education in the UK?
The right and obvious choice is to make education free at the point of entry for everyone, but I feel like that’s a cop-out answer. My actual answer is that I would invest in hiring, training and paying specialised staff, both academic and for student support services. Students deserve to have staff who are not only experts in their field and excellent teachers but are also equipped to deal with any problem that they might have. Currently, the shortage of staff, the excess of work, and underpayment are causing a lot of services to fall short and are making it so that staff have to strike to better their working conditions. Investing in staff is investing in students.
Why do you believe a degree-level education is important?
Because we are rarely as human as when we are learning something new. Education, of all levels and forms, is such a core part of humanity— be it as practical as a YouTube video about the basics of economics or as a theoretical. PhD in philosophy. A degree-level education is just another way to continue the never-ending journey of learning and acquiring skills. Yes, a degree can also be a tool for getting a job, but I think that the chance to learn and grow as you do your degree is equally if not more important than the degree itself.
Three words to describe yourself?
Tenacious, driven, caring.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
The only famous Colombian actress is Sofia Vergara but we have nothing else in common!
What’s the best city in the UK (don’t be boring, you can’t say Sheffield!)?
Liverpool! I went there for The World Transformed and honestly fell in love.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Rewatching the Germany vs Brazil 7-1 game from the 2014 World Cup. As a Colombian, it vindicates the fact that our game against Brazil was rigged.
You can time travel to any year in history anywhere in the world. Where, when and why?
I would travel back to the Late Cretaceous period, in Patagonia so that I could go see the biggest dinosaur that ever lived the Patagotitan. (I am a massive nerd).
Film or music? Favourite film/ artist depending on your answer?
Music – C. Tangana, please go give him a listen, especially his Tiny Desk concert.
Keep one. Henderson’s relish, mayonnaise or ketchup?
Is garlic mayo allowed?
Given the choice … pub, club or coffee shop? & Name your favourite pub/ club/ cafe in Sheffield depending on your answer.
Coffee Shop! And Forge Dam!
What’s your meal deal? Not Tesco-exclusive, you can be edgy and pick a different shop …
Mocha and a big sausage roll from the SU Shop, I eat it almost daily.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
My Grandad. He was a doctor in the middle of a bloody civil war in a relatively poor country and had to face really gnarly things, yet he never charged a single penny and worked on a pay what you can basis. He is my hero and has taught me everything from how to walk and read to how to be inquisitive and persistent. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him.
What’s your favourite thing about Sheffield?
How close I am to nature. I need to be able to go on a long hike, go wild swimming, listen to the birds and enjoy the peace that the Peak District is able to give me.