The SU Awards 2021 Programme by Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union

Programme

Welcome to the 2021 Students’ Union Awards!

These awards recognise the efforts and achievements of our most outstanding students who have gone above and beyond to shape your student experience in this incredibly tough year. It’s been a privilege to represent you all this year and reading all of the nominations made us incredibly proud to be your Presidents. From hosting online events to ensuring that your feedback is considered by both universities, your committee members and representatives do so much and it’s only fitting that we take a moment to thank them for all of their hard work. Thank you to the university staff and SU Trustees who made up the panels - they had such a difficult time shortlisting the nominations - and to the SU and FX Plus staff who have helped to organise the ceremony. We are so excited to be able to host an in-person awards ceremony alongside some of our most brilliant part-time officers and we hope you all enjoy the evening, either in person or via SURF Radio’s live coverage.

Cara Chittenden

Lizzy Marshall

Charlotte Agnew

Amelia Banton

President Exeter

President Falmouth

President Welfare & Inclusivity

President Student Experience

Contents Student Voice Awards 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Innovation in Representation Teamwork in Representation Part-Time Officer of the Year Falmouth Course Rep of the Year Exeter Course Rep of the Year Falmouth Department Rep of the Year Exeter Subject Chair of the Year Dedication to Student Voice

Student Opportunities Awards 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

Fundraising Award Green Award Most Outstanding Committee Member Sports Club of the Year Society of the Year Online Event of the Year Dedication to Student Opportunities The Andy Hocking Award

Winner of Winners 38

The Daniel Palmer Award

The following quotes about nominees have been taken directly from submitted entries.

Student Voice Awards Innovation in Representation This award is for a Rep who has introduced a new and different way of representing their course mates. An innovative Rep may: • • •

Have responded to representation during the pandemic in an interesting and effective way; or Have developed a unique solution to a problem; or Implemented an exciting new idea to increase student engagement across their course.

Whatever they have done, they will have achieved it through using creative thinking, new ideas, or a fresh perspective. The shortlisted nominees are...

Charlotte Cree & Lauryn Howard “Because of the online nature of the course this year, a lot of our cohort were feeling very disconnected so we made ‘Thinking Out Loud’ drop in sessions as a fun way to get to know everyone a little better, including our lecturers! … it’s been a great way for us to collect feedback from the cohort informally while helping with people feeling disconnected.” Lauren Taylor & Genevieve Midworth (HUMS Subject Chairs) “Working with reps and university staff they have: established a regular HUMS student newsletter written by the reps that goes to their students, created and sold HUMS merchandise, [and] continued to work on a peer mentoring project which is now gaining momentum [and] is proving successful. They are positive and proactive, they take ideas and run with them; effectively implementing new methods of communication, ways of getting feedback, social spaces and generally innovating constantly.” Law Reps & Chair “They began the year at a disadvantage as there was an internal image problem where students didn’t feel like reps were ‘on their side’ or there to support them. In response to this, the reps made a plan and have proactively changed the image of representation within their cohort for the better. They established an Instagram page to better connect with the cohort… They also began a recurring weekly social event every Thursday. The law course is new so all of this activity has built a very positive base for representation within Law and will increase engagement with representation.” Leela Channer “Leela has taken a lead in the second year rep group, and ensured online surveys go out to students before every SSLC. This has proven to be a very effective form of communication which has been well received by students. It has been challenging this year, with lockdown, keeping students engaged, but Leela has really put the work in to make sure the student voice is still heard.”

Student Voice Awards Teamwork in Representation Teamwork is at the heart of what student representation aims to achieve. Groups of Student Reps and staff members are eligible for this award, which aims to recognise the achievements that can be made by working together. The winners of this award will have worked closely together on an issue and will have communicated constructively whilst sharing experience and knowledge to reach a common goal. The shortlisted nominees are...

Becky Thomas & Georgi Roberts “The pair have worked in harmony together leading casual weekly meetings with Bioscience course reps. The meetings have been well received by the reps with a good turn out every week. It has been a wonderful way to keep in touch with everyone and still feel a part of a community even during months of lockdown and isolation. Georgi and Becky are good at taking it in turns to attend other meetings that require their attention such as SPB’s. By sharing the workload as a team they are able to keep on top of uni work more easily. They communicate clearly and well with one another and have blossomed into quite the ‘power couple’.” CGES SSLC Reps & Mike Leyshon “They have done an excellent job this year communicating with our students to find out what their needs are, and have responded by delivering a suite of Community Events for each year group involving online quizzes, film nights, campus educational walks in small groups (foraging, history walks, dog therapy co-designed with our teaching staff) and surveys to help first years to meet each other and identify potential housemates for year two.” SOFT Course Reps “The SOFT reps have worked closely together during the pandemic to ensure that the issues they were facing as a department were well communicated to the SU, their staff members, and the University. They have taken productive and proactive steps to gain help and advice where needed, but taken it into their own hands to lobby for change.”

Student Voice Awards Part-Time Officer of the Year This award is for an SU Part-Time Officer who has shown commitment to democracy and increasing the voice of the student membership they represent. The Officer will have: • • • • •

Been part of either the SU Student Council, the SU Green Committee, or the SU Liberation Committee Been dedicated to their Committee or the SU Council through being proactively engaged Ensured the student voice is heard by seeking out views of the students they represent Brought innovative ideas to the Council or Committee Worked with other Officers and students to campaign for a better student experience or to raise the profile of specific student group or community.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Jack Wilkins (Exeter Undergraduate Education Officer) “Jack has attended every Council and Executive meeting, always representing the best interests of Exeter undergraduate students and ensuring that their voices are heard. [He] has gathered feedback and attended meetings throughout the year with senior university members of staff regarding mitigation, … [and] also represented students’ views on graduation, helping devise a plan to encourage the university to commit to spending the money from previous industrial interests on robes for all graduates. Furthermore, he has also been active in helping to shape the future of English in Penryn, attending the Student Experience group to ensure that adequate protections for existing students are put in place, and that any future replacement courses suit the interests of students.” Gas Williams (Student Council Chair) “Gas has made the role his own by chairing meetings with grace and flair and turning council into a useful, cohesive system. He constantly keeps on top of the other PTOs and Presidents, ensuring that all fulfil their roles to the best of their ability and new projects and ideas are implemented to the highest possible standard. Gas also strives to improve council further by introducing the informal “Better Council Meeting” and producing a detailed document to secure the council’s progression in further years.” Marz Najeeb (Postgrad Education Officer) “Marz has been amazing this year, representing not only PGT students but PGR students (even though she didn’t know much about this area before starting). She has spent LOTS of time in meetings representing the PG community, taken time to really understand what PGR students need, been an excellent chair of the PGR Executive (despite not being a PGR student herself), has supported the No Detriment Policy campaign, and has helped to develop understanding in the SU of how we can better support PG students.”

Student Voice Awards Falmouth Course Rep of the Year This award recognises a Falmouth SU Representative who has contributed to academic improvements by working in partnership with the University and SU. This should be evidenced through: • • • •

Proactive attendance at university/SU meetings (SSLG/ department forum/UGM etc) Innovative work to increase student engagement with academic representation activity Partnership work with their academic course staff, Department Rep/Subject Chair, or fellow Course Reps Effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Ben Chalmers (MA Prosthetic Effects) “The student rep who worked harder than anyone I have known to keep the cohort together through the lockdown, to communicate with tutors and students when the course was short of staff. It was thanks to him that students were kept happy and taken care of. Ben has put a lot of energy into gathering weekly feedback from the cohort, communicating with the course leader and the technical team to sort out issues right away, and his high resilient attitude became the delightful spirit that carried a lot of MA students on the course through the lockdown crisis. His positive attitude held the course together and felt like a blessing to the Course Leader too.”

Maxine Denton “Not only does she bring a friendly and outgoing attitude towards her work, and her interpersonal relationships with any member of the group, but she does so without any level of hesitation, it seems to be her second nature. She’s delivered the role with a level of professional tact. She has collated feedback in a timely way from the group, and delivered it through the hierarchy system with professionalism. And when feedback has been returned, she has made sure to convey it clearly to the group, with honesty and transparency.” Eva Jiggins “They have done so much for us this year, fighting for our creative freedom in terms of facilities and in person teaching; all while abiding to the health and safety rules. Eva cares so much about every student on the course and wants everyone to have a chance at creating the best work. [She] has been an absolute trailblazer of a course rep. This year she contacted members of parliament and constantly campaigned on behalf of the class’s wishes and was a constant empathic rep. Our course wouldn’t have made it through so many challenges without her constant support.” Jools Baker (Press & Editorial Photography) “Jools deserves this reward because she has spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort trying to get some compensation for our course due to the lack of facilities and teaching in study block 1. This has been, and continues to be, a challenging job for her but she still plans to continue to try her hardest for us all. She has regularly communicated with us and stayed positive and motivated the entire time. She is a lovely, genuine and hard-working person and couldn’t be more worthy of this recognition.”

Student Voice Awards Exeter Course Rep of the Year This award recognises an Exeter SU Representative who has contributed to academic improvements by working in partnership with the University and SU. This should be evidenced through: • • • •

Proactive attendance at university/SU meetings (SSLCs/ SCWG/UGM etc) Innovative work to increase student engagement with academic representation activity Partnership work with their academic course staff, Subject Chair, or fellow Course Reps Effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Elizabeth Chandler “[Elizabeth has created] innovative work to increase student engagement with academic representation activity, [acting as a] core member of [the] “bring the noise team”, working with academic staff to improve diversity of the readings, [and] effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers. [She has had a] tangible impact, providing resources and study groups organisers, study tips and also being an ear to listen to the problems students have had.” Hannah Lightley “Hannah has a proactive attendance at SSLCs and responded to feedback from staff and students to boost engagement by running online coffee mornings. Not only did she help students connect through the lockdown, but she also harnessed the power of ‘science twitter’ to put on a number of talks from academics all over the world. These talks helped students to connect, get inspired about research and filled gaps in topics that were missing from the master’s course.” Shannon Merkle “Despite the ongoing challenge and difficulties a year of education in the pandemic has given us, Shannon has remained upbeat, bringing great positivity and realism to the situation. She has been proactive both in her peer group and with academic course staff in seeking out engagement, feedback and communication to quickly and effectively translate thoughts and feelings in a professional but succinct manner. Shannon has been open and innovative in her approach to effecting change, understanding the challenge and difficulty of all the years academic activity, all whilst living in a different country.”

Student Voice Awards Falmouth Department Rep of the Year This award recognises a Department Rep (or pair of Department Reps) who has contributed to academic improvements by working in partnership with the University and SU. This should be evidenced through: • • • •

Proactive attendance at university and SU meetings (SSLGs, Department Committee, Department Forums) Innovative work to increase engagement with academic representation activity at a departmental level Partnership work with Course Reps, SU President and Course Leaders, as well as Departmental Directors Effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers across the Department.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Ellie Hartong & Gee Saunders “These girls have worked together to ensure they have been in attendance at EVERY university and SU meeting. They have created group chats with their reps to ensure that they managed them well, meaning that that their increased engagement with academic representation activity at a departmental level was accurate. Their partnership work with Course Reps, SU President, and Course Leaders, as well as Departmental Directors, has been proactive throughout fighting for student justice this year. [They made sure] they had a voice at every meeting and ran a brilliantly organised petition, which gained mass engagement for student fee justice and access to facilities, that the SU {resident was able to use to lobby the government.”

Student Voice Awards Exeter Subject Chair of the Year This award recognises a Subject Chair (or pair of Co-chairs) who has contributed to academic improvements by working in partnership with the University and SU. This should be evidenced through: • • • •

Proactive attendance at university/SU meetings (SSLC, Student Partnership Board, Subject Chair Working Group) Innovative work to increase student engagement with academic representation activity at a subject level Partnership work with their Course Reps, SU President and Education Officers, or Director of Education Effecting change that has a positive and tangible impact on the academic experience of their peers.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Adam Wrigley & Jinkai Chan “The team has been actively engaging with the academic course staff, especially the Digital Learning Developer of renewable energy, to enhance the online learning process through multiple discussions and termly feedback. Adam has been actively engaging in partnering with the third and fourth year reps, while Jinka has been constantly engaging with the second and first year reps, to understand the latest feedback and student voices among the cohort. Hence, a lot of problems are solved prior to the SSLC and this enhances the productivity and effectiveness of the entire team.” Becky Thomas & Georgi Roberts “It’s hard to convey how fantastic Becky and Georgi have been as subject chairs this year – I really don’t know how we would have got through without them! They are incredibly proactive and meet with all reps weekly, which allows them to bring any issues that come up to the attention of staff immediately. They are also very quick to offer solutions and devote a huge amount of time helping us provide the best possible support to the student body. They have been exemplary this year and are incredibly deserving of this award.” Megan Kidner “Megan’s role has never been more vital to us than over the past year and she has stepped up to the additional demands with enthusiasm and ability. We have relied on Megan for her measured views on our student body in response to rafts of significant changes to their course, often at short notice. She has showed great leadership in coordinating year reps and locality reps across the peninsula. Megan has also taken a great deal of trouble to understand the reasons behind some of our most difficult decisions and has helped us to convey this reasoning to our students, often under difficult circumstances.” Shannon Merkle “Shannon is an extremely impressive subject chair and has excelled in the role since day one. She is extremely calm and professional and does an outstanding job of chairing SSLC meetings. She is quick to respond to issue brought up by the MSc cohort, not only by bringing them to the attention of staff, but also in offering solutions. I feel very lucky that we have a subject chair as good us Shannon to help us navigate the uncertainties this year.””

Student Voice Awards Dedication to Student Voice The winner of this award will: • • •

Be highly committed to their role and to finding solutions to problems they raise Engage with relevant meetings and maintain contact with their peers, academic staff, and The Students’ Union Go above and beyond their role and duties as a Rep

The shortlisted nominees are...

Emilia Dyer “Emilia has been the inclusivity rep this academic year, and has done the most amazing job. Emilia has worked with many students, from all different backgrounds and taken their feedback to work on building a more inclusive campus and university. She has supported ‘decolonising the curriculum’ and worked with Black, POC and minority groups to ensure their voices are heard and needs are met. She has gone above and beyond her role as a rep in helping students seek welfare and wellbeing services and financial services.” Hayley Davies “Hayley has gone through many hoops to campaign for various issues, most notably #EaseTheFees in which she produced a petition with, if memory serves, about 400 signatures, as well as stepping up as student rep and LGBTQ+ officer. As LGBTQ+ officer, she wasted no time planning liaisons with Pride Society, social media groups, and individual students willing to speak with her and established the best course of action to fully utilise the extent of her position on the Liberation Committee.” Jack Wilkins “Jack is incredibly committed to representing the student voice and improving student experience. He represents the student voice at every level of representation as well as in other projects such as his involvement with Surf Radio, Voices and as President of the History Society. As undergraduate education officer, Jack has worked closely with the President Exeter on a number of her projects, provided invaluable insight on student council and been a failsafe student representative for the Presidents to call on for meetings and working groups. Furthermore, he also represented the views of students on mitigation, attending several meetings to fight for protections for students, protecting students’ grades throughout this difficult year. In addition to this, he has also ensured that the university committed to spending the money from strike action on students, helping to formulate the idea that graduation robes would be provided free of charge to all graduates this year.”

Student Opportunities Awards Fundraising Award This award is open to any individual or group who has displayed excellence in fundraising. This can be evidenced through: • • • • • • •

Great enthusiasm and ability to motivate others to get involved Significant individual endeavour in fundraising Evidence of fundraising totals Unique and inventive fundraising methods Responded to the pandemic positively and with innovation Inspires others and leads by example Inclusive events open to a wide range of students

The shortlisted nominees are...

RAD (Raise & Donate Society) “With all of their usual fundraising events cancelled or postponed, this was never going to be RAD’s best year, but their fab committee, led by KC, has embraced the unexpected with a whole host of online events, such as their sustainable clothing challenge, so that they could continue to support their chosen charities. When they were able to in the Autumn, they did a couple of brilliant in-person events, such as cocktail making in the Stannary and a scaled back version of the ever popular Presidents’ Big Quiz, which sold out.”

Student Opportunities Awards Green Award This award is open to any individual or group who has displayed significant passion and drive for campus or community sustainability efforts. This can be demonstrated by: • • • • • • •

Significant group or individual endeavour in sustainability projects Great enthusiasm and ability to motivate others to get involved Original and inventive ideas to engage students in sustainability actions Inspires others and leads by example Inclusive sustainability events open to a wide range of students Responded to the pandemic positively and with innovation Raises awareness and educates others in sustainability

The shortlisted nominees are...

Amy Bray “Amy has run her own conservation charity, Another Way, in addition to managing her studies this year. Led by Amy, Another Way has planted over 12,000 trees, established two zero waste shops, and delivered speeches to thousands of people. One of Amy’s most recent projects was an online seminar in which she and fellow student, Emily Stevenson, spoke about their experiences of being young, female conservationists. Amy has taken on several fellow students to complete voluntary work placements with the charity, and has had a positive influence on her friends and course-mates, inspiring many of them to make lifestyle changes to become more sustainable.” Eilish Calnan “When I think of sustainability and being green on campus, Eilish is the first person that comes to mind. She shows so much passion in her role as Environment and Ethics Officer and chairs the Green Committee with thoughtfulness and enthusiasm. Eilish also worked incredibly hard on the Sustainability Week events, despite the limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Rosie Shaw-Moore “Having worked with Rosie for over a year on the Ecosoc committee, I can say wholeheartedly that she is one of the most hardworking and diligent people I’ve met. She’s always at the forefront of discussions within the committee at our weekly meetings and has come up with many good ideas for the society and been instrumental in many group decisions. She’s worked closely with the new committee members on the elected committee from January, helping mentor and teach the new committee how to do their roles. She’s also organised many events and activities for the society, such as running her ‘animal cognition’ talk or organising guest speakers such as Zion Lights.”

Student Opportunities Awards Most Outstanding Committee Member This award is for an outstanding committee member of a sports club or society who has demonstrated: • • • • • • • •

Excellent group engagement and enthusiasm, inspiring others and leading by example Excellent leadership and management Excellent organisational skills Promotion of membership and participation Excellent listening and communication Great enthusiasm, encouragement, and willingness to improve their group A positive and innovative response to the pandemic Outstanding commitment and attendance at sessions

The shortlisted nominees are...

Emily Jones (PHEMSoc President) “Emily has shown incredible leadership skills in the society’s first year. She engages all of her committee members in working together to produce a variety of high-quality events. She takes initiative in recruiting expert speakers to get involved with the society and promoting member participation in these events. She is an excellent team player and shows boundless enthusiasm for PHEM and educating the community on lifesaving skills, such as through Restart a Heart.” Georgina Melia & Ceri Jones (English Society) “Ceri’s incredible leadership skills have reshaped the English Society for the better. She has introduced new, innovative ideas to the society and has created a welcoming, engaging atmosphere for all members. She listens to the feedback of all committee members and general society members, integrating all ideas into society activities. Georgina, as vice president and social secretary of the English Society, has demonstrated exceptional ingenuity and commitment to her fellow students. Initially, Georgina showed her dedication to the society by revamping our social media platforms at the end of summer. She created a blog, which she also wrote on, in the hopes of it becoming a platform on which our members could share their reviews. During Freshers Georgina organised and led an array of fantastic events, which she adapted to run online. She also actively sought to collaborate with other societies to host events.” Jonathan Poprawski (Conservative Society) “Jonathan was able to arrange freshers events with important ministers, and which included many other people, even when most politicians this year have been difficult to keep in contact with. He has also done amazing work in creating inclusive group chats and forums which keep young Conservatives in contact with each other even when they aren’t on campus - it’s the best attempt at #TogetherWherever I’ve seen anywhere or by any society. “

Student Opportunities Awards Sports Club of the Year This award is for an outstanding sports club who have gone above and beyond to provide an excellent experience to their members. There should be evidence of: • • • • • •

Demonstrations of the club’s achievements, in line with constitutional aims and objectives Club organisation Provision of high-quality events, competitions and activities, and how these have adapted to the conditions of the pandemic Positive engagement with The SU and involvement in campaigns and initiatives Membership numbers and member satisfaction Going above and beyond for a positive and innovative response to the pandemic

The shortlisted nominees are...

Fusion Cheerleading “Cheerleading is naturally a contact sport, so it was a challenge to adapt to the conditions of the pandemic. However, unlike other sports clubs, cheerleading training has continued over both lockdowns this year, with dedicated committee members delivering virtual training via Zoom twice a week, every week. There have been several virtual challenges to keep athletes engaged with the club, including a Bake Off. There have also been online socials. As soon as it was safe to do so, the committee organised a return to training, … [so] they could to allow them members to have the full experience… This was through holding five sessions a week to ensure that all current and new members could have the chance to experience the society!” Hip Hop “The committee kept weekly sessions running on zoom, with new choreography and choreographers each time. It was always organised so that beginner and advanced sessions ran smoothly while being made open to everyone. They kept up the energy and engagement despite everyone being apart. The commitment and enthusiasm by the society makes them exceptional.” Jazz and Lyrical Dance “The committee worked hard to provide Covid-safe in-studio dance sessions early in the year, which allowed freshers to meet new friends with similar interests at a time when social mixing was limited. [Also] the society did not let a cancelled end of year showcase stop them from having a goal to work towards! Instead, the pandemic encouraged them to enter a ‘virtual competition’ at Loughborough University. This achievement is not only a first for the society, but shows an outstanding resilience to the challenges societies faced this year, and determination from both committee and members allowed the society to achieve a beautiful and memorable outcome to this year’s dancing, despite the cancellation of this year’s showcase (the most important event in the dance societies calendar each year).”

Student Opportunities Awards Society of the Year This award is for an outstanding society who have gone above and beyond to provide an excellent experience to their members. There should be evidence of: • • • • • •

Demonstrations of the society’s achievements in line with constitutional aims and objectives Society organisation Provision of high-quality events, competitions and activities, and how these have adapted to the conditions of the pandemic Positive engagement with The SU and involvement in campaigns and initiatives Membership numbers and member satisfaction Going above and beyond for a positive and innovative response to the pandemic

The shortlisted nominees are...

Eco Soc “EcoSoc has organised a large number of online events during this year, including talks, both from guest speakers and committee, to develop members’ nature interests and knowledge, quizzes, arts and crafts events, and socials to allow students to meet fellow nature enthusiasts in this year where getting to know new people at university has been much more challenging than usual. We have also collaborated with a number of other societies and groups, including the Philosophy Society, Womxn in STEM, Wild Doc Soc, and ResLife, to provide events for a greater variety of students, and diversify our members’ experience. Ecosoc has also been nominated for two awards at the 2021 National Society and Volunteering Awards, being nominated for both the committee excellence award and the development award, due to the personal development opportunities we provide for our members.” English Society “2020/2021 was a hard year for all societies, however this academic year saw the English society flourish. Last academic year there was a lull in events and a real lack of communication, conversation, events and socials from the society, but this year the committee pulled through and offered a consistent schedule of weekly events. They introduced their reading group (A Zoom with a View); held guest speaker events on a variety of interesting and unique topics given by current staff, students and alumni; held exciting socials that allowed for a chance to take a break from the stressful year it has been.” SURF Radio “Improving a small society that very nearly collapsed last year has been a huge challenge. A total transformation has taken place and in only one year the student radio station has become one of the strongest societies on campus and has proved itself to be very adaptable to changing circumstances and capable of providing amazing events no matter the restrictions! At the time of writing we now have twelve shows on the air and 11 in planning compared to only four regular shows the year before! Through the year we have put on several big whole society, a monthly Open Mic style programme, the “Secret Santa” radio show produced across the South West and South Wales region of Student Radio, and our Student Radio Chart Show that was broadcast across the country and in association with BBC Introducing. Though the pandemic has forced us to change a lot of plans for this year we have still worked hard to keep Surf Radio on air and build a better station for the day we can return to in-person activity.”

Student Opportunities Awards Online Event of the Year This award is for an innovative and engaging online event or project run by a club or society this year. The event should demonstrate inclusivity and be open to all members or the wider student community. This award will consider: • • •

Positive feedback from participants Evidence of positive impact as a result of the event/project, including on participants’ wellbeing Involvement of a wide range of participants from The SU community.

The shortlisted nominees are...

Cornage (History Society, English Society, High Tea & Cocktail Society, SURF Radio, Math Soc) “The effort and devotion put into making Cornage a success this year was phenomenal. Adapting the annual event to a virtual one was not easy given the restraints, but as an annual event, the societies worked hard to provide Cornage under difficult circumstances. By running a series of challenges from each society involved, and creating a playlist played out on Surf Radio for each challenge, the team were able to create a feeling similar to the normal Cornage experience. While the normal experience of Cornage and its challenges could not go ahead, the team made a fantastic event which was enjoyed by all, having attracted a wide range of students who all enjoyed the opportunity of a fun online social event.” ‘In Conversation with Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu’ (History Society) “In a year where racism’s presence in society was starkly highlighted, Dr Shola gave a pertinent, informative and intriguing talk on Black History Month, American Civil Rights, and marginalised women for the History Society. Overall, this unparalleled Black History Month event deserves this nomination because of its positive feedback, involvement of a large section of the SU community and informative discussion of pertinent issues.” Virtual Showcases (Tremough FOLLIES) “Despite all the Covid restrictions, Follies has managed to put on three virtual showcases that have been so successful. The whole community joined together to sing some of our favourite musical numbers and created such professional videos and showcases.”

Student Opportunities Awards Dedication to Student Opportunities This award is for an individual who has made an outstanding impact on Student Opportunities as a whole, through involvement in a range of sports clubs, societies, fundraising, and volunteering. Their involvement should demonstrate: • • •

Going above and beyond the call of duty Inspiring others and increasing participation through their involvement Inclusive practices which consider the importance of equal opportunities

The shortlisted nominees are...

Hannah Limb “She has showed an incredible amount of courage and love for the whole of Tremough Follies. This year hasn’t been what we expected or what she expected when she took on the Presidency, but, despite Covid, we’ve put on three digital showcases and hosted socials once a week to keep the spirit alive. She does an incredible job of making everyone feel safe welcome and she leads Follies as if it were a family. There is no one better suited to lead Follies and she is the most kind-hearted and thoughtful person I know.” Jack Wilkins “Jack has worked hard throughout the year to provide equal opportunities to all students, and encouraging students to participate in student opportunities across all three of his roles (Deputy Station Manager for SURF Radio, President of History Society, and Deputy Editor of Voices)… Furthermore, as President of the History Society, Jack has worked hard to provide a number of quizzes throughout the year to help provide a community among students, while providing a series of guest speakers throughout the year… Jack also worked as Deputy Editor of Voices, editing both a Black History Month and Mental Health issue. Both issues worked on a tight turnaround time and he worked hard to ensure that each issue contained a significant number of volunteers and read through every written contribution to ensure that each was edited to a high standard.” Mia Terra St Hill “As a PTO we know, and the minutes show, that Mia is here for “a fun time not a long time”, but that under-represents her hard work and achievements with Amelia this year. I’m really very impressed at the work they’ve done with each other, especially in working out how to support societies. I won’t go into a long exegesis of what she’s done and how, because that’ll take far too much time, but I think her record talks for itself.”

Student Opportunities Awards The Andy Hocking Award This award is for an individual who has given the most hours given to community projects outside of The SU. This individual should inspire others and lead by example, actively seeking out additional opportunities to volunteer their time beyond those offered at The SU. A nomination for this award should consider: • •

Good relationships built within the community Positive impact on the student body and local community through volunteering

The shortlisted nominees are...

Jordan Pidwell “During the pandemic, Jordan used his role in scouting to deliver a virtual programme to young people across Truro District Scouts who might otherwise have missed out. Because of this passion to deliver virtual scouting to young people in Truro, Jordan was asked to join the team at digital scouts - an innovative project to deliver the scouts programme to young people across the UK and the world via the internet (digitalscouts.org.uk). Jordan had a key role to play in the perception of the project, leading the social media campaigns throughout as well as working towards the accessibility of the platform. During his time in the role of district youth commissioner for Truro scouts, it was his responsibility to work with young people from across the scout district to ensure that they had a say in the activities they took part in at various levels. Because of his outstanding work in that role, Jordan was appointed as the county youth commissioner for Cornwall scouts - ensuring that the team of district youth commissioners are being as effective as possible and making sure that young people are at the heart of decision making across the county. Outside of Scouts, Jordan plays the piano at a church in Connor Downs (near Hayle) every Sunday and gets involved with several of their fundraising campaigns - including taking part in the Samaritans purse shoebox appeal each year where Jordan takes an active role in fundraising throughout the year and helps organise the packing and sending of well over 100 boxes each November. He uses his piano playing skills every Christmas to enthuse carol concerts across the county for the scouts, local churches and even does smaller, more intimate carol sessions in a care home. He also has completed charity runs and walks in the last twelve months and last year was part of a team who raised more than £5,000 for Children’s Hospice South West as well as supporting friends in their fundraising missions - including running 10 miles one afternoon and 12 miles another afternoon the following week to support a friend raising money for Young Minds mental health. Because of his community work, Jordan was shortlisted and chosen to represent the UK scouts as part of the UK contingent at the world scout moot in 2022, an event where over 5,000 18-25 year olds from around the globe meet to collaborate and unify for a want to make the world a better place, mainly championing equality and sustainability.”

Winner of Winners The Daniel Palmer Award The Daniel Palmer Award is named in memory of a former student who supported and made a positive impact on the SU in many ways. This ‘winner of winners’ will be selected from the nominees in all categories for the most outstanding contribution to the student experience. A huge thank you to Sue Palmer who helped with the judging of the Daniel Palmer award this year.

Thank you and... ...goodnight!