“I’m a massive nerd, I like sci-fi and riding horses.”

Bernadett: What’s your academic background?

Alex: I started at Imperial in 2006, doing Physics. I did the 4 year course, then I did my MRes in 2010/11. And since then, I’ve been doing my PhD.

B: Where are you from, and how has it affected your outlook on Imperial?

A: I’m from Bath. Yeah, I think it did influence my outlook on Imperial. It’s quite a posh little town. The culture shock was somewhat less: the booze price increase when moving to London was less pronounced… However, the change in diversity was large and experiencing different cultures coming together in London was great.

B: Do you think the international aspect of Imperial is sufficiently represented in the Union?

A: We obviously try and represent everyone, but I don’t think engagement with international students is good enough. The sabb team is usually white British, and that’s not what we are as a student population, so it’d be good to improve it. How we’d go about doing that is an interesting question.

B: How are you going to be held accountable at the end of this year?

A: We’re asking Union Council to be far more critical of us, to give us stronger feedback and more scrutiny.

B: I've been told that the sabb hierarchy has recently changed. Is the President no longer the boss of the other sabbs?

A: Yeah, now there is a more equal, democratic structure. Tom still chairs things, but he isn’t our boss. The President also maintains responsibility.

B: Abi, the DPCS works with non-sabbs, do you?

A: I probably work less closely with them than she does, but they are there as a point of advice, and staff members generally make sure we’re asking the right sort of questions. I also get to work with the commercial services and the finance team. A lot of what I do now is sorting clubs’ problems regarding finances.

B: Do you know how you're going to achieve the main policies you said you wanted to achieve?

A: My policies were: clubs and society policy review - which we’ve started, more light music in metric, and postgraduate engagement in H-bar. But right now, sorting out Welcome week for Freshers is our main priority.

B: Are you actually busy? What do you do day to day?

A: Yeah! I get 50-60 emails a day! And I thought summer was supposed to be relatively free! Replying to the requests takes a long time, it’s very hard to clear some time in a day to achieve the things I set out to change. I tend to work 10-6pm-ish, but there have been days where I’ve done more (9-7pm).

Yeah, most of my time is eaten up answering emails and going to meetings. I’m currently looking at is what stance College will take on Higher Education fees.

B: Do you think Kieron did a good job last year?

A: No comment, it’s hard to tell. You get a very different perspective when you’re doing the job itself and that’s going to change in term time as well.

I think there are things he did well and some he didn’t, I know sometimes he wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.

But I know that I have similar problems, I am trying really hard to not piss anyone off. It’s really hard to say: I can see how it’s easy to just adequately get through what’s on your plate that day and not achieve anything else. It’s hard to judge someone.

With DPFS, positive changes aren’t that visible to others, stuff just goes slightly faster or transactions are slightly more secure.

If I achieve anything positive, chances are no one will notice at all or the net benefit will come in one or two years down the line.

It’s the danger of being a sabb: your positive changes aren’t immediately visible.

B: Why did you run for a sabbatical position?

A: The Union has been my favourite aspect of Imperial. I’ve been involved in clubs and societies from my first year. I’ve enjoyed seeing how things have worked and having influence over how things work. I’ve found some aspects frustrating and I wanted to come in and improve it.

B: How come you only considered it after so many years at Imperial?

A: I considered it before, I just never felt it was the right moment. I’d been on other boards in the Union, but I wanted more experience before becoming a sabb. This year was theoretically the last year I could have ran in the elections.

B: What are you going to do next year?

A: Finish my Phd, then get a proper job!

B: What do you think about Chris donating a third of his wage?

A: Has he actually done it?

B: Yeah!

A: Oh really?! It’s very noble. I think it’s a good cause. I personally don’t think that I would do the same. It maybe makes me a worse person! But it does highlight a debate we should have. We are forced to do a lot more work that some other student unions.

And Imperial grads are some of the highest paid graduates in the world, so you need something to to attract people to do another year at the Union.

So we can’t necessarily compare ourselves to other student unions, without at least baring that in mind.

He’s doing it for the message that sabbs are overpaid, but I don’t think that’s true, but he’s doing a nice thing for donating.

B: You said you liked the Union as a young student, but there anything you dislike about the Union?

A: Yeah, there are plenty of things which are frustrating, especially how long it takes for things to get done as a club officer. There is a lot more to be done. Everything if I didn’t think there were things I didn’t like, I wouldn’t have ran for a sabb position. I’d love to see the bar play music every night.

B: Okay, I have some fun questions!

A: Oh thank you, I must sound like the most boring person ever!

B: What’s your biggest online timewaster?

A: Oh that’s difficult, I’ve got lots of them. I’ve been good though, I haven’t been on Facebook that much lately! I spend a lot of time on GPRO, which is an online racing management game. In terms of websites, my favourite one is Neko the Kitty.

B: If you were trapped on a desert island with the other Sabbs, who do you think you would collectively eat first?

A: I’m not sure we’d reach a collective decision! I think we’d all try and kill each other!

B: Who do you think would be the last person to survive?

A: Me! Nah, I think we would probably gang up on the medic president, Dariush.

B: If you had to have tinder, what bio would you have?

A: I’ve never thought about it, I don’t have tinder. Playing on other people’s tinder it is fun though.

I’d probably include that I’m massive nerd, I like sci-fi and riding horses.

B: If you had to have a first date on campus because you were so busy with all your sabb duties, which Imperial establishment would you go to?

A: It depends on the person. I don’t think I should say a College venue, because the commercial services staff will hate me. But never mind: Eastside bar!

B: Can you recommend any places or any places to avoid?

A: I’m in charge of Metric, I have to say Metric!

B: Oh come on, not an Imperial one!

A: Electric Ballroom in Camden. We went to the Ultimate Power night there a few weeks ago. It’s like goth-cheese, ie: very cheesy goth music.

B: If you had to eat one meal from 568 for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A: Probably the burrito! Better than expected.

B: Favourite alcoholic drink?

A: Amaretto.

B: If you were allowed to name a Union drinking hall, what would you name it? Can you think of a pun quick enough?!

A: I would probably turn them back into what they used to be called! I can’t think of one now, but I still think my suggestion of ICUtube is better than STOIC’s change to ICTV!