George Scotland
Marcus Briggs is running in the 2022 SU elections for the role of Sports Officer. Impact’s George Scotland caught up with him to hold an interview about his campaign.
Q1: What do you think makes you a good fit for this role?
Since joining the University of Nottingham, I’ve jumped straight in with all sports opportunities. I’ve been a member of the dodgeball team, and I’ve been President for the last two years.
This year I was also selected to be on the IMS executive for rugby union which means I organise fixtures, referee and squat selections and allocations on a weekly basis. I also coach rugby sessions as well. Lastly, I’m one of the ambassadors for our rugby minds mental health campaigns.
“Sport has been my passion for as long as I remember”
Q2: Dodgeball is clearly a niche choice of sport, how come you decided to get involved in that?
Well, it was my very first week during Freshers, one random evening, one of my mates said there was a taster evening and fell in love. Obviously with me becoming President it’s been a massive part of my university life now.
There’s also the great film, Dodgeball which I’d watched before university, although I must say the rules aren’t as up to date as they are now!
Q3: Why did you decide to run for the role of Sports Officer?
This year, I’ve taken on a lot more responsibility especially with my role as President and the IMS Executive, so I feel I now have the necessary experience for this role.
Also, sport has been my passion for as long as I remember I just want to make sure everyone that comes to the university feels included whether they’re an elite or they just want to do it for a bit of fun. I just want to make sure everyone has the chance to play sport regardless of their capabilities at the University of Nottingham.
“I just want to make sure there’s a lot more welfare involved, especially an emphasis on men’s mental health”
Q4: How would you ensure the sport community at university becomes more diverse and gender inclusive?
One of the key points of my manifesto is a commitment to welfare. I want to bring in a welfare officer because there is not currently one, under the umbrella of inclusion officer. After working on the Rugby Minds Campaign, I just want to make sure there’s a lot more welfare involved, especially an emphasis on men’s mental health.
I come from a rugby background and heard all the rumours that ‘its lads, lads, lads’ so it’s trying just to make sure that if someone is just as passionate about sport and social life, they’re more than welcome.
Q5: What is your favourite sport and favorite team?
I’ve grown up in a massive rugby household, so it would have to be rugby. And I’m from Northampton. So, it’s probably our only claim to fame is the town so it would have to be Northampton saints!
“I’m making sure that all our players are looked after”
Q6: Roebuck spoons or Last Post Spoons?
Would have to be Roebuck in town. I’m not sure I’ve been to the last post
Q7: How are you going to make yourself regularly accountable?
I always take responsibility for myself. Obviously as President of Dodgeball, I’m making sure that all our players are looked after, and I have to deal with grievances is there any.
I always hold myself to high standards, whether that’s my course, whether it’s sports or anything extracurricular, I always try and make sure I’m doing the best that I can watch over my progress.
I want to be visible. I want to make sure that one of my main points is that I’m going to run weekly dropping sessions for students and the committee. It means if I have any queries and or things that they think could be done better by the department, this means they’ve got an easy way to voice their opinions and feel included once again.
“I feel really, I can bring great change and leadership to this role”
Q8: What is your flagship policy, and how are you going to shake things up?
Okay, so my flagship policy is the Vamp up Varsity. So obviously, this time of year, competitions are coming to end and it’s still quite early in the year for sports teams to say, ‘that’s competitions and players done for this, year, See you next year’. So, Varsity is a great opportunity to make sure that people still feel included in their teams, they’ve got something also to show up too.
I want to make sure that we use the city’s best venues so we can get great crowds in the sport. Also, our teams have worked so hard over the year, working as a team developing all the hours they put in strength conditioning team trainings, matches everything, it’d be great if they have a chance to show it off to all their fans, and also, it’s against trends.
So, we want to create the best platform to go against the old rivals as they say. I would especially like to continue the Super Wednesdays that the current sports officer AJ has set up which have made the smaller sports clubs more included in Varsity.
Q9: Why are you fundamentally passionate about this role?
I’m passionate about this role because I feel really, I can bring great change and leadership to this role. I believe I’m approachable and well known by a lot of people in the sporting community. Most of my friends believe that I live at David Ross sports village because I seem to be there for one sport or another.
So yeah, sport is my passion and I’d love to make anyone else as passionate as possible as I am about it which is why I’m applying for the role.
Voting for the 2022 SU elections closes at 1pm on Friday 25th March.
You can read Marcus’ manifesto and vote in the elections here.
George Scotland
Featured image courtesy of Chiara Crompton. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article courtesy of George Scotland. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
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