Ciara Purton finds out about the role of the student council at Bexhill College
What does the student union do? What is the Bexhill College Podcast? What does it have to do with me? These are some of the questions you may have as a student at Bexhill College, and I have been lucky enough to get the answers to them by talking to Lily Burrows and Nikhil Nayee, a member of the Bexhill College Podcast and communications officers for the student union.
I started by asking what Lily and Nikhil do in their roles within the union. They informed me that as part of the communications team, they help out and get involved in different communications enrichments, such as the podcast and magazine. They co-host the podcast, creating the Bexhill TV videos that are displayed on the screens around the halls and refectory, where they help announce events that will occur in the upcoming weeks.
They also told me about doing the information points. These are tables that you may have seen in the refectory and café, where Lily, Nikhil, and their fellow student union members are able to survey the college and collect feedback for ideas that the union can then try to implement for the future improvement of the college.
I also asked them about the structure of the student union. Lily explained, “You’ve got Andy at the top, and then the leaders of the different sections. For me, I’ve got Ben and Daisy, and then you have a few people from the student council in each department.” The different departments, I am told, focus on different aspects of college life and consist of EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity), International students, Activities officers, Communications, and Environmental.
We then talked more about the communications department and what their current focus is. Lily said, “At the moment, our focus is to try and improve the podcast,” wanting to speed up the release of episodes, as it has recently been rather slow. “Our plan is to look over the feedback from the recent information table and adapt it to see what we can do.” And whilst the communications team is the most involved, other departments are also able to utilise the podcast to broadcast their own events.
The episodes of the Bexhill College Podcast can be found on YouTube (on the newest account) as well as the Bexhill College TV episodes. Participation in creating the podcast is open to everyone, and it is an enrichment that takes place every Wednesday at 2.15. The podcast itself is mostly run by the students themselves, who decide what they do and discuss each episode. They encourage anyone who wants to participate and get involved to do so, as there is a variety of roles and it’s lots of fun for all.
Most recently, they painted Easter eggs, and prior to this, they engaged in the online trend where participants move cups to either side of a table depending on the degree to which they agree or disagree with a statement and then explain their point. They always try to do things that students can enjoy and relate to.
The student union have events that they put out throughout the year. “For example, Leavers Day,” Lily told me, “is when we get stands, food, and activities out on the field.” The events put on by the student council are advertised on the podcast as well as Bexhill TV and on the weekly notice in tutorial sessions.
So, how do you get involved in the student council? Lily explained: “We found out about it from a notice put out at the start of the year, and then I emailed Andy a sort of cover letter/CV telling him who I am and what roles I’ve done to make me a good fit for this role. Then I went for an in-person interview, and after that I received an email telling me I was now a communications officer with details about meetings”. Anyone can apply to join, it’s open to all students, and “Andy would love it if people signed up. It’s a really great opportunity.”
What drew Lily to the role? Lily told me how she had already done a similar role in her last school, and she loved it. Her experience as a member of the student council has allowed her to meet new people and give back to the community and students, as well as being great for putting on university applications.
The final message to students is that, “if you like media, talking and organising videos, I would highly recommend the Bexhill College podcast. There are so many skills and opportunities that come with it, and it’s a great overall time as you get to meet a really lovely, diverse group of people.” So, get involved, get informed, and make the most of your time here at Bexhill College.
