The Student Eye met up with Bournemouth University’s Murray Simpson, current VP Education and soon-to be-President. He reveals what it takes to reach the top spot.

Hello Murray! Firstly, what made you want to run for President?

“I was always interested in SUBU and from being involved in the many amazing things the union provides, and seeing how much of a difference it makes on students’ lives. I wanted the opportunity to maximise and improve that. I couldn't think of a better thing to be representing.”

So what was your campaigning technique?

“My campaign technique was to talk to as many students as possible, and really explain to them the importance of voting and all the great things SUBU can do for them. I think experience was a key thing, and my passion and excitement over the student experience and SUBU must have got across to the voters. I'm just so happy so many students voted!”

Was the campaigning process harder than you thought it would be?

“It's one of the hardest weeks I've ever gone through, you endure sweat, tears and tantrums, and you learn so much about yourself throughout the week. It takes so much confidence to put yourself out there and all the candidates should be so proud. It was harder than I expected because the competition was so strong, but it was worth every minute.”

Now that you have gained BU Presidency, what is your plan of action to make a difference to our university?

“Most importantly I’ll be working my hardest to achieve SUBU's vision that, by 2016 we will have a positive impact on every BU students’ journey. I aim to do this by focusing on the things that affect students, and I've gained a lot of knowledge this year. So on top of improving opportunities and creating friendships through clubs and societies, student reps and volunteering, I understand not all students want to engage with these. I additionally decided that I also want to improve feedback from assignments, increase support for international students, improve our commercial areas, continue to campaign to keep Wednesday afternoons free for varsity and extracurricular activities.”

What are your views on being part of SUBU as a whole?

“All of the four full-time officer jobs are amazing. You get thrown in at the deep end and learn so much in such a short period of time. Also you get to really make a difference on students time here at BU.”

And finally, what advice would you give to candidates running for President or VP Education in the future?

"During campaign week make sure you eat lots of carbs, drink plenty of water, smile, and take lots of multi vitamins to keep you going! That’s the advice I got two years ago and it helped me through!"

By Ashleigh Rigden