Activities Vice-President, Lachy Lee

With the unpredictability of COVID-19, as the Vice President – Activities, how will you ensure students still get to participate in great activities in 2021?

This is one of my biggest concerns coming into this role, looking back to the start of this year to now, COVID-19 has had such an unprecedented impact on us, both in our ability to hold physical events and the Guild’s finances. As this year’s Secretary I can say that this has been a tough year for the Guild, two of our main revenue streams were cut out from us. Your Illuminate Guild has handled this well but from now on I don’t think any kind of planning can be done without including asking myself and the Guild staff “What if this all happens again?”

I am a firm believer in the 6 Ps: ‘Proper preparation and planning prevent poor performance’. This needs to be applied not only to what happens if there is a second wave, but what happens if the Guild has its funding cut again. By continuously asking, “What if” and planning with sufficient unpredictability margins, that we will be able to provide some fantastic events.

The current Illuminate VP-A and our current VP-E candidate, Bridge Truell has done incredible work this year in running low-cost events and expanding our options for events in the face of the huge impact of COVID. I intend to build on that work, expanding our online and low-cost options so that nobody is left behind.

Can you tell us some of the activities you hope to roll out in the future?

My main goals for next year is going to be kick-starting a new events calendar and bringing this campus back to life after lockdown. I am looking forward to getting people out of the lockdown mindset where safe and providing a wide range of events to engage as many different people and offer as many opportunities as possible. I also intend to continue building on my predecessors, Bridge and David’s, work (thanks guys!) of providing more alternatives for representatives to engage with the students, from David’s “pav in the pav” during my time and Sci-Eng rep to Bridge’s “Meet and Eat” events I hope to deliver something that gives reps a chance to sit down and talk with students and give students an incentive to get to know their reps! Obviously, we’ll be bringing some of the old school favourites as well, like the Guild ball and my all-time favourite (and the best way to start the year!) the Toga party.

I don’t think that Activities will be my sole responsibility though. I want to give our clubs as many opportunities as possible, and make sure they know that the support from the Guild is and always has been far more than a Tav pack and a sausage. I will make sure that clubs support and access to resources only ever increases next year.

As the Vice President – Activities, what is one thing that you want the student body to know?

Your time and university can deliver you so much, but only if you’re open to looking for it. You can come to Uni, punch in, go to your classes, punch out and you’ll leave here with a nice degree and some high marks, which is great. But university life starts outside the classroom. If you want to pull more from your time here you should go looking for more opportunities outside the classroom. Join a Club or go to an event. You will not regret looking for more to fill your time here.

Lachy has no political party affiliations and was voted in unopposed.