Election week can be an stressful time, and not just for those campaigning. 5 roles, 23 manifestos and a whole lot of promises can be overwhelming for potential voters.  To help you out, here’s Roar’s guide to where the candidates stand on key issues, so that you can make an informed decision. Remember, voting closes at 5pm on 10th March – make sure your voice is heard!
President
From left to right: Kingsley Chukwu, Ben Hunt, Yang Wu, Josh Woodcock
Kingsley has pledged to support liberation, inter faith groups, social inclusion and anti-discrimination campaigns. He also wants to stamp out sexual harassment.
Ben stands in solidarity with the efforts to close the BME attainment gap. He wants to keep fighting the Prevent legislation by protecting societies’ right to have speakers on King’s campuses and make the external speakers policy properly accessible and usable.
Josh wants to protect free speech on campus. He has stated that ‘No student should feel unable or unsafe to voice their opinions at university. Everyone has an equal right to express their views, in compliance with UK law.’
Yang  didn’t comment on this issue.
Bursaries, funding and fees
Kingsley supports the campaign against cuts to NHS bursaries. He wants to secure an increase in grants and bursaries as well as increased postgraduate funding. He also wants to freeze fees for international students, reduce the cost of residence halls and increase funding for societies.
Ben pledges to support the campaign to keep nursing bursaries and to raise the maximum living bursary to £6000 from the current £1500. He also wants to secure more affordable accommodation.
Josh plans to ‘invest in students’. According to his manifesto: ‘KCLSU currently wastes a ludicrous amount of money – and you’re paying for it. Student money is for student activity’.
Yang didn’t comment on this issue.
Improve student services
Kingsley wants to create additional spaces for postgraduate students and to provide free buses across campuses.
Ben wants to make libraries open 24/7 permanently, create new spaces for postgraduates, secure a shuttle bus that connects campuses, increase counselling capacity and secure a gym at Strand and across campuses. He also promised to scrap the ‘Fit to Sit’ policy in order to allow students at any stage to apply for mitigating circumstances.
Josh wants to create an inter-departmental league for student sports and hold university-wide referendums on the most important issues.
Yang didn’t comment on this issue.
Vice President for Activities and Development
From left to right: Natalie Faber, Momin Saquib, Amy Burley, Lam Oshunniyi
Activity Space
Amy has pledged to create more “accessible and usable” activity spaces in the new Student Union buildings, including a gym, and has also promised to campaign for more provisions for students at Denmark Hill, and Lam wants to create a ‘black box’ theatre space for students to be able to use free of charge.
External speakers policy
Natalie, Lam and Momin all discussed how they want to reform the external speakers policy in order to make it more transparent and streamlined for students.
Wednesday afternoons
Amy and Lam have promised to prevent faculties from scheduling lectures or seminars on Wednesday afternoons so that they’re free for students to take part in activities.
Finance
Momin has stated how he wants to improve the finance system so that students can be reimbursed for expenses more quickly, and Natalie is aiming to get more training for society treasurers so that they know how to best utilise their budgets.
Vice President for Education (Arts and Sciences)
From left to right: Alberto Torres, Jakub Dovcik, Mariya Hussain
Feedback
Improving assessment feedback, particularly in regards to exams, is an aim of both Alberto and Mariya.
Personal tutors
Jakob and Mariya want to improve the tutor system so that students meet with their personal tutor more often.
Curriculum
Alberto and Mariya have promised to liberate the curriculum as part of wider efforts to address the BME attainment gap.
Ayala Ples uploaded no manifesto.
Vice President for Education (Health)
Clockwise, from top left: Anthony Johnson, Alaa Alherz (no, she's not a heart, but this is the only picture Roar could find), Jacob Smith, Jack Haywood, Ishani Chakravorty
NHS bursary
Jacob, Anthony, Jack and Ishani have all pledged to support the #bursaryorbust campaign to oppose cuts to the NHS bursary for nursing students.
Mental health
Better support for those suffering with mental health issues is a key feature of Jacob, Jack and Alaa‘s manifestos.
Postgraduate and mature students
Jacob and Anthony want to make sure to engage with the postgraduate community, and as postgrads themselves Ishani and Alaa think they’ll be well-suited to the role.
Dr Shaza Hamid did not upload a manifesto.
Vice President for Welfare and Community
From left to right: Cary Monz, Erin McCloskey, Mahamed Abdullahi, Alex McKenzie
Liberation
All candidates have promised to work closely alongside liberation groups, with Mahamed specifically mentioning King’s Ethnic Minority Association, and Cary the It Stops Here campaign
International students
This is also a feature of everyone’s manifestos: Alex mentions increasing financial support for international students, for example, Cary thinks we should hold more events and create more spaces for them, and Erin wants to launch foster programmes to make students from abroad feel welcome on campus.
Accommodation
Mahamed, Alex and Erin include affordable accommodation as a central area of focus in their manifesto.
Remember, this is just a snapshot of the candidates’ policies. For more details, read the full manifestos here.
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