All of this week, we’ll be featuring stories with your new Officer Team, and seeing what they’ve got planned for 2017/18. Next up, it’s Mike Mayes, VP Media and Communications at DSU…
*UPDATE: You can now read the second half of our conversation with Mike on the DMU website here.*
Summer is always an exciting time at De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU), as we look forward to welcoming the new Officer Team who will #LeadYourDSU.
But who are they, and what makes them tick? All of this week, we’ll be featuring stories with the new team, and seeing what they’ve got planned for 2017/18.
Next up, it’s Mike Mayes, VP Media and Communications at DSU…
“I really enjoyed the past year,” he said. “And it has felt really good to be able to contribute towards something at such a high level, and to make an impact and enact positive change for students.
“In fact, I enjoyed doing it so much I want to do it some more.”
And for Mike, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing in 2017/18. Alongside new President Ahtesham Mahmood, Mike has retained his place on DSU’s Officer Team for a second year running, and believes his experience sets the students’ union up for a strong year.
Mike was first elected to the role of VP Media and Communications in March 2016.
He explained: “With the experience that I’ve gained, I feel I’ll be able to apply myself more wholly.
“There are so many important things happening for both De Montfort University (DMU) and the students’ union, plus the higher education (HE) sector in general, and I felt that having another year to be able to work on it will be truly beneficial to students.”
That’s all very noble. But what does Mike get out of it?
“I don’t actually consider much of what I might get,” he said. “I don’t do this for selfish reasons.”
(We had to push him a bit…)
“…well, I guess in a perfect world, if I get the chance to go travelling again that would be great. That’s been an absolute highlight for me; by going to New York and being able to support DMU on some of its initiatives elsewhere.”
So, what will Mike be working on this year?
“The big focus this year will be to hopefully continue to save students money, especially through strategies like a cheaper printing scheme,” he continued.
“Some of my original manifesto points [an external company for commissioned Demon Media work] have needed a whole year to even consider starting, but now Ahtesham has a similar aim we’re hoping to work together on that.
“To leave a bit of a legacy would be amazing.”
Mike presented a number of awards – including the all-important Demon of the Year – at this year's Demon Media Awards in June.
Mike, who oversees the award-winning Demon Media, also hopes to make the group unique in the UK at ‘standing on its own two feet’ and ‘keeping the same phenomenal output as it has right now’, as well as helping facilitate communications across both university and union throughout the year.
But what else will students get to know about Mike?
“I’m immensely enthusiastic, approachable, friendly – and once students get to know me a little better you’ll see I’m a little bit of a geek.
“I’m into everything like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons; you name it.
“Ahtesham has been twisting my arm for the best part of a year to try and get me to run a [Dungeons and Dragons] session, so at our [Officer Team handover] lock-in we finally did it. Some definitely enjoyed it more than others, I think...”
...read the second half of our conversation with Mike on the university website here!
You can follow Mike’s work every step of the way on the students’ union website, and you can follow him on Twitter here.
“To leave a bit of a legacy would be amazing.”
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