James Chick
Greetings, the University of Leicester. My name is James John Chick (he/him). I am a second year Politics and International Relations student, and I am delighted to serve as your Sustainability Officer for the 2024/25 Academic Year. I will strive to make your votes and trust in me worthwhile. As of writing this at the end of July, I am already having several meetings regarding our ongoing programme of sustainability at UoL. This is, of course vital, as we as students and the world are currently facing an unprecedented crisis, as you all may know. Climate Change is here, and it has our futures in the palm of its hand. What we do now will define the rest of our lives and the lives of those who come after us. That’s why I’m here. I encourage and enable Leicester to mitigate the worst and most catastrophic events that this global phenomenon will bring, be an active part in finding solutions and act as a role model for other universities.
I was inspired to become the Sustainability Officer as I felt as if it was a role that closely mirrored my own personal feelings and beliefs. I’ve never been a great fan of going out and protesting, although I admire those who do, and so I put my name forward to show the Leicester cohort that one does not need to go guns-blazing to make a difference. Collaboration and collective struggle are just as effective as confrontation. I suffered from this thought for years, since I first learned about Climate Change in Y9 Chemistry. However, since becoming officer, this has largely subsided. This is a journey that I’ve been on so that I can tell you that you can put your trust in me, and you do not need to despair, nor feel pressured to leave your comfort zone in the name of climate action. You simply need to be who you believe you can be within the movement for climate justice. I hope to serve as an example that you do not inherently need to make national news to make change. I will help you find your place, and I will be sure to maximise your impact and minimise your anxiety.
That’s a big word, isn’t it, ‘anxiety’? I’m no stranger to climate anxiety, and I do still suffer from it every so often. It was one of my manifesto pledges, and perhaps my tagline, to declare war on climate anxiety campus wide. I will try to see to it that climate anxiety is actively targeted, working with the SU for some exciting projects coming up. Climate anxiety gets us nowhere; despair gets us nowhere. It is a highly used phrase that climate action is an effective remedy for climate anxiety, and while I do agree, when you can’t find where you fit in the puzzle of climate action, you feel hopeless; you feel as if you are condemned to climate anxiety forevermore. This, as I said, will be changing during my time as officer. Eventually, my aim is to make even the act of studying at UoL a valid form of climate action which you can feel proud of.
As for myself, I hail from Oxfordshire. I’m a very keen singer, being a male vocalist with the UoL Big Band (come see us at the Loaded Dog sometime!). I play the piano often in the Percy Gee, so don’t hesitate to come and say hi! I’m into my F1, being a disappointed Ferrari fan given my Italian family heritage, and I am a massive rail enthusiast, volunteering at the Great Central heritage railway in Loughborough and the Didcot Railway Centre back home. If you need me urgently, the station is a candidate for where I would be. If you need advice on getting round the UK, again, don’t hesitate to tell me and I’ll put you on the right track, if you’ll excuse the pun. This very much comes into my sustainability work too, stay tuned!