Monday 26-02-2018 - 09:00

Written by John House, Sport and Student Development Officer 2016-2018

Think that being an Officer just brings you nothing but fame and fortune? Think again.

When people think about life as a full-time sabbatical officer, which as we all know is almost constantly, they often think of the obvious benefits that the role brings; the good connections, the new skills and so on. Well, having spent the last 19 months as one of the fabled officers, I can tell you - that only scratches the surface.

Here’s the real reasons you should run to be a full time officer...

Free Food

As any student knows, eating food you haven’t paid for is as close as you can get to heaven on earth as it gets. As a sabbatical officer, that feeling is pretty much a daily occurence. From the free pizza at any democratic event, to the endless array of sandwiches provided at University meetings, you’ll never go hungry again. And we aren’t talking trash egg and cress on a stale bit of white bread here, you’re looking at a range of fillings that gently tickle the senses and take you straight to your happy place. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the University of Bristol’s catering departments’ Vegan sausage and chutney sandwiches are criminally underrated and are the second best lunch item on this planet next to the Parsons meal deal. Become an officer, eat like a king.

 

via GIPHY

Your face everywhere

Recently broke a mirror and cursed yourself with 7 years of bad luck that caused you to forget what you look like? So vain you probably think this article is about you (for the uncultured thats a worldie reference to Carly Simon's 1972 smash hit ‘You’re so vain’)? Then become an officer and see your face EVERYWHERE! Having your picture taken with the sun in your eyes and hair that you desperately label as ‘windswept and interesting’ has never been so rewarding. So become an officer, and sit back and bask in the snapchats your friends send you, captioned ‘oh, look who it is’.

Cardiovascular improvements

Do you know how ‘far away’ the SU is? Of course you do. Many have undertaken the journey and never made it, presumably lost somewhere in the harsh barren wasteland of the triangle. Well, as an Officer you’ll find yourself trekking to University and back at least twice a day. Annoying? Absolutely not. And once you get back to the SU, hit up the 4 flights of stairs to your office. Frustrating? Don’t be silly. Thanks to the 19 months of regular cardio that this provides, my body is completely ready to take on any challenge, from a marathon, to a sober night in Lounge. Top tip - don’t try and eat a Vegan sausage and chutney sandwich whilst walking up the hill past BGS, absolute recipe for disaster.

 

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Stash

Think that blue brings out your eyes? Well then being an officer is the job for you! As an officer you get provided so much free clothing you can practically reinvent yourself (again) in a heartbeat. From official jumpers to Varsity t shirts, you’ll never have to wash anything again. Just ping the old one into a bin and get yourself a freshie from marketing. After all, if you’re not on brand, you’re not on fleek. So become an officer, throw away those wavey garms and get excited to try and team a blue jumper with absolutely every other item of clothing you own.

 

 

A post shared by Bristol SU (@bristol_su) on Sep 29, 2017 at 9:21am PDT

That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the incredible benefits of being an officer, but I’m bored now and Stanford is already eyeing up today’s dose of sandwiches.

For more information feel free to get in touch, or dare I say it, make the trek over to the SU and chat in person. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes though and pack enough water for a couple of days. It’s not worth the risk.

#SUYesYou