Today, we sat down with our VP Barts and The London, Mat Robathan, to talk about his plans for BL in the upcoming year, as well as what society he'd join if he could re-do Freshers!
For today's Executive Officer Profile, we sat down with the Vice President Barts and The London, Mat Robathan, to discuss his go-to order for The Griff and how he plans to execute his plans for the year;
Tell us a bit about your journey here at Queen Mary so far?
I’m a fourth year medical student who joined Barts and The London and QMUL back in 2015. Since then, I’ve been involved in multiple societies, the rowing club and the BLSA. In 2018, having loved BL so much, I decided to extend my studies here by undertaking a 1 year intercalated degree in Global Public Health! Now I’m extending my time here again by being your VP Barts and The London for the upcoming year…
What’s your go-to order for The Griff?
Griff Inn Southern Fried Chicken Strips! They are great on their own but you can also have them in a burger… Need I say more?
Favourite spot on any of our campuses?
Laird Hall is home to some of my best BL memories. Who knew making a fool of yourself in front of all your peers could be so entertaining and fun?!
If you could start again, what would be the first society you’d join?
Oh gosh, there’s too many amazing ones to choose from! Can I say all of them?
What’s your favourite non-campus place in East London?
Victoria Park is lovely to go to on a summer’s day for some time away from your studies. You can also get an amazing brunch at the pavilion or have a stroll along the canal.
If you could tell the incoming students one piece of advice, what would it be?
Get involved! Come to our Freshers Fayre, sign up to anything that interests you and don’t be afraid to try new things. University is the perfect place to find new hobbies and Barts and The London has plenty to offer you. You can always cut back on activities later in the year once you settle down and realise what you’re enjoying most!
What do you think are the biggest issues you want to tackle for our students studying at Barts and The London?
I think in light of Covid we will have to work extra hard to ensure our students are kept safe and aren’t disadvantaged by any of the changes implemented due to the pandemic.
I also want to work toward improving representation within BLSA, the university and our curricula. Linked to this is the need for us to ensure all students, no matter what ethnicity, sexuality, campus they study on or course they study, feels represented and listened to.
Now more than ever, we also need to work to protect our identity and promote our community spirit. The last few months have proven very tough and many individuals have been left unable to see friends and loved ones – I hope however that BLSA can work to bring people together safely once again.