Finding
power

A closer look

“I’m from London, born in Canada and a proud Nigerian, so I’m culturally rounded to say the least. I’m a big believer in sharing my experience, speaking up, making sure those around me are being seen.”

Phoebe, alongside pursuing a career in medicine, performing music, playing rugby and producing radio shows, also finds the time to be an active member of York’s Student Expert Panel. 

The panel is a collaborative group co-run by the University and the Students’ Union. It brings together students from diverse backgrounds to act as advisors, especially in relation to inclusivity. 

They make sure that real lived experiences and diverse student views are heard when new ideas and projects are being created. They push York to go further and be bolder in its ambition.

The panel trades perspectives and shares experiences, making sure all voices are equal. It gives students power, and a sturdy platform to shape the shared values of the University community.

“Safety for people to ask questions, to learn without judgement or shame, is so important and necessary,” explains Phoebe. She encourages members to think, “Actually, I may not be from where you’re from, but I can still understand what you’ve been through. And even if we don’t agree, we can still coexist.”

Writing is a medium of communication that represents language through the inscription of signs and symbols.

In most languages, writing is a complement to speech or spoken language. Writing is not a language but a form of technology. Within a language system, writing relies on many of the same structures as speech, such as vocabulary, grammar and semantics, with the added dependency of a system of signs or symbols, usually in the form of a formal alphabet. The result of writing is generally called text, and the recipient of text is called a reader. Motivations for writing include publication, storytelling, correspondence and diary. Writing has been instrumental in keeping history, dissemination of knowledge through the media and the formation of legal systems.

Why it matters

‘Now more than ever.’ Another phrase we see everywhere, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s often easy to feel discouraged by the state of the world, and at the hostility and division that get in the way of solving our shared crises. The chance to discuss diverse views with kindness, the safety that Phoebe describes, is essential. Any effort to encourage inclusivity, and push for the fairest world possible, is something to celebrate.

We celebrated Phoebe’s commitment to the cause at our recent Inclusive Impact Awards, hers being just one of the inspirational stories of support that York writes every day. The event looked back at work done so far, forward to the work left to do, and asked how we can all take our kindness further.

Every year, the York community grows, and so does our potential for good. Every new student joining us brings with them new perspectives to share, new ideas to show, new opportunities to find power, and to shape whatever lies ahead. As Phoebe herself says, “Now’s the time to make it bigger, better, in newer ways.”