Your Welsh Culture Officer & UMCA President this year is Gwion Llwyd Williams.
This role focuses on promoting Welsh culture giving Aber students the opportunity to learn, speak and live the language.
Your Welsh Culture Officer & UMCA President this year is Gwion Llwyd Williams.
This role focuses on promoting Welsh culture giving Aber students the opportunity to learn, speak and live the language.
Here is a little introduction to get to know him, what he studied & why he stood for the role:
Where are you from?
Penygroes, near Caernarfon
What did you study in Aberystwyth University?
History and Welsh History
Why did you choose to study in Aberystwyth?
One of the main reasons was knowing in advance that there was a strong Welsh speaking community in Aberystwyth. As Welsh is my first language, both at home a throughout my school career, knowing about UMCA and Pantycelyn clinched it for me. Having spoken with a number of former students and former UMCA members, they had nothing but praise for the Welsh language community that we have here. And Aberystwyth as a town is an attraction in itself. Far enough away from home, yet close enough on the other hand. The fact that it's in mid Wales means that it attracts students from all over Wales. There's also the fact that its by the seaside. The opportunity to live a few minutes from the sea was certainly an attraction for me, and no doubt for many others.
Why did you choose to stand for this role?
UMCA has played a significant part in my three unforgettable years as a student here in Aberystwyth. From living in Pantycelyn in my first year, to being a member of the committee in my third year, I feel that this role is the perfect next step for me. I've taken part in a number of UMCA events, as well as playing a role in other Welsh societies that were available to us. Because of this, I feel that I can meet the needs of students, and also know how to maintain a Students' Union here that's open to a wide range of Welsh speakers.
My commitment to ensuring that the Welsh voice is sustained within the University is one of the main reasons why I stood for this role. One of my main aims is to ensure that the University gives a guarantee that Pantycelyn will reopen as a Welsh medium hall of residence. My experience of living in Pantycelyn and my understanding of the importance of reopening the hall in order to support a community of Welsh speakers, has been a major factor in encouraging me to run. In conclusion, I feel that I have the strong personality that's needed to run a Students' Union, and that I can meet the challenges that will come my way throughout the year.
An interesting or random fact about yourself...
During the Euros last year, I managed to be there for all of Wales' games, which meant staying in France for 28 days!
What are you looking forward to this year?
I'm looking forward to making sure that there's a strong Welsh voice within the University. By organising events aimed at promoting Welsh culture within the town, I feel that the year ahead will provide me with many experiences which will benefit me in future. It's essential that Welsh speaking students feel that they can live their lives through the medium of Welsh here in Aberystwyth, and I'm keen to establish this in the year ahead. I'm also looking forward to introducing new ideas in UMCA, and I will try to develop them and offer more opportunities for Welsh speakers to join up and participate in our events.