Student President welcomes new student community councillors

The President of St Andrews Students’ Association has welcomed greater student representation on The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council.

Paloma Paige had campaigned for the community council elections in St Andrews to be postponed to allow students the opportunity to vote.

“I am aware of three student residents who will be among the 15 taking up positions on the Community Council in late March,” she said.

“This is very welcome news, seeing as the elections had been postponed from October in order to give students a fair shot at participating. Whilst an election would have been a further opportunity to engage, I am tremendously proud of the three students who have committed themselves to such positions of civic responsibility.”

Ms Paige said one of the key goals of her presidency of St Andrews Students’ Association has been to improve relations between the student body and the local community.

“Students have always engaged and contributed to the town in a myriad of ways, but not always in a political sense,” she said.

“The St Andrews Community Council has, for some time, included three student representatives from the Students’ Association who are co-opted onto the Council. However, having students actually stand for positions on the Council was not a common occurrence and this led to a rather unbalanced membership of the Council.

“The results of this round of nominations demonstrates, to me, that students do feel like full members of the local community; that they are keen, not only to speak up for their peers, but also for their neighbours and for the town they have come to love. I look forward to seeing what ideas and viewpoints they will contribute to the Council.”