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Hi! I'm Lyra!
You may recognise me from last year, where I was the RFL commander! That year was a battle to get the event past the union, but we did it! I learned an immense amount in that role, hence I am experienced with the innings of running ShockSoc and know exactly what needs to be done to run things far more efficiently and on time!

Makers and engineers are truly my people, I so strongly want to bring Makers together in a community where we can share our passion. ShockSoc has so much room to grow and nurture this, and I would love the opportunity to guide it this way!

It is incredibly important to me that ShockSoc be a completely inclusive, safe space for everyone. As a core value, I would work closely with the committee to ensure this.

I have quite the agenda for this year!

New Antweight Robots!
From my ant weight class robots, I've met numerous people in the scene, including the local Leeds Hackspace and several controller builders. My goals are to collaborate with Leeds Hackspace to host several ant weight robot competitions on top of the main RFL!

Hobbyweight Robots!
Having assembled the arena three times and writing assessments of it, I understand exactly how to bring its safety class back up a level to where the union will allow us to bring back spinner weapons!

Trips & Socials!
Using our industry connections, and developing new ones, I aim to organise several trips to interesting sites! I also shall organise local social events, from picnics to Pixel bar game nights!

Hands-on Building!
Having taught last years soldering SDL, I would put on more hands-on SDL sessions! Practical makers skills are something I feel the University does not teach enough, for a society of makers I aim to keep your hands occupied :)

Industry Talks!
There are a plethora of amazing local engineering companies with UOL graduates such as Sulzer, Acuity Robotics and Labman. I aim to bring them and more to give talks on industry and provide networking opportunities :D

Society Collabs!
There are several societies filled with makers and engineers, such as WIE, LURA, Formula student & MERCA. I would love to continue collaborations with WIE and create new ones with others.

I want ShockSoc to be more than just a society people occasionally attend; I want to help bring the entire Electrical Engineering building together and build a real engineering community.
Over the past few years, ShockSoc has already done a lot of great things, but I still think there’s loads of potential to make it bigger and more active within the Electrical Engineering department. If elected, I want to help create a stronger community where more people get involved, meet others across different year groups, develop practical skills, and take part in exciting engineering events and experiences outside of lectures.

Why Me:

I am genuinely passionate about engineering and want to help make ShockSoc a bigger part of student life within the Electrical Engineering department. I already have experience leading teams and managing engineering projects through both university and extracurricular activities, which I think would help me grow and organise ShockSoc effectively.
More than anything, I want ShockSoc to feel like something students genuinely want to be part of throughout the year, not just occasionally attend.

What I Plan to do if Elected:

Society Trips and Engineering Experiences:
Other engineering societies at UK universities already organise trips to places like CERN, engineering companies, and research facilities, and I would really like to work on bringing opportunities like that to ShockSoc as well.
I also want to organise company visits to places such as Rolls-Royce, Siemens, and National Grid so students can get more exposure to real engineering environments and industry.

Bigger and Better Robot Fighting League:
RFL is already one of the coolest things ShockSoc runs and I would love to help make it even bigger. I want to work on bringing in more sponsorships, increasing the size and visibility of the event, and introducing new ideas for the competition in the future, including trying to negotiate restrictions around spinners where possible.
I would also really like to explore the possibility of inter-university competitions and get robotics teams from other universities involved to turn RFL into something even bigger than it already is.

Regular Socials and Stronger Community:
I want ShockSoc to feel like a real community, not just a society people occasionally attend. I will work closely with the Social Secretary to ensure regular socials throughout the year, including larger end-of-term events and collaborations with other societies.

Frequent Industry Talks and Networking Opportunities:
I want ShockSoc to provide more opportunities for students to connect with industry and learn from engineers already working in the field.
I will work to organise more industry talks, networking events, and alumni sessions that are accessible, useful, and relevant to students interested in placements, internships, and future careers.

Practical Skill Development Workshops:
I want to continue building on the practical workshops and project sessions that ShockSoc already runs while helping expand them even further. I would like to see more hands-on sessions that help students build practical engineering skills and confidence outside of lectures.