During our Students’ Union Elections Media Day on Saturday 24th February, we chatted to the candidates who are running to be elected as your President for the 2018-19 academic year. Take a look at what they had to say.
William F. Buckley Jr.
William F. Buckley Junior is a final year English student, running to become the next President.
William announced that he is running for President “without the intention of winning.”
He wants to “campaign against modernity,” with this being his “one and only manifesto point.”
He continues: “There needs to be an SU figurehead to stand up against progress of all kinds” and that, “although inventions are products of love, they create a chaotic state of mind.”
“[William] is running to help people who are “living in a moral drought”.”
He wants to target “the individuals who are reading his manifesto” and wants them to “reflect on whether they are living the life they want to live.”
William also expressed his enthusiasm for the campaigning process: “I am looking forward to realising the genius of my own mind.”
With his condemnation of technology, William is mainly looking forward to the hustings, whereby “we can all address each other, unmediated by technology, just like in the ‘old days.’”
He goes on to explain why he stands out amongst his other competitors: “I have a love for poetry, and believe that the role is not about Presidency but rather the re-claiming of the soul.”
He continues: “There have been many good arguments for smartphones and computers, but none of them are holy.” He is running to help people who are “living in a moral drought.”
William expresses that he does “not believe in the SU, or the campaigning process,” and although he does not have a set slogan it would probably be “do not sin.”
Emma Heasman
Pete Lendon
Pete Lendon, a third-year Economics and Econometrics student, is running to be your next SU President.
Pete’s manifesto consists of four main points, and “it’s all about giving the choice back to the students.”
Her first point is ‘Choose Voice’: “That’s about giving the power back to the students and making sure the SU officers represent the student voice […] I want to make an easily accessible way for students to get in contact with the SU officers and, whether it’d be complaints, or change, or queries, I want the student officers to be the main contacts for students.”
The second point, ‘Choose Safety’, refers to sexual and physical assault on campus. Pete plans to “provide greater support, provide greater awareness, and really make that be not an okay thing anymore.”
“I want to make sure the officers work well together, so we can achieve a lot in the year.”
Her third point is ‘Respect’. “We’ve got different gender identities, different sexual identities, different races, different ethnicities, different religious backgrounds; I want to bring everyone together and make sure everyone is represented by the Students’ Union.”
In order to achieve more inclusivity, Pete plans to introduce a new SU staff member dedicated to Student Networks and incorporate a full-time International Officer.
The final point is ‘Recognition’. Pete wants to ensure student groups are rewarded for their work.
Lastly, she highlights the importance of teamwork: “I’ve worked with the SU, I know the best officer team is when they work really well together, and I want to make that my aim. I want to make sure the officers work well together, so we can achieve a lot in the year.“
Pete’s manifesto is bold and clear: ‘P for Prez’.
Goda Naujokaityte
Hemanth Kalathuru
The final candidate looking to become your next Students’ Union President is Hemanth Kalathuru.
Hemanth is one of the two current International Officers, and his manifesto is centred around five key points: an open SU that listens to you; living improvements; international students; societies and sports; and those off of the main campus.
Hemanth’s manifesto states that he plans to implement an ‘online calendar of SU Officers’ availability’, for ease of contact for all students.’
“Create a ‘dedicated space for regular evening events in Portland, building for cultural integration.”
He also plans to revamp the counselling service to ‘suit student needs’, and review the Hopper Bus issues ‘on Jubilee Campus, and ‘to lobby for a QMC stop.’
Hemanth also stated that, for international students, he aims to create a ‘dedicated space for regular evening events in Portland, building for cultural integration.’
He also aims to ‘reduce barriers for societies to hold event easier’ and is looking to establish an ‘SU Hub’ in Lenton.
Note: Hemanth did not attend the Media Day on 24th February.
To read the manifestos for your Presidential candidates, head to the Student Leader Elections website.
Featured image: Poppy Anne Malby
Article images courtesy of Impact Images.
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It is a source of vile and deep trauma that I must submit my thoughts so, typing on a laptop computer. I would prefer to scribe them lovingly with paper and ink. Such practices create a soulful conduit between mind and word, a love so rarely practised by modern man. Johannes Gutenberg may have more to answer for than any man in history. This magazine has forgotten the face of its father, perhaps you know this, but I must commend for but a single act – publishing the words of William F. Buckley Jr.
It is no hyperbole to claim that he has saved me. Despite this, I hope never to meet him. In fact I intend to spend large portions of the remainder of my life in splendid, gorgeous isolation. On these grounds I feel justified in saying I am the only living human with a soul. Even if this were not true, it does not matter – this miserable and tawdry communique will be my final word in public life before retreating to a noble life of reading, simple pleasures, and loneliness.
I shall not be voting in this election (its vulgarity is abhorrent), but for those who might, I urge you to consider a vote that will make a statement. Do not lend your vote to the vapid platitudes of Pete ‘BNOC of the Year’ Lendon, nor to the sad bleating of palpably defeated Hemanth. By doing so you sell yourselves to machinations beyond our comprehension. If you must vote – and I urge you not to – vote for love. Vote for William.