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Politics: Gair Rhydd interview Jo Stevens MP P23 >> gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1094 Monday 27th February 2017 Man jailed for livestreaming Cardiff Court case
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Credit: Emily Giblett
Hollie Cooke becomes Students’ Union President with landslide win Harry Webster
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ollie Cooke has been elected the new Students’ Union President, in what was a record-breaking election for Cardiff ’s Student Union in terms of electoral participation. After a grueling week of campaigning for all 43 of the candidates, the results of this years’ Students’ Union elections were finally announced on Saturday, resulting in the formation of a new thirteenstrong team - made up of 7 sabbatical officers, and a further 4 campaign officers. Hollie, who is the current VP for Welfare, said she was “ecstatic” after an unpredictable election campaign, and that she was “so looking forward to it”, citing her current time in office as motivating her “to go on for another year.”
Cooke - who received almost double the number of votes as her nearest competitor - was also full of praise for her fellow candidates. She told Gair Rhydd: “They’ve all been absolutely wonderful, it’s been such high energy all week, all four of us have given it everything all week, it could have been anyone of us and they should be very proud of themselves.” Such a feeling was shared by the Student Unions’ incumbent President, Sophie Timbers who praised the togetherness of all of the candidates, after a week she described as an “emotional rollercoaster” for all involved. Speaking to Gair Rhydd about the election week, Sophie said: “I think this has been one of the nicest election weeks we’ve had, because all 43 of the candidates have gotten on like a house on fire. They’ve supported each other throughout the week. “Congratulations to every single
candidate that’s won in these elections because, my god it’s a tough job, but it’s extremely rewarding all at the same time.” Sophie was also keen to offer some advice to the newly elected team She said: “In everything that you do, you must think students. Student experience is what we are here to do; we are here to represent students, so go out there and make a change. “That’s why people have voted for you, so go and and smash those manifesto points.” Certainly, the onus will now be on the new officers to deliver their manifesto points more than it ever has been, after a record 6,851 individuals decided to cast their vote, resulting in a total of 42,085 votes being cast in total. Most of the votes were cast in the race for AU President (VP Sports), while the ballot for SU President
came in a very close second. The two categories received 4,192, and 4,181 votes respectively, with Tom Kelly being elected for VP Sports. The closest contest was in the battle for VP Welfare, with just 80 votes separating eventual winner Nicholas Fox, and runner-up Annabel Jardine-Blake. The least votes were cast in the race for VP Heath, with Kirsty Hepburn being the only candidate up for nomination, receiving 2,751 votes, while an additional 163 votes being cast to re-open nominations (RON). Following her election, Kirsty jokingly said in her speech: “RON put up a good fight.” For a full breakdown of all of the results turn to page six.
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man caught livestreaming court proceedings onto his Facebook profile has been sentenced to prison for 28 days. David Davies, aged 39, attended and watched a court case from the public gallery, although his reason for attending is not yet known. He was found guilty of contempt of court on Tuesday the 21st of February, the day after he filmed and broadcasted footage of a person giving evidence. It is thought that a member of the public saw the footage online and alerted the authorities. Commenting on the issue, PC Richard Sellek stated, “unfortunately, cases such as this are becoming more and more commonplace,” and said that “this should serve as a warning to others who think that the law does not apply to them.”
‘FriendsFest’ to visit Cardiff this Summer
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ans of the star-studded sitcom ‘Friends’ may be excited to hear about the major festival coming to Cardiff in July. The event will be held over the 21st to the 30th in Bute Park, a short distance from the University. Featured in the line-up is a host of realistic set displays, ranging from Monica’s apartment to the iconic café Central Perk, where ticketholders can go to explore, take selfies “on set,” and even recreate the title sequence. As well as this, the event will include themed food and drink stalls, a big screen showing constant Friends content, and a quiz where they can test their knowledge. The first FriendsFest sold out in 13 minutes – but for those lucky enough to snatch a ticket for this one, it’s bound to be a great time. This is part of a 12 week UK tour. Friendsfest events will also be happening in Sheffield, Manchester, Essex, London and Oxfordshire.