Elections Special Issue Three 06.03.17
Voting is now open! Critiques of the remaining manifestos The Characters who’d like to be President ‌
EDITORIAL
Loughborough Overheard
Hello again, and welcome to our final mini Label of the Elections period (sob). We’ve loved making these for you, so I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them and that our manifesto critiques have helped you formulate some opinions about the candidates! As I write this is am literally mid-way through voting and, goodness me, are there some tough decisions to be made?! If you haven’t voted yet, make sure you head to lsu.co.uk, sign in, and follow the links to the voting pages. Please vote, whatever your thoughts towards some of the candidates or the Exec Elections process itself, as the results of these votes WILL affect YOUR Students’ Union. This might just be the one vote this year where people our age finally get heard, and get what we want, so don’t waste it! Today we finish up with the manifesto critiques, and it’s time for the big one again – Union President. See what Alice Priestley has to say about them, as well as what Ellie Mackenzie, our resident Elections expert and News Editor, has to say on the Enterprise and Finance manifestos, and what David thinks of the Affairs candidate’s offerings. Not to mention that it’s worthwhile having a quick look at The Men Behind the Manifestos, an article by Tom Newman (recent Media Bubble Debate panellist) about who exactly George Etherington and Kyle Pyne-James are, and why you should vote for them, by those who know them best. It’s a fascinating read in this close-fought competition! Phew! Well, I don’t know how we fit it all in but now it’s time to relax, make yourself a cup of tea (or something stronger perhaps!) and finally face those tough decisions that have plagued us all week, all with a little help from us here at Label. Leanna Kightley Label Editor
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If you want someone to get it in I’m your man. “My boots are so soggy” “Your boobs?!” What baffles me is where goldfish come from cause they don’t live in the sea. Of course you had a cheese dream!
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TOP T W E E T S
Jonathan Ako @President_LSU - What do you think of the President candidates for #ExecElections? Tweet me any questions for the Bubble Debate this Sunday LSU London @LSULondon - One week left of #ExecElections 2017! Glad to meet some of our candidates in London campus today! #LSULondon #LSU George Hones @PostgradEO_LSU - Have any of the #ExecElections candidates managed to door knock around best hall on campus @jphalllufbra yet?
VP FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT CANDIDATE
Illustration by Alice Weil
Sam is running for VP Finance and Development, which is an uncontested position this year. He is running with the theme of ‘Fireman Sam’. Sam’s manifesto predominantly focuses on the qualifications he has that would make him suitable for the role. He has a wealth of experience including being Harry French Treasurer and helping to compose the new strategic plan, which will be implemented next year. Sam iterates that his positions related to money-managing are a big part of what makes him suitable for the role: he has already shown that he can be trusted.
Design by Jessie Foxford
Sam Hanys /Sam4VPFinance
Sam’s manifesto shows promise, and he presents some really interesting ideas. The introduction of hall card readers on move in day will reduce the amount of cash being tendered, and will be a much more convenient way for freshers to pay for what they need, however, Sam will need to do some more research to investigate whether this is a viable idea. Furthermore, Sam’s intention of improving the freshers experience for affiliated students across all the halls is a very big undertaking, although it would be very beneficial if he is able to pull it off. There is a word limit on the candidate manifestos, and Sam obviously cannot include everything. However, it would be good to hear some more of the ideas Sam has with which to develop the role of VP Finance and Development, and also for him to expand on how he will implement the ideas he has mentioned in his manifesto. Ellie Mackenzie News Editor
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ENTERPRISE EO CANDIDATE
Leo has great experience for this role as he is currently the Enterprise and Employability Development Officer at Loughborough. His manifesto clearly separates ‘Employability’ and ‘Enterprise’ and there are a number of promising ideas under each section. Expanding the £10 hall challenge has great potential as it was so popular this year, and showing students how they can translate the volunteering they do into enterprise skills is something those applying for jobs could find very beneficial. It is a also a good idea to develop graduate events for finalists going in to employment, as it will help give soon-to-be graduates the best possible start for life after Loughborough.
Leo Yang /LeoForEntEmpEO @LeoForEntEmpEO @LeoForEntEmpEO
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Leo has some really good ideas, but there is a chance that he may be aiming to achieve too much. Although it is good to have ambitious goals, Leo may have to prioritise which ideas are the most beneficial and important. He might be biting off slightly more than he can chew, but he is evidently very passionate and enthusiastic, which are exactly the qualities needed in a potential Exec member. Overall, Leo has lots of really promising ideas for where Enterprise and Employability could go next year.
Ellie Mackenzie News Editor
Design & Illustration by Lisa Remy
Leo is an uncontested candidate for the brand new role of Enterprise and Employability Executive Officer, and is running with the theme of ‘Leo and Stitch.’
VP AFFAIRS & DEVELOPMENT CANDIDATE
Elliya’s manifesto revolves around two key aims – improving student feedback and improving transparency from within the Union. The ideas expressed in the manifesto are admirable but undeveloped. Elliya starts the manifesto by suggesting that data collected by the Union could be better used to improve the quality of surveys to give the Union a better idea of what students want. This is a strong policy that will likely appeal to some but she gives no details of how she wishes to do this. The same issue applies to her suggestion of a ‘complete overhaul’ of the current Student Forum process. This is a bold claim as it would be a huge job but she fails to give any indication in her manifesto as to how she might go about an ‘overhaul’.
Elliya Gemili /Elliya-the-explorer-for-VPAffairs-and-Development
In the second section of the manifesto, Elliya states that she wants to ‘publicise the work of the Union Affairs Committee’. I respect this policy as many do not know what goes on behind the scenes with regard to Union Affairs but I am interested to see how she would follow through on this policy. The final policy is to release fortnightly videos from the Exec to explain what they have been up to. This is another good idea on paper but assumes a lot of an already stretched Media team. On the whole, Elliya has a number of strong policies but I get the impression that some may be over ambitious or not especially well thought through.
David Boyden Sport Editor
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UNION PRESIDENT
Ashish Sharma /exemplary.ashish
Although Sharma clearly has a defined agenda with an informed direction, what seems to lack from his manifesto is his plan of action, currently it seems that it’s rather idealistic instead. He’s included a very Tinder-esque profile description of himself which possibly wastes the precious words required for his manifesto – although perhaps he felt he simply didn’t have enough words to enlighten his audience with regards to what he specifically wants to do as Union President. The overall rhetoric seems to be upheld by determined overtones and an unrelenting determination to succeed. Ashish’s manifesto is deceptive in that it states what he wants to achieve, but in a very roundabout way. Nevertheless, you can’t argue with his winner’s determination and ambition to provide the best as your potential Union President.
Alice Priestley Assistant Editor
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Illustration by Emily Forrester
Reading this I was taken aback (but in a very good way) by just how much character this guy has – arguably a very important quality to have as Union President. His statements are rather preachy and very powerful indeed, full of lots of ‘needs’ and ‘musts’ which give his manifesto quite a sense of urgency with his quite extensive list of what he plans to change. But, the question is, just how is he going to bring about the ‘changes in the education system’, the ‘change in the way of recreational activities and parties’ and ‘new ways to deliver our enterprise and employability responsibilities’? Indeed, why does he have such a strong passion to ‘change’ these things, rather than simply building or developing on from his predecessor?
Design by Ciuperca Cosmina
CANDIDATE
UNION PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
Now i (ha ha) must admit I was rather baffled by the whole ‘i’ concept to begin with but reading the full manifesto and seeing his campaign, it’s actually pretty clever and consistent - two ideal qualities you’d like your Union President to have. Pyne-James clearly has many objectives he wants to achieve and seems to have a semi-clear plan with regards to what needs to change and/or improve with the union ‘while maintaining a good relationship with the University’. One main criticism is, however, that he doesn’t seem to have a clear plan of what specifically he will do to ‘bring the union to your door’ – will this be a feasible thing? What exactly would this involve? Would it be achievable? Furthermore, would the budget, which he proposes to use some of to renovate the LSU, be more valuable investing in student activities and improving the all-round student experience rather than improving some of the building?
Kyle Pyne-James
/iVoteKyle4iPres
He also discusses involving supporting ‘its wide variety of students’ which is no new concept. Has he thought about how he will pioneer a way to include all students? To me, his manifesto says he’s structured, has goals but what seems to be missing is his precise strategy as to how he will complete said goals. With the word-count restriction, however, it’s admittedly difficult to squash all of your specific strategies into one place but knowing that he clearly has his students as his priority is a key quality to remember when voting.
Alice Priestley Assistant Editor
@Kyle4iPres @Kyle4iPres @Kyle4iPres
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UNION PRESIDENT
George Etherington
@/JunglyGeorge @/JunglyGeorge @JunglyGeorge
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He proposes creating space in the newly refurbished- JC’s, but would the budget allow this? And should he have more priorities over older spaces and renovating those instead of a brand spanking new part of the LSU? He proposes events that ‘could be in aid of Rag’, so perhaps more financial research is yet to be done here. Although, as stated, his manifesto very much hones in on social elements of university life, he makes an integral point about welfare and mental health. Indeed, he seems to want to focus on the student experience but equally the wellbeing of the students, too. This is an element interestingly none of his competition have drawn upon, so could this set him apart from the rest? Overall, he has some good ideas and points but most of them do seem rather loose and underprepared, with a lack of focus on the ‘important’ elements, such as the education side of university life and what comes after. Nevertheless, an overarching theme here seems to be unity and is one which is very much relevant and important when running to be the President of a Students’ Union. Alice Priestley Assistant Editor
Illustration by Emily Forrester
George Etherington seems to have clear goals but these seem to be mainly socially-aimed. He proposes ‘restructur[ing] JC’s’, introducing more ‘Alumni Weekends’ rather than focusing on the key aspects of university such as education and employability. On the other hand, this focus does very much engage with the student’s experience and he clearly supports the fact that university is the place to do that.
Design by Phoebe-Rose Logan
CANDIDATE
UNION PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
Overall, George has many rounded points which all direct back to the students – and seemingly all ‘types’ of students – which is important. He emphasises the need to support students’ welfare in a range of ways, including the social aspects and the extra-curricular sides which is a good balance to have. He clearly wants to facilitate all students by improving and making key services such as Nightline and Student Voice more widespread, which would be beneficial to many students.
George Swindells
@realGeorgeTrump
One key thing which could throw a spanner in the works, however, is his campaign itself. As I’m sure you’ve all seen, he is running as ‘George Trump’, which is a rather controversial theme to pick at such a sensitive time. Although it is ironic and, from some angles, funny, could this negative image and association ultimately go against him? Not many people are great fans of Trump, but elements of his campaign such as his Trump-esque twitter feed and infamous slogan ‘Make Lufbra Great Again’, however, shows he has a sense of humour. His idea of proposing an LSU App seems rather ambitious and isn’t the first time a candidate has initiated this idea. Developing apps cost a great deal of money, and though it would make things more accessible, could this chunk of the budget be better invested elsewhere for more immediate projects? Is social media not enough to communicate LSU’s events? On the whole, however, George’s focus is very broad and inclusive of all students, which is critical element for a potential Union President. Alice Priestley Assistant Editor
@realGeorgeTrump
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The Men Behind The Manifestos: This is an extract from a longer piece about the Presidential candidates. If you would like to read the full interviews, head back to execelections.lsu.co.uk. First and foremost, I would just like to establish a particularly important principle of this article. All four presidential candidates were contacted with the same message through the same medium by myself, though I was only privileged enough to receive replies from two. Perhaps you could consider that as symbolic of what this years presidential election is in my eyes, very much a two horse race. Whilst George Swindells and Ashish Sharma offer ideas holding both originality and gravitas to LSU’s structural set-up, in my very humble opinion, this is an election between the Falk-Egg and Faraday Hall chairs of years gone by: George Etherington and Kyle Pyne-James.
Kyle Pyne-James
Proposer: Busayo Adeniran Seconder: James Bowker
“Why are you proposing and seconding Kyle for Union President”? BA, JB: “For us, he’s the best candidate for the position. Kyle is a hard working, tenacious character who doesn’t stop till he’s got the job done. His tenure as Faraday Hall Chair showed these leadership traits, and if you were to ask any of his committee what they thought of him you’d hear similar messages: approachable, determined and very, very hard working”. “What would you say Kyle’s best attribute is that would allow him to fulfil the role of an outstanding Union President?” JB: “I would say Kyle is a terrific public speaker, he holds an ability to express himself in a personal yet professional manner, whilst developing a rapport with important stakeholders in the process. My time on HSF with Kyle showed all of this and more, he’s more than happy to listen to what others have to say, whilst asserting his thoughts and feelings in a firm but fair manner”. BA: “I feel Kyle’s tenacity has to be his biggest strength, he strives to build teams that work in a cohesive style whilst ensuring the task at hand is being addressed. Kyle isn’t afraid to speak up for his beliefs and views and always ensured on HSF that Faraday’s voice was heard, I strongly believe this has given him the footing to be a fantastic President for Loughborough Students’ Union”.
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Design & Illustration by Sharika Tayub
The description individuals would give of themselves can often differ to how they are perceived by their colleagues and peers, hence the decision to interview those who have associated their names with the campaigns of Kyle and George, rather than the presidential candidates themselves. Alternative? Unquestionably. Though this is how Kyle Pyne-James and George Etherington’s proposers and seconders portrayed their candidates in an interview with myself on behalf of Label earlier this week.
Kyle Pyne-James and George Etherington.
George Etherington Proposer: Micheal Bush Seconder: Lily Wadsworth
“Why are you proposing and seconding George for Union President?” MB: “I thought he’d be a great candidate for the position, George has a laid back and approachable persona about him but he’s incredibly hard working, I think we’d both definitely agree on that. A president has to be able to motivate the Executive and to create an environment in which section leaders will flourish and in turn the Union will too, George has the ability to do exactly that”. LW: “When I came onto HSF as a first year, female Hall Chair, I think it’d be fair to say I was quite intimidated by the number of big personalities in the room. From the outset, George would always make time to speak to me, see how I was doing and without fail made the extra effort to check in and made me feel more comfortable. I think his ability to get on with everyone is a massive part of why he’d be such a great president, but when he needs to put his foot down he’s certainly not afraid to”. “What would you say George’s best attribute is that would allow him to fulfil the role of an outstanding Union President?” LW: “George is a very approachable guy who treats everyone as equal. He’s got a big personality which is infectious in a positive way, and I think he’s the kind of person that would use his communication skills and likability to progress Loughborough Students’ Union in whichever way he could”.
GB: “Echoing what Lily just said, George is a big character who knows how and when to have fun. As leader of the Executive, I believe he’d create a working ethos that would rub off on not just fellow Executive members, but in and around the Union on its staff as well. He is very easy to get on with and knows how to express himself in a very elegant way, communication skills are essential for successful presidency, and I believe George has these credentials about him”. Tom Newman
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LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! LabelOnlineLSU @labellsu @labelonline Disclaimer: Label is the publication of Loughborough Students’ Union. The opinions contained are those of individual contributors, not of Loughborough Students’ Union, the editorial team, or any other officer of the Union unless otherwise stated. Cover Photography by Elias Ruiz Monserrat Additional Design by Jessie Foxford and Liam David Hopley