Palatinate www.palatinate.org.uk | FREE
Thursday 4th May 2017 | No. 795
Comment offers a field guide for surviving exam season
General Election poll Politics gauges student interest, involvement and intentnions
Facing up to it Five Durham SU groups nominated for national awards Hugo Harris News Editor
Tom Harwood, above, ran on a campaign of “re-legitimising” the NUS
Durham’s Tom Harwood finishes third in NUS presidential election
(NUS)
Harwood was beaten by former NUS vice-president Shakira Martin, who was elected with 402 votes Eugene Smith Deputy News Editor Durham University undergraduate Tom Harwood finished third in this year’s National Union of Students (NUS) presidential election, losing out to the incumbent Malia Bouattia in second place and former NUS vice-president Shakira Martin, who won by a landslide. Running on a platform of “relegitimising” the student organisation, and despite gaining the support of delegates from universities such as the University of Manchester, Mr Harwood secured just 35
votes from Conference’s 1,200 student representatives, compared to Ms Bouattia’s 272 and Ms Martin’s 402. Ms Martin, a 28-year-old former student at Lewisham College who describes herself as a “black, working class single mother,” said in her victory speech: “Today students voted for an NUS that’s taken seriously in the sector, by government and society. “Students voted for an NUS with fun and energy that brings the fire back to their campus. Students were fed up of hearing about change, and voted to see some impact for a change.” In the end, the slate of
candidates for NUS positions associated with Martin won five out of six positions it ran for on the NUS National Executive Committee at April’s conference in Brighton. These results are a blow for incumbent president Ms Bouattia, who won the presidency last year but has always been mired in accusations of anti-Semitism following allegations she had described the University of Birmingham as a “Zionist outpost” in 2011. During the campaign, one Bouattia supporter had called Martin “the standard-bearer of the Blairite right”. Martin, who had said she was undecided about who she would
vote for in the upcoming general election, was unfazed by this accusation: “I’m pragmatic, my policies focus on getting the best deal for students – so I am Shakira,” she said. “I’m centre, I’m up, I’m down, I’ll be wherever I need to be to get the best deal for students. I’m property of no one but my membership of 7 million, which I’m excited to represent”. Last week’s presidential result was also a disappointing outcome for Mr Harwood, who launched his presidential campaign in March this year after his election as a Durham NUS Conference delegate Continued on page 4
In a new wave of success for Durham Students’ Union (DSU), five of its groups have been nominated for awards at the National Societies Awards. The awards will handed out on Friday 19 May at Nottingham Students’ Union. Durham University Charity Kommittee (DUCK), Durham InterCollegiate Christian Union (DICCU), Durham LGBT+ Association, Durham Instep Society, and Durham University Assassin’s Society have all been nominated respectively. Both DICCU and DUCK have been nominated for the Best Society Event award. DICCU were nominated for Story, their weeklong event aimed at promoting faith within the Durham University community. The Durham University Charity Fashion Show, nominated in the same category, raised over £75,000 for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) over the course of two evenings in February. The IRC provides essential, life-saving humanitarian supplies to conflict-affected civilian populations inside Syria. The DSU’s LGBT+ Association has been nominated for both the Welfare and Inclusivity Award and also the Best Campaigning Society. Durham Instep Society have been nominated for Best Arts and Performance Society after putting on a number of performances this year. Durham University Assassin’s Society has been shortlisted for Best Hobby and Interest Society. Activities Officer, Kara-Jane Senior said of the nominations: “I’m absolutely delighted that five of our student groups have been shortlisted for the National Societies Awards. These groups have worked hard this year to build communities and give students’ amazing experiences, and I am so proud of them!”