Content

The climax of #uhsuelections

2011/02/27
Author’s warning : Naughty language. Not on my part, but on the part of the candidates. Watch at your own risk.

Previously on Soapbox:

Photobucket
This was the first thing that I added on Soapbox — I wanted to blog about the event, and I told myself that before this went to Soapbox, it would go to OH TEH NOES!.

______________________________________


On the day the UHSU elections results were announced, I was in St Albans going through my usual long Friday. By the time I came back, it was 5-something in the evening. Instead of stopping at Bishops Rise as I had hoped, I changed my mind within a few seconds and stopped at the Forum. Whilst I was heading to the back of the stairs, Filip Hnizdo from the UHSU Marketing Department called me over and asked if I’d stay for the announcement of the results. I gladly obliged.

Present with me were fellow soapbox blogger Kenny England, who was one of two DJs running Crush Radio, fellow UHSU Catholic Society member and mentor Peter Murphy, the sabbs and the candidates from the elections, among others. The event was to take place in the second room of the EleHouse.

Before it all began

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

The tech team getting ready for the evening.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Lights…

Photobucket

Photobucket

Camera…

Photobucket

Décor…

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

…ACTION!


The event proper

And after this round of pictures, I proceeded to take videos of the whole thing. At the same time, a live stream was being recorded on UnionTV (along with our tweets!). It was particularly difficult to tweet, capture, transfer files and upload them to YT at the same time... so I only managed to handle some live in the event. The rest were delayed updates.

Well, here they are:


No one considered reopening nominations for the part-time UHSU staff — EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM GOT SELECTED. Even those who were the only contenders for the posts they were in.


Crush Radio's first interview for the night was with Adam Borgas, one of the newly-elected NUS (National Union of Students) delegates. They represent the University of Hertfordshire in national-level Student Union meetings. Now, I honestly don't know what to make of the Conservative-bashing thing, because as a law student (and one who did best in Constitutional and Administrative Law, for that matter), I am fully aware that the damage to the UK's politics started in 1972, and was worsened ten years ago!


The second interview of the evening was with newly-elected De Havilland campus officer Rogan "Josh" Watson. He was the only contender for this post. Now, make of it what you will — I'm not surprised that people who live in De Havilland would say that theirs is the better campus. But apart from the new Law School and the Weston Auditorium (which are in De Hav), everything else is in College Lane. The UHSU buildings, the EleHouse, the Forum, the music centres, the very heart of the university itself. Also, in light of the recent grievous bodily harm incident outside the De Hav LRC, College Lane is safer in this respect.


Thom Palser's position, Vice President Comms and Media, was the first full-time position to be announced for the evening. I was not surprised that he was the only contender, though I waited with bated breath to see whether they'd pick him or reopen nominations. When he won, I was indeed happy, no doubt (considering that I'd been under him for UHSU Soapbox for five months), but I also knew that the rest of the sole contenders would end up winning too. I knew at what slant this was going to go.


Oh no. Someone just lost ten courtesy points. -__- My heart ached.



James Bowers was the second of the team called "Herts Heroes" to be picked. He was also the sole contender for this post.



This made my heart ache even more. -__-" A speech with a pint in hand. The speech was going to borderline distasteful... on camera. It was a good thing Nica (the current president) made everyone aware that there was a sign in the EleHouse saying "This event is being filmed live — DO NOT SWEAR!"



This one had a bit of competition. Yasmin Bastow was reelected as Vice President of Academic Support and Campaigns. An overwhelmingly large number of students decided to give her a second chance, considering there were a number of things which needed to be done.



Yaz was quite chivalrous in her interview, I must say. Well, particularly for the part where she believed that Aimee was going to go to greater heights.



This post — Vice President Student Activities — had a lot of competition. There were four contenders. It seemed that quite a number of people were aware that some areas in the UHSU Societies weren't receiving attention, and when new divisions in societies were going to be built, not much was done to help. The post was won by Martyn Gray of Herts Heroes, making him the fourth person in the team to win a full-time post.



Poor Martyn. He was jumped on by a million men (including Thom himself!)... The look on his face when he tells of his situation is priceless! :D



And the presidency was won by Erika Masefield. This post, too, had a lot of competition. There were three contenders. Erika was literally speechless!


Oh, and here's my little treat before I go:

I had tweeted live during the event, and even after the event. For all of you, I've gathered the tweets from my end with the tag #uhsuelections, and I threw in my most recent song, just for fun — Sur la terre des hommes libres (In the Land of the Free)!


And with this, I take my leave... and I'll see you real soon!



See also:
Campaigning for the Student Union elections has begun 

0 comments:

Post a Comment

TWITTER FEED