Alex Harries's diary

Only about 5 hours of canvassing left in the run-up to the close of voting. While all the other candidates sleep, I'm uploading today's photos and trying to find all my receipts...

Today's been another whirlwind of fun and scaryness. I crashed my first lecture alone at midday, and while I received huge rounds of applause in both, it was an experience which left me shaking!

I've really enjoyed speaking to students, and even a couple of lecturers, about their take on anything and everything student-orientated, but especially about the things that UPSU Media can help to improve. I still feel "the fear" when approaching students, of course, but I'm also gaining a lot of self-confidence from this, which I reckon is no bad thing.

I'm seeing and hearing of a lot of candidates - who started the week as laid back as you could imagine - becoming a tiny bit stressed by this whole experience. I'm sure I'd be feeling it too if I wasn't so exhausted. If I had the luxury of being able to offer any support to them, I'd point out the obvious; no matter what happens, at the end of the day you've all done a great job (which they all have, from everything I can gather!) and that the worst-case-scenario is that they have to get a proper McJob next year, or resume their studies in some cases.

Either way, no matter what happens, everyone who has taken part in this year's elections have proven that it *is* possible to have an election where the vast majority of candidates are well on the ball, clued-up about the positions they're going for, and who are prepared to work tirelessly to prove their worth.

Tomorrow is going to be a very, very hard day for all 14 candidates. Only 6 - at the most - will come out of it with a job next year, but every one of us will have learnt a lot about our own abilities to push through our limitations, about who are our best friends, and what it is that the student population really knows and thinks of the Union and its elections.

From a more personal point of view, I think every single candidate running for MAPO (with the possible exception of RON, who I haven't yet seen out and about... ;o) has worked as hard as they can to canvass votes this year. I also happen to think that each MAPO candidate has brought to the table some amazing ideas, and I really hope that, whoever takes the position tomorrow, they spend some time talking to the other candidates and looking at their manifestos to harvest these valuable ideas for UPSU Media in 2007/2008.

At the end of the day, the real winners of tomorrow's count will be next year's students. I wish every candidate the very best of luck, and I look forward to seeing the Union going on to even bigger and better things next year, regardless of whether it's down to myself or one of the other MAPO chaps to broadcast the Union's great range of opportunities.

Unless I can get to a 'pooter tomorrow afternoon, I doubt I'll be writing much else in here for a short while, so to everyone who's bothered reading down this far, to everyone who's worked tirelessly for little more than thanks and promises of my becoming their slaves in return, to every single person who took the time to talk to me while I campaigned, and to everyone who went to the trouble of asking their friends to vote for me too, thank you. No matter what else happens, this is what makes elections worthwhile for me, and this is what student democracy is all about.

Peace out /al

(Oh, p.s: vote responsibly: votealexh.co.uk ;o)

Comments have been closed for this article

 

 

Hi i am from PGS just down the road from Portsmouth University, me and mi G-Unit m8 saw ur sign sayin "Vote Alex H.co.uk" and were early to skool so thought we tried it. We dont like the site but do like ur interests. Have u ever tried rappin? 
It is wicked!!!! 
Me and mi G-Unit m8 do it all do time. 
"Im a poet and i dont know it!" 
So wassup dog, peace out!!!! 
P.S. we vote for u!!!!

Lynchie - Fri, 16 Mar 2007

 

 

Cheers Lynchie ;o)

Alex Harries - Fri, 16 Mar 2007