This is my first blog entry this year. Looking back actually, it is nearly a year since i last wrote something. 

So in about 1hour i'll be on my way to the Union for the Election results with high hopes that perhaps students do have sense and the right people get voted in (ohh of course the people i campaigned for are the right people in my opinion i hear you say... i would not have campaigned for them if i thought they were not the best person for the job, one of the reasons i perhaps did not go for a certain position this year...)

It seems more like a Sporto v Societies Election this year.

One of the most ignorant comments i heard this year was after my friend questioned one of the sportos as to why we should vote for her friend when the person we're campaigning for has more experience and she replied: "it's only cos we're athletic and you're not"

What?

That does not come into it at all.

To be honest, i do not care about the sporto way of life- i do not mind the drinking culture (i drink a lot too) i do not mind the loudness, i do not mind the money spent on them (partly) to travel around playing other teams. I actually support sports clubs in this way, i actually love sport in general and would promote it everywhere and encourage as many people as possible to take a sport up.

What i do hate though is the sporto mentality in elections. The comment i quoted above is a perfect example of this.

Going further though, i am more concerned with the whole vote for your friends and get all sportos to vote idea, no matter if they are the right person for the job or not. The phrase i used last year among friends was 'student representation not popularity'. I fear it'll be the same this year.

In some circumstances i can understand why a sporto would vote for a sporto, as there is politics concerning some candidates sometimes as to the direction it would take sports next year. However this is rare.

How would sportos react if a society person ran for Sports Officer? I actually think this is the same for when a sporto runs for SADO- perhaps there should be a gentlemans agreement or something...

It would be possible by the way to get a society person elected as Sports Officer as anti-sporto feeling is generally higher than pro-sporto feeling, and with the right campaign it would work...

I'm rambling now.

It's obvious that if certain people get into the positions they are going for then it would have a serious detrimental effect upon the effectivness of the Union.

I can only hope that tonight might restore my confidence in students and student democracy. Otherwise i'll probably be on here a bit later moaning again and planning how next year i can perhaps show certain people how much of a job they have got and how little experience they have for that role... mean of me i know, but people have to learn. 

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Next year my idea for elections would be for campaigning to be done on monday/tuesday/wednesday, then thursday and friday voting starts (using online voting as well), and during this time you are not allowed to campaign. This will then cause a focus on the policies and experience of candidates- this would surely make sure the Union would improve each year.

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MB 

Comments have been closed for this article

 

 

Hi Matt, 
 
I agree with most of what you say. The current system is a travesty of democracy and needs a big shake up. 
 
Here's to hoping that the new sabb team will be able to do this. 
 
Morys.

Morys Ireland - Fri, 14 Mar 2008

 

 

You raise some good points here Matt. But without the people in power being willing to change the system it will remain as it is.

Luke Simmonds - Sat, 15 Mar 2008

 

 

I promised myself I wouldn't write anything on UPSU before I'd had a good nights sleep! But I feel that I would just like to make a quick comment on your blog that: we saw it happen last year, and we have seen it happen again. Dave Gilmore of NUS reminded all candidates that the best person does not always win. I shall say no more.

Sarah Blatchford - Sat, 15 Mar 2008

 

 

I totally agree with Luke's comment.  
 
Matt, now the result are out, I'd be interested to hear what you now think with regards to your comments above, and the real results.  
 
With reference to your concern about sporto's voting for mates. I know that one candidate was really worried about even getting elected because all their mates would vote for RON as a 'joke'!! - Turned out there was no need to worry. But just thought I'd drop that in!

Fred Bradley - Sat, 15 Mar 2008

 

 

All I'm saying is that didn't a sporto get societies where they are today, and by that I mean Diana Langford. Fact. 
 
Having experience isn't all that's needed to be successful, you've got to have the personality, charisma and passion to get out there and do a good job.  
 
All I say is that look at yourselves and the negative campaigns that were run by the supposed 'allstars' and then you might realise why you didn't get elected. 
 
And your idea of the new elections is a joke, if you don't want to see any votes then I'd go ahead with it! Without people actively out there to canvas students, then I seriously doubt there will be many votes. 
 
P.S. Don't be spiteful just because you didn't get elected, don't right people off before they've even started & I have 100% confidence in the newly elected Sabb Team. 
 
Lose gracefully... 
 
This comment was edited by Fraggy on 2008-03-15

Adrian Fraguela - Sat, 15 Mar 2008

 

 

Hey Fraggy, thanks for the comment. 
 
Funnily enough, although i did want Sarah to get elected as SS and did vote for her and encouraged others too, i have no problem whatsoever with Caz getting elected as i think she'd do a brlliant job... and i think a lot of what you said was said because you feel i oppose her being elected maybe (thats a maybe there) 
 
I am in agreement with you on the allstars campaign- if it were me i would have done things a lot differently to how it was done. I was out there with a allstars tshirt on however and i spent most of the time helping steve outside the library- who did get elected. 
 
I have no doubt that the new Sabb team will do well, and if they don't i have no doubt they will be accounted for. And i also agree that it does take somebody with charisma etc to to be a sabbatical- which is what disapointed me somewhat about this week. 
 
Please take into consideration that my comments were made before i knew the results of the elections and who was in, and were made mostly out of the bitterness of a campaign i believe could have been a lot better organised (and i would had helped do that if i didn't have a damn dissertation to do which split my time!!) 
 
You're right about Diana to a large extent, she did do a brilliant job, and the times i had encountered her in that role she did do a lot and was very helpful. My view though is that i personally believe societies have moved on a lot more this past year, and in my honest opinion i believe someone who has been apart of that process should be the one to help continue it. 
 
Maybe my idea of elections next year is a joke, but the fundamental issue is that i feel there needs to be change to the way things are done- not so the people i 'want' (i.e. my friends) are elected, but that the people who would be best for the job are- this would probably include people who are going against my friends!! And i am not proposing that this should be the system, just instead encourage a healthy debate on what could be done better. 
 
I havent written anyone off for next year yet as that would be just silly and counterproductive- i'm a bit more intelligent than that, and am willing to work with anyone in the sabb office as long as they are committed to their job and have a passion for it!! 
 
Thanks again for your comment- it's good to know that i have winding some peoples passions up when i'm just sitting in front of a computer screen! And hopefuly it will not have a huge negative effect! 
 
Matt B

Matthew Blackall - Sat, 15 Mar 2008

 

 

No worries mate. 
 
I was mostly referring to Sarah and the comments she was coming out with during and after the elections. She definitely opposes the new sabb team!  
 
The only thing I was referring your blog was about different ways of running elections. 
 
I fully understand your views about societies and what wound me up was once again the dismissals by the 'allstars'. 
 
About the new proposal you gave about elections, I think I might have been a little harsh as I was fuming when I replied so for that I apologise. 
 
Adrian

Adrian Fraguela - Mon, 17 Mar 2008

 

 

Diana did some amazing things for societies, and helping her to achieve those things were the Society Executive. What does need to be remembered is that since then, Ben Norman and the current Societies Exec have achieved even more. You can't stop progress. This past year, we've seen a huge number of Societies getting together to perform at inter-society events, such as the Takeover, the Fashion Show, and Kaala. We have also seen for the very first time a coalition of political societies forming the Campaign Coalition, fighting for students rights. 
 
Indeed, experience certainly isn't everything, but it is those people that have shown their passion and dedication to our Union that have achieved all these things.  
 
On the comment of the 'negative campaigning', I can quite truthfully say, with hand on heart, that I was not involved in this. I did however, hear negative comments from others about me. If you (Fraggy) believe that anything I, or indeed any of the other candidates said could have been construed as 'negative campaigning', I would really love to hear exactly what they were!!! 
 
Matt - Your idea for the elections most certainly isn't a joke! I'm not sure how anyone could say that the idea of online voting is a joke and is not the way forward!! I would put money on it, that if done correctly, it would easily increase the numbers of voting students! I would have to say (as a mature student I guess) that it is the current 'campaigning' that is a joke.  
 
But that's student elections for you! And just so you know, I'm not bitter; as so many people have told me, it's onwards and upwards to somewhere else where I can make a positive difference to people's lives.

Sarah Blatchford - Tue, 18 Mar 2008