Alternative methods adopted as campaigning begins
With videos, blogs and personal websites, the first hours of official election campaigning have seen a wide range of new technologies utilised by candidates in their bid to win YUSU positions for the coming year.
The ban on campaigning on campus was official lifted at 12.00pm this afternoon, with Democracy and Services candidate Lewis Bretts tacking his first campaign poster onto Central Hall at 12.01pm.
However, this year sees many candidates move away from the traditional ‘postering and doorstepping’ approach to campaigning, with many using multi-media outlets to reach an even wider audience.
Grant Bradley, who is running for the position of President, has launched his own website, “http://www.grantbradley.co.uk“, where visitors can find out information about the candidate, his policies and provide feedback on his campaign so far. The website also provides leads to his blog and videos that he has posted on YouTube. In his most recent video Bradley countered doubts about his lack of experience with YUSU and relative campus anonymity, emphasising the enthusiasm and dedication he would bring to the role.
Democracy and Services candidate Lewis Bretts has also developed his own website, “www.lewisbretts.com”, where visitors can find details of his policies and promotional YouTube videos. Bretts’ campaigning has also included handing out pieces of cardboard fruit as an reminder of his plan to bring a weekly ‘fruit and veg’ stall to campus if elected.
Dave Sharp, former Halifax Chair and candidate for the position of Democracy and Services, has created his own song for his campaign. Taking the song ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp,’ by Dizzie Rascal and replacing the title line with his campaign slogan ‘Fix Up, Vote Sharp’, the new version is now being played on URY and can be found on iTunes.
Other candidates running this year have taken other new and novel approaches: Presidential hopeful Tim Ngwena has taken a new approach to campaigning on Facebook, creating a graphic named ‘little Tim’ which he has requested his supporters to make their profile pictures. Rhianna Kinchin, who is running for the Student Activities Officer, is encouraging supporters to carry boxes of ‘Special K’ across campus in accordance with her campaign logo, whilst Kath Mildon, who hopes to become YorkSport President, is following the example set by Tom Scott and campaigning as a Viking.
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just so you know, it’s .co.uk
It’s Kinchin, not Kitchin.. don’t worry I’m used to it!
Both are fixed now!
Thanks!
Great article, but my Surname is also ‘Bretts’ rather than ‘Brett’ so the possessive would be ‘Bretts” rather than ‘Brett’s’.
A minor issue, but i thought I’d let yo know!
Correction made. Sorry about that.
Don’t forget the other candidates – Kath Mildon’s website at http://www.vikingkath.org.uk/ , my rather poor (but hopefully informative) website at http://kypzethdurron.com and presumably there are more as well…
And of course there are innovative postering methods: Lewis is wearing a giant poster and George Papadofragakis has a mock-up wikipedia poster. I think it’s great… though I still want a zeppelin to be allowed in the rules
There’s also my website – http://www.dancarr.co.uk, and I’m sure there must be others.
YOU MEAN IT ISN’T?!
Better cancel that order… damn.
Sorry, Dan. I knew that I’d forget people that I was aware of!
Also, can I just say that some of these websites are ****** amazing and kudos to the people that made them. (Definitely not mine!)
Sounds like some very novel campaigns are being run this year. What is the budget for campaigners this year? has it been increased from previous years?
In reply to Old Faxian’s question, its a total of £30 for all materials used for the duration of each candiates’ campaign. This includes t-shirts, stickers, paint, poster, flyers etc. Recycled materials are not factored into this total however cheap items from charity shops are. hope that helps.
Paint??? yikes I hope this is for banners, there is still remnants of JT4SDC on the security fencing on the construction site opposite the fire station!!
Grant Bradley totally ripped off Sharp’s idea by making his song… have you heard it? It’s god-awful.
The aim was never to ‘rip off’ Sharp’s idea. I made the song because I needed to make a video for the night to fulfil my promise that I would do. It’s not like I’ve been plastering links to it all over the place, or playing it top note wherever I go.
I even reference Sharp as being the one who sparked the idea to make the video IN the video. I just wanted to make something that people could all get behind and say ‘My God, that’s truly awful!’
Jessica, it’s not fair to say that he ripped it off! Fix up Vote Sharp just changes two words in the chorus of a song, Bradley wrote this from scratch!!!!! He also posted on YouTube, he didn’t play it non-stop at Vanbrugh day after day. Plus the fact that it’s actually not that bad, but the guy really can’t sing.
I never said I could sing… I just did it for the sake of doing it.
Sure it sounds bad, but it is what it is, another way to try to hook people into the campaign. Albeit a rather naff one.
O yeh, becos dat bloke invented singing… how stupid ov me 2 forget, sum1 better ring micheal jackson n tell him to prepare for anotha lawsuit, cos sharps on da warpath.
honestly if ur going 2 question grants originality den maybe u should pay more attention 2 what he’s actually sayin in da words.
goto youtube n look at it agen n tell me he ‘ripped off’ his idea! no way.
this was actually painful to read