Clad in fluorescent jackets that bear a striking similarity to those worn by Royal Mail employees, these figures disperse water, flip flops and practical help to the city’s needy, and are rarely remembered the next day by those they help.

I first discovered Street Angels through a friend, who, twice a month, dons her oversized reflective jacket and heads out to spend four hours from 10pm to 2am caring for the somewhat worse for wear in York’s city centre. Unfortunately for her, it’s usually raining too.

Launched in York in October last year, the Street Angels organisation is a faith-based one that brings together volunteers from churches across the city to provide practical help in the small hours to some of the most vulnerable people.

York is now one of many towns and cities throughout the UK the boasts a Street Angels group.

What do they actually do? Well, for those four hours (often longer, depending on how busy the night is), the Street Angels divide the city in half and two teams of three to five volunteers walk the streets, looking out for those in need. Their official mission statement is “to help make York city centre a safer and better place, practically helping, caring and listening to people, especially those in vulnerable or difficult situations.” This can take many forms, from giving flip flops to a girl whose heels have broken, finding overnight accommodation for a person sleeping on the street, or staying with someone until they’re sober enough to safely get a taxi home.

Although not trained in First Aid, all Street Angels volunteers undergo a rigorous three day training programme that includes courses on drug awareness, licensing regulations and conflict management. North Yorkshire Police and SIA (the governing body that regulates the training of bouncers) are both involved in the training process.

It was Jennifer Locke, a York resident working for the Christian mission organisation Youth With A Mission (YWAM) who first conceived of the idea of Street Angels for the city. Inspired by the work done in Halifax, where the project first sprung up, she saw Street Angels as a way to expand the work already being done by volunteers in York: “Previously some church and YWAM volunteers had been regularly serving hot drinks on Friday nights on Parliament street,” she said, “and I could see that there were a lot of vulnerable people who would benefit from an initiative like Street Angels.”

So far, a Christian group wanting to do some good. But who are the people who go out and give up their time for the drunk and the homeless?

Well, anybody. Street Angels York currently has 55 volunteers and is still recruiting. It counts amongst its numbers the retired, those with families, and even some students.

I spoke to Kirsty, a third year English student who has been involved with Street Angels since December 2009.

“A friend of mine helped to get the project up and running,” she explains, “and originally I sent off my application form because it sounded like a good project, but mainly because I wanted to support her. The more I’ve been involved, doing the training weekends and going on nights out, the more I’ve realised what a great project it is, and how it has a positive impact in York on a night time,” she added.

“I’m no perfect angel; I go out on socials, I drink, I love going out,” Kirsty explains.

“I have done for the last two and a half years, and I’m very much looking forward to going out more once all my final essays are handed in.”

I also spoke to Nick, another third year involved with Street Angels. Both students found it difficult to know how to explain their participation in a project that seems at odds with the stereotypical student lifestyle. They also struggled to explain their actions in relation to their Christian faith, a motivating factor in their lives but one that often carries its own stereotypes.

“People do think it’s an unusual thing to chose to do whilst you’re at university; surely you’d rather be out drinking than picking up drunk people,” comments Kirsty.
“Often you’re met with a sort of bemused silence when you tell people about the project, they go ‘oh, that’s nice,’ and then they look away, not really knowing what to say.”

The difficulty seems to come with how they are perceived by both the general public, and by their student peers, for whom the Christian stereotype is still strong: “I think the issue is that if you’re doing something like Street Angels, people often get a little defensive towards you because it can look a bit like you’re positing yourself as morally superior to those who have gone on a night out; that you’re better than them and do a civic duty or something,” comments Kirsty.

“I think especially because Street Angels is a church-based organisation, people think “oh, Christians, they’re judging us for our sins,” or something like that, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Nick explained that most of his friends “tend to be quite positive towards Street Angels and think it’s cool,” but lose interest when they find out that it’s a Christian project: “They often want to get involved, and I’ll show them the website and how they can, but as soon as they see that it’s a church organisation, they say no.” Like Kirsty, he admitted that “the main issue is that people think you’re better than everyone else in doing this; that it’s a kind of display of moral superiority.”

Although both students are Christian, both try to explain their involvement as not wholly a faith-based decision, but more one brought out of their experiences of being a student in the night time economy.

 “Even though it’s a Christian project, I wouldn’t say that’s my primary reason for doing it,” explains Nick.

“It depends how spiritually you want to look at things – maybe you could say God guided me to it – but to a non-Christian that means nothing. There are many reasons why Street Angels is a great organisation, and it’s not wholly based on faith.”

Although he does not drink himself, Nick has been out on many a night out, and knows the need for practical and emotional support when difficult situations arise. “If I’m just on a night out and I saw a girl crying, I’d go up to her to see if she’s alright,” he says, “but as just a guy on the street there’s limited help I can give. As a Street Angel though, you’re fully equipped to help people and you have an official position – you’re in a uniform – and I think that helps people trust you and they’re more willing for you to help them.”

For Kirsty, her decision to become a Street Angel was very much routed in her own experiences: “I do Street Angels not because I want to judge other people, but because I’ve been the girl walking home on her own with no shoes, and I know that the night can be a scary and lonely place,” she explains.

“Street Angels are great because they’re accessible; they’re not the police, they’re not bouncers, they’re people who are just there to care for you when you need a more personal degree of help and assistance. They do it because they want to help, not because it’s their job, and that I think is a key difference. There’s true heart in what they’re doing; it’s not just them trying to feel superior to others.”

The experience of being vulnerable at night seems to strike a chord with other students. I spoke to Annabelle, Kirsty’s housemate, who knew of her involvement in the project, but was unaware that it was a Christian initiative until our conversation. “Whether you’re religious or not is irrelevant,” she commented. “I’ve been in some very precarious situations before, and I think it’s a great idea to have people there who will help you. I can’t necessarily understand why people do it – I never would – but it’s definitely amazing, not weird.”

The work the Street Angels have been doing over the last five months is beginning to be acknowledged and appreciated by the people of York.

The patrols are often recognised by weekend revellers with greeting of hugs, high fives and the occasional “these guys are legends”. All Street Angels patrols carry a walkie talkie, tuned to the frequency used by the police, York CCTV and many of the bouncers across town.

More and more, bouncers and police are choosing to contact the patrols directly when they find a situation suited to the kind of care Street Angels provide. Jennifer remembers one night when, contacted by the bouncers at one of the riverside bars, they were called to help a woman who had become separated from her husband: “When we arrived we found she had no money, no phone, couldn’t remember her husband’s number, and that he and their friends had somehow managed to leave without her. We spent over an hour with her visiting the area where she thought they had headed to, and eventually we reconnected her with her husband. She was really thankful that we had been there to help, and that she hadn’t had to walk the city alone,” she added.

Dealing with situations such as Jennifer’s is a regular occurrence on a night out with Street Angels. Much of the patrols’ time is given over to relatively minor incidents that, importantly, free up the time of Police and door staff to deal with more serious threats to public safety. The attitude of the Police and bouncers towards the Street Angels – one of friendly co-operation – shows the value they put on the work done by the volunteers.

“One night, at the Punch Bowl just outside of Micklegate, one of the bouncers called us over to deal with a situation of a young girl, only about 15, who had had her wallet stolen but didn’t want to report it to the police because her fears of being underage,” says Kirsty.

“We were able to take care of the girl and allow the bouncers to get on with their job. They were really grateful, and invited us over to share their supply of sweets when we’d sorted everything out!”

From its conception, Street Angels has always had close links to the North Yorkshire Police force. Mick Henderson, Licensing Office for the City of York, has been involved from the start, helping to secure funding for the project and providing vital training for volunteers.

He is very positive about the work done by Street Angels in working alongside the Police: “We feel that the Street Angels do a great job and actually help free up Police time that would otherwise be spent dealing with the more vulnerable members of society that the Angels have the time and commitment to assist,” he commented.

Having worked within the Police and the night time economy for many years, Mick knows all too well the perils of Friday and Saturday nights, and saw the need for Street Angels long before it was actually conceived: “I have always felt that there was a need for such work in the city,” he said. “I had seen the scheme being rolled out elsewhere in the country, but didn’t know who to approach in York.

“York is a well visited city and the need for Street Angels on the streets when these visitors (and locals) are at their most vulnerable, and in drink, sends out an important message as to how we all work together to make York a safer place to live and visit.”

Speaking to Kirsty and Nick, they have endless stories of incidents that they’ve come across whilst out with Street Angels, some hilarious, some heartbreakingly sad.
What is obvious, however, is the true concern – often brought about by their own experiences – that they have about the night time economy and how very vulnerable and exposed it can leave its revellers.

Kirsty tells one story of girl she found barefoot and distressed early one morning. “I went up and offered her flip flops,” she said. “At first she was quite defensive and said she didn’t need any help, but as I was about to leave she suddenly called me back and admitted that yes, she did need help. It turned out she was pregnant, on the verge of having an abortion, and she’d come out to try and find the father of her baby.

“Obviously, it’s not my job to judge her or give her advice, but I was able to calm her down, reassure her she was safe, and get her a taxi to her mum’s house.”
Without the practical care given by the Street Angels, one has to wonder how this night, like many others, could have ended up.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the project, or finding out more information about it, should visit www.ywamyork.com or www.streetangelsyork.com.

Photo credit: Justyn Hardcastle

Self-harm is a secretive condition, smothered under long sleeves and trousers which hide the telltale signs. For something that most people probably find impossible to understand, it is not uncommon. According to the Royal Institute of Psychiatry (RCP), about one in ten young people will self harm at some point. That’s equivalent to two or three people in every secondary school classroom in the country, and it’s four times more likely to affect girls than boys. The RCP also says that gay or bisexual people appear to be more prone to self harm. People who self harm are not mentally ill; however they still desperately need help.

I spoke separately to Lily (above) and Amy, both successful undergraduate students about this addiction which has plagued them since they were young girls. Amy, a first year, has kept her habit secret from her parents since she started to cut herself aged 12.

“I’ve been doing it for eight years and my family has no idea. I wouldn’t have the heart to tell them. I first started self-harming when I was in secondary school, mainly because I was being bullied and had a very negative self image. I thought anything I did to myself, no matter how much it hurt, could only be an improvement.”

There is not always a clear trigger or reason that someone begins to self- harm. Unlike Amy, Lily cannot pinpoint a cause, or even remember the first time she cut herself, just the surge of emotion which lay behind it: “I don’t think it was ever a conscious decision of, I’m going to sit down and cut myself, it was more feelings of so much pent up anger inside of me and that I just had to let it out. I don’t remember the exact time or the exact moment, but I used to use my nails and it was just a form of release when I was just so frustrated and so angry with myself that all I could do was just attack myself, there was no other option”.

The methods self harmers use to attack themselves are varied and inventive, and all deeply personal to each individual. They range from hair pulling, to burning, bone breaking and interference with wound healing (like picking out the stitches from previous cuts). The most common form is cutting. Like a drug, what ‘works’ at first can soon cease to achieve the desired effect. Lily started self harming using the most basic instrument she had, her own nails, before she “progressed onto knives and razor blades” after a month or so. The ‘ritual’ becomes commonplace, and what would once have been taboo broken. She explains:

“When it becomes more of an established thing – when you realise that you need this to keep yourself going, to keep yourself feeling human – then you start thinking more inventively, more creatively… yeah you just think, I could use this, I could use this. It’s quite a morbid process really”

The secrecy which Lily managed to maintain for a period helped her to justify her actions; if no-one knew, no-one but her was suffering, so no damage was done. The damage she did herself doesn’t appear to have factored in her reasoning at the time. Her own pain didn’t matter, as long as those around her were shielded from it.

“I didn’t want to stop for a very long time, because I felt like I deserved it, like it was a way in which I could keep on going because I’d punished myself, therefore I was more worthy. I was allowed to keep going because I’d already cut myself or scratched myself. And because no one knew about it it wasn’t affecting anyone except myself, it didn’t matter. So it wasn’t really anything I thought of stopping”
It seems that self harmers, by their very nature, suffer from low self esteem. Another recurring emotion is anger, anger which cannot apparently be released in any other form than that of physical pain, and isolation, meaning there doesn’t appear to be anywhere else to turn. Self harm is almost a literal manifestation of self hatred; the self that they believe is worthless must suffer as punishment for its shortcomings. Self harmers typically have difficulty controlling their immediate impulses, and don’t see themselves as ‘empowered’ enough to do so anyway. This makes resistance when the urge to harm takes over far more difficult than a person who has never experienced it might imagine.

Ironically those who suffer are frequently high achievers – clever, popular, and talented, those whom others would least suspect of having problems, or indeed deserve any form of ‘punishment’, physical or otherwise. By way of illustration, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, Christina Ricci and Courtney Love have all spoken openly about their own experiences of self harm, and countless other celebrities (such as the late Princess Diana) are known to have self harmed at one time or another. For some self-harmers the desire to maintain their high standards can make anything less than the absolute best appear inadequate and thus a failure. It is this failure for which they do penitence in the form of their abuse. Lily explains the difficulty in letting go of these feelings:

“It’s been a lot better in the last year, but there are still situations where I feel bad about myself. If I’ve done something wrong, if I’ve had an argument with someone, if I’d upset someone, if haven’t achieved academically how I wanted I get the same feelings of intense anger and hatred. It all comes back again and it’s just this absolutely overwhelming sense loathing and you can’t get rid of it any other way unless you cut yourself, nothing else will do.”

Although harmers gain some temporary ‘relief’ from their habit, the practise itself can perpetuate the very feelings of inadequacy which led them to self harm in the first place. Amy described this conflict: “There is usually a feeling of immense relief while doing the cut. There is something stimulating about taking control of your pain and your feelings. It’s also a very personal thing, something no-one ever has to see. Afterwards the guilt and shame generally take over. Usually the pain doesn’t bother me, but sometimes it can be unbearable, making you feel stupid on top of everything else.”

The stigma which surrounds self harm makes it still harder for anyone suffering to come forward and seek help, the fear of shattering the carefully cultivated image of coping the cost of admitting you’re not, seem too great. Lily is in her third year, and has also been self harming since she was 12. Her family have known about her habit almost from the beginning.

“My Mum knew I was depressed and I was having therapy at the time. The therapists asked me quite straight up, did I self-harm, and I said yes. They obviously told my Mum and she was aware about it, but I hid it. As the problem got worse she began to realise that I was getting worse and she started checking me every night before I went to bed. My main focus points were my wrists and my shoulders, and she used to check these every night to see whether I’d done it or not.”

Looking back, Lily is appalled by the thought of what her mother must have gone through. “Watching her daughter deliberately physically abuse herself over and over is just absolutely horrific to contemplate. At first she never let it show that it upset her, she was very functional about it. She’d do the checks and if she found something, she’d just ask me for the razor and take it away. Then as it went on she used to get more and more upset by it.”

Amy has never told her family, however her boyfriend is aware of her habit, and this has caused a great deal of tension within their relationship: “My boyfriend knows because he’s seen most of the scars, but this makes it very hard because its just another reason to feel guilty. We often have arguments about it, which drives me to want to cut again, so its like a vicous circle. I wish I could make him understand but I don’t think he ever will. He sees it as almost an insult when I do it.”

It is amazing nevertheless how much can pass over people’s heads- and how easy it is to hide self harming. I spoke to a girlfriend of Amy’s and the question of self harm came up. Amy’s friend agreed that it was certainly a tragedy that it was so widespread, however blithely added “At least I no-one I know is suffering, that would be so awful”. Lily agrees that it is all too easy to hide the fact that you’re injuring yourself- particularly at university, so full of distractions that an unmentioned problem can go conveniently unnoticed: “I remember going into my room and just falling to pieces, and then I’d come out again and be happy and my housemates would never know.”

Even more worrying is when, as, in Amy’s case, even those closest to them cannot (or perhaps will not) see what is right in front of them. “Occasionally my mum has seen scars and I’ve made excuses, which she has always believed.”

It is incredibly difficult to ask for help as a self harmer. Understandably, there is a fear of being judged, that one might lose the respect of everyone who thought that you functioned so well. The feelings which surround self harm – of isolation, inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to rejection, are exactly the type to prevent the kind of trust and confidence necessary to open up. Amy says: “Of course there is a social stigma around it. Emo anyone? I listen to metal and wear black. This is one of the reasons to keep it hidden. There is a massive sense of shame and guilt that it is hard enough letting people you’re close to know or see, let alone people who will judge you.”

Student life can make coping with an existing problem still harder; starting at university putting further pressure on someone already bowed under the weight of old stresses. Familiar support systems are gone; everyone is a stranger, and taking care of yourself on top of a degree workload can make maintaining standards still harder.

“I didn’t have the protective environment of my school any more. My first term was great and I had a really good time, but then in second term things got way more difficult. You get over that initial excitement of being a Fresher and going out all the time and you have to settle down, do work, make real friends. For the first time in a long time I started doing it again.”

She is adamant however, that if students suspect that a housemate or friend is self-harming, then they should not ignore their instincts. “People do it because they want help. Self-harm isn’t suicide, it’s a way of staying alive and it’s a coping mechanism. But there’s obviously something fundamentally wrong that makes a person do this to themselves. So if someone was to actively go up and say to them, ‘Is everything alright?’, then that can be the trigger for them to admit that no, everything isn’t right. I need help”.

It is naturally the people emotionally closest who can be of most help to self harmers in the initial stages of seeking further aid; however the responsibility is not with them to offer a ‘cure’ or become a counsellor. Lily stresses: “There are a lot of welfare systems in place, but students can be so anonymous. They also require the student to actively seek support, and if the student doesn’t do that and people have noticed that things are wrong, they need to be the ones who go to alert the welfare systems and then someone who is trained in welfare can go and speak to them and explain that they just want to know that they’re alright. But it’s making that first point of contact, and it’s then that friends can be so important. If people have gone to so much effort to hide it from their own families, they’re not going to open up to a doctor, it will be someone they can actually relate to.

Amy has never sought medical help. “But there have been times when I should have. I now have a scar across my stomach which is about 5mm wide and looks hideous. If I had sought help it might have healed a lot quicker, and not be as bad as it is now.”

PACT is a project run by The Children’s Society to help disabled children and young people. The scheme pairs up individuals with student volunteers who then help them to get involved in community activities, raising their sense of self-esteem and independence.

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for a variety of conditions generally affecting the parts of the brain that control mobility. Cerebral palsy tends to affect movement and coordination, and it can also be accompanied by other conditions including epilepsy, and affect sensation and perception. David’s cerebral palsy can affect his speech and writing, both important to self-expression and communication. However, it is immediately apparent that he does not allow his condition to get in the way. He eagerly comes over to shake my hand, introducing himself and is keen and eager to tell me all about his experience of PACT: “When I first met Robin, I didn’t know what to expect, I thought we would be doing something like homework,” he says. The pair both laugh when they remember this, they ended up doing something much more exciting than homework.

The pair aim to have a session together every week – “David’s a busy guy, he’s got a lot of commitments. I have to fit into his diary.” In their first session they discovered a shared love of music and decided to make an album under the band name of ‘One Friend.’

“I don’t really know how it started, it was a bit of a joke to begin with,” says David. They’ve now completed their album, and produced a video inspired by their work with The Children’s Society. He writes most of the lyrics, whilst Robin takes control of the technical side, arranging the music and producing the album itself. “If we were making a film, I’d be the producer and David would be the director,” says Robin.

It’s clear as they speak about the project that it has been hugely important for both of them. They both smile widely as they discuss their album, comparing their relative ups and downs and the merits of each of their songs. For David in particular, the sessions with Robin have been particularly therapeutic.
“It was really significant to David that we were able to make an album – he really likes expressing himself and letting people know how he feels and what his opinions are, both for his own sake and for that of others,” commented Robin. “Being given the support to enable him to express himself fully with music has been a great way to do this.”

David admitted himself that the project – and most importantly Robin’s friendship – has had a huge impact on his life in the last year: “Robin is more than a friend. I have a brother in him and we have a good time. Last year, I had a bad time and he was a little bit like an uncle to me.”

David is also passionate about spreading awareness about the challenges facing young people and the benefits of PACT. He sees their music as a huge part of this project.

“We’re still writing music now. I don’t know where we’ll go but I hope that the work we do will affect a lot of people, especially young people.”

They have recently produced a video for their favourite song – ‘Little Orphan Boy’ – which highlights the issue of homelessness amongst children and the work done by The Children’s Society with young runaways. The pair also played at a charity concert at Betty’s cafe in October – “It was amazing,” says David, grinning widely. “Really good. I feel like it was the start of our professional relationship.”

In light of the work they’ve done together, David recently nominated Robin for a Vinspired Award – a competition to recognise the achievements of young volunteers throughout the country. He won the regional award for Yorkshire and the Humber and will be travelling to London later this month to collect his award.

Despite his achievements within the last year, Robin had no prior experience of working with people with disabilities:

“I heard about PACT at Freshers’ Fayre in my first year,” he commented. “I was really keen on the idea of fostering a really strong one to one link between volunteers and young people. PACT seemed like a unique opportunity to make a real and lasting positive impact on the local community during my time at York. I have learnt so much about disability over the past year, principally from spending time with David and getting to know him. It has been a very eye opening experience that has ended up making a massive difference to my whole perspective on life. It has been without a shadow of a doubt the best thing I have done in my life so far.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with PACT should email Robin.Lindop-Fisher@childrenssociety.org.uk.

In a meeting earlier this term, Council voted to bestow cards upon themselves, incoming JCRC chairs and other YUSU affiliate heads, and ignored pleas from both YUSU Student Activities Officer Rhianna Kinchin and YorkSport President Emily Scott to award cards to YUM and YorkSport Committee members, as had been the case in previous years.

Last week, Council then voted to devolve responsibility for the remaining 32 cards, instead instructing each YUSU sabbatical officer to chose five “deserving” students.

In a letter to Union Council, YUM representatives expresses disbelief at the decision and denounces the “the inward-looking, self-congratulatory nature of the Council.”

“YUM work tirelessly to support, represent, inform and entertain students of York. If you want to award cards based on ‘who deserves it for their work,’ we would suggest that the continual 24-hour shifts put in by YUM members far exceeds the work of many council members,” the letter continues.

The cards, which provide for free entry to Tru and Gallery, are given to the Students’ Union by Luminar Leisure in line with a lucrative advertising package.

YUM Chair Anna Bucks is campaigning to change the Council’s decision. “It seems a shame, some might say petty, that Union Council felt unable to make this small guesture to recognise the work carried out by YUM,” she said.

JCRC chairs, many of whom who were outspoken in their criticism of awarding cards to YUM voted to keep their cards in 2010, after they have left their position.

Each year, five charities are chosen from the many nominated to become RAG beneficiaries for twelve months. At the end of each year the proceeds are split equally between the five. Up until two years ago, the elections were closed, with only committee members able to vote.

Former Student Development and Charities Officers Joey Ellis changed this, opening the voting process to all students. Last year, 17 charities were nominated for the positions; this year the total doubled to 34 different organisations competing for the five highly-sought-after positions.

“The large number of nominations is a positive thing,” commented RAG Charities Liaison Officer, Nick Scarlett, who is responsible for organising the elections. “With such a range of charities nominated, it’s more likely that every student will find at least one or two they genuinely like or support.”

However, there have been comments that the large number of nominations is down to the recent ultra vires regulations affecting the Student Union that make it now illegal for any societies or sports teams to raise money for an organisation that is not RAG. The move has sparked some disappointment amongst students: “I have had some people telling me it is a shame they can no longer fundraise for charities that are close to their hearts,” commented York Sport President Emily Scott.

This year’s beneficiary elections have been extended to allow sports clubs and societies to put forward their charities of choice: “We’ve had around a dozen,” said Scarlett. There have been concerns, however, that nominations with the backing of an entire society could skew the results, leaving those put forward by individuals with a lesser chance of election.

Scarlett however, was keen to quell such fears:

“Having whole sports clubs and societies behind one charity could theoretically give them an advantage, but over a dozen societies have backed charities which dilutes this, as does the large number of voters not affiliated to such societies.” Both Scarlett and Stones felt the increase in nominations to be a positive move, bringing about a greater student participation within RAG itself.

“The presence of sports clubs and large societies such as Fusion in the nomination process will mean people who did not usually vote in the nomination process will get involved,” commented Scarlett.

Stones sees the ultra vires regulations as “a positive thing overall for campus fundraising. There are so many people at university who do such good work for fundraising, and now they can all be brought into one, university-wide push,” she said.
Voting opens in week two.

The past of our Union is, therefore, only recorded by its media outlets. So, if you desire an accurate, succinct and well-written documentation of all that has occurred in YUSU since it’s formation in I-don’t-know-when, might I direct you to the Borthwick Archives in the JB Morell library. There, you will find editions of Nouse (and perhaps some other publication known to circulate on York campus) , in varying degrees of yellow-ness, dating back to the birth of the Union. Or perhaps more accurately, the birth of the papers.

The Daw Suu Student Centre in James College

For those of you with less time on your hands I suggest a rather wonderful website recently discovered by our Technical Director and present to you some, most likely unknown, facts about our university and union that will give a somewhat alternative history.

Peruse this wonderful website and you will discover that the YUSU building is a converted set of squash courts given to the Union in 1994. During its history is has been named ‘The Clean Pancake Building’ (1994) and ‘The Vaseline Building,’ the latter of these names awarding the Athletic Union £6000 from the makers of Vaseline for ‘most original advertising of the year.’

During its existence, YUSU has seen some unusual Sabbatical Officers. A Winnie the Pooh soft toy once got elected onto the YUSU team. He was, unfortunately, rapidly no-confidenced and now cannot stand for another sabbatical post.

During the late 60s/early 70s, a dog stood for SU President, but failed to be elected. And sometime in the 70s, some frivolous students faked a nomination for one of the sabbatical roles. Since the position was uncontested, the unperson was elected. When he failed to show up to the first YUSU General Meeting, he was no-confidenced and replaced. The story made the tabloids.

2008/09 YUSU President "Mad Cap'n" Tom Scott

On the subject of elections, apparently an inflatable sex doll and a hoover have both been elected onto the Goodricke JCRC at some time. And York used to hold the record for the greatest number of people to stand on a postbox.

In more recent history, only last year York became the only Student’s Union in the country to have a pirate for a President, Mad Cap’n Tom Scott, our former leader, was democratically elected in 2008, when apparently no one thought through what would happen if he actually won, and the embarrassment this would bring to our student body.

The last year at York has also seen the opening of The Courtyard, the first Student’s Union bar (as oppose to a college bar) on campus. The bar opened on the site of the old Langwith College bar surrounded by worries that it would take business away from other college bars, which, seemingly, it has. The YUSU Studio also opened this year; a nice room in Market Square where you can get help with societies and sports.

For more history of the University of York, the Campus Folklore Guide should fill your needs (but beware it is out-of-date and inaccurate in places!)

(Student Centre photo: George Lowther; Tom Scott photo: Michael Brunsden)

The decision comes after talks between the Head of Hospitality for the University, Phil Kember, and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students, Jane Grenville with representatives from the Student Union and Derwent College JCRC. Lewis Bretts, YUSU Democracy and Services Officer who has been involved in the discussions has expressed disappointment that the seriousness of the situation was not made evident earlier on to the student body, and laments the loss of an important social space for students, especially for those joining the college in October:

“We believe that the lack of managed and supported social space will be severely detrimental to students,” he commented in a blog post on the YUSU website earlier today. “New students joining the university in October will join a university with significantly less social provision, and students joining Derwent will be joining a college which is fundamentally different to the one they have applied for.”

Bretts also criticised the position held by the University over the recent spate of rumoured bar closures:

“While commercial services have undoubtedly been the victim of national and local trends over the past 5 years, we must also look to the university’s failure to invest in managed social space to explain the poor commercial performance of campus bars. A robust and thorough re-examination of campus social space is necessary to avoid the unnecessary closure of bars as student numbers grow,” he added.

Halifax college recently lost its bar, JJs, and Alcuin college bar B’Henry’s has remained open but with reduced operating hours.

With the prospect of another lost college bar, and one that hosts immensely popular student events each term, Brett’s is proposing a temporary YUSU takeover of the space to preserve it for at least the first five weeks of the Autumn term:

“I have written to the PVC for Students, and the Head of Directorate of Facilities Management to formally propose that YUSU operates Derwent Bar for the initial five weeks of the Autumn Term. YUSU would be looking to operate the service from Tuesday to Sunday in the evening only. Should income from the initial five week period cover the operating costs, we would continue the service, reviewing the operating costs on a five weekly basis. Should the service not cover its costs for any five week period, the service would be stopped.” Bretts was keen to encourage students to show support for their college bar in helping it to maintain operation past the initial five week period.

The idea for the Top 50 came to us over Easter. Forbes have their rich list, Vision their Power List, but we wanted to do something different. Every year, these lists see the same, predictable names cropping up in slightly different arrangements, but we hoped to create something whereby those whose work would not usually achieve campus-wide recognition could see the value of their work to those around them.

With the number of people nominated exceeding the set quota of 50, we were unfortunately forced to select only the first 50 to arrive. Otherwise, editing of the list has been minimal, the details of each candidate coming from those who know them best. Although all those nominated could not be included, the fact that so many people were put forward can only serve to emphasise the number of people at York who work tirelessly for campus, for its students and for the surrounding area.

The list – which has not been ranked – consists of a wide variety of people from many different backgrounds. The familiar faces of Student Union Officers appear, as indeed they should do for much of the welfare, student representation and organisation on campus is down to their hard work and dedication. Alongside them, we see drama directors, student volunteers, sports men and women and many others grouped together under six main categories.

We sincerely hope that you feel this project achieves what it set out to do. And to all nominated, congratulations.

Philanthropy

Entrepreneurialism

Sports

Politics

Students and Societies

Arts

Recent figures reveal an 80% rise in the number of young girls admitted to hospitals in the UK with an eating disorder in the last decade. It is estimated to effect 1.1 million people in the UK, and in my experience, nearly every person you talk to can tell a heartbreaking story about a cousin, a sister, or a friend. It’s a widespread illness which tears families apart, and it’s shocking that at York there isn’t a more open acceptance and a visible support network available.

When we arrive at university, fresh-faced and eager, we embrace a freedom otherwise unknown to us. We can stumble home at three in the morning and no one will blink an eye. We can stay in bed until midday and it’s considered a social norm. After 18 years of closeting in the nest, we’re finally free to spread our wings and, accountable to no one, we embrace it wholeheartedly. But it’s easy to forget how vulnerable we are too. Suddenly, we’re surrounded by strangers and we don’t have the support system offered by a family or the pastoral care offered in a school environment. Whilst some relish it, it can be hard for others to cope, especially those for whom an eating disorder has already been a part of their life. Without constraint, they are now free to eat and exercise as they like, and it can have fatal consequences.

Whilst it might seem an awkward thing to attempt, creating a system of recognition and support is essential for students in need. Without family, friends are often unable to cope and ill-equipped to deal with the mental and physical torments of a eating disorder, and the student can slip through the welfare net without anyone really realising it. The gym seems a good enough place to start as any. Universities like Durham and Leeds seem to have the idea, with a well-trained support staff available to spot the danger signs and pull the student into a net of support before it gets too late. A similar system is not an option for York, it is a necessity. Grassroots awareness needs to improve and build from the bottom up, so that young people suffering from eating disorders feel that there is someone to turn to, and even if they can’t or don’t want to seek help, they have friends who know what to do and where to go for them. So, with Freshers’ Week looming near once more, let’s see some different topics on the welfare booklets this year.

Daniel Tammet is describing what goes on in his mind when he does mathematical calculations. He speaks eleven languages and has memorised and recited Pi to 22,500 decimal places. One of fewer than fifty such people in the world, he is what is known as a prodigious savant.

The term savant (deriving from the French ‘savoir’ – to know) literally translates as a learned person, but has no precise definition or related diagnosis. However, it has come to be associated with those rare individuals like Daniel, who suffer from developmental disorders (usually a form of autism) but develop one or more areas of extreme expertise, ability or brilliance. Despite suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome, Daniel’s ability with numbers classes him as a prodigious savant: his level of skill qualifies him as a prodigy, and would be considered phenomenal or genius even in a person without any cognitive disability.

Daniel’s amazing abilities have made him into something of a celebrity. The focus of media attention both in his native Britain and abroad, he has been the subject of documentaries, newspaper stories and has appeared on various talk shows, including David Letterman. Most of these appearances require Daniel to display his skills by performing large calculations in his head, something which he claims he has been able to do since the age of four, when he had a series of quite serious seizures as a child and was diagnosed with epilepsy. “It’s from that time that I started to see pictures in my mind, and images started to form,” he says.

Both David’s Asperger’s and his great fascination with numbers were apparent from an early age. At school, he didn’t mix with other children, preferring his own company and that of the numbers inside of his head. He would read the numbers on the hopscotch painted on the playground and search for the figures within the patterns in tree bark. “Numbers have always been, for me, the most real thing,” he comments. “Since I was five, numbers have been the way in which I’ve looked at the world around me, so I always count things. I’ll look at something and say, that looks like 131, for example, or that looks like 52. I always thought that was how everyone experiences numbers.” Daniel has clearly always been more at home in a world of numbers than people, and his narrow interests and lack of social interaction as a child would, by most measures, class him as autistic. However, Daniel is unique amongst most savants because he has, throughout his life, picked up sufficient social skills to function normally within society.

Much of his ability results from a synaesthesia that he believes has its root in the epileptic fits he experienced as a child. For Daniel, every number up to 10,000 has its own distinct and unique image that appears in his mind whenever he sees the number, and he describes the process of performing mental arithmetic as like that of travelling through a landscape:
“I experience numbers in a very visual way, using colours, texture, shape and form. Sequences of numbers form landscapes in my mind. It just happens; it’s like having a fourth dimension.

“One, for example, is a very bright and shiny number, like somebody flashing a light in my face. It’s a very interesting number. Number two is like a movement, right to left, kind of like a drifting motion. Number six is very small, it’s the number I find hardest to experience in any sort of meaningful, visual way. It’s often the absence of something, like a chasm or a black hole. Number nine is the biggest number, it’s very tall and can be quite intimidating.”

Daniel’s response to numbers is unique; where most people see a black shape on a page, he experiences a textual and highly detailed image, and reacts emotionally to each shape. Whilst number nine is intimidating, he finds Pi beautiful. This cross-activation within Daniel’s brain – the activation of areas responsible for emotion and sensory awareness as the result of visual stimuli – is what is known as synaesthesia, and is the key to his almost unconscious ability to do enormous calculations in his head.

In 2007, Daniel wrote Born On A Blue Day, a memoir which documents his childhood and experiences of living with both Asperger’s and as a savant. An intimate portrait into a highly unique mind, the book portrays both Daniel’s immense abilities but also the difficulties of day to day existence with such gifts. In one section, he describes the extent to which numbers control his life.

“I have an almost obsessive need for order and routine which affects virtually every aspect of my life. For example, I eat exactly 45 grams of porridge for breakfast each morning; I weigh the bowl with electronic scales to make sure. Then I count the number of items of clothing I’m wearing before I leave my house. I get anxious if I can’t drink my cups of tea at the same time each day. Whenever I become too stressed and I can’t breathe properly, I close my eyes and count. Thinking of numbers helps me become calm again.”

Such descriptions capture well the dichotomy of Daniel’s existence; both immensly gifted but also grappling with the social difficulties of Asperger’s. However, his articulate expression of the processes that go on in his mind mark Daniel as particularly special amongst savants, and especially important for scientists’ understanding of the condition, as for most such rare abilties usually come with a much more severe mental handicap as a price.

Dane Bottino is a fifteen year old American savant and self-taught artist. He began drawing aged 2, but suffering from severe autism, he lost his language skills around the same age. Drawing soon became his primary mode of expression, and by age three he displayed a perfect grasp of perspective and would provide his mother with grocery lists of immaculate images of everything he wanted. Although he now has rudimentary language skills, Dane prefers to express himself through art. Stephen Wiltshire is another artistic savant, known as ‘the human camera’ due to his ability to draw a landscape perfectly after just seeing it once. After one helicopter ride, Wiltshire drew a perfect replica of London right down to the number of windows on the major buildings. He too is autistic, and did not speak his first words until he was five.

The most famous, and arguably the most talented, savant of today is American Kim Peek. Brought to the attention of the world as the inspiration for the Oscar Award-winning 1988 film Rain Main, Peek has a photographic memory and has remembered everything he has read since the age of four. Born with brain damage, Peek’s parents were told to institutionalise him at nine months old. They didn’t, and by age four he was reading encyclopaedias. By fourteen he had finished the high school curriculum. Described by his father as “a living Google,” Peek can read a book in an hour, and remembers approximately 98.7% of everything he has read. It is claimed that he can recall the content of some 12,000 books from memory. His brain damage, however, means that he is unable to live without his father, as he finds motor tasks such as buttoning a shirt difficult.

Whilst both Daniel and Kim appear to have been born naturally gifted, or had their gifts emerge very early in childhood, it is possible for individuals to develop savant-like abilities later in life. Such rare individuals are known as Acquired savants.
Orlando Serrol was born and grew up a perfectly normal child until he was hit in the head with a baseball bat aged ten.

Recovering from the incident without any medical attention, he appeared to have escaped unscathed aside from minor headaches. However, he soon began to display an ability to perform calendrical calculations of baffling complexity. He is now able to recall the day of the week, the weather, where he was and what he was doing for every day since the accident, and is known as ‘the calendar brain.’ Serrol’s transformation is particularly interesting as his special skills appear to be the only side-effect of his accident, suggesting that once a particular part of the brain is stimulated, it is possible for any individual to acquire the levels of genius displayed by savants.

Dr Darold Treffert, a worldwide authority on the savant syndrome, has been pondering this question for much of his life. He describes what he refers to as a ‘little rain man’ that exists within the brain of every individual, offering the potential of gifts like those of Daniel or Serrol, if it could just be unlocked.

Savants like Daniel and Kim have travelled the world to display their great gifts to the public; Kim has been questioned by a hall of Cambridge undergraduates to prove the extent of his vast knowledge, whilst Daniel learnt Icelandic in one week for a live discussion on Icelandic national television. These appearances captivate audiences and cause us to rethink our concepts of human intelligence and potential.

Despite being hailed as the ‘Rosetta Stone’ amongst savants and the key to unlocking the mysteries behind this most fascinating of conditions, Daniel remains somewhat modest about his abilities:

“The line between profound talent and profound disability is really a surprisingly thin one. What I do, I don’t think it’s something supernatural, I don’t think it’s something that can’t be explained. Who knows, there may be abilities here that everyone can tap into somehow.”

For more images by Stephen Wiltshire, visit www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk

As the current Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at York, it is Fiona Shaw’s job to offer writing advice and guidance to students, be it on an academic or personal level. She holds a PhD in the poet Elizabeth Bishop, and has just published her third novel.

Set in the 1950s, her new work, Tell It To The Bees, centres around the question of what would happen if two women fell in love and one of them had a child. As Julia Weekes’ marriage falls apart, her son Charlie forms an unlikely friendship with Jean Markham, the local doctor, who keeps the bees to whom Charlie confides everything. Her son’s new friendship allows an intimacy to develop between the two women, an intimacy that changes all of their lives forever. Shaw describes the work as “a three-hander novel,” as it moves fluidly between the lives of the three main characters, Julia, Charlie and Jean. “I wanted to explore having a child at the centre of a novel,” she reveals. “I wanted some of what happens between the adults to come through the way of a child. He’s sort of like an emotional barometer for what’s going on between the adults.” She admits a particular partiality for the character of Charlie, whom she based on herself as a child: “Charlie is very much a boy and he’s very much a fictional character, but if he’s drawn out of anybody, he’s drawn out of the child that I was, or the child that I might imagine myself to be if I had been born a boy.” Charlie’s curiosity as a child and his desire to watch the world, to observe its nature echoes Shaw’s own childhood temperament, where she would spend hours watching the activities of ants.

With two novels preceding Tell It To The Bees (The Sweetest Thing, 2003, The Picture She Took, 2005), Shaw has an established reputation, with a critically lauded body of work. However, her first venture onto the literary scene was not a work of fiction, but a memoir – Out Of Me – in 2001. Charting her slide into severe post-natal depression and her desperate attempts to free herself and rebuild her life, it was this work that first launched Shaw as a writer. It was not an easy process, however: “I was very glad I wrote it, I’m still glad I wrote it, I’m glad it’s still in print,” she says, pausing momentarily to consider her words, “but the writing of it had an emotional cost unlike any of the other novels. The publishing also took a real toll in a way I don’t think I could have anticipated. There was a lot of publicity, and most of it was very positive, but it was also very exposing, and hard on your family.” Shaw’s openness and willingness to share with others a period of her life which saw her undergo emotional turmoil and electric shock therapy lead to a nomination for the MIND prize. Out Of Me now features as a set text on the training course for many health professionals.

Describing writing as “most definitely a need, and sometimes a release too,” Shaw explains her novels coming to her “very, very roughly, often in the form of a time period and an idea that I want to explore through a story.” All of her novels have a very strong grounding in a particular historical period, and she confesses that “it actually feels less nerve-wracking to write about that than it does about my own time. I guess in a more pragmatic way too, you’re free from having to write about mobiles, about Twitter, Facebook, any of that stuff!” She is currently beginning work on a fourth novel.

Tell It To The Bees is now available nationwide for £9.99

“Recent movements in financial markets have had no material impact on our income or general financial well-being and our investment plans, including those relating to the campus expansion, continue to proceed unhindered,” commented a university spokesperson.

The figures, recently released from the University Press Office, focus mainly on the value of York’s investments over the last three years. With an annual turnover of £217m, investments form a relatively small part of the university’s income, but have remained relatively stable throughout fluctuations in financial markets.

York makes its investments through M&G Charifund, an organisation dedicated to generating income for charities. On July 31st 2007, the value of the university’s investments stood at £2.3m. At the same time the following year, they had fallen to £1.7m, but by April 2009, the figure had risen to £1.9m.

“The changes reflect the performance of the stock market over that period,” commented University Press Officer, James Reed. “Over the last give years, the value of investments in M&G Charifund have consistently matched and frequently exceeded the performance of the FTSE 100 Index.”

The University also has considerable investment in property both on campus, some in the city centre and in the Science Park. A recent revaluation of properties in the Science Park revealed an increase in value of £900,000.

The band, whose recent single ‘Don’t Upset The Rhythm’ got to number two in the singles chart, were set to perform at the Summer Ball at York Racecourse on 1 July.

However, Nouse can exclusively reveal that, despite appearing on the confirmed line-up and on promotional materials for the event, the Noisettes will now no longer be appearing.

“I’m obviously very disappointed and annoyed,” commented YUSU Services and Finance Officer and event organiser Matt Burton. “A lot of time and effort goes into scouting acts for our events early on at a good price so that we can support their careers and give exposure, but also so that we put on a really good show for our students.”

Burton revealed that no reason has been given for the band’s cancellation at present, though there are rumours that the drop-out may be the result of recent success and subsequent disinclination to appear at smaller venues. They are currently set to perform at most of the major British festivals this summer.

“They didn’t actually give a reason for cancelling,” commented Burton, “though I was told from another Union source that it was due to them getting much bigger and better offers, like bigger gigs and time in the recording studio. Their agents still haven’t confirmed why they are unavailable.”

Nouse contacted the Noisette’s agency, The Agency Group, to question the Noisette’s actions, but were told only that “this show was never confirmed. Discussions were made on this event, but were never finalized.”

Burton, however, denied such a situation: “[this] is not the case given the document we have signed and agreed both in writing (via email, we keep all copies) and verbally on the phone.” The Union is now having to deal with the after-effects of an unfulfilled contract, with hotel rooms booked for the artists now having to be cancelled. Burton condemned their claims as “null and unprofessional.”

This most recent cancellation follows the no-show of band Noah and The Whale, the headlining act for Fresher’s Ball 2008 who dropped out at the last minute due to ill-health.

A replacement act will be found for Summer Ball, however Burton remains disappointed at the loss of such a high-profile act: “Unfortunately, at this short notice it won’t be possible to get someone who is now on-par with the Noisettes, but I am hopeful that we will be able to provide someone who will put on a good show for out students.”

Claudia Lawrence, of Heworth Road, York, was last seen after leaving work on Wednesday and was reported missing when she failed to turn up for work the following morning; a full-scale police investigation is now underway. It is believed she disappeared at around 5.30am on Thursday, having left home with to walk the two-and-a-half miles to her job as a chef at the college.

Whilst police suggested earlier in the week that it was “certainly a possibility that an abduction could be involved,” statements have now been released expressing greater concern for the safety of Miss Lawrence. It has been suggested that anyone involved in her disappearance is likely to be known to her, and from the surrounding area.

Earlier in the week, the Lawrence family issued an appeal for the safe return of their daughter, expressing their deep concern for her whereabouts: “We want you to know that you’re not in trouble. Please, please get in touch and let us know you are ok.” They have described recent days as a “living hell”.

Police continue their search with a plea for information from the public. “We have no information about her whereabouts after 20.30GMT on Wednesday. Try to help me fill that gap, I need the public’s help,” commented Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247.

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we saw history made. Congratulations to all candidates.

I hope you’ve enjoyed tonight’s live feed. As another election reaches its close, with door safe turning on the lights and the exodus of student fleeing the hall, we see YUSU, the elected and the elect, celebrate the success of the year past, and the expectation of the year to come.

Many thanks for keeping up, and it’s goodnight from us all.

01.57

As Tim Ngwena met with backstage reporter Jones he seemed relieved and relaxed. As two months of hard work come to a successful end in Fusion and the elections Ngwena looks forward to going home and going to sleep. He looks forward to delivering on his campaign pledges, not wanting to let down the student body that elected him.

01.37

Tim thanks all the candidates. Oh my god – what an election! “It’s time for me to deliver on my promises.”

INCREDIBLE! The first black YUSU President. Incredible.

01.36

Langrish 1190 – 1308 Ngwena

TIM WINS!!!!

01.34

Langrish 1118 – 1201 Ngwena

01.33

First preference votes then…

Langrish takes Alcuin by a (predictable) mile, Derwent, Langwith, Vanbrugh (by ten votes) and Wentworth
Ngwena takes Goodricke, Halifax and James
Bushby gets a distant third place.
Bradley and RON eliminated. Oh well.

01.28

01.30

Here we go. Thunderbirds music is on…

01.28

Bloody hell. This is tension. And real tension. Not ‘oh shit, some guy in a pirate suit might win’ tension, but ‘oh shit, two really good candidates are going head-to-head’ tension. I can’t predict it. Neither can the rest of the Nouse team. The room is packed. The song is entering its final, soul-destroying chorus. The tension is mounting…

01.26

Jones catches up with Lewis Bretts, who is relieved and overjoyed. He intends to spend the rest of the night lining up Sambucas on the bar, and he plans to drink so much that he may need that temporary cash point he’s been talking about. Bretts also took the opportunity to admit that if he was a fruit he would be a banana.

01.25

Tension tension tension. Most people are trying not to chunder up their last four VKs, and the scene resembles the average Courtyard ‘Drink til you die to improve our profits’ Quids Inn. Still, it’s elections, so sod it. Just no boos if Bushby wins. In fact, scrap that. Boo like you do when ANOTHER Eastern European country gives us 0 at the Eurovision Song Contest. Talking of shit music, the Final Countdown has just come on. And it really is…

01.21

Excellent stuff from Jones there. She’s like Bridget, but much better. And she was in Fusion, because she has amazing legs.

Anyhow, back to inter-result banter. Bushby, who should probably go find an ice-bath in case Elvis comes to announce his victory, is fighting with the DJ over the music choices. Punch him.

As in punch Bushby, not the DJ. I love Gallery-esque chart shite. Wiley? Wearing my Rolex? I love it.

01.18

More insider information from backstage reporter Charlotte Hogarth-Jones. This time she catches up with York Sport and Student Activities winners.

A crying Emily Scott feels “amazing, ecstatic and overwhelmed” and is looking forward to relaxing, having been “on the edge” all evening. She says she can’t wait to meet all the clubs and committee, but she does need to concentrate on her degree a bit first.

Overjoyed and overwhelmed Rhianna Kinchin admits to feeling shocked and stunned, but her victory “really hasn’t sunk in yet.” She wants to thank all her campaigners, and she can’t wait to “get the ball rolling” in Student Activities.

01.16

Lady Gaga blares out to the vastly inebriated crowd. “My name is Lady Gaga… and this is my hauuuuuuus”

Who will win? Who will guide our Union to bigger and better things? Who has voted? Who is reading? Who is awake? Who isn’t pissed? Who? What? Where? Why? Langrish… Ngwena… the others….

01.15

Only President left, and it’s Foy to guide you through to the end. Would you believe it – the exit polls have been right all night – will President buck the trend? Remember, Langrish was predicted a victory by only 4%…

01.10

Well well well. Bretts defeats a YUSU-stalwart in Durkin, a JCRC Chair in Sharp and Georgie P, a solid ISA bet. Kudos to Bretts, amazing campaigning – and who can write off Tom Flynn’s role in this win; he ran a tight ship

01.08

The second round sees Bretts with 1096, Durkin with 686 and Sharp with 541…

And another round, it’s Brett’s v. Durkin with 1199 v. 800.

A clear victory with Bretts, who praises the Tom Flynn effect and the way in which he’s helped his campaign. A fruit and veg stall on campus here we come…

And in true Democracy and Services style, the sound of ‘Fix-up, Vote sharp’ echos across the hall. Good times.

01.04

The candidates for Democracy and Services are announced, to a plethora of cheers, and of boos…

BUT…the first round of results stand at…

Bretts: 1023
Durkin: 629
George P:out
Sharp:501

And it’s gone to a second round…

01.01

Alex Lacy paces by the Nouse blogging offices and salutes us with his Vk apple. Now if that’s not praise…

00.59

It’s hugs all around on the dance floor. As Dave Sharp sweeps Ed Durkin into his arms it’s good to see that candidacy hasn’t soiled these two’s relationship. Durkin then moves on to a long embrace with former Alcuin Chair Erik O’Conor. An emotional night for him perhaps?

Smiling confidently Rory Shanks is now prowling around the dance floor, happy to flit from group to group showing off his skills. Looks like he’s enjoying his new found freedom!

00.55

Presidential candidate Bushby has just graced the dance floor alone, with VK in his hand and looking anxiously over the crowd. Searching for a presidential crown perhaps…?

00.53

Mr Foy announces that he’s off to YSTV to be doing his bit…make sure to watch him people. It’ll make him very happy.

The dancing is generally getting more fluid and the singing louder, but with Democracy and Services up next, it’s sure to be an exciting one.

00.50

President and Democracy and Services coming up then – two super, super-tight races. Tom or Tim? Ed, Lewis, George or David? It’s going to be nail-biting, LGBT-style. I’d rather be Rory Shanks to be honest. At least now he can go and get slaughtered.

00.48

Colin Hindson tells me he was right about Rhianna. “IT WAS HINDSON WOT WON IT!” Quite.

00.47

Shanks is drowning his sorrows dancing with Joey Ellis, ex-YUSU hottie. Shanks told me this week that he is planning a trip to Hong Kong in a Land Rover should he lose. He should probably start looking in Autotrader now. He tried to explain this to Tom Flynn, who responded ‘But isn’t there a big ocean in the way?’. No Tom, only a small channel. It must be intellectually taxing being a lecturer.

00.45

So an incumbent is deposed! Shanks will not join Leyland in taking another year in the YUSU chair. Congrats to Rhianna though, an excellent campaign. She told me this evening that her and her brother flyered everyone leaving the cinema on Friday night at 23.00. That’s effort, and it looks like it has paid off.

12.40

As Kirton is eliminated, let’s see the scores…

Kinchin: 1135
Shanks: 839

It’s Kinchin by a clear win. She congratulates all her campaigners and looks forward to a good term. Congratulations to Kinchin. Special K all the way.

12.39

And Student Activities now…another hotly contested…Shanks? Kinchin? Kirton?

Kirton: 430
Kinchin: 1024
Shanks: 747

Close…it’s up to another round…

12.37

To calls of ‘Scott Scott Scott!’ we have the result of the second round…

Scott: 1192
Johnson: 434
Leahy: 252
Sneddon: 269

And it’s Scott! An emotion speech…Jo Carter would be proud.

12.36
Now it’s YorkSport President up next…this one’s hotly contested too, so stay tuned…

So…

Johnson: 432
Leahy:349
Scott: 1188
Sneddon: 368

Seems to be a clear leader from that..but a second round is up

12.30

More snaps from the camera of George Lowther:

Ben Humphrys accepts his new post as Welfare officer

The pressure gets to Scott

A grinning Leyland is happy with her success

12.30

The atmosphere has turned to one of a Club D or similar, with the masses congregating on the dance floor for some of the eternally appealing cheese. It’s packed and everyone is loving it…just another few minutes and we’ll have some more announcement for you.

12.27

Miss Hogarth-Jones has been hard at work getting interviews with our new YUSU officers…Charlie Leyland confesses herself “so excited…I thought I hadn’t campaigned half as hard as last year…but I can’t wait to get in with things, I know what needs to be done.” Reassuring stuff there from Miss Leyland.

One student has commented: “This is the most exciting elections I’ve seen it’s kept me on the edge of my seat.”
It’s most definitely been close. We’ve got some more Sabb positions coming up, so keep tuned in for more…

12.20

Some brilliant music coming out now, Feeder and Whetus provide a welcome break from the constant hippety hop dance music.

Suddenly blog central has been surrounded by dancing bodies. With impeccable work ethic Bulley, Mirzaii and Turner soldier on whilst Messrs Fransman, Noice, Sanchez and Woolf take the ladies for a spin on the dance floor.

It’s alright for some!

12.17

Some more hot pics for you lovely people!

LGBT winners take the stage

Alex Lacy proves that he’s not redundant yet

Looking very glitzy and glamorous

12.13

Another interesting nugget of information for you…a member of the Nouse team, circulating throughout the dance floor has learnt that PapaG, otherwise known as George P, is seriously considering running for another year if this one is not successful. Interesting stuff..

12.10

Reports just in…Charles Bushby looks nervous, positively sick. Not good times. The floor is sticky enough already.

And some funnies in from our very own Charlotte Hogarth-Jones. She reports that Anna Bucks isn’t too pleased with Alex Lacy for breaking some important YSTV set. Oh dear. Someone isn’t getting a Christmas card..

12.07

So with the second round up Coyle is eliminated. Pallas gets 768 to Humphrys’ 937. That’s the second time Pallas has lost for this position. Ouch, it’s gotta hurt people.

Congratulations to Humphrys, the speech is short, but he’s happy.

12.06

Now it’s welfare up for grabs. This is highly contested, so let’s see how it goes. Humphrys, Coyle or Pallas? Hang on one second and we’ll see.

Humphrys:831
Pallas:664
Coyle: 598

It’s going to a second round everyone…

12.00

So, with both Academic Officer and Welfare Officer up for grabs next, what can we expects? Leyland is uncontested and a strong candidate, but Welfare is hotly contested, with exit polls revealing a potential close race between Humphrys and Pallas. How will is go?

23.57

Bulley here with the down-low from our newly elected officials.

Student Action winner Rachel Hesselwood admitted to being “like really excited” but is off home to revise for her exams next week. She says she is particularly looking forward to “meeting her new committee.”

Fry and Stones are reportedly “very very pleased”, have had a lovely night and can’t wait to get the RAG committee working as a team.

LGBT winners Vince and Medley are still shaking from such a tense election, and can only feel relief at the moment. Their immediate plans include drinking and crying, but they look forward to putting their policies in action next year.

It’s Academic Affairs and Welfare up next folks, some good quality sabb action forecasted!

23.41

More chatter from the floor – the drinks are flowing and people are increasingly prepared to go off-record. One current and one former sabbatical are predicting that Langrish is going to take the presidency by a whisker. But is this just the last prediction of the Union insiders before a nasty shock?

In separate news: liberal values are being militantly enforced tonight. Adding to the post below a crowd member shouting homophobic insults during the LGBT election got in a shoving match with a female LGBT supporter. He was summarily evicted by Doorsafe, YUSU’s finest.

23.45

Thunderbird Shanks is here. “I don’t watch Thunderbirds. I lived in Hong Kong. We watched Chinese Cartoons instead.” Wow. Elitism and Racism in one sentence. Or two, in fact

23.41

President Scott just popped over to let us know that LGBT really came down to only 1 vote. Maybe the closest one tonight!

23.39

Vince and Medley take to the stage giving an inaudible but very emotional speech. I’m sure they’re very happy with the elections etc.

23.38

Another contested position, LGBT Officer. Madavo and Ball take on Vince and Medley in the closest election yet. Vince and Medley take the lead in the second stage, by only 2 votes. The final break down is 822 to Madavo and Ball and 824 to Vince and Medley

A fight has broken out with the bouncers dragging out a member of the crowd, who had been shouting homophobic insults.

23.35

The first contested part-time position tonight will be RAG, with Fry and Stones facing up against Chew. The winner and new RAG officers are Fry and Stones, with 1346. 342 to Chew and 118 to RON.

Fry and Stones give a very quiet speech. I didn’t hear it.

23.33

Thats 1475 for Hesselwood and 187 for RON. She takes to the stage in a high pitched screech, and is looking forward to the next year.

23.32

Student Action Officer up now. Rachel Hesselwood uncontested in this one…

23.20

23.20

The dancefloor is now, finally, looking filled, and there’s no a vodka and lemonade in sight. Next to us, Vision have been spied looking watching the feed on our single laptop. Inspirational maybe?

Just 10 minutes until our next update now, and a short update from our presidential candidates. We asked how they were feeling. Forerunners Ngwena and Langrish commented:

Tim: 50/50, quietly confident, but very quiet.
Tom: I just want it to be over now, to be honest.

Well, as some more one-hit wonders sound out across the dancefloor, we can but wait until the next installment. Keep tuned.

23.13

Some interesting chatter from the floor: one presidential candidate and one former sabbatical officer are both convinced that Rory Shanks is doomed to fail in his re-election bid. Both said that while Shanks has the incumbent’s advantage he hasn’t campaigned nearly hard enough against a determined Rihanna Kinchin. Added to that he graduated as undergrad years ago and doesn’t have the friends vote Kinchin can count on.

23.10

Candidate mug shots:
Daniels and Ellis

Etheridge and Rose

23.07

Thomas and Ali get 1485, with RON scoring 265…well done to them.

23.05

Women’s officer up next…this is uncontested, so hold tight people…

23.02

Bulley back again. A quick word with Presidential hopeful Grant Bradley reveals that he has given up hope of winning tonight. He thinks its going to be a very close call for “candidates who actually have a chance”, he wishes them the best of luck.

23.00
Cornock, new Disabled Officer says she’s off to create an online forum, and Rose and Etheridge, the RON-fearers, feel “priviledged” to have been elected. They’re going to “get wasted with no money” apparently. Good luck with that.

22.56

Foy’s back. Some seriously awkward dancing going on from the YUSU-types – is it their dedication to the Thunderbirds act, or just a lack of rhythm? I’m going to go with both, as Shanks tries a ‘Soulja Boy’

22.54

Nouse reporters on the floor have heard that one presidential candidate and one ex-sabb officer are predicting a loss for Rory Shanks tonight. We’ll have to wait and see if they’re right.

A gaggle of YSTV Presenters are now seizing the dance floor, taking advantage of a break from the action.

22.52

Jason Rose and his infamous costume speak on the election victory

22.49

Environment and Ethics and Womens’ Officer coming up at 11, both also uncontested positions. So far nothing controversial has happened, and there’s nothing in the exit polls to suggest it will with these two, but you can never tell…

Does Tom Scott think this year or last year was more stressful for him? “This year. Jesus. This time last year I was playing cards. I really didn’t think I was going to win.” The music seems to be overpowering him, though- he’s gone briefly home “to put some earplugs in”. Will this affect tonight’s results? Obviously not.

22.43

Charles Bushby is charmingly inebriated. “Did Rose get RON’d?” he asks about the Campaigns Officer position. “This evening’s going to shit,” he says upon learning that they did not. Still, he seems confident, if not entirely steady on his feet…

22.41

Another comfortable victory for the uncontested Entertainments officer position, too, with Sam Daniels and Suzi Ellis cruising to victory 1525 to 274 RON.

22.38

…And a victory for Claire Cornock for Disability Officer, with 1480 votes to only 165 for RON. Entertainment next, another uncontested position.

22.36

Just Chris Etheridge and Jason Rose up for this position. RON is doing unusually well here- more than one in four votes, but they’re still through with a comfortable margin. Rose is in full Thunderbirds gear: ten points for effort. They gracefully accept their victory. Disability next…

22.33

Nicky Woolf here, joining the Nouse blog team here on the very edge of the YUSU results arena in L/028. Currently live are myself and Jim Bulley, and the next results to be released will be for Campaigns Officer, any second now.

22.30

We’ve got an interview with the latest winner, David Levene, who won both Union Chair and NUS delegate. He says he’s “very, very drunk”, but explains that that’s just for “moral support”. He deserves it: he’s just won two positions in a row. He’s still on the ball with policy, though, planning to “set about the UGM rebranding process” and pointing out that “Council’s undergoing changes which need to be implemented as efficiently as possible.

22.27

An awkward circle of dancing candidates seems to have formed in front of blog central. Matt Pallas and Ella-Grace Kirton are both there throwing some shapes, with Jason Rose seemingly undecided whether to join in or not. A hushed consultation with candidate partner Chris Etheridge seems to have persuaded him to go for it. Not exactly his forte though..

22.24

Bulley back again here. Thunderbirds really are go here in LN/028. The prize for the most impressive effort has to go to Campaigns candidate Jason Rose, who appears to be wearing an actual navy suit, complete with white stash and hat. The most effort for sure, maybe he has too much time on his hands?

22.21

Hindson has just informed me that in his failed bid for the Presidency in 2006, the exit polls predicted him a win. So don’t go counting your chickens, Langrish

22.19

Colin Hindson, former Socs and Comms Officer is here now. Who is going to win Student Activities I ask?

“I’d guess Rhianna, based on her effort”

I must say, he doesn’t sound too sure. But is anyone? And where is Rory?

22.17

Interview with Levene to come, but have just been informed by my intrepid News Editor that if you google ‘Election night live’, Nouse is the fifth hit. Exciting. Especially when you consider the polls going on in East Timor right now….

22.14

Grace Fletcher-Hackwood, former AcWelf Officer, just popped by the Nouse stand. She’s here thanks to Labour Soc – though not from society funds. Still a good socialist, our Grace.

Shes “Here to support Matt and Ella” and thinks it will be “really close between Matt and Ben. Jenny hasn;t got the background and experience to back her up.”

And if Coyle was to defy the critics? “With the networks and mel to support her, it’s a good service, so it’s able to function even without experience. But it’s a much better service if it’s run by someone with experience in a welfare role.”

22.11

The next announcement will be coming at 10.30, and don’t worry, we’ll be here to chart it all.

The candidates are coming in thick and fast too. A little snippet from Charles Bushby for the record:

“You can’t take life to seriously, if Langrish doesn’t win this, he’ll cry.”

A challenge perhaps? We’ll just have to wait and see…

22.09

A witty joke from our new Union Chair…

“How many student politicians does it take to change a lightbulb?”
“Only one, but they need a chair.”

One he prepared earlier there.

22.00

22.07

A wee speech from Levene has he promises to ‘do his best.’ Thanks David.

22.06

Chair on Union council. Now, Levene was unopposed, so there’s not going to much suprise here people, I warn you now.

Yep, he’s through with 1314 votes, compared to 337 for RON. Congratulations for Levene.

22.05

Derwent favourite Oliver Lester’s has made it, as has David Levene…

22.04

Now it’s announced that Jamie Tyler and Rhianna Kinchin are through now…

22.04

With 10 candidates, it’s complicated one. But, we’ve got Bretts, Langrish and Leyland through on the first rung….

22.00

2203
And Tom Scott has taken to the mic to announce the first results, the NUS delegates going to the Blackpool conference…

Hold tight, it’s coming..

22.02

Welfare candidate Jenny Coyle has approached the Nouse desk with a complaint. Apparently, the bar in L/0/28 doesn’t do 3 VKs for £5. Can Mr Burton please rectify this? The people are unhappy.

22.00

The masses are gathering into L/0/28. Unfortunately, we still only have two girls on the dancefloor. This time there’s no vodka and lemonade though.

21.59

Our local gossip-monger has been amongst the masses…we present to you his findings. Not only is Matt Burton sporting a somewhat dubious costumes, but Jamie Tyler and Alex Lacy are joining him in his antics. The trio had taken some dust suits, dyed them blue, and put them on. Nice.

And Jeanette Bond, one of those important ladies from YUSU has come as Lady Penelope.

Tom Scott has just taken the stage to announce 5 minutes until the first announcement. He’s not in costume though. Shame.
Hang tight, we’re almost there.

21.54

So let’s cast our mind back to last year…

Tom Scott was predicted to win by an absolute shedload in the exit polls. He did go on to secure the presidency, but by a much smaller margin. Other than that, the exit polls were all correct, save AU President, which was so complicated even a keen YUSUer like me couldn’t work it out. Tyler and Burton strolled to victory, as did Leyland and Shanks. Looks like an even easier stroll for Charlie tonight, but what about Rory? I’m excited. I hope you all are too.

21.53

Roaming Hack Sanchez (Woolf is at the bar) has informed me that deposed AcWelf 07 Officer Grace F-H is angling for a Nouse interview. We’ll have more on that when we get it. Jim, Sian and I don our respective safety helmets…

21.50

Dancers… Vision… Whatever next?

21.46

Presidential candidate Tim Nwegna has just passed by, telling us al to ‘keep it cool.’ Will do, Tim.

And the dancefloor is finally populated. By two girls, dancing around a vodka and lemonade. Classy stuff ladies and gents.

21.43

And Vision have arrived, just in time. Slightly confused as to the location of their blog, but I suppose we’ll see in time…

The candidates are slowly making their way into the arena otherwise known as L/0/28. Jenny Coyle is on the absinthe. Her words, not mine.

21.42

Foy’s back- Well YSTV was fun. I can assure you now that words are far easier to work than cameras and sound. Lots of nervous candidates and campaigners in the bar. Langrish, however, looks pretty laid back.

21.37

As more and more candidates arrive Democracy and Services hopeful Lewis Bretts is spotted wandering through a still empty LN/028.

Ents Tech have proved their efficiency, those pizzas were demolished in record time!

21.32

News just in…Grace Fletcher Hackwood as graced the Courtyard with her presence, supporting Welfare candidate Matt Pallas. Let’s just hope she doesn’t bump into a certain Bushby campaigner again or Door Safe might have to step in for a second time…

21.27

To add to the beautiful arrange of costumes we have already, Matt Burton himself has just passed by the blogging station sporting a Thunderbirds-style sash and a rather suspect blue belt…after the smarties helmet last year, things could only get better…

21.24

As our very own Mr Foy heads off for a brief YSTV performance Bulley, Turner and Lowther are left to enjoy Ents Tech’s private rave with our many pints lined up in front of us.

Candidates are beginning to arrive. Humphrys and Carr have been spotted at the bar and Tyler is modelling a very fetching Thunderbirds costume. The parties really getting started over here!

Reply to Oli Lester: The pirate is yet to arrive, but you will be pleased to know that drinks are well and truly allowed in LN/028. There’s even a bar in there, complete with ice cream.

21.19

The night has well and truly begun for the Ents Tech boys. Pizza and Fat Boy Slim, they look in their element.

21.16

“I’ve got a long time to wait, I’m trying not to think about it. I’m feeling pretty excited though.” Candidates are keeping things brief tonight, not revealing too much. Know how to find out more? Keep logged on and watch YSTV. We’ll be with you all night.

21.12

Miss Rhianna Kinchin is currently in residence at the Nouse blogging office, deep in discussion with Mr Foy. How does she feel about the exit polls I wonder? Feeling confident? Time to interrogate…

21.10

The bar is open ladies and gentlement, Langwith is filling up and the night is officially underway. The first results will be announced at 10.00, with the NUS delegates being the first to find out their fate. Who will make the elusive team of 9? Langrish? Lester? Batula? Only time will tell…For now, I suggest some VK.

21.02

A large freezer full of ice cream has arrived at the bottle bar. This night just gets better and better!

21.00

George Lowther arrives armed with flashes, clamps, lenses and cameras, he looks like a portable Jessops.

It appears Ents Tech know how to throw a party. With lights flashing around the room, loud music shaking every surface and the promise of pizza on its way these guys look set for a good night out. All 5 of them.

20.56

And there they go…pictures of sartorial elegance, those YSTV presenters.

20.54

Two reporters from an alien news body just attempted to gain access to the election results hall and were turned away by door staff. Sad times for unofficial online blogs tonight…

YSTV’s election feed should be going live any time soon. Tune in to watch the beautiful Anna Bucks and her dream team chart the reactions of all the winners and the losers online at www.nouse.co.uk/elections.

20.48

As Flo Ryder blares from the speakers, the finishing touches are being put to the hall and the portable bar in the corner is getting its fill of VKs. It can’t be long now.

20.40

Here’s how tonight’s going to work. It’s Henry James Foy here, and currently blogging alongside me is Jim Bulley and Sian Turner. Chris ‘Tech General’ Northwood is on hand to stop it deteriorating into webshite, and ‘Gorgeous’ George Lowther will be shooting all night. Old hands Raf Sanchez and Nicky Woolf will be liberally spreading their satire over the blog, and Charlotte Hogarth-Jones will be getting all the reactions, Cat Deeley style, from the winners.

20.37

Trying to explain Single Transferable Vote to an Environmental Science student here. It’s proving difficult – I have a sneaky suspicion that a lot of the science behind the winners tonight will go over people’s heads.

20.34

The bar’s closed, apparently. That sounds like a great way to maximise profitability. Doors open at 9pm everyone – with the first results at 9.30. Don’t worry if you can’t make it though, Nouse will keep you up to date throughout the night.

20.31

Pretty empty here – tension building. Peter Kidd, YUSU Health and Safety Officer is prowling around like a parking officer. YSTV are hoping he doesn’t pop his head into their building site.

20.21

So the exit polls show a potential narrow victory for Langrish over Ngwena and a close race between Rory Shanks and Rhianna Kinchin for Student Activities. Eager to see how it’ll be played out? Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated.

20.11

News just in…the exit polls have been released. Mr Henry James Foy is eagerly tapping away at his laptop. “It’s going to be close,” he reveals.

20.08

Ladies and gentlmen, welcome to YUSU elections night 2009, brought to you live by Nouse and YSTV. We’ll be here throughout the night, bringing you up to the minute results as the positions are released. At present, Langwith bar and L/O/28 are looking pretty sparse, with Ents Tech setting up amidst the flashing of strobe lights.

Later this evening YSTV will be reporting live, with exclusive interviews with the evening’s winners and losers. You can watch them online at www.nouse.co.uk/elections.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated as things hot up.

Q: How important do you think YUSU is to campus?

Matt Burton: From an insider perspective, YUSU engages with the university of lots of levels, my role being services and working with the university to improve services within the union and offering services to compliment those from the university…

Jane Grenville: Or even to compete with them…

MB: …to enhance the student experience. We have lots of areas of the Union that work with the University, especially on the academic and the welfare side, so there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that I suppose people take for granted, and maybe one of the things it’s fair to say that as a Union we’re poor at is actually telling people what we do, therefore, perhaps, they think that YUSU might not be that important to them.

Henry James Foy: Isn’t it weird that we elect students to these positions and they go from being a student one month to negotiating fees with the university the next?

Laura Payne: What you tend to forget is that people who go into sabbatical roles tend to have a long history of working with the university behind them. They might have been working in a non-sabb position or on a JCRC, and I think that when they go into the role they’re already quite prepared and they get lots of training from the NUS over the summer, and they work alongside their colleagues. I think in most university meetings it’s an adversarial attitude about discussion and ideas and contribution, it’s not necessarily like they’re going into the lion’s den, and a lot of the time it’s that they can go in there and showcase their ideas

JG: From the point of view of the university, the answer to the question is that if there wasn’t a YUSU we would have to invent one. But a university is, from the point of view of the people who run it, an academic community dedicated to research and teaching, both in equal measure. So the student population is an incredibly important consistency of what the university does, and to try to run it without a clear machinery to negotiate with that population would be very difficult as we’d end up doing things that would not be helpful to that part of the constituency. So it is absolutely critical that there is a clear negotiating machine from our point of view and the fact that that is something that is created through a political process through elections and hustings, it gives us a degree of confidence that the people that we are negotiating with are the people who represent that the student body really thinks. So it’s really incumbent on YUSU and on the GSA to act in a very proactive way to make sure that their members do know what they stand for and do routinely communicate that with them so that we know we’re getting the view that is one that is accurate.

David Levene: I completely agree that it being a political process is a very positive thing. I think part of the problem with YUSU at the moment is that it’s still a feeling that it’s just a popularity contest amongst some students.

HJF: It definitely is.

DL: And I think the fact that we now have a Democracy and Services officer, with that emphasis on democracy, is really positive because it means that hopefully it will move away from these personality politics and into what people want to do and what they stand for, which I think is good for everyone as more people will get involved and it isn’t just a popularity contest and if you stand you can get involved, rather than if you’ve got lots of friends you can get involved.

Q: What would you say to the belief that student politics matter for the next fortnight, and then not at all for the next year?

JG: My personal view, principally engaged in discussion from a university viewpoint is that student politics are important all year round for us . So the question remains how you as a student body can make that very clear that students. You don’t have to persuade us, it’s very obvious to us. It sounds rather as if you have to do some work with your own constituency.

LP: I think there’s a lag between when Freshers arrive in October and when the elections take place in April. I think that’s something the Union could work on, on trying to raise awareness at that time, because once Freshers’ have had their first set of elections they know about what the Union is and get more engaged in their second and third years. MB: One of the reasons for holding the elections in the spring term is that, in that first term, I know for me for example, it would have meant nothing.

LB: I don’t think we should move when the elections are, just that we need to raise more awareness between when Freshers arrive and when the elections are held.

Nicky Woolf: The issue is this whole question of awareness. If a governance of any kind is spending a lot of time simply making people aware of it rather than getting on with governance, something is going wrong on a more fundamental level that just awareness. Awareness should never be just the end of a government activity.

DL: This is where the campus media has such an important role to play. I can never state this enough, York has a very high class of media and we can see this on a national scale. Perhaps we need to bring the media more on board, more to the day to day running of YUSU.

NW: I’d be careful of saying something like ‘more on board,’ we don’t want what a lot of universities have, where the media is just an outlet for the union.

LP: I think the quality of campus media would go down in terms of it’s scope and diversity if it were to focus solely on campus politics, and I’m glad that it doesn’t. I think the onus is always going to be on the organisation primarily rather than on the media as it’s mouthpiece.

HJF: We’re getting massive hits on our website as the moment because of elections, but during the rest of the year, YUSU is not something people particularly want to read about.

JG: It’s just me, is it?

MB: I think we’re missing the point, students are engaging with YUSU in lots of different ways, not just in supporting UGMs but in using the SU shop, they are engaging with the SU, by being part of a club or society, they are engaging with the SU. We’re providing that service and we’re doing something right there.

NW: Just going to Langwith bar and having a drink is not engaging with the Union, and I think trying to force ‘Joe Derwent’ who just wants to do 3 years of university wherey he will get a degree and have a good time in the mean time, forcing him to be interested and forcing him to vote on UGMs is counterproductive.

DL: I’d be wary of saying that people are involved the with SU because they go to the Courtyard or they’re in a society, my personal feeling, and this isn’t a criticism of YUSU, is that that just isn’t good enough. And in terms of UGMs, we still have a situation where things aren’t passing quoracy. Obviously it’s happening a lot less, which is great, but 2.45% of the student population is needed and that’s still not happening. I’m not saying that that’s YUSU’s fault, but it just isn’t good enough.

HJF: But what is a UGM? It’s just 3 letters, that’s going to mean nothing to some people when they check their emails. I think UGMs need a serious rebranding if people are going to engage with their importance.

LP: I think you have to consider the relevance of the motions proposed to the students. I think we’ve seen last year with things like the governance review, the motion to open up Womens’ Committee and to no-confidence GFH that when something comes up that matters to students they will vote in their hundreds, even their thousands. But when something that comes up that’s on the sidelines, that’s not something that directly affects people, they’re not overly interested and you can’t force that.

DL: But what I think YUSU can do is to give out the message that it is important. People think is doesn’t matter but it really does, it does matter. What the union does on a day-to-day basis behind the scenes is really important, as we’ve agreed, and it’s just about getting that message out there. That’s the real key.

Daniel Carr: One thing that’s worth raising with regards to all of this is the important concerns that Laura just listed, and with YUSU and the GSA, and particularly with NUS in the last couple of years. Far too many of the crucial issues have been internal ones, and not enough had been focused on the real, substantial policy and the real ways in which we can represent students. I think to some extent that all of those organisations need to reach a point where they’re being very forward thinking and focused upon real student issues, and not so insular.

Conclusions of the Presidential race? It’s hard to say. Tim and Langrish have the most experience, and that will serve both them well. Bradley’s outsider status could go either way. Bushby’s policy of calling Bradley “Graham” might serve him well at the polls, or it might not. Now all that remains is an election…

Goodnight and happy voting, everybody!

P.S. if anyone has lost a set of earphones at this event, they can pick them up from the YUSU office.

22.34

And with those slightly disturbing revalations, the evening comes cataclysmically to a close.

Word in from pundit and Bushby campaign leader Dan Taylor:

“Bushby’s Ethical Investment policy will be basd upon realistic financial and research considerations, working for the benefit of the whole University.”

22.33

Nouse or Vision:

They all go for Nouse except Bushby, who has decided that his policies now include the massacre of small children, incidentally.

VBAR or Courtyard:

Only Bushby goes for Vbar.

Tru or Gallery?

Tom and Charles go for Tru, the others Gallery.

Busby and Bradley also highlight themselves as Tories, choosing Cameron over Brown. Also, Tom and Bushby prefer to be underneath during a sexual encounter. or something. It’s all getting a little chaotic.

22.30

Quick-fire round.

Worst thing you’ve ever done:

Tim: Let Dan cut his hair
Bradley: Something funny about easyjet.
Bushby: Got drunk at university.
Langrish: Walked into a trombone exam with flies undone and trombone on show.

Bradley: Eat the badger, they’re
SOME MORE FUNNIES ABOUT BADGERS. IT’S ALL GOING VERY QUICKLY.
Langrish: eat the badger

If you weren’t running which of the others:

Bushby: Graham
Grant Bradley: That’s why I need more promotion!
Langrish: Tim. Very impressed.
Ngwena: Tom.
Bradley: Tom. Passionate.

22.26

Last round of questions before the quick-fire round.

Why don’t students care about student politics?
What is your unique selling point?
What is the most important YUSU campaign?

Langrish thinks that the problem is that students don’t really understand how important student politics is. He says that his unique selling points are his passion and experience, and thinks that the 24 hour library campaign, that he kicked off, is his fave.

Ngwena doesn’t think students know what the union does. They need to know more about it before they will care. His multi-perspective status is his uniqueness – he’s seen every part of student life from sports to media. 24-hour library too.

Bradley thinks that there is a feeling that student politics doesn’t apply to students’ lives, and he thinks that needs to change. He thinks his outsider-ness is a unique point. Also, 24-hour library.

Bushby thinks people don’t know “who YUSU is” and thinks he’s the man to change that. He cites his personality as his unique selling point, and thinks that the 24-hour library is the best idea.

22.21

Langrish thinks that if the Ethical Investment motion passes Union council, that’s half the work done already. He thinks that if he wins the election then that’s a comment on his figureheadedness.

Ngwena thinks that the student voice has spoken, and that this mandates him to push Ethical Investment as far as he can. He says that he has plenty of leadership experience that means he’d make an awesome figurehead.

Bradley thinks that ethical policies are paramount, but is worried about cutting into how the University funds itself. He hopes that he’ll get a public persona while serving as President.

22.18

Last long question round. Ethical investment strategy assuming the policy passes? Do you have the right public image to be a good figurehead?

Bushby likes ethical investment. He thinks the President should find a way to promote ethical investment, as long as it’s realistic, and we should definitely follow it. He thinks his public image has been misunderstood, and wants people to “get to know the real Charles Bushby.”

22.15

High-brow questions now, says Foy. “broken” higher education funding, trade union involvement, and what can the NUS do for York and its students?

Bradley first. He thinks we’re paying a lot of money for what we’re getting here, and wants to make sure we’re getting value for money. YUSU is a union, he says, and has an affinity to other unions. He runs out of time before the NUS.

Can Bushby cover all 3 topics? He thinks HE funding needs to be looked at. Radical changes with fees have been implemented, and he wants to look at where the money’s going. He’s against trade unions. Not the NUS, though – he thinks that’s good, but wants to get a better deal.

Langrish wants to make sure York’s views are heard at NUS forums about HE funding. He likes trade unions, because lots of students have jobs, and thinks the NUS’s lobbying functions are priceless to us, as are our YourShop and bar deals.

Ngwena thinks that we have to look at HE funding from a national perspective, talk to other student unions around the country, and it’s a long-term process, and he loves the NUS as a support system.

22.10

Which is your most important policy? Given the credit crunch, are you planning a two-year term? And how do you think you can bring your creativity to the role?

Tim’s up first. He doesn’t want to choose one particular policy – they’re all important to him – but thinks that communications and the website are the areas he’d want to improve most. It’s a 1-year goal for Tim, and his creativity will, he says, come through in… Ding! Time’s up.

Bradley’s most important policy is getting people involved. He wants to integrate us all. If he feels he can help for 2 years, he will – and he has already started being creative. He’s on flipper. No, he says, he means twitter.

Bushby wants everyone to leave York a fully rounded person. He likes it here, so would be happy to stay for two years, and his creativity in his extensive – he stressed that – media background, he could help a lot with YUSU’s marketing.

Langrish has never used the word promise before, but he’s using it now. He has 5 Presidential Policies – check his facebook for them – and certainly isn’t leaving till they’re all achieved. He means business. He wants all the student creativity to be involved with the Union.

22.05

More questions. Support for the GSA following elections problems, relations with the ISA, and should the ISA have a sabbatical president?

Langrish wants to carry on with the status quo, meeting with the GSA president at least once a fortnight and giving it full support. He also wants to talk to the ISA, and if they want a sabbatical officer he’s all in favour.

Ngwena thinks that all three organisations, YUSU, ISA and GSA have the same aim: improving the student experience. With that in mind, he’s sure he can find solutions, and if that means that ISA having a sabb president then all to the good.

Bradley thinks it’s all a matter of getting people involved, promoting the issues. He proposes shared events to improve interaction between YUSU and the GSA.

Bushby thinks there have to be meetings set up, communications channels opened. The same with the ISA. There has been a breakdown in the communications channel. “Let’s get them back involved.” He wants to compromise on the ISA president.

21.59

A whirlwind of information to digest here. From the Nouse bench it feels like Tom and Tim are out in front, but it’s all much closer than anyone thought. The two newcomers are both very impressive, though I don’t think Bushbey’s jabs at the current YUSU team have gone down as well as he might have hoped.

21.56

Breaking news about Bradley: it appears that rules were breached… Nouse‘s own Jim Bulley has the scoop. Check it out here.

21.53

Ngwena thinks that if not Prez he’d be running for Student Activities, something he nearly ran for. He thinks its a shame that noone’s run for Racial Eq, and thinks that procedure should be followed in the slacker’s case.

Bradley’s alternative would be Welfare, he thinks that we should look into the reasons why noone’s run for RE, and thinks that sabbatical officer is a job like any other, and should be dealt with as such.

21.51

Another round: What other position would you be running for if not President? How do you feel about noone running for Racial Equality? And what would you do if one of your sabbs was slacking?

Bushby up first. “If I wasn’t running for president I think I’d do a good job at the Democracy and Services position”. I understand society’s needs, he says. He’s disappointed that noone’s running for racial equality officer, and would be just as disappointed with a slacking officer.

Langrish thinks that if he wasn’t running for Prez, he’d want to be Academic Officer. He wants to promote a by-election for Racial Equality as soon as the new year begins, and he pledges to deal with slacking officers internally, no going to the press…

21.48

More questions, on the Media Charter and on The Yorker.

Bradley thinks the Yorker is a fantastic example of the outside looking in, and thinks a new perspective is good, and thinks the media charter might be slightly unfair.

Bushby thinks the media charter should be just for welfare of students and against libel, and thinks that its place is not just for imposition of taste on publications. He thinks the way YUSU thinks about the Yorker also needs to be looked at.

Langrish thinks the media charter is essential, and wants to clarify and update it. “A process of renewal”. The Yorker, he thinks, is independent of YUSU so he wants to treat them as another independent news source.

Ngwena now: The media charter needs looking at and analysis, but we need to make sure studnts still know what’s going on. The Yorker is good entrepreneurship, he thinks, and is “brilliant.”

21.44

More questions. Hes East Goodrice, social and entertainment on campus, and Hes East student centre?

Ngwena: There’s so many things that need to be catered for in the new Goodricke. The Uni, he warns, will try to cut corners, and we have to avoid it being turned into just another travelodge off the A64, referring to the accommodation crisis at the beginning of this term.

Bradley: Student services for Goodricke need to be evaluated. We need to take a survey to see what students expect. Get societies more involved in bars and open nights, he continues.

Charles: “Hes East offers a fantastic opportunity”, but he warns that a “two-tier” campus is avoided. YUSU must ensure students needs are met.” He thinks that YUSU entertainment should not be in competition with college events, or everybody loses. YUSU need to be central, he adds.

Langrish: We need to ask the current Goodricke JCRC what they need. Courtyard needs to be promoted, but we need to carry on the fight for a full student venue on Hes East. We’re facing a split campuis

21.38

Some interesting questions. Is YUSU cliquey? What do you think of the fact that there are no women running for President? And what to do about students who don’t know much about how YUSU works?

Langrish points to the wide range of candidates running as an example of how it isn’t, and feels that it isn’t a problem for men to represent women, and vice versa.

“That’s no problem – I can communicate with any women here…” Audience mirth. But Ngwena also points out that greater student awareness needs to be pursued on YUSU’s workings.

Quite reasonably, Bradley points out that as an absolute newcomer to the YUSU scene, he would prove cliqueyness wrong himself…

Bushby thinks the YUSU clique “has been around far too long”. “It’s lost it’s focus, it isn’t working for student any more.” He feels it’s a shame in the 21st century that women aren’t running, and thinks that more effective communication methods need to be employed.

21.33

Tim wants to speak for students. He wants to represent them. He wants Fusion and RAG to one day merge to form one big society- a controversion opinion indeed.

Bradley wants to call the position of President “Student Representative”. He feels he’s gone against public opinion by simply running for President as an underdog…

21.31

Questions. “What is the role of the President”? Bushby sees the role as that of a leader. “When have you gone against popular opinion?” “I like to think that I’m always working for the people,” he says.

Langrish up next. “President is your primary representative, your chief campaigner.” “I voted against the Fletcher-Hackwood vote of no confidence”, is his against popular opinion moment.

21.28

Tim Ngwena, relative to Langrish, is also a relative YUSU outsider, though he has more union experience than Bushby or Bradley. “I have come here,” he says “not to tell you my policies. You can read them on my facebook group. I’m here to tell you who I am.” He’s got an impressive array of experience, with sports, with societies, with student media, and as Fusion President. “Anyone you talk to about me will tell you that I do anything 100%”. He wants to improve communication with the University. More rapt applause for another very strong speech.

21.24

Langrish is known already as “mr. YUSU”, and has a large bank of experience to draw on, and he’s not holding back, listing an impressive array of achievements. “I know how to get things done,” he says, “but more importantly, I know what needs to be changed.” He makes a sly dig at Bushby’s controversial promise not to draw his salary, saying “any President worth his 15k, which I shall take, because I have to.” His policies include a YUSU podcast, a YUSU survey, a restructuring of the Media Charter, and he pledges to double turnout at AGMs. The best speaker so far, he leaves the stage to rapt applause. The one to beat, so far…

21.21

Charles Bushby’s got the gloves off, calling Tom Scott’s leadership “ineffectual” from the stop. He gets Grant’s name wrong, calling him Graham, but implies that only he is capable of running the Union successfully. There’s a lot wrong that he has to put right, he continues. “I want to encourage cooperation between YUSU and JCRCs to ensure that students get the greatest variety of events and… maximum support.” “I am a team player with strong beliefs and values,” he continues, “…I will support you. Vote common sense.”

A highly contentious speech there. Tom next.

21.18

Grant Bradley’s up first.

He admits that he lacks political experience or well-known campus status: but feels that this is a strength, not a weakness. He wants to really engage with the student body. He’s really selling himself as the everyman, Joe Derwent. He wants to review accommodations services, categorise all the accommodation problems and “sort it out.” He also wants to take the Courtyard’s successes to the other college bars, and ensure integration between the student body and the student Union, and “make sure every one of your voices are heard.” An impressive speech from YUSU outsider Bradley.

21.14

The Presidential candidates have mounted the stage, now. The atmosphere is electric.

21.13

A clarification from Matt Pallas:

“No no no no no!!!

It was not a snub aimed at Charlie. My point was that the period when the union was without an AcWelf Officer, and Anne-Marie was filling in, many of Grace’s newer initiatives ended up falling by the wayside, which is entirely understandable. I think that Charlie has done a fantastic job on the welfare front, and this was only a minor criticism. Now that we’re going to have a full time welfare officer, hopefully some of these things can be revived.”

21.11

The hall is really filling up now. There are some slight delays as the candidates prepare themselves for this titanic clash. Henry and Tom’s desk is overflowing with post-it notes. They’re getting their questions in order now…

21.03

Just to remind you, the candidates for President are:

Tim Ngwena
Tom Langrish
Charles Bushby
and
Grant Bradley

Expect fireworks, ladies and gentlemen…

20.57

All of yesterday’s campaign videos for sabbatical positions are now available on the candidates page right here…

20.54

Humphrys also keen to praise Leyland’s academic but avoid her welfare achievements. He points to a recent Derwent sexual-health themed quiz as a good example of how to raise awareness, and wants to work with academic officer and the careers service to help prepare students for unemployment. Ten minutes of break now, and then it’s President-time…

20.52

Pallas up first. He praises her academic work, but snubs the welfare side of her position- a veiled insult, perhaps? He misses the days of Fletcher-Hackwood, and thinks some of her policies need to be revisited, including “test-your-team”.

Coyle’s very into Leyland’s library opening hours policies, implying that they’d make a good team on the issue. She thinks that sexual health drop-in sessions would help with awareness, and thinks that student short-term internships could be negotiated to help them deal with unemployment…

20.50

Last questions. Charlie Leyland’s best move, sex issue awareness, and preparing students for unemployment.

20.49

Pallas points out that the nursery is “ridiculous… that there are so few spaces. It’s just absurd.” This will surely prove to be a votewinner among student parents.

Coyle wants everyone to work together, GSA, mature students and all. She thinks that mature students are a forgotten group at the moment, and wants to have meetings with them to work out ways they can benefit. Last round of questions next.

20.47

A set of questions on GSA and mature students, and sports club welfare.

Humphrys, with his LGBT experience, has worked with the GSA before, and wants to take this experience into the Welfare role. He thinks sports welfare’s “very important,” too.

20.44

“I’ve had people approach me in a number of positions,” says Pallas to much amusement. I don’t get it. He wants to review the counselling services though.

20.43

Humphrys highlights his approachability first and foremost, but criticises the health centre in its mental health provision. “Everyone’s going through stress… we need more help in coping with stress,” he says. Pallas next.

20.42

More questions.

Coyle thinks that Mental Health assistance provision needs a lot of attention, due to stigmas that people attach. More help and more information is her prescription, to show people that it’s alright to come forward and ask for help.

20.39

Humphrys has the bus figures. Impressive. He wants to advertise it more, and has a plan. He wants to make sure the uni provides enough freshers’ accommodation, too, but he stays on the fence binge-drinking wise.

20.38

Is the magic bus financially viable? Pallas doesn’t have access to the figures, but thinks it’s a problem due to awareness. He also believes that the Langwith bar’s pound-a-pint night encourages binge drinking- potentially a sticking point for many.

Coyle believes in the magic bus. What a lovely sentence to be able to write. -ahem-. She doesn’t agree with Pallas on the pound-a-pint issue, though.

20.35

Pallas next, and he also thinks the Union position is crucial. He wants to hold “refresher sessions” for college reps to keep them together and working smoothly. He again has to be warned to cease…

Coyle now, and she wants all welfare reps to be under the umbrella-protection of welfare committee, and is in favour of the split: it’ll “give students more attention.”

YUSU magic bus questions now. Could be contentious…

20.33

Questions now about college welfare reps, and about negative side effects of the Ac/welf split. Humphrys up first.

He wants to coordinate both college and union welfare campaigns, and wants to support college welfare reps more: “I think sometimes they’re left to themselves”. He thinks Ac and Welf need to work very closely together.

20.31

Pallas is the most ebullient speaker yet. “I am the most experience candidate here,” he begins. He wants an on-campus GUM clinic, to crack down on STI’s, and wants to keep the Courtyard bar responsible as an alcohol provider with accreditation. He also wants to establish a clear complaints procedure for students to complain about their landlords. He wants to review the careers service, too, to bring it up to date with the Credit Crunch… He has to be ordered twice to desist. Questions next.

20.28

Accountability is Ben Humphrys’ main bugbear. He wants to take the University to task on the state of campus kitchens and bedrooms – potentially also a very popular policy. He’s got a lot of campaigns planned, too, and wants to create a website to help students club together against bodies that might want to oppress them – landlords and the University governance, centrally. Another confident speech. I predict a close-fought campaign, here. The audience love him, too. Almost a standing ovation.

20.24

Welfare is a hotly contested seat. Jenny Coyle, Matt Pallas and Ben Humphrys go head-to-head. Coyle’s up first.

Dedication and alternative perspectives are her central ideas. She wants to help students control their finances, with form-filling assistance and other nifty little ideas. This may well prove a big votewinner. Safety’s another solid policy area, with better-lit walkways, condom provision and rape alarms forming the core of a four-pronged attack, the fourth prong being lubrication. She is against drink-spiking, too, which is very admirable. A confident opening speech from Coyle…

20.17

A sentimental question last: will Leyland miss her officers? She almost seems to tear up a little. “I’ll give you six guesses at who asked that,” quips Scott. “She really only needs 5,” corrects Foy, pointing out correctly that Scott’s joke rested on the fact that there are 6 sabbatical officers who might want to know if Leyland was going to miss her, and Foy observed astutely that, in fact, Leyland was the 6th sabbatical officer and only 5 would therefore be either able or willing to enquire as to whether she would miss them. Much mirth from the audience.

You probably had to be there, though.

A short break before Welfare.

20.13

Library opening hours- Charlie’s very strong on these. She’s pledged to make steps towards 24-hour opening. Ambitious, perhaps, but a very popular policy. She also wants to clarify the roles of supervisors, and has enough time left in this round to say only that late essays scoring zero is “ridiculous”.

20.12

The practice of some departments “shocked” miss Leyland “to the core,” though management wins her accolade as the most improved. She runs out of time before answering a question on the National Student Survey. Some more policy questions to come.

20.10

Question time. Leyland loved both aspects of her role but picked Academic over Welfare as she thinks it’s the area that needs most work. Very admirable… She doesn’t agree that there will be negative effects of splitting the position, and thinks there’s no reason for any to arise.

20.08

Charlie Leyland running unopposed for Academic officer. She wants to be clear that she’s ready for any challenge that will be thrown at her, including Heslington East. Support for international students is one of her targets, and she wants to continue improving course representation and put YUSU best practice guides in place in a variety of places. A very policy-heavy speech, this one. Online key reading, more departmental responsibilities, fair penalties for late submissions – these are just a selection.

19.54

Some silly questions now.

Zoe and Helen can’t choose between raising and giving, but definitely like “recieving”. General approval from the room.

Chew wants to be an Aero if she was any chocolate bar, but misses out on the innuendo points. Interesting stuff! Academic affairs up next…

19.52

Favourite RAG experience so far?
How much have you raised for RAG so far?
And: Should Alcuin win RAG parade another year in a row?

Chew reckons’s she’s given about £100 to RAG personally, but has a bone to pick with RAG parade – Derwent got robbed, she thinks.

Zoe and Helen want to raise squillions, they say. Very admirable, but they’re sitting on the fence parade-wise.

19.50

“Who should choose the RAG beneficiaries?”
“Should other campus groups raise money for charity if it affects the RAG total?”
And, “If you could only support one beneficiary, what would it be?”

Helen and Zoe up first. They want each beneficiary to have a rep to campaign and represent them, but say that as long as money’s going to a good cause that’s ok.

Chew agrees. “At the end of the day, it’s all about raising money for good causes”. She chooses the NSPCC as her fave beneficiary, as she’s “quite against child abuse.” Strong words.

19.47

Questions: How will rag cope with the loss of the SDC position? How will RAG activities be improved, and will Student Action get more or less money than other beneficiaries?

Helen and Zoe have got serious. “Student action we really value,” they say. No laughs now.

Chew pledges to give the position her all.

A Joe Clarke question: “RAG is a comittee of 30 girls – is there a lack of male participants?”
What do other uni RAGS do well that we ought to do?
And, What is more important, money for charity or a low price event?

Chew thinks more men are getting involved already, and wants to work with societies to make it more. She points to Nottingham’s raids as an example of how it should be done, too.

The terrible twosome think we’ve got a lot to learn, RAG-wise. We’ve got to make RAG more of an institution, they say, make more people feel involved who aren’t necessarily on the committee. Interesting.

19.41

Helen Fry & Zoe Stones: A strong rapport between these two- lots of puns (“I don’t like to brag, but I do like to rag.”) I think we’re watching performance art, here. The audience is loving them. (“I’ve got a bit of a vice – Goodricke vice-chair to be exact.”) I like them.

Policies blend in with more performance. “Policies?” cries one. “Fun,” begins the other, “-draising,” finishes the other triumphantly. What fun! Questions up next.

19.38

Iszi Chew’s speech builds more on passion than policies, but she’s got a lot of it. She wants to raise rag’s profile with mega-raids, and wants to continue the hitches, as well as more hybrid events like Fusion. “Choose Chew”, she says. How will the others follow?

19.36

And they’re off. Breaking news: Sarah Goss and Will Scobie have dropped out of the race last-minute… Iszi up first.

19.35

Langwith Bar supremo Matt Burton’s having food delivered to him in the hall again. Is he misusing his powers? News Editor Jim Bulley hints that Burton might be developing some kind of god complex. We’ll have a full psychological analysis within the hour.

19.32

Everyone’s back in the hall now, and there’s an expectant buzz among the throng. Matt Burton appears to have been told to sit further back as his day-glo boots were blinding the candidates. He looks chastened.

The candidates for RAG officer will be:

Iszi Chew
Helen Fry & Zoe Stones
Sarah Goss & Will Scobie

Scott’s just called two minutes ’till start. A hush falls across the room until he tells everyone to start talking again. That’s how he rolls.

19.24

People are filing back into the hall in dribs and drabs now. The next section will be RAG, and is scheduled to start at half past 7.

We’ve got word of a schism forming between the two chairmen of tonight’s event- Henry James Foy has complained that YUSU Prez Tom Scott’s humour isn’t up to it’s Noel Coward-esque norm. He charitably admits, however, that Scott has had a molar removed this afternoon, and if he isn’t high on painkillers he’s a better man than any of us.

19.13

By the way, just because Jim’s the only one with a cut-out there on the right, doesn’t mean Sian and I are etherial beings, existing purely in blog form.

Nicky: 1
Good chat: 0

19.11

Remember folks, you can check out the candidates here, and see all their policies condensed into wordles: it’s all very clever.

19.07

Nicky Woolf here, blogging you through up as the pressure mounts towards the one everyone’s been waiting for- President of YUSU. It’s going to be a good one, folks. S-action, LGBT, Disability and Womens’ Officer have been dispatched in record time, allowing everyone a half-hour break to gather themselves and prepare their speeches, and Matt Burton time to polish his neon yellow Doc Martens. Stay with us.

19.02

A question from ‘the gentleman in yellow boots in the front row.’ NOTE: Services and Finance Officer Matt Burton.

“How much action should students get?” Well now.

“It depends on their personality. Everyone should get involved and get lots of action.” Wow, fiesty words from Miss Hesselwood there. I might even get involved in Student Action if she gets elected…

19.00

1. SA and RAG often get lumped together – how do you feel about this?
2. How will you increase prograd involvement and enthusiasm?

Hesselwood hopes to liase better with th GA and improve postering in Wentworth. And as for RAG? It’s different, but it shouldn’t affect SA and their reputation for quality of volunteering.

18.59

And some questions for Miss Hesselwood –

1. What has been your best experience with SA so far?
2. What are your views on Kids Camp.

She’ll answer these two as one. In short: Kids Camp is great, it has to keep going.

18.57

Student Action Officer is up next. Rachel Hesselwood steps up to the mic.

The former Vanbrugh SA rep hopes to raise awareness of projects, especially in Wentworth and the postgrad community. Getting students national recognition for their volunteering work is also on the cards – some Nobel Prizes for York undergrads perchance?

And she’s a fully qualified girl guide leader. Awesome stuff. And facepainting. We love it.

18.55

A question: “Which college needs the most effort to improve disability support?”

Ans: “I’m not too sure.”

She hopes to improve awareness of ‘unseen disabilities’ too, and provide better transport facilities too.

18.53
Just the one set of questions for our candidates there. Wow, that’s must be almost a first.

Uncontested Claire Cornock steps up to deliver her speech for the position of Disability Officer. You might recognise her name, she was a key player in the organisation of York Come Dancing. Will she be tango-ing her way to (and through) YUSU towers?

She feels her position is very relevant to students. And that she wold like to improve disability awareness courses for students and staff. “I’m very committed to helping students,” she says. Good stuff if you’re planning to be a Union officer.

18.48

Madavo and Ball now…

They’re both all for the faith, and the inclusion of all sexualities too. Ahhh Madavo, your voice could sing me to sleep…

18.31

Our first questions for the LGBT candidates.

1. LGBT have been holding events discussing faith – what are the benefits of these events and how will you continue them?
2. Will you include welfare provision for asexual individuals?
3. How do you intend to build on the work done last year by your predecessors?

Vince and Medley set up, answers clutched eagerly in hand. They’re all for asexuality and for faith. “We can’t do a better job than Ben and Sarah last year.” Hmmm…a good way to start?

18.44
Elanin Vince and Peter Medley up next.

Inclusion, accessibility and experience, that their slogan. They hope to create an LGBT safe space to hold meetings, drop-in sessions and reach out to a greater number of students across campus.

“We want to put the T back into LGBT.” Apparently the ‘trans’ part of the society is lacking behind, and these are your people to put them back on the map. And in the acronym, quite literally.

18.41

Next up we’ve got LGBT hopefuls, and this one’s contested. First to the mic are Mandi Madavo and James Ball.

“We have the drive and commitment to make solid policies.” A forceful start from Ball there. There’s keen to emphasise co-operation with other societies, including the CU and the ISA, and hope to create a STI-gma week. STI-gma. As in STI-GMA. See what he did there? That was good.

“Now a contraversial policy.” Ooohh. “Power in LGBT is held too close to the top. This is ridiculous.” The pair hope to bring greater equality throughout the society.

Good speech by the pair. Especialy Madavo. What a beautiful voice.

18.38

And one more – who’s your favourite feminist? Or chemist, as Ali thought.

The best thing they’ve done this year with women’s committee? The love your body campaign. Dove would be proud.

18.36

First set of questions for our ladies –

1. Do you agree with the policy of letting blokes onto the committee?
2. How much do you value male input into the role?
3. To what extent should women’s officer talk about male-based sexual equality issues?

“We only tend to get one man coming to Women’s Committee, and that’s Jason Rose.” Wow. Dating advise for all men out there from Mr Rose.

18.34

Up first we’ve got Women’s Officer hopeful Ellie Kuper-Thomas and Amal Ali. Both have a strong history of involvement in the Women’s Committee already, and they hope to make Heslington East “aware of female safety issues” and make an “anti-unwanted attention issue.” Now that’s a mouthful.

“Why is feminism a dirty word?” A question indeed, and one our candidates would like to answer.

18.31

And we’re off. Tom Scott opens the night with a reminder that open drinks containers must not be taken into the area. Mr Foy, what’s that by your right hand I see? A pint? Never.

18.30

Welcome back to the second night of Hustings, with your dream team of Woolf, Turner and Bulley taking you through the night. And trust me, it’s going to be a big one. Tonight we’ve got speeches from RAG president hopefuls, Welfare wonders and even our Presidential powers…

L/0/28 is gradually filling up with excited chatter, and the YSTV magicians are setting up their very expensive cameras. Very exciting stuff. Stay tuned for the electric-hot action.

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.

Just got word from our man at YSTV, sleep’s a foreign concept to them, they’re going to get videos up of each candidate tonight, so check our candidate profiles soon for videos from hustings.

22.48

And so, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the end of our night in L/O/28. Thank you to everyone who followed the blog and for all your comments and questions. As the assembled file back to The Courtyard to lay siege to the bar, and Tom Scott’s slightly strained voice calls out across the rabble as he tries to get all candidate to clear up the debris of glasses left amongst the seats, it’s goodnight from me, goodnight from Woolf and goodnight from Bulley.

Join us tomorrow night at the same time for the final night of Hustings, where we’ll see the remaining candidates, including those for President, battling it out over the mic.
See you then.

22.45

Not quite the last set of questions, we have them here instead. The very last people.

1. If you would have to recommend one of your opponent’s policies, which would it be?
2. Who would be your first choice act for Fresh and the Summer Ball?
3. What size are your boots?

An interesting last question there..

Some questionable answers here, especially with regards to music taste. Sharp fancies a bit of Dizzie Rascal, Bretts like Aqua, and Durkin is partial to some Daft Punk. Whilst George P doesn’t know his English boot size, Bretts is toting himself as “the only man to metaphorically and physically fill Matt Burton’s boots…”

22.42

Final questions from the floor.

1. As officer, how would you envisage engaging with course reps?
2. It has been suggested that an ethical food policy for The Courtyard could be financially damaging. Is it worth the effort to resolve this lack of ethical policy?
3. If you had to stop a current YUSU service and replace it with a new one, what would it be?

George P is our man to start with. He skips quickly to question too – following the old gastronomic theme perhaps? – giving it his support but refusing to actively support it. He would remove computer recycling to replace it with a student workers’ network. How would that go down in the Grimston House recycling officer I wonder?

Sharp also skips questions one, sending the ethical food motion to a UGM. He’s remove Your:Print and bring in a termly book fair.

Lewis Bretts finally tackles question one, offering course reps a free, home-made sandwich in his office if they come to see him. He’d like to get rid of Ents Tech too – “it’s too expensive.”

Durkin comes up last of all, offering himself as approachable to course reps, keen to explore the options of ethical food and would also remove computer recycling. Seems these guys are pretty unpopular tonight…

22.35

1. How will you continue to improve on the growing relationship between YUSU and Commercial Services?
2. Do you think the university is more interested in making money out of students than serving them?
3. How important will Hes. East be in your services package, and how will this affect Hes. West?

Durkin strides to the mic, he’s concerned that we need to watch out for Hes East and make sure decisions made by the university do not adversely affect those on Hes West.

Sharp hopes to implement monthly meetings between YUSU and Commercial Services to continue developing the relationship between the two bodies.

Lewis Bretts wants to continue working with Commercial Services too, and is keen to emphasize that part of YUSU’s role is to keep an eye on the university to prevent student exploitation.

And George P, he hopes to make Commercial Services more competitive and keep the University’s Hes. East ambition in check.

22.27

And again…

1. Why do you think you’ll be a good democracy and services officer rather than just a services and finance officer?
2. Doing the right thing isn’t always popular, how will you ovecome this?
3. What is your policy on Sinclair advertising on campus and through YUSU?

Up comes Mr Bretts. With his blogs and website, he’s keen to show he’s all about openness and accountability. “I’m a no-nonsense kind of guys,” he says, “I’ll do right by people.”

Durkin is keen to emphasize that sometimes a thick skin in necessary to go ahead with what you believe is right. And as for Sinclair’s, he’ll leave that to the UGM.

George P is cut short once more, but wants to take a firm stand against Sinclairs. And he’s greeting with a strong applause.

Shape is up last, declaring his passion for YUSU and how believes he can run it well.

Strong words from all there.

22.22

Another set –

1. How will you work to increase turnout for elections and UGMs?
2. Too many people don’t know who their officers are, what will you do?
3. What can YUSU do to encourage healthy eating? That’s one off the blog chaps…

Sharp..wants a “BBC iplayer-thing” on the YUSU website to help students be more aware of their YUSU officers. Interesting…

Bretts wants to make elections and UGMs “more fun. Let’s have more banners, more fun,” he says. Both candidates have endorsed keeping up to date officer blogs too. And a fruit and veg stall, what more could you say for a candidate endorsing healthy eating?

Durkin keeps it short and sharp: elections in more visible places, officer blogs, an endorsement of healthy eating.

George P: “I’m sorry, but the way we encourage healthy eating is not to bring a Subway to campus.” Touche.

22.17

And some more…

1. What is more important, YUSU acting commercially sensibly or running services?
2. What are the most important YUSU services in place at the moment?
3. How do you think YUSU could expand non-commercial services?

George P – commercial activities and services are non divisable, he believes. And Welfare is the most important service too.

Lewis Bretts: “YUSU enterprises exist to provide services,” he says. He’s a big fan of the Magic Bus too, and expanding non-commercial services such as the bus.

Durkin is another Welfare fan, but also wants to help out the JCRCs as much as possible.

Another hotly contested one here, some fast-talking, smooth-talking movers on this one…

22.12

Time for the first set of questions from the bar

1. Do you think the collegiate system benefits students?
2. How would you strengthen the college system? Is centralisation the answer?
3 How would you counter the myth that the courtyard damages college events?

Durkin’s up first. He’s a strong college supporter, and wants to move away from Quid’s Inn on Friday to help out colleges on Friday nights.

George P now…he talked fast, but he didn’t quite get it all in. He likes the collegiate system though.

Dave Sharp believes colleges offer the best provision for sport and welfare for students. That the Courtyard detracts from social events: “that’s not a myth, that’s a fact.” It’s answered by a call of “Fix Up, Vote Sharp” from the audience. Tom Scott is not too pleased.

Up steps Mr Bretts. The collegiate system strengthens college autonomy, but his disagrees with Sharp as regards college bars. “They’re not good enough,” he says, “just look at the Charles, look at town.”

Some divided ideas there.

22.07

Sharpy’s up now…he’s strongly critical of some of YUSU’s recent developments, dismissing it as running too much like a business of late. He hopes to keep nights at the Courtyard popular, improving Saturday nights and Quid’s Inn on Friday night in an attempt to keep students on campus rather than in town.

Moving away from the bar now…a Your:Shop on Hes.East, along with an ATM, newspaper subscriptions from Your:Shop and cheaper FTR prices for students.

22.03

George P up now. He’s speaks fast, very fast.

“I’m running because there is an elephant in this room, and we can’t ignore it any more,” he says. With a strong background in Welfare and the ISA, George hopes to improve representation, participation in UGMs and create more competition campus services.

I hope we got it all. I don’t think he breathed one in 3 minutes.

22.00

Ed Durkin steps up to the mic. The current YUSU Ents rep wants to create a campus takeaway for all students. There appears to be a gastronomic theme here?

Subway to Market Square, a DVD rental service on campus, a bike-lending scheme for students, bringing live music to York and to the Courtyard, large-scale events in the RKC, a bakery in York:Shop…all potentially very popular policies with students.

“I want free FTR,” he declares as he closes. Some strong words from Durkin there, very impassioned.

21:57

Here we go everyone, the final round of speeches for the night.

Lewis Bretts up first. Begins with an introductions about himself; he’s got a strong history in events entertainment, working on Woodstock, RAG parade, and various professional events such as Latitude festival. Free tickets for York students perchance…?

“YUSU should spent less time talking and more time doing,” he says. Here we go – the fresh fruit and veg stall on campus. And temporary cash machines during Freshers week, that should be popular. And a minibus to Morrisons. Students should be eating well with Bretts.

He’s keen to get involved at campus level with students too, making B Henry’s a centre for comedy and developing the new Goodricke on Hes. East.

A big cheer for Bretts. He seems a popular choice so far…

21:53

Mr Bretts has placed a promotional placard infront of the mike. Now that’s not fair play I’m sure…Tom Scott doesn’t seem to have noticed.

Oh…it’s gone now. Sorry Lewis. Wear it around Vanbrugh instead?

21:50

A brief break now whilst the assembled file out like well-behaved school children after assembly. That was a hotly contested one, all spoke well and there were no clear leaders. We’ll just have to see.

The final position up for grabs tonight next…Democracy and Services. Lewis Bretts want to bring a fruit and veg stall to campus, David Sharp hopes to re-create York:Book on Hes East. And then there’s Durkin wanting to improve campus events and George Papadofragakis wants to improve communication between YUSU and the ISA. Who will deliver the best speech and win over the assembled? And all those reading the blog, of course.

*point of information. Henceforth, George Papadofragakis will be referred to as George P. Because otherwise he’ll have a different name every time. We’ve checked with the man. He’s down with it.

21:38

A question from the floor (the last one apparently)

1. What other things do you consider adding to RAG week after the success of York Come Dancing? (a small smile from Mr Foy there…)
and…
2. How should RAG and Student Action work with colleges to provide alcohol-free event?
3. What is your opinion on the £3000 fixed for RAG?

Kinchin suggests a “massive joint event” between RAG and YorkSport to get “students running all over the place…” Sounds great. Kirton fancies an X-factor event…maybe Mr Shanks could get out his guitar? She wants to keep the current funding for RAG, whilst providing enough support to Student Action too.
Shanks is back onto getting another world record for RAG week. Still hasn’t disclaimed exactly what this will involved yet though…

As for the non-alcoholic events, all are in favour. York Come Dancing in Welcome Week anyone?

21:33

Here come the next 3 questions. Hold on tight.

1. Volunteering has suffered underfunding, how will you deal with this?
2. What are your views on societies other than RAG raising money for charity?
3. What is your favourite Student Action Project.

Shanks loves MEG because he plays guitar. Wow, there’s something new we didn’t know before.

Kinchin echoes Shanks’ words regarding the raising of money by societies other than RAG. It’s important and they should get to chose their own beneficiaries. And she loves Tea and Coffee Club as she loves the look on the old people’s faces. Awww.

Kirton is a big fan of SWAP, where students help out prisoners. Good stuff guys.

21:29

Wow, this is a hotly contested one. Questions here about the role of The Yorker, their stance on Kids Camp, and the fact that Kids Camp is only 1 project out of 13 – will the other recieve sufficient support.

Kirton: “The Yorker is valuable, you need someone from the outside looking in.”

Now Mr Shanks…’The Yorker isn’t ratified,” he says, “we shouldn’t shut them out, but treat them like an external press organisation.” He loves Kids Camp too: “it must continue,” he says.

Kinchin: “we have to continue Kids Camps, it would be a massive loss if we lost it.”

Looks like Kids Camp holds a special place in our hearts, and with these guys it looks like it’ll be well-protected for the coming year too.

21:25

Big love for Student Action here. Kinchin and Kirton both want to provide more support for the projects and raise awareness. Shanks suggests getting a stall for each Student Action project at Freshers’ Fair.

21:24

Some more questions from the floor.

1. Will you be bigging-up the profile of Student Action this year?
2. Student Action has grown massively this year – does volunteering have enough support?
3. Do you see a value in Student Action week?

21:04

Mr Shanks, he’s like the Media Charter he does, and hopes to get more postgrads involved in societies.

Kinchin would like the Charter updated and clarified, but doesn’t want to detriment other societies for the sake of the media. Go postgrad involvement.

Kirton: Go postgrad involement once more. Approach the GSA and help them to get involved.

A touch of similarity. “Please listen to eachother’s speeches,” from Mr Foy. Ooohhh.

21:19

1. What are your views on the media charter?
2. Media issue take up a lot of time – how will you balance this with the needs of other societies?
3. No one has mentioned Graduate or GSa issues. How will you cater for theses?

Now there’s some juicy ones…

21:04

Shanks says there’s no such thing as equal time to all societies, but it’s different at different times of the year.
Apparently Nouse isn’t his favourite society though…sob sob!

Kinchin now…she loves York Carnival herself….

21:15

Questions now:

1. How will you give equal time to everyone in the new, expanded position?
2. What is your favourite society?
3. Should the £4 minimum charge be lowered in the current financial crisis?

21:14

It’s Mr Shanks up now. Can the YUSU veteran return for another sucessful year. He’s starting strong. “Why should I run again for another year in the YUSU dungeon?” Why indeed…?

Shanks is keen to make sure that the amalgamation of new roles will not be to a detrement of student societies, and he believes he’s got the drive and the experience to make it so. College life is changing, he says, Kids Camp is under threat…could Shanks be our hero?

21:11

Kirton’s up next, and opens by declaring herself no a ‘traditional candidate’….hmmmm. She hopes to bring a “fresh perspective’ and bring “concrete and achieveable things.” Societies are key too, hoping to improve communication with societies, offering support rather than waiting for it to be asked for by holding at least 2 society meetings per week.

Good stuff.

21:07

Kinchin up first, bearing a box of Special K…hmmm. She’s passionate for sure, with a strong base in YUSU in RAG, JCRCs, Sport, and holding the position of Training Officer for the last year. “I listen to students,” she says. Keen to emphasize interaction between YUSU departments such as RAG and Yorksport, Kinchin also wants to create an award system to recognise the achievements of students throughout the university.

“You can get involved,” she says. “YUSU is you and you are YUSU.” Wow, strong words.

A forceful ending with an emphasis on the future of Kids Camp. Vote Rhianna Kinchin, vote Special K.
Well, we’ll just have to see.

21:04

Another comment: Chris Etheridge follows-up on his speech:

“I must point out that my point about efes went slightly wrong. I intended to say that it is difficult enough as it is staggering home eating efes after drinking, without having to contend with poorly lit and surfaced walkways.

In no way did I intend to criticise students for eating efes or drinking:).”

Student activities up next. Ella-Grace Kirton and Rhianna Kinchin are up against the incumbent Rory Shanks.

21:00

Some comments from below.

Jason Rose answers Dan Taylor’s comments:

“Those weren’t our campaign proposals. They were the CURRENT policies that were passed by UGM. My point about us having a lot on our plate already is that we are mandated to, and will, campaign for these policies.

And I feel that Dan Taylor’s views aren’t spectacularly neutral on this particular election.

RE: Taylor’s last comment. Of course I won’t campaign for it. But I’ll campaign for the right to wear that combination if it ever comes down to it. I find the gear comfortable and not exceptionally scruffy and it’s my right to wear what I want.

Which will we priorities? Several. Sorry it’s a rubbish answer but we’ll focus on Tuition Fees nationally, better cycle lanes and more street lighting for the council and various things to different section of our university. All policies I read out are not our own and, even though I don’t think we should graduate in the Minster, I will still campaign with Chris for it. Don’t worry about how much I can get done – I’ve shown that I can multitask pretty effectively in the last year!”

20:56

A correction: Michael Sneddon’s plans for college rugby involve tournaments in which not all 8 teams are playing, as a several-tiered system, rather than a “half-measure”, as I took it. I apologise.

Also, Alex Lacy’s surname has no E in it. He thinks all the candidates were strong, but disagrees with some of Mildon’s policies. He predicts a close race.

20:50

Scott is a hard one to follow for Sneddon, who wants to “just continue what I’m doing, really”. He dodges the Lacey question, and wants to add sausages to the wednesday experience. He leaves the floor to cheers and whoops from his somewhat annoying fan club.

A lot of information to digest, there. We’ll be bringing you Alex Lacey’s post-game analysis momentarily.

20:47

The last set of questions: Media relations, What would you have done different if you were Alex Lacey (current yorksport prez) and how to enhance “the wednesday experience”.

Media relations “fantastic”, says Johnson, and wants to continue the relationship. If she were Lacey, she’d have consulted more clubs, and thinks the new colours would have been better done her way… Wednesdays she thinks salvation was a mistake.

Shock horror! Leahy thinks salvation was a good idea! But he explains- Lacey was just looking out for his members. He wants to negotiate deals with Ziggys.

Mildon wants to get college sport players reporting for the media, and thinks Lacey’s website hasn’t been up to scratch. Wednesdays are about a fruit cafe in the sports centre, she says. There is uncertainty in the audience, who perhaps are bigger fans of Ziggys than of fruit.

Scott wants a media relations officer on the yorksport comittee, which I think is a good idea.

20:43

3 more questions: The possibility of a sports department, how to raise participation, and would a decrease in the yorksport fee mean less money for clubs.

Sneddon plans an indoor cricket league and other cheap sports as a solution, and plans to have “a good old look at the budget”. Hmm.

Johnson thinks a sports dept is a fantastic idea. As for encouragement, she is planning charity tournaments to raise inclusion, and membership fees gives her another chance to propose her clever 3-tier membership fee system. Impressive.

Leahy also thinks a department would be fantastic, which is original. And charity tournaments. Have we heard this before? And yes, he does think dropping the fees would mean less money. That strikes me as a no-brainer, but then Sneddon’ll take a “good old look” at the budget. Hmm again.

Mildon thinks we should encourage people to join yorksport, and thinks that reviewing the structure might help free up some more money. She’s now proposing a several-tiered system. Is everyone copying Johnson?

Scott is on the ball, though. She points out that college sport is a good way to get people involved, but thinks that a decrease in fee would mean less money.

20:36

Johnson wants to raise inclusion, wants to organise charity matches, and is against paying for college sport.

Leahy is back on the idea of professional coaching. Where does he think the money’s going to come from? “There is going to be a problem with paying for facilities” he says in reference to college sports, hinting that a £5 charge might be a possibility.

Mildon, still wearing a viking helmet, wants to work with YUSU to get people involved, and the careers centre. “And starting up something for people who are not so good at sports”. “On a casual basis,” she adds. She doesn’t think the £5 charge is so bad, either.

20:33

3 more questions: The future of volunteering in sport, the possibility of a £5 college sport membership, and LGBT representation in sport.

Scott is against £5 membership, and thinks sport should be “for everyone”. Good point.

Sneddon seems nervous. Perhaps his support is putting him off? He’s against the £5 thing, but doesn’t think there’s an issue with LGBT sports inclusion.

20:31

The vocally-supported Sneddon next. “Oi Oi Sneddon”, they chant. He is a fan of college rugby, but thinks it’s unrealistic. Instead he proposes a half-measure for training purposes.

Johnson thinks participation is crucial, and wants more people to get involved. Insurance is an issue, too, with college rugby, but says Johnson, it’s eminently possible under her leadership.

Leahy, in his yellow lycra, thinks with some encouragement York could take the fight to much bigger rivals, BUCS-wise. Interesting.

20:27

A question from the floor about the rejuvenation of College rugby. Kath Mildon is caught unawares by it, but as we’ve come to expect, Scott is ready. “I don’t think you get success without participation, so you want to be encouraging people from the very bottom level.”

20:25

Sneddon has friends in leeds who like their matching kits. His friends in the audience cheer. “It’s good to win everything,” he says.

Johnson is realistic on university kits, but cautiously pro-it if the money’s available. “People like the diversity of sport at york, and I’m more than willing to give people sports they want to play”. Calm and collected, and well-informed. Scott and Johnson are well out in front.

20:23

Leahy and Mildon are both pro-college, and both want to develop non-bucs sports. Nothing dramatic here.

Scott is more collected: she is pro- the matching kits idea, and wants to balance college and university sports. “All sports are important, but BUCS sports are the ones that build up our reputation.

20:21

Questions now. Matching uniforms, University v College sport and Bucs v Non-Bucs are the questions of the day.

20:20

Sneddon’s up next, and his friends in the audience voice their approval. He has campus media experience, but admits he’s “not very good at sport”. He plays rugby, cricket and pool, though. He wants BUCS success for york, and wants to get coaches for teams to do that, though doesn’t specify from where, and how it will be afforded in a yorksport that’s already taking flak for being too expensive. He’s big on “fairness”.

“If you think yorksport is rosy, vote for people with experience in it. But in my campus media experience, from the outside looking in, vote for me…” His time runs out, and he is cut off, and his audience buddies boo. Not sure I approve.

20:16

Emily Scott makes a big thing of her experience at college sport level “I’ve played every college sport” is a good sound-bite, and she’s served on several club committees. “Practical and realistic” are her buzzwords, which is a good sign. She has no outlandish policies like Milden and Leahy, but sounds more than both of them like she knows how campus works. She’s very pro-college sport, and wants to promote it, and is cross about Varsity’s cancellation this year.

I think Scott and Johnson are the front-runners so far.

20:13

Kathy “viking kath” Milden briefly forgets her own name, but is wearing a viking helmet and wants Yorksport to be more “fun”. “Bicycles for hire” is an interesting policy, as is a park games scheme, and she wants sport to be “cheaper for everyone”. A fruit cafe in the sports centre, and watersports on hes east lake are all attention-grabbing policies, but we’ve seen candidates in funny hats before – will she lose points for a lack of seriousness?

It’s a serious speech, though. We’ll see how she deals with the questions.

20:10

Michael Leahy next. Plays “tons of college sport”, and has “tons” of experience. He’s wearing lots of extremely brightly-coloured sports equipment. Some of it might even be lycra. Ho-hum. Policies: Value for money for yorksport members. He proposes hiring a physio-therapist for members, which might be overly ambitious, especially as he’s advocating financial independence for sports clubs.

20:07

First up is Gemma Johnson. Experience with YUSNOW and Roses, she’s been in loads of clubs. She’s well-qualified, and is coming across like she really knows her stuff. She’s proposing a multi-layered system to solve the expensive yorksport membership costs, which seems like a good idea. She wants to work with York St. Johns for RAG charity matches, too. She’s going to be a hard candidate to follow.

20:04

And they’re off. Expect sports metaphors galore. Oh my, they’re chanting for Sneddon. There’s only one of him, apparently. He’s walking along, and doing something, they’re singing. Details later.

20:02

Now, AU President (which is what I have decided the post is called). This is a very contested position: no less than 5 people running. Gemma Johnson, Michael Leahy, Kath Mildon, Emily Scott and Michael Sneddon. Each get 3 minutes for their speech.

You can read all about them in detail here.

19:57

Still to come tonight after Sports-AU-YorkSport President:
Student Activities, which should be at about 9PM
Democracy and Services, which is scheduled to be at 10PM
Will everything stay on schedule? Probably not. But stay tuned, and we’ll keep you posted.

19:55

Nicky here, back from the bar and re-fortified. People are filing back into the room in dribs and drabs. AU President – or rather, YorkSport President, or as the board that the President himself has drafted has it, Sports President – whatever you want to call it, it’s the first of the sabbatical positions tonight, it involves sport in some way, and it’s up next.

19:44

Turner here, holding the fort whilst our Nicky temporarily flees to the bar to restore his faculties for further satire…

The room is empty but for an eagerly conversing Jason Rose and a few by-standers with pints. Next up we’ll be having the hopefuls for YorkSport president. A hotly contested position with four candidates going head to head, we’ll have to see if their speeches can match Rose’s eloquence or Levene’s enthusiasm. One’s running as a Viking though…could be the next Tom Scott?

19:35

“It’s unrealistic at the very least” says professional York political pundit and celebrity come dancer Dan Taylor, with characteristic understatement, of Jason Rose and Chris Etheridge’s gargantuan list of campaign targets.

We’re in the middle of a brief break, is why updates aren’t coming as thick and fast as before.

19:30

“At the very least,” apparently, “The council should build us a swimming pool.” I dread to think what the council would have to say about that.

19:29

“There are a lot of issues” admits Jason Rose apologetically. There are indeed, I may venture, too many issues that they’ve taken on. Will this affect them at the polls? They’re running unopposed, so it seems likely that it won’t, but then there’s always RON…

19:28

“Which of those policies is the most important?” is the slightly bemused question. Dojos, swimming pools, bridges, sports centre prices and world peace appear to be the most important ones.

19:27

Chris Etheridge is big on the Langwith bridge. He’s really angry about it. And the cost of YorkSport. He certainly sounds like a campaigner. Oh, and he’s against “staggering home, eating efes, and drinking”. In that order, apparently. Slightly surrealist. Ziggys is too dark for him. Cashpoint logistics, now. He’s really rocketing through his bugbears.

Jason Rose, running with him, wants improvements in campus kitchens, portering, ethical merchandise, childcare, tuitin fee cap, minster graduation – Minster graduation! I thought we’d heard the last of that one – Something about the Royal Bank of Scotland, ethical investment, ethical everything, my goodness. “There’s a lot on our plate already”. You are not kidding, mr. Rose.

19:24

Questions for the E&E pair: What do they prefer, ducks or geese?

David prefers ducks, because the geese keep him up at night. Is he planning a cull? It would be somewhat outside his remit.

Campaigns next.

19:20

David Clarke & Jade Flahive-Gilbert, running for environment and ethics, have already said the words “actively” and “committed” upwards of eight times. They want to sort out the problems in Gaza, too. Ambitious, perhaps. Ah! They just said “actively committed” again.

19:18

Two more questions: One about late-night courtyard disruption, the other the traditional “entertain us” question for ents. The first is answered convincingly, and Suzi Ellis gives us a brief but energetic dance. They’re running unopposed anyway, so Sam Daniels doesn’t appear to feel like he has to dance. Not impressive. Environment and Ethics next.

19:16

“Making colleges work together brings enthusiasm together.” Snappy answer, but is it true?

19:15

First questions are about the focus on alcohol, and whether college spirits will be damaged by joint events?

19:14

Entertainments officers up now. Sam Daniels and Suzi Ellis running together. They want to balance college competitiveness with central organisation, via YUSU. Competition is healthy, they say, but intercollege relationships will help. They want to put on more free events, and alternative and LGBT ones too. “Any event which brings students to campus is a good event,” says Suzi.

19:12

A solid speech by Levene. The position has “great potential” and affords the opportunity to be “innovative, dynamic and creative”.

First question: What’s the most important part of the job? Is it the lack of “bras”? Oops. That’ll be bias, questionmaster Henry. Nobody thinks Levene should be without brasserie. Well, that’s not true. But it wasn’t the question, was it?

19:08

That’s the questions for NUS delegate all done with. We think Rhianna Kinchin and David Levene came off best, followed by Carr and Bretts. Chair of Union Council up next, and David Levene is running unopposed. He now has three minutes for a speech. Remember you can post your questions on the blog to be transmitted to him…

19:06

Daniel Carr highlights the threat of infighting, something Oli Lester has already pointed out as a worry. Lewis Bretts, meanwhile, is more careful, but comes down with Lester and Carr.

19:04

Delegates should definitely not be whipped, says Rhianna Kinchin, agreeing with Tom Langrish. Very certain of their positions, those two. Convinced, and convincing.

19:03

First question, by email from Tom Flynn was “Should york candidates be ‘whipped’?” meaning should they keep to Union policy or take their own views to conference. Best answers so far David Levene and Jamie Tyler, we think. Very slick, the both of them.

Readers can post their questions on the blog to the candidates, and we’ll transmit them to the candidates via the wonder of technology.

18:59

David Levene comes off as a strong candidate, while Oli Lester takes the opportunity to plug Derwent’s Flying DCUK newspaper. Charlie Leyland pledges to “bring education” to the NUS. Not sure what that means, but it sounds impressively aggressive, we at Nouse think. Meanwhile, Jamie Tyler’s phone causes chaos with the microphone.

18:54

Strong speeches from Tom Langrish and Rhianna Kinchin, who both have bigger targets in mind: Student Activities for Kinchin and of course President for Langrish. This shone through in both their speeches, which had the bigger issues at heart. Kinchin said she was “in touch with stidents”, while Langrish pledged to cut through “Beaurocratic BS”.

18:51

In alphabetical order, the candidates for NUS delegates are:

* Ali Allana
* Michael Batula
* Lewis Bretts
* Daniel G. Carr
* Rhianna Kinchin
* Tom D. Langrish
* Oliver Lester
* David Levene
* Charlie Leyland
* Kath Mildon
* Jamie Tyler

Batula and Bretts make solid speeches, but the most impassioned so far was Daniel Carr, who made a big deal of his GSA President status. Rhianna Kinchin next.

18:48

First up to the plate to bat will be the NUS delegate candidates. There are a lot of them, so they get a minute each in alphabetical order. First up: Ali Allana. But she’s a no-show, so Michael Batula takes the stage.

18:44

A hush falls across the hall. The tech teams are all ready. And… yes! Tom Scott has opened the ceremonies. First up: Health and safety briefings. Stay awake, please.

18:42

The first piece of political intrigue: Matt Burton, Langwith Bar supremo, has a burger delivered directly to his vantage point in the front row of the hall. Is this an intimidation tactic? Only time will tell.

18:34

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the live Nouse blog of the 2009 YUSU hustings night 1. I’m here with the lovely Sian Turner and the ever-so-slightly-less lovely but still fairly lovely Jim Bulley. He’s maybe 40% of Sian’s lovely.

The atmosphere here in L/0/28 is tense tonight. The candidates are putting the final touches to their speeches. This is the evening that can make or break a campaign, so the pressure is on all those running to make it a good one.

Bear with us as we bring you live updates of every twist and political swerve this evening. We’ll have speech highlights, pundit opinions and exclusive interviews with the candidates themselves. Watch this space!