Student elections...

Former Member

I am putting myself forward for a full time sabbatical this year...

Any tips for running a good campaign?

Former Member

Find as much dirt as possible about your opponents. If it's good enough for choosing the next President of the USA, it's good enough for student unions.

Basically, find out what issues students give a damn about and talk endlessly about it. What you think is good, and what you think can be a lot better.

Former Member

stargalaxy wrote: »

Find as much dirt as possible about your opponents. If it's good enough for choosing the next President of the USA, it's good enough for student unions.

Basically, find out what issues students give a damn about and talk endlessly about it. What you think is good, and what you think can be a lot better.

Yep... I plan to visit faith and culture groups to hear what they have to say... I want to make it more than empty promises, like free carparking when there's no space.

But yeah... I'm in no way gonna make my campaign slanderous lol...

Former Member

Principles and politics don't mix. Especially in student politics where there is zero accountability, most people will forget what you promised about 10 minutes after speaking to you, and everyone knows most people are only in it for a nice credit on their CV anyway. So basically, make sure you have a catchy poster, more publicity than anyone else, and better PR, and your policies don't really matter. More entertainment is the obvious policy (more bands, more social events, etc). And then make sure you have some actual policies, so that you don't look stupid to the odd person who asks you, but they're not especially important. That's my impression of student politics anyway. Never heard of any of them using their position for anything worthwhile, and if they did, they didn't advertise it very well.

Former Member

Make sure your posters show lots of cleavage and promise lots of free beer.

Students don't give a toss about student politics, sadly.

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

Make sure your posters show lots of cleavage and promise lots of free beer.

Students don't give a toss about student politics, sadly.

No they don't... That's the problem. I have a good manifesto, but I'm running against somebody who is from the second largest ethnic society.

I handed my stuff in... Funnily enough, people were Emailed 10 minutes before the meeting to notify them. Only the current sabbaticals, myself and another turned up (as I checked that day, the communication is bad). We were then told that night we had to have our pieces to advertise ourselves for the paper in by 5pm the next day.

People were Emailed at 10am the next day (who didn't attend the meeting). So,anybody who worked, had lectures or who hasn't had a chance to check Emails within those 7 hours hasn't had a chance.

No doubt the current sabbaticals will have known about this for longer than everyone else and had time to prepare.

I'm not accusing our student union of nepotism, it jus seems so poorly planned and by default, people who wor for the union and their friends seem like the only ones with a chance to properly promote themselves.

Any tips on getting in would be welcome...

However, a part of me is wondering if I should bother with the effort. It's not like I have no work experience, I'mconfident enough to get a job after uni...

Former Member

Get yourself some cheerleaders. One year bloke approached head of dance society (that was me), we cheered for him, he won. Oh, yeah, hey!

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

Students don't give a toss about student politics, sadly.

Why would they though? The Student Body Council has never done anything for me.

Former Member

Yerascrote wrote: »

Why would they though? The Student Body Council has never done anything for me.

Really? You've asked them for help? What was it about?

It all depends a lot of your sabbaticals as to how helpful they are. My experience has been you've had one who really cares and the rest don't. In my union you always get at least one who just appears out of nowhere and is in the second biggest society at the uni (the president role has traditionally been passed down by members of a Christian and ethnic society apparently). Our president a few years ago was a cock and deliberately blocked anything I tried to do.

Former Member

No offence to anyone involved in student politics (especially Kate), but I lost interest in them the second I got to uni. They all seem the same. They promise the Earth but 99% just want it to be able to stick it on their CV and not a fucking thing gets done.

Prime case in point was the removal of the student bus service in Bristol which was integral for getting those who lived in halls to lectures (a 30 minute walk was the alternative). They had so many options to get it reinstated but a combination of internal bickering and piss-poor money management meant that nothing got done. They spent the money instead on re-vamping the union bar, which, to be quite frank, was shit before and shit after. All student politicians, in my experience, have their heads up their arses and one (if not both) eyes on how the position will help further their career of skulduggery and sicophancy.

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

Make sure your posters show lots of cleavage and promise lots of free beer.

:yes:

Former Member

From what I've seen at York some are good, like the finance and background running, but our executive bits - the president etc. are useless, don't get anything done at all. We've even lost the Welfare officer after she attacked a student and got no-confed. It's ridiculous really.

Former Member

I'm getting fed up with it already...

I think I'd rather get a job for my skills and suitibility, not for how many societies I am in.