- Candidate Interview: Samuel Dedman, VP Education
- Candidate Interview: Simon Pinney, Union President
- Candidate Interview: Thomas Gravatt, VP Engagement
- Candidate Interviews: Greg Williams, VP Democracy and Creative Industries
- Candidate Interview: Dan Varley, VP Engagement
- Candidate Interview: Sam Higman, VP Welfare
- Candidate Interview: Kirby Moore, Union President
- Candidate Interview: Ben Parker, VP Sports Development
- Candidate Interviews: Flora Noble, Union President
- Candidate Interviews: Stephen Gore, VP Sports Development
- Candidates Interviews: Alex Hovden, Union President
- Candidate Interview: Amelia Ng, VP Democracy and Creative Industries
- Candidate Interview: Arun Aggarwal, VP Student Communities
- Candidate Interview: Leyla Elsey, VP Welfare
- Candidate Interview: Henry Lane, Union President
- Candidate Interview: Evie Reilly, VP Democracy and Creative Industries
- Candidate Interview: Liam St Dennis, VP Welfare
- Union Election: Rumoured Candidates
- Union Elections 2017: Who’s Running?
- Union Elections: Candidate Interviews with Wessex Scene Published
- Voting for Union Elections is Now Open
- Voting For Union Elections Closes Today
- Union Elections: Meet the Candidates 1 – Liveblog
- Union Elections: Meet The Candidates 2 – Liveblog
- Union Elections 2017: Post-Election Analysis
- Union Elections 2017: Exit Poll Results
On the second day of voting, Wessex Scene have prime seats for the second and final ‘Meet the Candidates’ event on the Concourse. This is the big one. Tonight we will hear from candidates for VP Welfare, VP Communities, and Union President. Keep reading to hear the latest news from us as it happens with our Liveblog.
Since voting has opened yesterday, over 2,000 students have already turned out to vote for candidates running for both Full-time and Student Leader positions!
First up we have VP Welfare, Leyla Elsey, Liam St. Denis and Sam Higman #GrillTheCandidates #VoteSoton
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Liam’s a third year, a “social person who likes to put the individual first”.
Sam and Leyla have both been involved in the union during their time here.
“Students misdiagnosed?” Leyla stresses the inadequacies of current student enabling services in diagnosing and treating those with mental health illnesses
Leyla suggests someone should be implemented in the library for people to talk to, because they’re “stressed, don’t know where to go or escaping from the house”.
Leyla argues that the Union should introduce a pamphlet, as she is not aware of a general one to the best of her knowledge.
Leyla wants to put a pastoral care officer In Hartley, to make support more accessible. #GrillTheCandidates #Votesoton
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Liam thinks there should be more support for those looking for houses by creating a review based system.
First social media input of the evening… isn’t there enough advertising for mental health illnesses; Apparently not!
Sam is in favour of branded, reusable water bottles and it’s worth spending more money for packaging to be sustainable.
Sam wants to bring in the correct nutritional information at the food outlets in the University #GrillTheCandidates #VoteSoton
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Leyla wants more nutritional information on menus.
Leyla emphasises that the Union should try to have calories displayed accurately for food products.
Liam’s manifesto talks about wanting improved lighting in student areas – but how would he do this, when that isn’t under his jurisdiction?
Liam St Dennis endorses “in no way” the use of LSD.
Sam wants mental health to be destigmatised so students don’t feel it’s abnormal. Endorses more signposting of Nightline, Enabling and the Advice Centre.
"For someone that has quite an anti-drug stance …was it approriate to use the slogan LSD in your campaign" to Liam #GrillTheCandidates
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Second social media post, this time for Sam: The bin system can be quite confusing, we need better and more descriptive labelling
Leyla agrees that more calorie information could create an unhealthy relationship with food, but it’s on food in the café so why in one place and not the other?
And we’re going backstage! In summary, more advertising of mental health services is needed, the bin system is confusing and Liam does not endorse the use of LSD.
Starting backstage, now looking at Sam, Leyla and Liam’s social media profiles
Embarrassing photos of Welfare Candidates – an insight into the lives of Welfare candidates behind the campaign image!
Lii brings in the challenge for the VP DCI candidates, pancakes are on the table so this looks interesting.
Twenty second pancake challenge! Let the real games begin!
Sam manages to eat ONE pancake.
Leya “has a small mouth”, achieving a grand total of 3/4 of a pancake!
Liam leans in, lets go!
Liam manages three pancakes, hold the maple syrup!
SUSUtv move in with water to save the day!
And we’re back! First up is Arun, candidate for VP Communities, wants to subsidise the bus pass for students who use the NOC
Enjoy the 2 second shot of me standing in front of the SUSUtv camera while trying very hard to avoid their cameras.
Arun is outnumbered by his interviewers #GrillTheCandidates #Votesoton
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Arun wants to open up the advice centre. Arun emphasises support in the evenings when students “feel the most alone”.
Arun wants campaigns like ‘You make change’ to be engaged on other sites away from Highfield too.
Arun wants to bring in more gluten-free options, and identifies need a good working relations with the VP Welfare for this.
"Its in the evenings when you feel most alone" Arun on keeping the Advice centre open longer #GrillTheCandidates #VoteSoton
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Arun wants more post-graduate centered events, and warns of the disregard for post-grad students lonely over summer
Arun wants more events for postgrads during undergrad vacation time #Grillthecandidates #Votesoton pic.twitter.com/MegIW7iB7t
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Arun speaking on engaging postgraduates in societies: Societies do not think of postgraduates or mature students as their target market, despite the fact that they can offer a lot to societies. Quizsoc is an example of this.
Starting with Arun’s first Facebook profile picture backstage!
Pancakes on the table, these ones look thick.
Countdown begins!
Arun starts scoffing pancakes!
Arun “got some of the fourth one in”
WOW!!! Arun manages 3 and a 1/2! What an effort!
Union President candidates up for interviews. One question: WHERE IS HENRY LANE?!
We are just missing Henry Lane from the stage… #GrillTheCandidates #VoteSoton pic.twitter.com/gF7jHkae63
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Henry’s here!
Henry Lane has arrived in full communist fashion (literally!)
Henry is even wearing red star socks. Indicative?
So many presidential candidates, that Katy has been kicked off stage
Why is Henry wearing a hat? All the other candidates seem fine in t-shirts. #grillthecandidates
— Xavier Voigt-Hill (@Xavdog) February 28, 2017
“More of a calling from history… we see neoliberal systems collapsing from all around us… time for the far left to rise up and seize power”.
Henry has seen it more as a calling to take power of the “bourgeoisie structure”
Simon has been involved in RAG for the last year and thinks there’s a lot of change he can bring, to deliver the best for students.
Flora saw the role as very much the final way she could give back to students.
Kirby sees the potential of what we can be in a national context as an organisation.
Alex wants to create greater change, a second year as President would allow him to achieve that.
A hot dog man has just snuck into the audience. A campaign stunt by Simon? Will he pose with him?
Alex has struggled with decentralising the Union and building possible external campuses.
Kirbi wants to cancel 9ams and 5ams, or for us to have Fridays off. Is this feasible? Would you want this?
Kirbi suggests that there IS enough timetabling and space to abolish 9am’s and 5pm’s.
Something is wrong here #GrillTheCandidates #VoteSoton pic.twitter.com/teU8THdFqr
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Simon feels that the Union Council removal was a step backwards that doesn’t reform or build on a broken Council system. The Senate system is more of a committee. Simon advocates a Union forum where students come and present their ideas, like an AGM but more regularly.
Simon suggests that not many students realised that the Union was making the changes from Council to Senate.
Simon thinks sabbs should have office hours.
Do you hear the people sing?
Alex wanted to examine the spending review before adding the Portswood Safety Bus to his manifesto.
Simon critiques Alex’s delay, urging that students would have supported that. Why couldn’t the budget find space for an additional bus?
Alex did not believe that bringing back the Portswood SB could have been achieved last year.
Alex was unaware of the critical factor of the Portswood SB issue last year, in response to a challenge by Flora Noble.
Alex states that he did not have the mandate to bring back the safety bus from Portswood clubs, Sobar and Jesters #GrillTheCandidates
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
On rebrandgate: Alex says that Trustee board were led to believe that the rebrand was welcomed back last year.
Candidates Flora and Simon are grilling Alex on the Portswood Safety Bus.
Henry: “Winchester’s a bit of a backwards, medieval town”.
Simon: “Can I object to that, being from Winchester? You are on the list.”
Henry wants to work with Solent’s against bourgeoisie and Winchester is a backwards, Medieval town. Simon Pinney branded as ‘troublemaker’ for being from Winchester!
A lot of Kirbi’s ideas are based on using our talents and passions to come up with enterprising ideas led by students with all-campus input, to think about our future and climate change.
When quizzed about the re-brand, Alex insists "It wasn't me" Not sure Shaggy is the best person to ally yourself with #grillthecandidates
— Soton Tab (@SotonTab) February 28, 2017
He thinks we need to make a better impression when students visit, better spaces that they’ll want to use.
Onto the social media questions… Simon wants to replace the ‘You Make Change’ programme, extending it to a platform “students care about”.
Flora says we need to work with areas popular with students to make sure they’re safer for them.
Alex says that the point behind the Scrutiny Committee is to enable for decisions to be challenged so that they are made for the right reasons.
Kirbi emphasises the importance of investing money in space for what societies and groups need.
When 'You Make Change' gets a name check #grillthecandidates pic.twitter.com/4uVMgoDm6r
— Cameron Meldrum (@SotonVPDCI) February 28, 2017
Henry says that the Union will deal with FAKE NEWS and will represent the views of the masses.
Henry will deport those who protest TO WINCHESTER!
Kirby claims he is the only President candidate to reach out to the RAG president #Grillthecandidates #Votesoton pic.twitter.com/tjHi05Dup0
— Wessex Scene (@WessexScene) February 28, 2017
Simon instead declares that “universities are the last bastion of free speech”, encompassing an environment of inclusivity
Henry genuinely wants more engagement with politics given the current times.
Henry wants political engagement alongside general engagement.
Hovden said he didn’t say in his manifesto that students were furious about wasting money on the rebrand, but he has.
Flora says being able to use societies as part of your university experience means you’ll get more out of your alumni experience – it’s not just a degree, it’s everything you get involved in.
Alex would bring back the Portswood Safety Bus if he could only bring in one policy.
Simon wants greater representation of students… and more Hot Dog stands!
Henry would bring in collectivisation: everyone gets a free meal!
Flora wants a union that exists and is relevent to every student on every campus.
That’s a wrap! Going backstage for “a bit of fun”.
Was that possibly the best presidential debate ever?
Hello! We’re liveblogging tonight grillthecandidates on the concourse. Tonight it’s VP Welfare, VP Student Communities, and President.