Hall Committees are widely regarded as the breeding ground for those who will go on to play a major part in future Student Union politics, and none more so than the coveted position of ‘Hall Chair’.
Many members of Union committees, councils and the like have started off by playing a dominant role in their own hall of residence. These ‘big names’ across campus almost create a small bubble within the bubble that is Loughborough itself and it’s very interesting to observe the similarities between the individuals who are prominent in whatever activity or section they choose to involve themselves in.
Of course, right at the top of tree is Union President, Rebecca Bridger, who chaired Hazlerigg Rutland and Vice President Pete Childs, who was Chair of Robert Bakewell; both of which encapsulate many others in all sections of the Union. One could probably reel off a list of a few dozen ‘ones to watch’ and it is a trend that Label will be looking at in more detail in the coming months, but for now, we can focus on one young man in particular.
On Sunday, Cayley cruised to the Sing-Off title and although significant in its own right, more significant was that it marked the arrival of a big player in Union politics for the future.
You may ask, why did Cayley win? Andrew Lawton lists the criteria on page 10 by which the judges come to a decision: loudness, lyrics, quality of choreography and the leader’s performance on the stage. He does not however mention the fifth and most important criteria: the leader’s performance backstage.
One member of the executive mentioned it to me on the Room One balcony prior to the final on Sunday night. The man himself even said it to me as he prepared himself for the biggest two minutes of his tenure as Hall Chair.
For the entirety of Freshers’ week, Cayley have impressed more than any other. And while the committee can take an awful lot of the credit, most of it must go to the Hall Chair: Tom Allright. He won’t be pressed on his future plans, but he surely does have a bright future on the Loughborough Student Union scene over the next two years and maybe beyond. Watch this space.
