The first weekend of the campaign and thankfully, time for a breather. I can tell you something; the media centre needs it! As for the candidates, have they been taking it easy? It seems not.
Many descended on the various sporting fixtures taking place around campus today, while others continued with their door-knocking in the hope that one-to-one chats can seal valuable support.
With lecture shout-outs prohibited after Monday, next week will surely see an increase in more innovative campaign tactics and strategies designed to both maintain and raise candidates' campus presence in the run-up to voting days.
Regarding the presidential race, did Shahid's 38 hour ban earlier in the week have any significant impact? It's difficult to tell. In the months leading up to the Executive Elections, one after another dropped out of the running, from HSF President Harry Wood to town promoter Matt Elliott and even current incumbent, Rebecca Bridger. This left two very different candidates in the running, two individuals that have taken very different approaches to their manifestos and to campaigning.
On paper, Ellie Read's experience and village links make her the favourite; fellow candidate Ali Shahid acknowledged that when I spoke to him before the February 20 kick off. Despite that fact, he did give a solid performance in the EHB on Thursday evening and reckons he can attract the support of international and mature students. It's an unpredictable one to call and win or lose, a strong Shahid performance in these elections could change the Loughborough electoral dynamic for years to come, as nobody has had success with those sections of the electorate before.
I cannot wait to see how both stand up to the scrutiny of the more serious Union Hustings on Tuesday. The contest has the potential to swing either way.
