Anticipation grew in the Piazza as the Union prepared for the Live Reveal of the new Exec Election Candidates of 2015. No atmosphere (bar that post-exam, pre-summer buzz of mid-June) compares to that of Election time, and this year was no different. Amid the kind of music that makes you want to grab a Jagerbomb and dance the night away in Room One, LCR presenters pumped up the excitement factor announcing that, waiting just around the corner, there were “21 dreams, but only 11 will succeed”. Then suddenly, after a little waiting, tension building and building, the time came.
Campaign teams cheered and jeered as one by one, Liam Peoples, current VP Union Affairs, announced who is running for those all-important 11 positions. First came the three VP Societies candidates, Alex Williams, Jenna Holmes and Leoni Seville; followed by VP Welfare and Diversity’s Gemma Lomas and Steph Noble; VP Media’s uncontested Bryn Wilkes, VP RAG’s Andy Tribe, Rachael Lynch and Robyn Varley, VP Action’s uncontested Rosie Harvey; hotly contested VP Sport’s Lauren Gough, Luke Thomson, Tom Haslam and Tom Hickson; VP Finance’s Jamie Bowker and Charlie Staunton; VP Education’s uncontested Kailey Hazeldine (who was a little too keen to get down the union stairs and onto campaigning, overshooting her place on the Piazza stairs!); VP Union Affair’s uncontested Max Crawford; and last but certainly not least, the big one, the two potential new Union President’s, Adam Sellers and Ed Reckless. The VP College candidate, Elisei Ghiorghita, wasn’t able to make the reveal, but will be campaigning alongside the present 20 candidates in the coming days.
Considering the cheers for the candidates got louder and louder with each announcement, it’s not hard to imagine how those candidates would be feeling; ready and raring to go and get on with their campaigns. This started with the Poster Dash, which Liam Peoples dubbed as “more important than ever”. I’m sure many of you will have arrived at your hall diner for breakfast, or walked past your hall common room this morning, to find it was covered in Exec propaganda; you cannot help but be involved! So with the LSU awash with the brightly coloured t-shirts of campaign teams showing allegiance to who they believe will take our Union in the right direction, campaigning had begun, and as themes went live on social media the Bubble was buzzing with #EE2015 excitement. Four campaign teams however, (those of Charlie Staunton, Robyn Varley, Lauren Gough and Alex Williams) will have missed the vital first 12 hours of campaigning, and will have only started at 8am this morning (23rd February). Will this affect their chances? Only time will tell.
I’m sure you will agree that the live reveal of the Exec Elections 2015 candidates did not disappoint. By the time you are reading this, it is likely that all 21 candidates will be visible around campus decked in fancy dress to varying degrees of ridiculousness, and throwing sweets at your left, right and centre. These candidates will make a change to YOUR Union, so make sure you get involved in anyway you can. Chat with the candidates during their door-knocking endeavours, party with them on nights out and, most importantly, make sure you vote!
Leanna Kightley, Culture Editor
(Photos: Paul Johnston and Till Sieberth)
