York students have chosen to ‘Keep Kallum and Carry On’ after the current YUSU President was tonight re-elected to serve for a second year.
Taylor saw off the challenges from Matthew Stephenson and Thomas Banks to secure victory, receiving 3014 votes to Stephenson’s 718 and Banks’ 534. And after a few teary moments, he told Vision: “I’m absolutely gobsmacked to achieve such a landslide – I’m buzzing. We are very close to being one of the best students unions in the country.”
Taylor will be joined by a sabbatical team of Anna McGivern as Student Activities Officer, Daniel Whitmore as Academic Officer, George Offer as Welfare Officer and Cassandra Brown as York Sport President.
McGivern defeated incumbent Chris West after four rounds, by 1399 votes to West’s 1187, and was delighted with her hard-fought victory. She told Vision: “I’m relieved, it was so close. I had a great team around me who shielded me and cheered me on. I’m so excited about the next year, I can’t wait. I’ll keep working with Chris very closely over the next couple of months, and then get going in the summer.”
Despite being devastated by his loss, West was gallant in defeat, commenting: “Anna is my housemate and my friend. She helped me with my campaign last year, so if it wasn’t to be me, then I’m delighted for her.”
Meanwhile, Cassandra Brown fought off competition from George Richards and James Ashrafi-Tari to succeed Charlotte Winter as York Sport President. The third-year Langwith student amassed 2006 votes, 1356 more than her nearest competitor Richards who finished on 650 votes, with American Football enthusiast Ashrafi-Tari trailing in third.
An ecstatic Brown said: “Unbelieveable! It’s the best feeling ever! I was optimistic about winning, but didn’t expect to win like that. It’s amazing, I’m so grateful to everyone who voted.”
Outgoing York Sport President Charlotte Winter praised the candidates and her successor Brown, saying: “I think she’ll be brilliant. She’s done a really, really good job as Badminton President, the second biggest sports society on campus, and I’m really impressed with her.”
Brown, the former Badminton Club President and Langwith College Sports Rep, aims to make sport more accessible at York, obtain a sponsor to fund cheaper facilities and maintain performances throughout the season by lobbying for an in-house physio.
George Richards added: “She ran a better campaign than I did, and is a deserved winner. I wish her the best of luck.”
Brown and McGivern have been joined by third-year Vanbrugh student Daniel Whitmore, who has been announced as the new Academic Officer after fending off stiff competition from Nick Hall and Jason Brandwood.
Whitmore received 1605 votes on the final round of the ballot, 349 more than his nearest rival Jason Brandwood who finished with 1266, while Nick Hall finished third. The mathematics student succeeds Graeme Osborn after two years in the job.
A delighted Whitmore, who has previosuly held numerous roles on Vanbrugh JCRC, told Vision: “There are no words in the English language that describes how good this feels. My housemates have been absolutely brilliant – their support and effort is really humbling, and I’m so glad people agree with what I want to achieve for the university.”
Whitmore’s primary policies include attaining better value for money for students, more key texts, electronic submission of essays, the subsidisation of printing costs and one-to-one feedback on dissertations.
The final member of the new sabbatical team is new Welfare Officer George Offer, who held off the fierce challenge of Jordan Lloyd.
Offer told Vision: “It really is an incredible feeling, it hasn’t sunk in yet. The voting’s been split all week and I had no idea what to expect. I can’t wait to get started.”
Lloyd, meanwhile, offered his regards to Offer, commenting: “I’m very happy and very sad at the same time. George will do a fantastic job, and I’d just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who voted for me and for all their love.”
There were a total of 5316 voters in these 2013 YUSU elections, down from last year’s 5720 total when Taylor emerged triumphant.
I care about this result. To everyone who keeps making fun of me for caring about this, I have no fear.
To be fair he was the only student on the list that I had heard of.
Does everyone seem to have forgotten the fact that Kallum Taylor, our President, FAILED HIS DEGREE? Why doesn’t anyone seem bothered about this?
He got a 2:2.
anon you live a bleak existence trolling articles. why dont you go and get laid or something. loser