MILLIE BEACH has been elected as the new President of YUSU in a tight race that came down to the fourth round of run-off voting.
With 1464 votes in the final round, she narrowly fended off Habib Nassar; Ciaran Morrissey was in third place.
She thanked all voters and her “phenomenal” campaign team as she became the first female President of the students’ union since 2007,
In an extraordinary night on campus, Tamaki Laycock was left almost speechless as she beat incumbent Academic Officer Thomas Ron to take his position in the first round of voting.
“This is a lot to take in,” Laycock told the crowd at the Roger Kirk Centre, as the results were broadcast on YSTV and University Radio York. “Thank you very much to everyone who voted,” she added.
More people voted in the election for Academic Officer than for the President of YUSU. Over 5000 students voted in the elections overall, bringing prices for some drinks at YUSU bars down 50p on Saturday.
Dom Smithies pledged to “hit the ground running” as he was elected Community and Wellbeing Officer in a landslide vote. He told a cheering audience: “I can’t believe it, thank you so, so much.”
The new President of York Sport is Isaac Beevor, who received perhaps the largest reception of the night after beating three other students to the job. “It’s great to have so much support,” he said.
The vote for Student Activities Officer also went to the fourth round and was won by Alex Lusty. “We will get the changes you want,” he pledged, and called his mum as soon as the result was announced.
Beach ran on a campaign which she called “communicate, represent and support.”
Earlier this month she told York Vision she would create a new social media platform for students, work closer with colleges and societies, and have a “termly summit” to better interaction between all the sabbatical officers.
The full results for all 18 positions announced are as follows:
President – Millie Beach
Academic Officer – Tamaki Laycock
Student Activities Officer – Alex Lusty
Community & Wellbeing Officer – Dom Smithies
York Sport President – Isaac Beevor
BME Officer – Sophie Flinders & Gabriella Obeng Nyarko
Disabled Students’ Officer – Alex Wray
Environment and Ethics Officer – Robert Gordon & Ella Parker
International Officer – Roberto Avelar
LGBTQ Officer – Jaz Millar &Ashley Reed
RAG Officer – Roz Walton
Volunteering Officer – Ellie Meagher & Hannah Higgs
Women’s Officer – Mia Shantana Chaudhuri-Julyan & Lucy Elizabeth Robinson
Mature Students’ Officer – Leah Armstrong & Kevin Claxton
Faculty Rep (Arts) – Marina Lewis
Faculty Rep (Sciences) – Thomas Shutt
Faculty Rep (Social Sciences) – Matt Hodges
Policy Coordinator – James Humpish