Here comes the Sundell

Ben Sundell, the current Welfare and Campaigns officer has been elected as President of Warwick SU for 2013/14.

Ben Sundell pipped Aaron Bowater, who came second in last year’s Presidential election, to second place. Sundell received 3207 votes compared to Bowater’s 2174, a majority of 1033 votes a margin of 48 percent in the last round of voting.

Mr Sundell thanked his parents, sisters and girlfriend.

He told the Boar: “I’m so delighted. I’m so pleased and…absolutely humbled. I’ll give this absolutely everything.

“You’ve got a completely committed welfare officer until August 1 and then a completely committed president.”

Current SU President, Nick Swain congratulated his successor, telling the Boar that he was: “relieved given everything that’s happened the right man has won tonight and I couldn’t see the union being in better hands I’m so proud of him”.

The other candidates running for the position were Aaron Bowater, Muhammad Ali, Ben Frew, and Nick Swain.

The order of results are as follows:
6th: RON
5th: Muhammad Ali
4th: Nick Swain
3rd: Ben Frew
2nd: Aaron Bowater
1st: Ben Sundell

Sundell’s manifesto pledges are to develop an interactive ‘rate your house’ system for off campus accomodation, to create a bus alert system within the SU to let students know when the next bus is and to campaign to get all lectures recorded.

The current President, Nick Swain, will remain in office until August when Ben Sundell will take over.

As Warwick SU President, Ben Sundell will lead the Sabbatical officer team of Education officer Erin Davis, Democracy and Development officer Cosmo March, Postgraduate officer Lucy Gill, Societies officer Ant Scott, Welfare and Campaigns officer Cathryn Turhan and Sports Officer Zoe Buckland.

The results mean Mr Swain’s tenure of president will end in the summer. The SU president was recently accused of sexist behaviour after a video emerged of him unhooking a girl’s bra in public.

The story, published originally in the Boar, has recently entered national newspapers.

Warwick SU describes the role of President as: ‘The primary contact with the University, the President represents the Union and its members on a variety of Committees.

‘The President raises awareness and runs campaigns on priority student issues and is also the lead Officer on governance as Chair of the Board of Trustees.’