Next year’s sabbs are chosen as campaigning closes

Following a tireless week of campaigning and the votes of 6,699 Warwick students (800 more than last year), the sabbatical officers for the next academic year have been announced.

Ben Sundell, who is currently the Students’ Union’s (SU) welfare and campaigns officer, has been elected as president of Warwick SU for 2013/14.

Mr Sundell received 3,207 votes, a majority of 1,033 votes over second place Aaron Bowater and a margin of 48 percent in the last round of voting.

Speaking to a reporter from the Boar before the announcements began, Mr Sundell described himself as feeling “shattered, excited, and nervous”. After the event he was quick to thank his family, girlfriend and campaigns team.

“I’m absolutely delighted. I feel so humbled that I’ve been elected; thank you so much to everybody”, he said.

In the contest for education officer, Ms Davies, current SU chair of council, ousted current education officer James Entwistle by 130 votes.

Ms Davies believed her one-to-one approach helped win her votes: “I spent an awful lot of time speaking to people individually. If you were anywhere near the library cafe this week, I’ve probably bothered you”, she said.

The most highly-contested position with eight different candidates was welfare officer. The position was won by third-year classics student Cathryn Turhan.

Third-year Classics student Owen Evans praised Cat’s election: “I’ve done classics with Cat for three years now and there really isn’t a more deserving person for the welfare role.”

The current democracy and development officer, Cosmo March, was re-elected, receiving 2,254 votes, over a thousand more than second place Joanne Phillips.

Zoe Buckland will take the position of sports officer next academic year. After the result Ms Buckland said: “I’m absolutely elated and just so happy. I’m really excited about getting started with all the policies on my manifesto. I know that I can achieve them all.”

Ant Scott, a third-year Economics student, has been elected the societies officer for 2013/14 and Mr Scott revealed he wasn’t always confident about his prospects, saying: “There were moments throughout the week when I thought I wasn’t going to win, so I’m really happy to be here now.”

In the race to become next year’s postgraduate officer, Ms Gill, studying a postgraduate degree course in History, beat Kit Long, the only other candidate, by just 100 votes.

After one of the most difficult to predict elections in recent years, 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”.

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