Tête-à-Tête: “does anyone actually care about Sabb elections?”

[one_third]Milo Barnett says YES

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]abbatical elections are upon us, bringing a whole host of familiar sights associated with this week to campus. People giving you flyers outside the library, Facebook feeds filled with campaign posters and – of course – mountains of cardboard as far as the eye can see.

Yet for all its faults it is a very crucial part of university life, and this is why we, as a student body, should vote in them. Sabbs provide an important role: they are the face of the Students’ Union (SU) and actually have a lot of power in helping to shape the way in which the SU and also the University are run. Sabbs are there for the ordinary student.

It’s not a glamorous job, but it has to be done and it’s far better done by somebody whose name and face you know, rather than by some nameless bureaucrat. We each have a vision for our University, yet if we don’t vote our voices – unique as they are – will not be heard. Having been involved in Sabb campaigns in the last two years, I can say from experience that there is a huge amount of passion invested by the candidates. This isn’t something that you’ve done as a laugh (usually) as it takes time and commitment to be a successful Sabb candidate. Not only do you have to get material, come up with policies and a campaign but you’re willing and able to commit a whole year of your life to improving the lives of Warwick students. This isn’t something that can be rushed. There are policies on a range of topics and unique ideas that could truly help the SU. The fact that information is easily available so that you can find out about policies, means you don’t have any excuses.

As a student, you have a duty to vote in elections because we all want a better student experience. We also want to remind the University that as a student body, we are passionate about moving forward and the only way to do that is to vote. The SU is made for and by students, and if they aren’t involved, what’s the point? Sabbs are able to make a core difference for the Union beyond talking to local organisations and businesses. Surely you want someone dedicated and, above all, trustworthy to make these decisions, rather than a completely random individual?
Democracy is one of the core tenets of this privileged society and if you don’t use it, you could lose it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a General Election or something a little closer to home. I hope you all will vote and be proud of your commitment to the democratic tradition.[/one_third][one_third_last]Mike Wrench says NO

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] remember the days of school councils. At my tiny comprehensive in the North West, one would gain access to this fabled institution by performing a 10-second speech in front of peers. A delightful manifesto was always postulated; ‘no more maths!’ was a sure-fire way to win any election! In retrospect, it was all so terribly naïve. Honestly, though, in three years here I haven’t seen much difference between the antics of secondary school power grabbers and prospective Sabb officers.

I inherently disagree with the idea of student politicians; they all aspire to a type of false power, all the while eschewing realistic manifestos. I always thought the intention of a governmental body of students was to represent the students, but apparently this isn’t the case. Instead, we have a series of officers who hypothetically stand for us but in reality just write blog posts and smile smugly down at us from those pictures in the SU. They follow their own agenda, and it’s not an agenda which benefits their electors.

Case in point; Warwick SU released a statement, now missing from the website, refusing to condemn the UCU boycotts. Whatever your politics, nobody could deny that marking boycotts are bad for students because, you know, they don’t get their work marked. Yet the SU and its officers refused to condemn the boycotts, instead waiting to see what the NUS and other SU’s were saying. I’d prefer my SU to make a decision by itself, and to have the integrity to speak in favour of its students. But this, just like the desire to rid my delightful high school of mathematics, is a naïve wish.

The potential officers always seem to be the same set of pointless demi-politicians, whose manifestos are never completed when they enter their meaningless office. And when they win, those candidates, year after year, run an SU whose only real achievements lie in the fields of futile boycotts of companies which could immensely benefit students, and the passing of motions which do little more than morally judge anyone who disagrees with them.

It is pointless to care about these elections. The results are always the same; the officers, past and present, could form into one homogenous super student politician, disingenuous and patronising. The only worthwhile candidates are the joke ones. At least they’re funny. Undermining our crooked political caste by refusing to engage with their risible system will cause a crisis of legitimisation that can no longer be ignored; only then can the calls for us to build a fairer system attain any credence.[/one_third_last]