Six candidates vying for VP Sports position as SU Summer Election voting opens

Voting for the Students’ Union (SU) Summer Elections has now opened, with all eyes on the Vice President for Sports election, the second in two months after the position was RONed during the Spring Elections.

While only one candidate stood for election to the position in March, six candidates have put themselves forward in this election cycle, including the incumbent position holder Louis Gosling.

The election of a SU Full-Time Officer during the Summer Elections is an unprecedented occurrence, with this year’s Spring Elections marking the first time that a Full-Time Officer election resulted in the re-opening of nominations

Ollie Seal, the sole candidate for the position during the Spring Elections, will not be recontesting the election, after students voted to re-open nominations rather than elect them to the position in March, by a margin of 2,812 votes to Seal’s 2,100.

The election of a SU Full-Time Officer during the Summer Elections is an unprecedented occurrence, with this year’s Spring Elections marking the first time that a Full-Time Officer election resulted in the re-opening of nominations.

SU Forum members and Faculty Representatives will also be elected during this week’s elections, with voting for all positions open until Friday.

The following six candidates are standing to become the next SU Vice President for Sports:

• Louis Gosling
• Nazrana Meghji
• Sharla Peters
• Brandon Ring
• Colin Wong
• Shahid

A key concern that will undoubtedly be raised by many students voting in this week’s elections will be the increasing cost of student sport on campus, with a study by The Boar earlier this year finding that 91% of students think that the cost of a Sports Club Pass is too high.

Inclusivity and accessibility will also be at a top priority for many voters, along with a focus on increasing support and attendance at BUCS fixtures, and ensuring safety at sports club socials – which have often been placed at the centre of much scrutiny and criticism at Warwick.

Whoever is elected to the position of Vice President for Sports in this election will become ‘the public face and leader of student sport on campus’, working with students, sports clubs, and Warwick Sport

After Seal’s failure to be elected to the position in March, sports club members at Warwick will no doubt again put the sporting credentials of the six hopeful candidates under the spotlight.

A co-ordinated effort was orchestrated by members of sports clubs to block Seal’s election, with their campaign widely seen as a ‘joke candidacy’ after reports surfaced that they originally planned to run under the name ‘A. Bolish Sports’ before being blocked by the SU. Seal did later add however in an interview with The Boar that they “realised that [they] could properly make a difference to sports on campus”.

Whoever is elected to the position of Vice President for Sports in this election will become “the public face and leader of student sport on campus”, working with students, sports clubs, and Warwick Sport to help shape the direction, and ensure the delivery, of student sport on campus.

Voting for the Summer Elections opened at 9am on Monday 26 May, and will close at 12pm midday on Friday 30 May. Results for all positions – barring any procedural irregularities – will be announced shortly after.