Harriet Jean Evans takes a look at the social commentary of the past, and explains why she believes it just doesn't matter.
Our anonymous blogger reflects on her attempts to have a student Christmas... and how she came to the conclusion that home-made is always best.
Gillian Love urges you to vote 'No' to the motion to replace Women's Committee with a 'Gender Equality Committee'.
Whatever it was, I’ll bet, in at least 80% of cases, it wasn’t because you had read their manifesto, questioned them about their policies – even visited their web pages. It’s sad, but such is life.
I’m going to be honest, despite my previously enthusiastic claims of the importance of informed voting in the YUSU elections; I’m as guilty as anyone. I voted a couple of nights ago, and I tried, I really did try to be intelligent, and informed and generally enthusiastic about the whole thing, but in the end, the enthusiasm waned, the cheerful reading of policy after policy didn’t stop them all blurring into one and I succumbed to. Some decisions were informed. Some decisions were biased. But most were downright lazy. For all my insistence of how important our early relationship with democracy is, I completely negated it.
So what were the most effective campaigns this year? I’m not even sure. I think the candidates I saw most around campus were effective – even if they annoyed me, even if I didn’t speak to them – a constant presence around the University showed a disregard for their degree, and a devotion to their campaign that I thought should probably be rewarded. And adopting a well-known cartoon character certainly makes for a recognisable campaign. Simple posters are a must! There were a few posters that I didn’t even realise were campaign posters until I was working in Derwent and looking for something to read instead of critical essays. A name at the top is essential for instant recognition – the reason I never realised these posters were linked to a campaign, was because I only ever glanced at the top few inches of the poster. I can’t be the only student who neglected reading whole posters. The trick isn’t so much as to grab the attention, but to not demand too much of it. Asking for more than five seconds is pushing it for a student rushing to their next lecture.
So how can candidates get past this? Make their names the most known on campus? Have the brightest posters? Look the best topless (I’ll mention no names)?
Truth? All of these things could be important – and yet, at the same time, none of them could make the slightest amount of difference. Because each voter is different. Each will be swayed by something different. But there is one thing they have in common: a lack of time in their hectic student lives to care about those things that do not touch them. If someone isn’t interested, there’s practically no feasible campaign that will make them care. I’m shamed to admit that, save a few exceptions, I can’t even remember who it is that I voted for! After I clicked that “cast vote” button, the names and preferences that had seemed so important just a moment before, completely flew out of my head.
Although perhaps there’re some benefits to this apathy. Perhaps it is practice for the life-after-university/national politics mass of confusion that we will be thrown into upon graduation. Unless the First Past the Post electoral system is reformed, we face a future in which our vote won’t make a huge amount of difference to things – so maybe the apathetic and lazy attitude to democracy we seem to be cultivating at university will stand us in good stead for dealing with apathy in later life.
No, wait. I can’t put a good spin on this.
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