That Girl from Derwent dwells on the value of religion this Christmas.
That Girl from Derwent has learned a few more things about prejudice since moving up North.
That Girl From Derwent reckons if you're going to be offensive, you should find a better reason.
That Girl from Derwent considers why it is that some words have wider implications than others.
Perhaps Bradley has felt distanced from the alleged YUSU 'clique' and has set out to solve this problem of feeling under-represented by, er, representing himself. Bradley’s online campaign is good to see after watching other candidates use up half a rainforest in the guise of a poster campaign. But his plethora of Youtube videos combined with unclear ideas as to what he can actually offer students turns what might have been a refreshing campaign into what looks like a really low-budget televised social experiment.
It saddens me to say that his bid for Presidency reeks of misjudged idealism that, while admirable in its ambition and get-up-and-go attitude, is hardly rooted in reality. No yak, however beautiful, can win the Miss World competition.
While I shall definitely be tuning in next week to see what happens, it’ll only be out of morbid curiosity to see if he gets less than 100 votes, much like when I watched that Channel 4 programme about the kids left to their own devices in case they started electrocuting each other. Harsh, but true; what did Bradley expect from a student population whose cynicism he was banking on for support? Quite frankly, York students deserve better than a President who freely admits that this is all one big "learning curve". It saddens me to say that his bid for Presidency reeks of misjudged idealism that, while admirable in its ambition and get-up-and-go attitude, is hardly rooted in reality. No yak, however beautiful, can win the Miss World competition.
In contrast, Tom Langrish comes across as being almost threateningly pragmatic. YUSU could well be his specialist subject on Mastermind, but while his blatant passion for the job is encouraging, it is so extreme that it might make him more intimidating than approachable.
While looking a bit like Gordon Brown (only with the pointy hand-gestures of Blair), Langrish is a fired-up orator who has an impressive CV full of credentials that could make him an excellent President. He went down extremely well at hustings and was probably overall the most striking candidate in terms of his speech and his response to questions. At this stage, he seems excellent value for the £15K salary that if elected, he will receive – because he has to.
After watching Charles Bushby carefully on Wednesday my first thought was that his hustings speech had all the conviction of a child reading out in assembly. While his campaign slogan describes him as the "conscious" candidate, "barely awake" seems more appropriate. While it’s possible that Bushby might have more to give in this election, I strongly suspect that the only thing he has up his sleeve is his elbow.
Tim Ngwena seems personable, approachable and down to earth. Like current President Tom Scott, he’s the kind of person that seems to make stuff happen, and I was told by people who know him that he has enough dynamism and drive to push YUSU all the way to being one of the best SUs in the country. However, his hustings performance left me a bit disappointed. His speech could have been mistaken as an advert for Fusion, mentioning the event at least three times while only getting onto the second of his Presidential policies in the allocated three minutes. Yet I’m confident that if elected President, Ngwena would show the same passion to YUSU as he currently does to Fusion.
Despite some of the candidates ranging from the attention-seeking to the laughable, I am fairly sure we’ll end up with a decent president. Still, perhaps next year when YUSU put up a notice of elections for the top job, it’ll be footed with a stark message of "NO TIMEWASTERS, PLEASE".
Its refreshing to see such an unbiased assesment of ALL the candidates from someone who has dedecated several facebook statuses to the Langrish campaign. As witty as your assesment of the Bushby campaign is, i'd expect nothing less from a member of comedy soc, if you'd like i can lend you my dictionary to look up the definitions of conscious. And as easy as it is to take cheap shots as Charles for his pledge to give his salary back, as Langrish did in his hustings speech; I think you should not be so quick to have cheap laughs at the expense of someone who is genuinly trying to do a selfless thing.
I love Miranda Thomas 
Ngwena's repetitive mentions of Fusion weren't exactly advertising the event, more the fact it shows he's got experience of running a large society (with YUSU effectiely being the largest society on campus). Not really sure I get the Tom Scott comparison either really with him.
As for Langrish. I was very impressed with him at Hustings, but he came across as very aloof when I spoke to him at the YUSU office today, which isn't a very encouraging trait. I still think he's the best candidate for the job but he really needs to sort that out.
As for the other two, erm, 3rd and 4th in a two horse race for me.
I would suggest that after this long campaigning, all candidates would across a bit aloof due to tiredness!
Tom Langrish is one of the most friendly and nicest guys I know.
While I’d usually let such stark misinterpretation of my campaign wash over me, I feel it is somewhat necessary to explain to the author what I have intended to do all along.
THIS CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED either with Me or with YUSU in general. It is not an exercise in ‘misjudged idealism’.
I also dispute that attempting to refocus a disenchanted student body with YUSU is ‘hardly rooted in reality’ and would have hoped that the author, more than anyone, would appreciate that everyone should be entitled to express their opinion in a platform that allows responses. That is what I have done with my website, and with the YouTube videos. And have been encouraging the student body to do from now-on with regards to YUSU.
The author waits with baited breath for the outcome where she anticipates a less-than-amazing percentage of the vote heading in my direction, and whilst I wish I shared her lack of optimism, I’d like to think that when people come down to choosing their future president, they’ll pick someone who’s willing to listen as well as talk.
Grant
This article is extremely biased and completely inappropriate.
Let us remember that this is still election time please. Not only does this article target certain candidates, it actually promotes a specific candidate while openly discouraging everyone other than YUSU hacks to run for a position.
I also support Langrish, but I do think that everyone should have a fair chance, which is something that mrs. York Come Dancing does not really seem to respect.
Perhaps it's the amount of time spent with YUSU hacks in dancing rehearsals that makes you speak of the 'alleged YUSU clique' in such favourable light.
I don't know what you were thinking but you are doing Tom a great disfavour.
I do hope this is a one off. It's *not* witty. It's just rubbish.
Agree with #7, the attempts at humour in this blog are shoddy and misplaced.
This should be a serious, objective look at a candidates performance, or if it is a "lighter" look, it should offer some more in the way of genuine amusement than a personal dig at Bushby. Poor work, I hope the other "blogs/reviews" are a little higher in quality.
ha ha. I love the Langrish/Brown comparison. How ironic!
"While looking a bit like Gordon Brown (only with the pointy hand-gestures of Blair), Langrish is a fired-up orator who has an impressive CV full of credentials that could make him an excellent president"
An impressive CV full of credentials didn't do much for Gordon Brown...
How is this a personal dig at Bushby, it's critical of all the candidates. I found it all quite amusing
I have to agree with Grant's point and others made above. This is highly biased and the author should have made their allegiance to Langrish clear at the start of the article.
Ngwena spoke fluently about a lot of other issues on the night than Fusion and I liked his performance.
I think Grant Bradley has not been given the credit he deserved either... coming across as a genuinely good guy who does care about students.
Even blog pieces should be balanced
RE: 11
"my first thought was that his hustings speech had all the conviction of a child reading out in assembly. While his campaign slogan describes him as the ‘conscious’ candidate, ‘barely awake’ seems more appropriate. While it’s possible that Bushby might have more to give in this election, I strongly suspect that the only thing he has up his sleeve is his elbow."
I know blogs aren't supposed to be objective, but surely a blog that basically says "Tom Langrish is god" and then says that about Bushby is a bit over the top?
Second #13 and #4. I even question the humour in it (or lack of it).
What exactly is the point of this 'blog' anyway? It hardly adds anything stimulating to campus media's election covergage, which up until this stage, has been pretty faultless.
What does it add? It's got people talking about the election right here hasn't it?!
No, it's got people talking about how biased the article is...
I think the article is more honest than biased. Bradley came over well in hustings but doesn't stand any chance of winning. Bushby was awful and I struggle to see how anyone watching him could ever vote for him based on that performance. Langrish spoke strongly but came over as slightly confrontational and a little scary and I expected a better speech from Ngwena.
I love lamp...
It's a series of honest, personal opinions about the candidates. The only people bitching and moaning are the paranoid members of candidates' campaign teams who are being hypersensitive and reading a little too much between the lines.
At the end of the day, if it's deemed biased then TDL will be punished according to the perceived damage done. If it's not, then he won't. End of argument.
I liked the article and heard that before the editing stage there were a few even funnier bits that had to be cut. Great job Miranda.
I thought that the blog was fairly even-footed in complimenting the two front-runners and explained personal opinion, with a dabble in comedy, as to the reasons that the other two are trailing massively in every poll. It's an opinion piece and I'm sure the other presidential election blogs will be too.
That said, the president is 1/6 of a team so I don't know why the focus is always on the one position!
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