h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We had our Student Union election results yesterday. Our new president is a pirate.

I wish I was joking.

His policies include cutlasses for all and a cannon on the top of Central Hall. He has a hat and a duck on his shoulder. He runs the British part of Talk Like a Pirate Day. http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/1414/1/

Fun? Yes. Serious? No.

By all accounts, he did well at hustings and seems like he might be capable of doing a competent job, but how does this look to outsiders? It reinforces the stereotype of students who don't really care and just want to have fun. What really bothers me is that the president has to represent the university and the students - how is he supposed to negotiate with First Buses, who run the route between campus and town, for lower fares when he's dressed as a pirate?

http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/1568

It's difficult to keep a straight face even reading about this, gawd knows how you feel! I hope the job gets done to the best of his ability.

It is definitely funny, I admit, just probably not in the best interests of the university. It won't actually affect me as I've only got a term left and the newly-elected officers don't start till the next academic year.

Elentari come on it isn't that bad. Look at the last few weeks. The university gave a briefing on the campus bridges. Only one candidate attended. There was Payne who campaigned as the bridges being important was she there? No. Was the joke pirate there? Yes.

He is making a personal sacrifice to do this which I reckon is better than all the people who think it is the next logical career step.

He didn't get into it to actually get elected, he got into it as a joke.

I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I do have concerns about how effectively he can represent the students to the university and the other bodies he'll be forced to deal with. Did you vote for him then?

Speaking about the bridges - we really need replacements. I want a new Goodricke-Vanbrugh bridge, it's such a faff to have to walk around the lake to the other bridges.

to watch the rugby.

How delightfully bizarre

I know it was a joke and he didn't want to win. It is a sacrfice for him to actually do the job.

I did vote for him.

The bridges will be sorted irrleveant of what the SU says he had run socities well and how often do candidates say they will reduce SU cliqueness well he has certainly done that.

Oh heck ....I think there's a problem .... call the

I'm not so sure the bridges will be sorted, I think I heard that the uni has no plans to replace them.

*Pretends she understands*

Sorry Tartaronne, what didn't you understand?

I am not familiar with university life neither in Denmark nor in GB. So I'm not quite sure what harm an unwilling or a joking president can do.

Also there is a lot of jargon or inside language in the articles.

It seems that making fun of the system, being bizarre or outraging has appealed more to the voters than serious political answers and intentions.

How can that be, I wonder? No serious matters to work for? (I don't get the bridges). A gust of anti-authoritan behaviour? (And how come? - too little fun and madness at university?).

We had a man going up for election, outside parties, which is difficult to win, with a political program of 'more backwind on the cycle paths, a free pissoir in the middle of Aarhus, 'if work is healthy, give it to the sick' and a few more irreverent proclamations. He was the head of an organisation called "The consciously workshy elements".

He was - and still is a musician and comedian. And he got elected, much to his surprise.

He didn't do well in parliament. Forgot his social indignation, in my opinion.

Still, this pirate may be able to do the job, and, if he is supported, may be able to change some of the routines which the voters seem not to like.

But, as I don't quite understand, I may have it all wrong.

York Campus is based round a huge lake. Builings that are a stones throw apart could take 15 minutes or more to get to if there were no bridges.

It does reinforce what the rest of us think about students, which I think was Elentari's initial concern. Goodfernuffin' drunken jokers spending all their money on pranks and beer and then complaining they're skint...

Yes, it does make student politics look a bit silly. But any more silly than the revolutionaries selling the Socialist Worker outside the Union? I'm not sure.

If we're idealistic, I think we'd all like to think that university students are the cream of the education system; learned and thoughtful, with a close interest in our political systems as well as the subjects they study. Realistically, the majority of students are in their late teens and early twenties, living away from home from home for the first time and learning about life as well as formal education. So I think it's easy and lazy to label this as a sort of irrelevant, immature student prank - when the majority of people in this country don't even vote at all in most elections, it's a bit rude to accuse students of not taking things seriously. After all, enough people have voted for Michael Howard to be an MP, so why shouldn't students have a laugh as well?

Yes, it's a bit daft, and there were probably better candidates, and I don't even think he was the funniest. But we do have a long and happy tradition of satire in the UK, from Screamin' Lord Sutch down, and I wouldn't get too upset by it. As long as those of you who are politicised ensure he pushes the issues that are important to you, he could still do a very good job.

Anyway, that wasn't the biggest York news of the last week:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/torquay_united/7282820.stm

Small chance of me making the second leg on Saturday - I'll let you know if I do

Saturday's the day I'm going home and the parents will be up, so I probably won't be able to see you if you do. Terrible timing, what were the FA thinking?

At least your student union has some form of democratic procedure. We had the UCL Union AGM last week and there was mass cheering and booing between factions, two calls for a vote of no confidence in the chair, three quorum counts (four if you include the one that the vice-chair rejected so that the chair's own motion could be put through), and some of the calls for votes were uttered so quietly that some didn't realise that the vote had passed until it was too late even to call a recount... utter chaos.

Alex

Be grateful for small mercies, I suppose.

Thinking about it, Skanky, the parents probably wouldn't arrive till lunchtime, so if you do make it up and it's before that, I could potentially meet you.

I can't get out of work, anyway. If we don't go up, maybe next season!

Ah well. I won't be in York then, of course, unless I find a job here. I'm currently planning to head back home though.

stupid stuck up idiots

weapons like democracy should be used with responsibility

and decorum