Record field for UCSA elections

August 3rd 2011 by Sebastian Boyle

A last-minute rush of nominations saw the field of candidates for the 2012 UCSA executive grow to the largest executive field on record, with 57 names submitted by the close of nominations last Friday.

As of noon Monday, after a handful of candidates dropped out, 46 candidates were in the running for nine general executive positions, four were vying for finance officer, four for vice president, and six for president.

Though the field ultimately became the largest ever, things were not looking so rosy the day before nominations closed. As of Thursday afternoon, only seven nominations total had arrived at UCSA reception.

In response, current UCSA president Kohan McNab issued an appeal for further nominations in a special Red Phone, his email newsletter sent out to all UC students.

"It's important for you that you get some good people looking after the place," he wrote, "and right now we don't even have enough nominations to make an exec."

His call to arms appeared to work, with prospective candidates trailing into the UCSA reception throughout Friday morning. Several candidates spoken to at that afternoon's candidates' meeting and since said they only seriously considered putting themselves forward after reading McNab's email, and were now uncertain of their chances in a field so large.

Voting for the 2012 executive opens 9am Thursday 11th August, and runs until 5pm Friday 12th August, with results announced at a party at 7:30pm that evening. All enrolled students will receive an email inviting them to vote online. A link will also be available at www.ucsa.org.nz.

Full candidate details and photos will appear in next week's issue of Canta.

The Candidates

General Executive Candidates
Nine to be elected

Matt Adams-Richardson
Nathan Ainsworth (Also Finance Officer)
Tom "Archie" Archibald
Mark Bassett
Simon Bloomberg
Catherine Carlaw
Hamish Catherwood
Anna Christison
Megan Coup
Tim Courtney
Ciska Den Haring
Gordon Dickson
Matthew Doody
Hannah Duder
Alison Grant (Also VP)
Benjamin Helm
Tim Hickson
Kellie Hobbs
Thomas Horrocks (Also Finance Officer)
Temiko Jager
Peter Jakowetz
Henry Jones
John King
Alicia Lamb-Miller
Michaela Latimer
Emmakate McKenzie
Sarah McLaughlin
Andrew "Sheep" Mills (Also VP)
James Moore
Mike Mullins
Tom Nation
Sarah-Jane O'Connor
Michael O'Flaherty
Jebs O'Rourke (Also Finance Officer)
Hannah Orchard
Ahmad Osama
Morgan Perry
Michael Richards
Campbell Sinclair (Also Finance Officer)
Jalanda Smith
Sara Smith
Chrislynn Soong
Timo Tay
James Walker
Craig Whitnall (Also VP)

Finance Officer Candidates
One to be elected

Nathan Ainsworth
Thomas Horrocks
Jebs O'Rourke
Campbell Sinclair

Vice-President Candidates
One to be elected

Alison Grant
Andrew "Sheep" Mills
Todd Rabbitt
Craig Whitnall

President Candidates
One to be elected

Joshua Bird
Leroy Hopson
Erin Jackson
Andrew Stratton
William William