Tom d'Ardenne - Nominated for Association President

[Ben Reilly]

Tom,

I have to say that I am quite disturbed by the focus on representational issues you have displayed in this thread. The remits of the sabbaticals are quite clear in that the DoR is the lead sabbatical on representational activity and that the Association President is responsible for communicating what's going on with the student body and the outside world.

Given your focus on representational issues, would you try and have the job remits changed if you were elected?

[ajj24]

"Secondly, and more importantly, I would ask STAR radio themselves if they wanted to broadcast annualy. I might be wrong, but I was informed that they were far from keen on the idea. "


Okay, then what does this mean on standrewsradio.com?

"all of us at Star FM hope that one day (hopefully not too far away) there will be a permanent radio station at the University of St Andrews. Don't even think about betting against us!

[Dardar]

For starters, £15,000 was the exact figure stated, by me, on Monday night at the Association Presidential hecklings, regarding the amount of funding I would choose to extract for student development from the Association's annual interest from the EI fund. In fact, set-up costs would be considerably less, probably in the range of £8000 to £10,000. Those numbers come from studies commissioned by Alex Walsh, the creator of the STAR-FM concept six years ago, and were carried on by Anthony Warner, Harry Watkins, Andre Wegner and I in a second research project conducted in the 2003-04 and the 2004-05 academic years.

Furthermore, aside from web broadcasting, STAR-FM's primary audience is the students of the University of St Andrews, not the outside world. Its radio range is not more than several miles. Excluding the possibility of acquiring a Community Radio License from OFCOM it would in fact remain a station exclusively for St Andrews' students.

Finally, STAR-FM is, and shall remain, a student project, particularly as is likely to become an association sub-committee, which essentially guarantees that the station remains in the hands of students. Hence, expansion of broadcast time to year-round does not introduce any problems regarding outside influence to the station at all.

Bearing these facts in mind, could you elaborate as to what you have done during your tenure as John Burnet Senior Student to incresae contact with the outside world, particularly in light of your profound misunderstanding of the status of STAR-FM? Do these things demonstrate your qualifications for the job of Association President, which is fundamentally a "director of external relations"?

[b]
someone.
Nominated for Association President.

Thank you for the observations and questions.

On STAR radio:

Firstly, I apologise for not knowing for sure whether the figure quoted had been £15,000 - the reason being that, like all Presidential Candidates, I was not allowed in Venue 1 whilst you addressed the 'hecklers'. Secondly, I believe my point regarding the costs of STAR Radio remains a valid one - £15,000, at least in my mind, is a huge amount of money, and there are many ways that kind of sum could be spent on improving the university experience. I believe it is important to spend this money available as wisely as possible and on what the STUDENTS would like to see the money spent on rather than on what the Association President believes they should have. Thirdly, I have yet to see any indication that STAR radio THEMSELVES want to broadcast annually, and I do not think that the position of the Association President should make promises regarding STAR radio an election promise on their behalf - especially where it may be against their own interests. While the website may state that the ultimate aim is to broadcast annually, the two people I know who work on the station are rather more apprehensive about the idea. Fourthly, and again I must stress I am not au fait with the legal issues, but I am concerned that there may well be legal technicalities which may prevent a yearlong STAR radio ever being more than a promise which cannot ever be kept. That said, please feel free to update me on points three and four.

Qualifications

The questions raised are more interesting - and indeed very important. What have I done as Senior Student in the last two years that would suggest I would make a good Association President? I apologise in advance for the rather long-winded answer. As the poser of the question knows, the role of a Senior Student is not one aimed primarily as an external communicator for that is a relatively small part of his remit, and that my experience is limited. That is why he asked the question. I believe I have other attributes.

Firstly. Hard work. Good old-fashioned hard work. I have been woken COUNTLESS times to scrub fresh alcohol-fumed vomit from the carpets of John Burnet. I have tidied up after every party, been to every sports event, been shouted at following every broken window. I have spent hours driving to find the perfect venue for a party, and days planning, organising and fulfilling events. I have fixed holes in the very walls of the building to prevent the Hall Committee from being ripped off, and carried pool tables across the building.

Commitment. There are no days off as a Senior Student - every one brings a new challenge, and there is no shirking from it. I am sorry to hear of your family troubles. I know only too well what those words mean – I promise you I do because in the last few months I have had plenty of my own to deal with, and I assure you they are not trivial. However, not once did I consider leaving the position of Senior Student. Nor did I fail to make any meetings because of dissertation deadlines, or had to blame academic work for faltering in my duties. I have always managed my time to make room for both. In fact, incidentally, I have devoted more time to Senior Studenting than my academic work by a LONG way, am proud to have done so, and have gained more from my experiences as a result.

Affability and Eloquence. I have represented the students of my hall at the highest levels of the Accommodation and Financial spectrums, right up to Roger Smith and Isobel Clifford, and have done so with modesty and success from day one. I have good relations with every member of the University staff that I know, and have even got them to admit that, on occasion, they have been wrong. Of the people living in Hall there is not one who does not know me, or who should have any problems approaching me. I am there for all of them, every day of every week, of ever year should they ever need me.

The result: When I became Senior Student I inherited a £3000 debt, a curfew of 10PM, and a total ban on parties. When I leave in several weeks time, I will leave plenty of funds, a year which has seen parties of some description occur practically every week, and the best relations that the Wardennial team have ever had with the students. Don’t believe me? Please feel free to come around and ask them, as they are quite independent. I have a hall where many people this year are being forced to leave, unfairly, because there is not enough room for them – and they are very upset at having to leave. That is the Hall I have helped towards making.

This thread, however, is not about self-gratification. I did not ever tidy up vomit so I could one day use it as an argument on an internet forum as proof as to why I should be voted as Association President. I did it because of a far more important motive. I have devoted all of the time, sweat and emotion to a single cause of making this Hall, John Burnet, a better place to live for the students within it for a single reason. Because the students who live here are the best people I have ever met – all of them. And I CARE about them – ALL of them. And I want to make their university days as special as mine have been. I really, truly hope I have. If anyone from John Burnet ever reads this – know this from the bottom of my heart: I am proud to know you, and to be your friend should you ever need me.

And if I could go back in time, and do it all again, I would not change a single second.

These are my qualifications. And if these are not good enough for the population of St Andrews, then I have nothing to offer.

[Dardar]

For starters, £15,000 was the exact figure stated, by me, on Monday night at the Association Presidential hecklings, regarding the amount of funding I would choose to extract for student development from the Association's annual interest from the EI fund. In fact, set-up costs would be considerably less, probably in the range of £8000 to £10,000. Those numbers come from studies commissioned by Alex Walsh, the creator of the STAR-FM concept six years ago, and were carried on by Anthony Warner, Harry Watkins, Andre Wegner and I in a second research project conducted in the 2003-04 and the 2004-05 academic years.

Furthermore, aside from web broadcasting, STAR-FM's primary audience is the students of the University of St Andrews, not the outside world. Its radio range is not more than several miles. Excluding the possibility of acquiring a Community Radio License from OFCOM it would in fact remain a station exclusively for St Andrews' students.

Finally, STAR-FM is, and shall remain, a student project, particularly as is likely to become an association sub-committee, which essentially guarantees that the station remains in the hands of students. Hence, expansion of broadcast time to year-round does not introduce any problems regarding outside influence to the station at all.

Bearing these facts in mind, could you elaborate as to what you have done during your tenure as John Burnet Senior Student to incresae contact with the outside world, particularly in light of your profound misunderstanding of the status of STAR-FM? Do these things demonstrate your qualifications for the job of Association President, which is fundamentally a "director of external relations"?


someone.
Nominated for Association President.

Thank you for the observations and questions.

On STAR radio:

Firstly, I apologise for not knowing for sure whether the figure quoted had been £15,000 - the reason being that, like all Presidential Candidates, I was not allowed in Venue 1 whilst you addressed the 'hecklers'. Secondly, I believe my point regarding the costs of STAR Radio remains a valid one - £15,000, at least in my mind, is a huge amount of money, and there are many ways that kind of sum could be spent on improving the university experience. I believe it is important to spend this money available as wisely as possible and on what the STUDENTS would like to see the money spent on rather than on what the Association President believes they should have. Thirdly, I have yet to see any indication that STAR radio THEMSELVES want to broadcast annually, and I do not think that the position of the Association President should make promises regarding STAR radio an election promise on their behalf - especially where it may be against their own interests. While the website may state that the ultimate aim is to broadcast annually, the two people I know who work on the station are rather more apprehensive about the idea. Fourthly, and again I must stress I am not au fait with the legal issues, I am concerned that there may well be legal technicalities which may prevent a yearlong STAR radio ever being more than a promise which cannot ever be kept. That said, please feel free to update me on points three and four.

Qualifications

The questions raised are more interesting - and indeed very important. What have I done as Senior Student in the last two years that would suggest I would make a good Association President? I apologise in advance for the rather long-winded answer. As the poser of the question knows, the role of a Senior Student is not one aimed primarily as an external communicator, and that my experience is limited. That is why he asked the question. I believe I have other attributes which I have elaborated on below. Remember, experience can be gained - characteristics cannot be.

Firstly. Hard work. Good old-fashioned hard work. I have been woken COUNTLESS times to scrub fresh alcohol-fumed vomit from the carpets of John Burnet. I have tidied up after every party, been to every sports event, been shouted at following every broken window. I have spent hours driving to find the perfect venue for a party, and days planning, organising and fulfilling events. I have fixed holes in the very walls of the building to prevent the Hall Committee from being ripped off, and carried pool tables across the building. I could go on for hours, but why bother - you get the idea.

Commitment. There are no days off as a Senior Student - every one brings a new challenge, and there is no shirking from it. I am sorry to hear of your family troubles. I know only too well what those words mean – I promise you I do because in the last few months I have had plenty of my own to deal with, and I assure you they are not trivial. However, not once did I consider leaving the position of Senior Student. Nor did I fail to make any meetings because of dissertation deadlines, or had to blame academic work for faltering in my duties. I have always managed my time to make room for both. In fact, incidentally, I have devoted more time to Senior Studenting than my academic work by a LONG way, am proud to have done so, and have gained more from my experiences as a result.

Affability and Eloquence. I have represented the students of my hall at the highest levels of the Accommodation and Financial spectrums, right up to Roger Smith and Isobel Clifford, and have done so with modesty and success from day one. I have good relations with every member of the University staff that I know, and have even got them to admit that, on occasion, they have been wrong. Of the people living in Hall there is not one who does not know me, or who should have any problems approaching me. I am there for all of them, every day of every week, of ever year should they ever need me.

The result: When I became Senior Student I inherited a £3000 debt, a curfew of 10PM, and a total ban on parties. When I leave in several weeks time, I will leave plenty of funds, a year which has seen parties of some description occur practically every week, and the best relations that the Wardennial team have ever had with the students. Don’t believe me? Please feel free to come around and ask them, as they are quite independent. I have a hall where many people this year are being forced to leave, unfairly, because there is not enough room for them – and they are very upset at having to leave. That is the Hall I have helped make.

This thread, however, is not about self-gratification. I did not ever tidy up vomit so I could one day use it as an argument on an internet forum as proof as to why I should be voted as Association President. I did it because of a far more important motive. I have devoted all of the time, sweat and emotion to a single cause of making this Hall, John Burnet, a better place to live for the students within it for a single reason. Because the students who live here are the best people I have ever met – all of them. And I CARE about them – ALL of them. And I want to make their university days as special as mine have been. I really, truly hope I have. If anyone from John Burnet ever reads this – know this from the bottom of my heart: I am proud to know you, and to be your friend should you ever need me.

And if I could go back in time, and do it all again, I would not change a single second.

These are my qualifications. And if these are not good enough for the population of St Andrews, then I have nothing to offer.

[Dardar]

Quoting Ben Reilly from 16:22, 15th Mar 2006
Tom,

I have to say that I am quite disturbed by the focus on representational issues you have displayed in this thread. The remits of the sabbaticals are quite clear in that the DoR is the lead sabbatical on representational activity and that the Association President is responsible for communicating what's going on with the student body and the outside world.

Given your focus on representational issues, would you try and have the job remits changed if you were elected?

Thank you for the question Ben. It is a very valid one, and one which I address address in more detail on my website (www.tomdardenne.me.uk).

In essence, I believe very firmly that the Student Association should be a representative organ of the Student population. The former should do everything within its power to open up as much dialogue with the latter to find out what the latter needs and wants. At the minute, this dialogue just does not happen to the extent that it should. You cannot blame student apathy alone for only 27 people out of 7000 turning up to the hecklings. Nor can you blame apathy for only 30% of the student population knowing that there even are elections tomorrow (Front Page - The Saint). There is a fundamental lack of communication, and I believe this is one of the greatest problems faced by the Association today. Having spoken to people about these issues all week, I can honestly say that students, in general, know very little/nothing about the Association – not just with regard to these elections, but with regard to all of the work which they do.

So the big point of this: how can the Student Association honestly claim to be accurately providing the students with what they want, when the vast majority of students are completely unaware of it, or how to give input into it?

There are three reasons why the Association President should be concerned with this, and get involved with the issue:

1) How can the position of Association President correctly represent the student body externally, as is the principal role of the position, if he is out of touch with the students internally?
2) This is a massive problem, and one that is not easily solved. Yes, the DOR is the person primarily responsible for raising student awareness, and I am not going to argue this, or argue for a change in the role. However, the position of Association President is obliged according to the Association Laws to 'assist all other sabbaticals... to ensure the completion of their duties' (point 20) - and the scale and significance of the problem means the DOR next year is going to need all of the help they can get. The numbers at the hecklings alone demonstrate this.
3) As an important figurehead of the Association, I feel the Association President has the potential to make a real difference when it comes to making the student body more aware and active.

I hope that this answers the question. Please ask if any points need further clarification.

Tom

[BenEsq]

Tom, I heard that you were disqualified.

Is this true?


[hr]

Lions and tigers and bears...Oh my!

[Ben Reilly]

Tom,

Thank you for your reply. Actually, the role of the Association President is (partly) to raise awareness by communicating with the student body.

The role of the DoR is to develop the policy and the initiatives that are communicated by the President. How would you feel about filling that role?

[Bonnie]

Tom, I am completely madly in love with you!

How are you going to cope with so many ladies after you next year? Do you think the President's primary purpose is to look as good as you do?


Ahhh, no sleep does crazy things to one's sense of humour, doesn't it?

Bonnie Ryder - Association President.

[hr]

I love cheese.

[househunter]

Tom was a good friend whilst I was in JBH in first and second year, he has always taken his committee roles seriously.

In second year he beat Seth Ewin to the post of librarian, he did a fantastic job in organising the books, ordering more, starting a video lending service and making the library a workable environment. Even as a librarian he was probably the loudest voice at committee meetings and probably the only one that took it seriously.

I really hope you win today.

All the best.

[Mr Comedy]

Tom,

How did you really meet me?

Dave Vinton - nominated for awesome

[hr]

"I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea. " -Lu Tung

[Midget]

Quoting househunter from 12:14, 17th Mar 2006
Tom was a good friend whilst I was in JBH in first and second year, he has always taken his committee roles seriously.

In second year he beat Seth Ewin to the post of librarian, he did a fantastic job in organising the books, ordering more, starting a video lending service and making the library a workable environment. Even as a librarian he was probably the loudest voice at committee meetings and probably the only one that took it seriously.

I really hope you win today.

All the best.

Is this some sort of personal take on me I don't see particularly the relevance of mentioning me by my full name over a small hall election several years ago, and also I think the election was between Dardar and Midget, I can't remember ever being referred to as Seth Ewin in hall back then. (In fact I dislike being called by both my names exept in formal circumstances, it looks like you are trying to draw attention to me as if i have committed some offence). In both elections I have run against Dardar I have been friendly and respectful, I also run because I think I would be good at a particular position.



A lot has been said about the reasons for people running in this association elections. Some people are hacks, some not. Some ran for their own ego, others altruism. Bollocks. To draw these distinctions is to find lines of separation where there are none. If people want to run they want to run, you cannot force people to run for your own ends, it isn't clever, it often leads to far more problems and indivicuals being hurt. As to the former point, what is a hack? Senior students sit on the SRC Accommodation Committee so they are evil insiders too I guess although I suppose they haven't sat on this committee since the last Acc Officer who held fortnightly meetings unlike the one just finished. Virtually everyone is involved with the Association and Union is some way.

I presume I know you fairly well so its nice of you to be so supportive of my own presidential campaign.

Seth Ewin

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg Too far.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090

[househunter]

oh stop whining 'midget' i put a number 2 next to your name, but tom has been a better friend and has always bent over backwards for me. i just hope that the RON campaign didn't take to many votes away from tom as some people voted thinking he was disqualified.

[Midget]

Whining. Do you have even the faintest idea what it must feel like to be in the position where a weeks exhaustion may count for nought.

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg Too far.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090

[atreus]

Quoting househunter from 10:15, 18th Mar 2006
i just hope that the RON campaign didn't take to many votes away from tom as some people voted thinking he was disqualified.

As I recall, since there is a proportional voting system in place at the union, anyone who thought Tom was disqualified and decided to vote RON, should have put Tom first (or second after RON). Of course, things being as they are with this university, only a handful of people know about proportional voting. Technically, no one, not even RON, can act as a spoiler in this system unless people don't use all their numbers.

[Lodestone]

unless people don't use all their numbers.

Another problem with the ballots here--it was totally unclear whether or not you should be usiong all numbers, and there was, as far as I know, no information about how exactly thr STV worked.

[Midget]

Lodestone ( I wish I knew who you were I do like your posts) . But, we are students, you need As and Bs to get in here, I should think STV would not take that much intelligence to understand. I mean we've all played games where we list our favourite people, foods etc etc from 1 to 10. Its not exactly difficult.

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg Fall and Ruin: Candidate Ewin
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090

[Cain]

Quoting Midget from 20:47, 18th Mar 2006
But, we are students, you need As and Bs to get in here, I should think STV would not take that much intelligence to understand. Its not exactly difficult.

in that case, you're welcome to come in and teach my Intermediate 2. girls how the elections for the Scottish parliament work.

They always seem to have some problems with it, but as you said, it's not exactly difficult.

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise

[Ben Reilly]

Surely at least part of the problem with that is that the system chosen for the Scottish Parliament defies logic.

Multi-Member STV elections, which bring about representatives that reflect the views of the electorate (AKA Proportional Representation) are going to be used for Scottish Council elections come next year.

[Al]

There are several problems with RON.

1. There is a complete misunderstanding of its original purpose.
2. No - or very little - thought was given to what would happen if a majority of people voted to RON.
3. Why vote 1 for the Re-Opening of Nominations and then use further preferences for the other candidates? A first preference vote to RON means that a voter doesn't want any of the candidates to win. How then can he/she vote for any of them?

[atreus]

Quoting Al from 23:18, 18th Mar 2006
There are several problems with RON.

1. There is a complete misunderstanding of its original purpose.
2. No - or very little - thought was given to what would happen if a majority of people voted to RON.
3. Why vote 1 for the Re-Opening of Nominations and then use further preferences for the other candidates? A first preference vote to RON means that a voter doesn't want any of the candidates to win. How then can he/she vote for any of them?

In response:

1. I don't know the original purpose of RON, so I'd be happy to know; all I can say is: purposes change.
2. Much thought was given to what would happen if RON won, even though this was very unlikely: hacks would finally have to recognise that something is wrong with the system that caused so many people to vote RON. While the same canidates might seek re-nomination, this would seem fruitless since the students had voted against them the first time. So, what was hoped, was that some fresh blood would be sought after to fill the posts.
3. Someone voting for Tom (let's bring it back to who this thread is for) may prefer him, putting a one next to his name. Should he then not vote for anyone else? No. RON is similar. A person putting a one next to RON declares their preference for Nominations to be Re-Openned. However, since we don't always get what we want (cue Rolling Stones), and since RON is highly unlikely to win, they would still want the representative to somewhat reflect their interests, and would rank the canidates from lesser to the greatest of evils.

Are there any other problems you would like to dicuss about RON or the voting system? Perhaps this should be taken off this thread, which was meant only for election time (which has now passed, even if the results are not out).