Lies all lies, I say.

I am blaming it on the interface, I have done my module in HCI and I know a rubbish interface when I see one.

Vote Sid for President!!!!!

I notice that Mariko has also "accidentally" nominated herself for a sabbatical role...

Is this a sign of a faculty union mafia moving in to take over Beit?

Did someone threaten you not to run Sid? If so you should tell Danny!!! :P

Eric

Lol, hey! It was accidental! honestly! I was trying to second Eric..who will make a great dpcs :-D

_Warning_

I don't think you can start campaigning yet!

Is that campaigning before nominations close...

How is that campaigning!? It's just an expression of opinion! It's not like she's sayying oooh oooh yeah vote for eric!!!

Hacks you need some rest from all the hacking, your hack radar's getting all scrambled up and... confused!

WHAT A FARCE!!

just thought id be the first to get that in.

so, who's this Danny Eldridge guy? Why has he got so many seconders?

Don't you mean 'who's this Joseph Eldridge guy'? Well, he's in the maths department, thats all I know. But why has he got so many seconders? hmmm

Who is this Eric Lai anyway? He has even more seconders. How come I don't know him?

Vote RON baby!

RON That is most definitely campaigning.

Get someone to complain against RON to the returning officer, will give the editors something to write about!

Has anyone seen this?

http://www.felixonline.co.uk/v2/article.php?id=2862

thanks sid :P

You know, there are boxes drawn around each of teh words and a big box in the middle separating "stand" and "second" :P Guess no one really reads eh ? ;-)

I think Joseph Eldridge is that shaven headed guy who minces about in a suit everywhere: http://www.felixonline.co.uk/v2/article.php?id=2824----they might be the same people??

Link doesnt work!

Prancing around in a suit? Sounds like he'll make an ideal candidate for Pres

(fondly rembemers the beloved Mustafa)

Well, the astute amongst you might realise that taking the "----they" off the end of the link might make it work...

brown couch rules

Whats Brown Couch?

is it the same Brown that does the sports? His latest offering is well funny. http://felixonline.co.uk/v2/article.php?id=2913

I don't think so - Brown Couch is way more funny...

Of course, yet again ICU has breached its own regulations with regards to posters in no less then three places.

I was going to discuss this with a Sabb but as usual the office is totally empty...

But it does mean that if you need poster space you can take the elections posters down...although you are then likely to display some other poor societies in date poster that had just been plastered over.

Interestingly, unless you think RON is a credible candidate (he has a worse election record than Ed Piggott!) the two most important positions in the Union have only one candidate each.

DPCS - allocates/fights for resources for clubs

DPFS - allocates/fights for money for clubs

With about half the money from college spent on Clubs, to have such little interest in these posts is a sad inditement of something.

However, being beaten in an election enables you, when everyone starts to complain about the guy who was elected - you get to laugh and point out how the Union deserves them.

Ha Ha Ha!

The Union actually doing something GOOD for the students? please....you might as well wish for hell to freeze and you'll have more chances of that happening...

Sad but true, it's all a waste of time..but i guess it has to be done.

Well Viper, I guess you don't do anything union related - being working, using clubs... oh i forgot, Live! is hosted under the union, and run by a union club... and before you think its not "for the benefit of the students" - we need a good area to rant off on - think of the state college would be in we we all talked like this in person :P

Different Union!

Simon:

yeh sure thing clubs exist i am a member of several ones, shops are there too and i have used them.

But if THIS is your interpretation of Doing something good for us, then maybe you should consider taking a random walk around college, u know the buildings on the other side of the road...and ask the students, the ones that are not regulars of the bars of the union and don’t get p***ed every night and ask them why they never hang out there?

There is more to college than rugby players, and footy players, the Asian/oriental peeps, u cant miss them in the JCR but where are they hiding in the union???? I’d like to know...

Lets face it, i mean i like my college and i'd like to feel like i belong to super union, but frankly it sucks.

If the union was good, I’d like to know why King's union is so popular??

The union services do NOT cater for the majority of college who are Europeans, non-drinker, IC student population is very international, but the union doesn't reflect that. I think the Sabbs have failed yet again ...oh well they've had a year to find a job so it's not all lost cause after all.

Also just let me remind you that all of last year's manifestos were about: improving the union services (yeah right!) improving the food (mmm wont rush back there!)Catering for the international crowd, better prices, and chips...i don't see any better food there at cheaper prices, it's always the same vile pasta!

The reason why no one cares about elections is that each year its the same talk about dedication, commitment, better communication. maybe the Sabbs mean well, work had to get elected as most of them..(most)..don’t have a job yet (after all if you are desperate, you’d do anything), and when they get there, well...there is so much paper work that they regret getting there at the first place and count the days til they have to leave.

Please someone tell me WHAT EXACTLY THEY HAVE DONE THIS YEAR APPART FROM JUSTIFYING WHY THEY HAVENT MET OUR EXPECTATIONS AND TICKED ALL THE BOXES ON THEIR MANIFESTOS…

Read felix…they are good at beating around the bush.

Viper,

Have you ever bothered to give your opinion in a constructive manner to the union?

What ideas do you have? Always better to back them up with fact, rather than just "it is c**p..."

Also I believe most Sabb candidates have actually got jobs lined up for next year if need be...

People, whats with the "Capitals"?

Chill!

Viper:

Ok sure, thats not doing good for the students. Clubs and Socs wont ever run themselves, the DPFS is needed to be there to sign off budgets, the CS for all clubs related. In fact, just *being* there is good for us all (coughgsacough anyone?)

I'm a uk, non p***head musician - certianly not your obvious opinion of a union visitor, but I go for a drink after clubs finish in the evening and also lunch in db's - you cant complain about the sandwiches, reasonabley price (esp meal deal) when compared to things like QT.

From my opinion of international students, they dont care about going to the union for a drink, as they are much harder workers and prefer a different environment - there is no way any Sabb could change this kind of "prebuilt" opinion / attitude they have. And no reason they should try...

Just remember that the Union goes a long way beyond somewhere to eat drink and relax. The union is not just the sabbs either, its every elected officers of every club, and every club member. There are many more unions out there with far less diverse club structure, and far less of a union building.

Viper, you'll find your "Asian/oriental peeps" doing marital arts (or similar) in the union gym most nights. And what about at all the events run by OSC societies specifically for them?

Maybe you should look at exactly why you feel that the union doesn't do anything for you. You might find that actually the union does quite a lot for you. Did you use the 24 hour open library during exams last year? You say you are a member of clubs, what do you think funds them? If your department treat you unfairly DPE&W can help you fight your corner. And that's just a few examples. The problem is that the sabbs can't help you unless you tell them what you want.

And, by the way, the food has improved dramatically in the last 12 months. It is generally now quite nice and you get a huge portion for your money. It is both nicer and far better value than college catering.

Also multiple punctuantion marks are the sign of a diseased mind. Just one will make your point adequately.

You can complain about the food. A baguette from the SCRJCR is cheaper and better quality than in dBs. The meal deal gets you a drink + some nasty KP crisps.

If you get a baguette in the SCRJCR and a soft drink in the Union, it's cheaper and better than in dBs, if you don't want the nasty crisps.

I will add that the quantity and quality of the chilli has improved, but the 'pasta bolognese' leaves a lot to be desired.

RON has won 1 election already!!

DPFS?

Ruth: Marital arts are *quite* different to martial arts...

Dare we ask which Ruth is better at???

Yep DPFS withdrew. Well done again Repert!!

Diappointing Live! hasn't published the press release that Dan gave outlining his reasons for withdrawing from the election...

Dear Editors,

I have decided to withdraw from the DP(F&S) Election. I have informed the returning officer - so here is some news for you.

This is because:

1) I feel running uncontested (except RON) to be DP(F&S) is a poor show for union elections, and I think a further election should be carried out, so more candidates can have the chance to stand - it is a disgrace that it has ever got to this stage of only one candidate (i stood in the last 2 days since noone else was standing).

2) Point 2 is currently under investigation and Mr Lehmann requested it not be publicised until it is resolved.

3) Having spoken to various people in the union over the last few days, I believe that the Masterplan, (which I had pledged to change to match what students really want, rather than what some ex-union staff and sabbaticals wanted), will be fully sealed and signed off by the time I get into office. Essentially it is believed that the deal will be closed by the end of this academic year.

As I explained in my manifesto, the plan falls short in a number of key areas:

a) It has not an energy efficent or sustaibale building.

b) It is being rushed through by the Exec Committee, to meet the deadline for spending £1.2m from college without any consideration for proper financial statistics behind what the refurbished trading outlets will bring in. Basically noone has done any finacial predictions!!

c) We are removing club meeting space, at the price of Commercial Services, with no prior reasoning.

d) College space is difficult to book (look at Islamic Soc), and yet we are reducing our student meeting space...

e) We are not offering students what they want. Why build another bar, when student drinking is falling by 8% per annum, and why should the cafe bar be shared with members of the public - this is our union not theirs?

f) Blatent disregard for Part L building regulations (which refer to energy efficency). Basically they are trying to slip their plans in before the regulations come into force, so they dont have to reduce their energy usage, which might cost them some money in the short term, but savings in the long term.

This would leave me to be responsible for execution of a project that I whole heartedly feel is wrong for students, as i mentioned in my hustings and above. Doing something that is not in the interest of students, is something I would feel extremely uncomfortable doing, since I would hope students would elect me to serve them....

Wow! If this is what the editors do with a real story is it any wonder that many people don't bother reading Live! any more.

How about making an actual article out of this? Dan's resignation letter covers some like pretty exciting and important stuff that people might want to know a bit more about.

Further to that point, why have the Editors not published a report on the ICU Sabb hustings yet?

Thank you, He who knows all, I can't type. But you all knew what I meant...

Could it be said that a certain candidate for DPFS withdrew becuase he knew RON would beat him? Certainly if I was a Live! reporter and had been writing an article it would have been written with that in mind. I doubt though the editors would have risked a complaint from Mr Lehmann to publish an article like that!

The editors are merely reflecting student oppinion and are being totally apathetic to the whole election thing.

Were there hustings? When were they? I've not seen any publicity for them. It's no wonder that such a lot of students don't care about the elections, they probably don't even know that they're on!

BTW "Wibble", see my comment earlier about multiple punctuation!

I'm currently in the JCR waiting fcr hustings to start, with a recording device.

Unfortunately DramSoc have not turned up, so I'll have to leave before it starts...

I've just attended the hustings, if you strip away all the ridiculousness which RON is obliged to provide, he was the most appealing candidate by a long way. Loved the suggestion for sexually frustrated IC students.

I don't think that is true. There were a number of candidates that were good. Ben Harris provided some good ideas on what he plans to do. John Collins and Eric Lai both seem to know what they are talking about and they have the experience and they have been involved in big union projects. Those 3 must be better than RON

RON seemed to want to abolish DPGS and give the money to clubs, empower faculty unions and was hostile to the NUS and SWSS. In addition to that he was very entertaining. Vote RON!

I thought the absence of either DPGS candidate was very disappointing.

Felix editors all looked alright..

Anushri or what ever her name was doesn't have a clue!!

One of the DPGS candidates (Ngum) is from Wye. Thats probably why she wasnt there. But she didn't seem very confident and did't really say what she wanted to achieve next year anyway.

And the other DPGS candidate is from Charing Cross...

I was briefly at the monday hustings, which i knew about through word of mouth, rather than the Union publicising them.

The FELIX editors all agreed that the masterplan was a waste of 200k already spent, and that it wouldn't achieve anything useful for the students. Interesting response that that question, I thought.

Dan was completely right in his critical appraisal of the situation. The masterplan is currently such that there will be no tangible improvement to the Union after 1.4 million is spent on it, because all they're going to do is change where the toilets are and put in a new lift. This is what was agreed at last night's executive.

http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/meetings/files/paper2-288-2634.pdf no doubt after following the recommendation...

A complete waste of time and money. We've spent 200k of our reserves on architects, only to find that all they can offer us for 1.4million is a new lift (and shaft) when the old one could have been retrofitted, and some loos. I mean really, for 1.4 million? You must be kidding. Last year Yacht Club tried to raise Union support to buy a Yacht, a money making investment for the UNion as the yacht in mind already had charter bookings for the season just gone that would have paid off the maintenance and mooring charges as well as management fee. Did the Union go for it? Of course not, how could a viable, financially advantageous investment be good for a Union club? We've got ego inflating Masterplans to think of, don't you know.

We have been comprehensively shafted by a big American firm of architects which we were forced to use by the College Framework partners programme, we issued a design brief to them saying we want an energy efficient building, we want alcohol free areas in the building, and we want more club storage, and they come back with:

400kW prejected electrical demand versus the 100kW current demand (ie four times the damage to the atmosphere and more reliance on Russian gas supplies)

No alcohol free area, not even the new cafe where loads of space is being given over to yet more commercial stuff.

Less club space, by virtue of the fact that we're going to have more cafes.

To top it all off, the plans that Exec have now approved do nothing to improve the ground floor of the Union, other than the 17 person lift encouraging obesity on a massive scale, so we'll still have a manky old s**t brown coloured da Vincis with tired furniture and no natural light, and a smoke filled Union bar.

At least the Gov't has seen fit to ban smoking (we tried to trail blaze, but were shouted down), and the new Part L building regs will force our incompetent, brief ignoring architects to consider energy effiency more seriously. That's if an American firm of architects could actually countenance the words energy and efficiency to appear in the same sentence.

Vote RON? Sod that, vote for some competence in the Union, PLEASE!! Ignore whether or not they have experience already. Ignore whether they're pretty or ugly. Will they be able to force value for money out of a white elephant started by a 'management-obsessed' former president, Mustafa Arif, and end up with a Union the members want to go to? That is the only way that we can improve the building. An unnecessary lift and new toilets is probably not the key.

</rant>

"An unnecessary lift and new toilets is probably not the key."

• True

One Acronym: DDA

One small step for ICU, one giant leap for Student-kind

In terms of the DDA (1995) as amended by the SENDA (2001), it only requires "reasonable adjustments".

In this case, these adjustments are costing the best part of £1.4mill. It is therefore hard to imagine a court deciding that this is "reasonable".

Please people, don't invoke Acts of parliament if you don't know what your talking about.

As for adjustments, I'm sure there are other alternatives which would be considered "reasonable", and allow access to disabled people to all parts of the building, if only people would look for them.

The union has had the money to make the union building DDA compliant for a few years now, as it was awarded it from a specific HEFCE DDA compliancy fund a few years ago. See;

http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/meetings/files/paper2-116-1026.pdf

As you can see from this, the sum required to make the building DDA compliant is a fraction of £1.4m needed for phase 1 of the masterplan.

I leave it up to you whether the rest of the expenditure is necessary, but only a few hundred thousand pounds of it is actually essential.

Voting is open, until the 28th (Tuesday). Arlette Cole is still listed as standing for DPEW, but wasn't at hustings on Monday.

She has withdrawn. I don't think they have changed that on the database yet.

I think you will find she has not "offically" withdrawn.

I hear there is a farce article that has not bene published by Live! - go on editors publish it - please!

Is the profanity filter still set to hilarious?

Lets see.

e.l.e.c.t.i.o.n.s.

are

elections

Evidently not.