Mr. Brown, I'm impressed! Thanks for the first time I see my surname spelled correctly (as opposed to the collated form under which I registered due to space constraints). Best of luck to all campaigns! JMMJvG

My god. The three fresher candidate manifestos show them to be, respectively, an idiot with no comprehension of the English language; a jargon freak; and a half-assed politician standing for the wrong election. I know who has my vote!

Guildsmen! Do you love your union? Then don't vote for a muppet president!!! (See above for guidance)

judging from the manifestos, if it wasnt for the chap who's been here for 4 years, RON would win it. the others haven't got a clue.

Dear fellow guildsmen,

I was rather disappointed by your abrasive remarks. Have you even bothered to attend hustings? Your comments are ladden with a prejudice which I cannot ignore.

I have the experience of having been the President of the most important council in one of the greatest student conferences in the world. I have proven my leadership, organization, and negotiation (consensus and merging) skills. I hesitated to bring the reference up, lest I appear arrogant, but your brash remarks asked.

I also have the motivation, and ambition. I am convinced that I am the only candidate who was bothered to fully familiarize himself with the current issues and future challenges the CGCU faces. And I have all the qualities necessary pursue CGCU's mission: perseverance, eloquence, compromise, and organization. I cannot stress enough how key organization is to a successful engineering union.

Do you really want to vote for a fourth year just because he is a fourth year? Does it mean that because he is more experienced in solving vibrations equations that he will be more effective at resolving our budgetary limitations, developing our academic programmes, or organizing a ball? Should you look at his claims at face value? Indeed, does someone who will be working on their MSc have enough time for such a task?

I apologize if my words appear conceited or bitter. I assure you that I hold you all to greatest regard and would appreciate all further discussion if it can elucidate my position in these matters.

Sincerely,

JMMJvG

Campaigning on Live! is not normally allowed. Also I think what you have said is negative campaigning which is clearly not allowed.

I will be lodging a complaint with the Returning Officer.

Vote for the Fokker or the Fresher gets it!

One may argue that several of the other posts imply negative campaigning (against all three fresher candidates, eg Observer).

There is a thin line from defending oneself against comments and campaigning (I am not saying one way or another here). Note that JMMJvG nowhere says "vote for me" (at least directly).

Considering how everyone complains there are no candidates, then people complain about there being candidates... as usual people portray it as a lose-lose situation. Be thankful people stood for the position, and are happy to do what is necessary to ensure they run a good campaign. It could just be "RON" standing.

The policy from the Live editors regarding election campaigning is very simple.

Comments here or on any Live! discussion regarding elections will only be removed if they are presented as being those of someone who did not write the actual posting.

We will not be policing election regulations so if you wish to write a post that is seen as campainging that is up to you and your supporters to deal with any fallout from that post and any complaints will be dealt with by the returning officer.

If anyone, particularly candidates wishes for any clarification as regards Live! posts then please email editor@cgcu.net.

But surely experience of this union is important rather than any others.

Can each candidate name 5 guilds events of the last year, I just want to see which know anything about what CGCU actually does.

question for JJ von Gesseneck:

can you organise a festival of heavy drinking (i.e. p***-up) in a brewery?

JMMJvG, buzzword bingo!

If you get elected, you cannot chair an Exec meeting using that jargon. The business school might love that, but it won't get you far around the Engineers.

However they might like that sort of jargon at the "Model United Nations".

Dear JMMJvG,

have you taken a debating class, or even a rhetoric class? Your arguments lack the structure and cohesion which might be expected of a Presidential candidate, not to mention the fact that it is riddled with logical fallacies and straw men.

Firstly, concision. Rather than letting your lists ramble to four or five items, arrange things in threes. It's punchier, easier to digest, and will get your point across better.

Secondly, straw men: you are using false arguments which no reasonable person would defend, and blowing them away in order to demonstrate the obvious rightness of your point. However, it is manifestly *not* the case that we would vote for a fourth year because they have more experience in solving vibrations equations [sic]; we would vote for a fourth year because they have three more years experience of College, of the Union, and of the faculty. In the specific case of Mr Fok, he has the added bonus of experience within IC Racing, the CGCU events committe, and CGCU exec.

Finally, engineers (and particularly civil engineers) like concrete. And concrete facts. If you're going to wave references like "one of the greatest student conferences in the world", at least give us the chance to decide for ourselves by giving us the name.

I apologise if my words appear conceited or bitter, but as a tired and cynical third year it takes a little more than long words to convince me.

Alex

Cristina wishes to apologise for her mental blip in the union regs. She knows the President doesn't chair Exec. The Chaiman does.

To Chris J

Speaking as someone who knows James, I can confirm that he has been one of the key figures in organising:

>> The C&GCU Freshers Ball

>> Several C&GCU Bar Nights

>> The C&CGU Quiz

>> The Lord Mayors Show entry

>> Several C&GCU Sports tournaments

Dear Fellow Engineers,

Thank you for your interest in the CGCU elections. I consider my point to have been clear enough. Running around playing tag with this banter won't benefit any of us.

I hope, and trust, that what remains a priority for us all is not what the CGCU HAS done, but what it CAN do! And I am confident that with my assistance and vision we can achieve some remarkable results next year!

I remain open to answer any more specific queries you may have concerning my candidature by e-mail at jj105@ic.ac.uk.

Sincerely,

JMMJvG

Thanks friend of Mr Fok, I happen to know James and what he does but not the others so am interested to hear what they have to say!

JMMJvG, I have a question regarding your "candidature". In your not so well written speech at hustings (in JCR), were the sexual innuendos purely coincidental (i.e. penetrating right into CGCU and thrusting the CGCU forwards) or was it some sort of a "clever" joke? Either way, if they were coincidental, then I'd advise you to get some much needed "stress relief" in keeping the testosterone levels under control, and if it was meant to be a "clever" joke then God help CGCU next year (that of course is very conditional!)

Cleaner hospitals? Less crime? What are you on?

Daniel Lehmann, get your head out of your a**e. Be thankful that as many candidates stood as they did. It is precisely this nit-picking lamer attitude that turns so many people off union politics. Don't bother lodging a complaint, you fanny! It will only serve to disillusion an otherwise keen fresher from the wonderful world of CGCU.

No wonder no-one wants to be president, with people like Lehmann constantly finding fault.

It's great to see a large field of wannabe C&G Presidents this year, and fair play to them for standing. However, this is student union politics, and anybody who puts their head above the parapit should be prepared to take a bit of flack. It comes with the territory, and my advice to anyone standing for election is not to take it (ad comments on Live!) too seriously.

I very much hope that the three candidates who don't win this election will at least be volunteering for other roles next year, because the Union needs as many volunteers as it can get!

Scientist,

So nice of you to add comment. Campaigning is not meant to be negative, because it would resort in a dirty tricks campaign amoungst candidates. I don't think it is fair or right that either candidate should be disadvantaged by the year they are in - hence my comment. If someone can't read the candidate pack, and abide by it then why bother having it?

If you feel that strongly about what I have said about abiding by election rules, then maybe we should have a chat sometime. That is if you decide to come out of your little cupboard that you feel you need to hide inside, to post directly at me on Live! My e-mail is above...

So.. who cares anyway? C&G is going to suck next year anyway - compared to the mighty RCSU!!

NO its not, think about it!

ICU President = Former Guilds President

Present Guilds President = Still around

New Guilds President = Well, he has to do something

...and a core of die hard Guildsmen and women hidden around college.

Guilds is immortal, RCSU is a fad!

Come on people... Stop pretending FUs actually do anything. They are just there so college can pretend we care about welfare and c**p. The union is about clubs and socs remember. That is what is says in the union strategic review

Err... that is not what the strategic review says at all.

I helped write that document.

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