This week CUSU ran elections for delegates to attend the National Union of Student’s National Conference, and the results were unexpected. While five delegates were supposed to be selected, and five ran, only one was successful, with the others receiving fewer votes than the ‘Re-Open Nominations’ ballot option.

1,705 students voted, with a candidate needing 283.5 votes to be elected in the first round. This was achieved by Shadab Ahmed, who attended Conference last year, and was elected on 409 votes.

Alessandro Ceccarelli received 260 votes, Kate Litman received 239 votes, and Sally Patterson received 127 votes. One other candidate, Stella Swain with 321 votes, cleared the vote quota. ‘RON’ received 348 votes, however, finishing in second place – which means none of the four other candidates could be selected.

Four empty spaces for NUS delegates remain, meaning that another election will be held to fill them next term.

This year’s candidate line-up was notable for sabbatical experience of all the candidates in question, making the ‘RON’ result more unexpected.

Ceccarelli is President of the Graduate Union, while Swain and Litman are CUSU’s Welfare and Rights Officer, and Women’s Officer respectively. Ahmed was Access and Funding Officer last year, and ran to be CUSU President this year, although he lost out to Edward Parker Humphreys. All four are likely to enjoy a high amount of name recognition among Cambridge’s student body.

Patterson is no stranger to sabb roles either, having served as Equality, Liberation and Access Officer at Bristol Students’ Union and as a member of the NUS’ National Executive Committee.

NUS delegate elections are sometimes dominated by sabbs as candidates, or students aspiring to become one. Last year, there were twelve candidates, and those elected included Ahmed as well as Claire Sosienski Smith – both then sabbs, with Sosienski Smith now an NUS Vice-President. Also elected was Ali Hyde, now CUSU’s Education Officer. Former CUSU President Evie Aspinall was also in attendance, although she did not have to stand for election to be a delegate.

Another election for delegates to the NUS Liberation Conference was held simultaneously. Litman and Jess O’Brien, CUSU’s Disabled Students’ Officer, were both elected, receiving 580 and 584 votes respectively. ‘RON’ was left behind on 390 votes in the first round.

Graduate Union elections

A number of other elections took place at the same time to positions in the GU, with the winners listed below:

• Flamur Krasniqi as BME Officer
• Siyang Wei as Disabilities Officer
• Stanley Quek as Environmental Officer
• Jeffrey Rubel as Faculty Liaison Officer
• Elly Tai as International Officer
• Howard Chae as LGBTQ+ Officer
• Megumi Asada and Yan-Yi Lee as Open Portfolio Officers
• Julia Goldfeld as Women’s Officer