Feed filled with flyer posts? Engorged with endorsements? Overwhelmed by overtures of support? CUSU Election campaigns may last only a week, but they generate an alarming intensity of hacking for votes.

The presidential hopefuls may be the figureheads, but behind every candidate there is a team – often comprising dozens of students – producing campaign materials, helping develop strategy and thinking up policy points. Normally, candidates recruit from their own colleges – often favouring former JCR committee colleagues – or enlist fellow society members.

This year is no exception: last Friday saw three highly prepared campaigns appear out of the woodwork, ready with talking points, graphics and even some strange videos. Working at the right hand of each candidate is a campaign manager – helping advise on moves and organising canvassing teams. They may be the spin doctors, communications managers or Masters of the Dark Arts of the future. Violet spoke to this year’s three campaign managers to find out more about the role.

Connor MacDonald – Team Jack Drury

Connor MacDonald (HSPS, Emmanuel) is Emma’s student union president, the Conservative Association’s campaign manager, and a former Union press officer. He’s also written a fair few pieces for Varsity.

How did you meet Jack?
We have good mutual friends, and I see him around a fair amount day-to-day.

How did you first get into the role? Did Jack come to you or did you offer to be campaign manager?
It was pretty mutual! Jack wanted to run, and I wanted to campaign manage. We have a great deal of respect for each other, and I knew he would be a brilliant candidate. He hasn’t disappointed.

What are the main tasks you are performing in the team?
I organize the troops, prepare some of our graphics, and keep everyone on task. I am assisted by some brilliant media people and an enormous number of volunteers. This could not happen without them.

What are your ideas for campaigning? What do you think are the best ways to engage students?
The best way to engage students is through a variety of platforms, because not all students’ consumption of University events is the same. Flyering, releasing policy platforms and meeting people are all crucial.

Every campaign needs a candidate willing to take bold stances and say what needs to be said. I plan to let Jack be Jack, because there is simply no one better.

What appeals to you about being campaign manager? Why take on this role, beyond simply supporting the candidate?
I really enjoy this stuff – and I’m thrilled to be working with such a dedicated, hardworking and substantive candidate.

What campaign models have influenced you?
‘Let Bartlet be Bartlet’ – ring any bells? Seriously, for good campaigning – one need look no further than The West Wing.

Abigail Smith – Team Daisy Eyre

Abigail Smith (English, Jesus) worked as Women’s Officer under Daisy on Jesus’s student union last year. She’s also been a TCS writer, an ADC producer, and is on the RAG Exec.

How did you meet Daisy?
I think it was at our first bop, and I thought Daisy was really cool. Then we roomed together on Varsity [skiing trip] and I discovered she wears footie pyjamas, so that illusion was ruined.

How did you first get into the role? Did Daisy come to you or did you offer to be campaign manager?
Daisy told me at formal one day that she was running and so I was just kind of involved in discussions from the start. Then, when we started making plans, it became clear I was ridiculously keen, and I was made campaign manager.

What are the main tasks you are performing in the team?
My main role is getting everything in order so Daisy can focus on campaigning about the issues. Whether that’s graphics, recruiting supporters, or handing out flyers, I make sure Daisy can get on with the campaign, while I timetable all the mundane stuff. I’m also pushing the Facebook promo, which obvs gives me a lot of validation through likes.

What are your ideas for campaigning? What do you think are the best ways to engage students?
I think the best way (and this is really boring, sorry) is to be upfront. Daisy is the keenest and most likeable person I’ve ever met, and there’s no point trying to dress that up: people will care because she does. I think students appreciate the debate and drama of the campaign, as long as the core of it is about the issues.

What are your plans for the campaign?
A combination of online and face-to-face promo. So we have a Snapchat filter, and lots of online graphics, but also want people to meet Daisy as much as possible in person (which is why she is eating her body weight in hash browns at every college brunch).

What appeals to you about being campaign manager? Why take on this role, beyond simply supporting the candidate?
I don’t know if I’ve stressed this enough, but I literally love timetabling so much. This campaign is a gold-mine for bullet journaling. On top of that, I’m staying on as a graduate student next year, so I am genuinely invested in having a CUSU president I believe in.

What campaign models have influenced you?
I mean I obviously fancy myself as a Malcolm Tucker, but that’s probably a stretch. To be honest, there haven’t been many recent political campaigns which I want to emulate, so I’m just making it up as I go.

Anna Milne – Team Keir Murison

Anna Milne (PBS, Murray Edwards) is the Vice President of Student Minds Cambridge, where Murison was formerly president. She is also Welfare Liaison Officer for Cancer Awareness in Teenagers and Young People (CATs).

How did you meet Keir?
I met Keir at the end of 2015 when we both got elected to the Student Minds Cambridge Committee, he got elected as president and I was initially social media manager but after two terms became vice president. Keir is now schools officer and senior member whilst I am still VP. Through this we became very close friends along with developing a strong working relationship.

How did you first get into the role? Did Keir come to you or did you offer to be campaign manager?
We came to the decision together. Keir talked to me about the campaign over Christmas and I really wanted to get involved, especially following our teamwork as president and vice president of Student Minds Cambridge – we already knew how each other worked and so could work effectively together.

What are the main tasks you are performing in the team?
My first task was making sure that the manifesto was ready and properly formatted. I also had to make sure that all the campaign materials were ordered and kept track of them so the graphics were ready for launch. Now I am managing the campaign group so that everyone is sharing and distributing the things that we need them to, and keeping Keir updated on this.

What are your ideas for campaigning? What do you think are the best ways to engage students?
The best way to engage students is to talk to them, getting as much physical engagement as possible. We are also trying to get a strong social media presence during the campaign and over voting so that people know where to find out about the campaign and ask questions about the manifesto. Also, social media is an effective way to quickly gain lots of publicity and traction. We are going to be looking into slightly more alternative material to break the monotony of campaigning in the usual way.

What are your plans for the campaign?
We have some slightly more entertaining campaign material which will come out soon.

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What appeals to you about being campaign manager? Why take on this role, beyond simply supporting the candidate?
I am a close friend of Keir’s and really believe in his candidacy so wanted to help out more extensively than just campaigning for him. I wouldn’t be running this campaign if it wasn’t for the candidate and this is really down to the policies that Keir is pushing, if not Keir himself.

What campaign models have influenced you?
In terms of models we followed some standard models with traditional campaigning methods along with using some slightly more fun ways to get students involved. We only had a small budget so couldn’t afford many materials, so instead have a number of handmade badges