Meet The Presidential Candidates
The candidates answer a variety of questions
What personal qualities make you in particular suitable for this position?
Ian Williamson: To quote a friend: "Bulldog persistence, serious gumption, and an unyielding devotion to the betterment of all things University related."
Archie Dallas: I am very approachable, dedicated and almost too enthusiastic. Perhaps it's arrogant of me, but I reckon I'm the sort of person that people can just come up and chat to if they have a problem.
Matt Woodhams: I am hard working, reliable and honest. I also enjoy meeting new people, especially those from backgrounds (and colleges) different to my own.
Aaron Broxham: I'm normally pretty calm, so I won't let the massive work load and responsibility get on top of me.
I'm pretty fun too so I think I'll be able to get a good relationship going with students and presidents (or senior men), and maybe even the university.
When I get stuck into something I really go for it 9001% so you know I'll be dedicated.
Also I'm quite experienced, I've been involved in the DSU since my first term back in 2009 and I'm so keen for the DSU.
Klute, Studio, Loveshack or Academy?
IW: Klute everytime.
AD: Would I be alienating a huge proportion of the Durham public if I said Klute? There's something about a Glee medley and a lack of running water that really appeals to me.
MW: Definitely the Old (Real) Klute – I miss watching the rugby highlights repeatedly whilst fighting my way to the bar.
AB: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday!
With Durham’s collegiate system it seems that it’s harder for students to engage with their Union than at other universities. Indeed, voter turnout is sometimes quite low for student politics in Durham. How, if at all, would you try and encourage more student engagement?
IW: I'd connect the DSU better with the colleges, and really make it Durham Students' Union, by not simply parachuting in solutions from non-collegiate universities; we're not the same. That way the DSU would spend a lot more time supporting the JCRs, MCRs, the GCR and the SRC, which are actually connected to the student body and really pushing the issues that matter to students forward.
That said I'd also like to see the return of events to the DSU, to actually get students into the building. There is no venue like it in Durham, and if we can keep prices down, then we can offer something that no other club in town can, and get back the large student nights which Durham so sorely misses.
AD: I reckon that it just needs to be easier to get involved. At the moment it's fairly impenetrable when people start talking in some sort of political code that just makes it difficult to stay awake, let alone interested.
The other thing is that we can tend to be quite inward looking. However, the issues that we deal with are (from bar prices to tuition fees) are really important and the students need to pay attention. Durham students, myself included, can often be guilty of just burying their heads in the sand and hoping that everything will be alright in the end; I would make sure that we present these issues in an informative and engaging way so that it's actually accessible to students. We can do this quite easily through maintaining a presence across student media platforms. Luckily, I did English and so have a beautiful turn of phrase.
MW: By making the DSU engage with students rather than sitting back and wondering why students aren't engaging. The DSU should be going out and speaking to students in college bars, meal times, JCR meetings, the library… In fact wherever there are students to be listened to. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to make your voice heard, the DSU should make it easy for you.
AB: I think the union needs to get better at showing students how to wield the power they have, then they actually might use it and get involved in the DSU. I'm the Senior DSU Rep for Chad's and we had the highest percentage turn out of any college in the last referendum, my secret? Setting up a polling station in the dining hall and putting up a sign insisting that the free maoams with every vote were not a bribe.
President Andrew Johnson was known to beat those that disagreed with him with a stick, what approach would you take to conflict resolution?
IW: One of my favourite films is The Godfather, if you see what I mean…
AD: Physical violence is so unsubtle. A blend of misplaced sarcasm and apparently sincere complements seems to keep people on their toes.
MW: Conflict resolution should be done over a pint, or failing that over a meal. This ensures that everyone is relaxed – things are therefore less likely to get heated and no sticks are needed!
AB: Sticks are so 1865, my normal tactic is to insist they check their facts and they soon find I'm right, If they still don't listen just get everyone else on your side and it probably won't matter. If you are talking about the university then I will be nice when they are giving out the money but also tell them where the line is and remind them what happens if they cross it. As my housemate last year learnt, if you hog the oven then you better expect Tabasco in your rice pudding.
It came to light at the last University ‘Question Time’ that more money was being specifically set aside for the DSU. What would you want to do with this money?
IW: Talking to students in Queen's Campus, you realise that the DSU does pretty much nothing down there, when one in eight students are based there. I don't think you can justify that, and will therefore be working towards a permanent DSU presence on the campus.
AD: Part of me wants to say that I would turn Dunelm House into an enormous paintball match but I suspect that I would get into trouble. In reality, the money should go on whatever the students want. The building will be incredible regardless of what I promise; we just need to make sure that students' get their opinions across to the architect. Personally, I'm gunning for 34 player Mario Kart.
MW: We need to renovate the DSU and make it more student-friendly. The DSU building is currently an eyesore that everyone walks past. By putting on the right facilities and events, that students want, we can make better use of the building and enhance your time in Durham
AB: I think some of that went towards covering our deficit since it's nice not to be bankrupt. I'd like to spend the money on projects to get students more involved and also help societies get even better at what they do. I think with societies and students help we could use some of it to set up new financially viable events at Dunelm House.
If, heaven forfend, you were to have to resign from the position, would it be more likely because of a Clinton style ‘stained dress’ or a bit of Nixonesque political espionage?
IW: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
AD: I'd like to think that if I did have to end the job early it would be because of assassination, but perhaps that's just because I'm a bit of a drama queen. Think of a shorter, less important JFK (but with a slightly less pushy family).
MW: The most likely reason for me having to resign is because I will be open and honest about the university and how it is failing students. I can envisage the university not being very happy with this, and trying to find ways to force me to resign.
AB: LOL! Resign? Grin and bare it! Everyone loves a cheeky bit of corruption and adding -gate after words, so probably a Nixonesque scandal.
Finally, if you were only able to enact one manifesto pledge, what would it be?
IW: It'd have to be making the DSU work for the colleges, by giving college presidents more power in the organisation. I think that if we did that, most other things would follow.
AD: Well I only have one pledge: I'll make the Union actually useful so I suppose it should probably be that.
MW: Getting a direct bus between Durham City and Queens Campus. The X1 is a poor and unreliable service. The uni can easily afford to cover the cost from the significant operational surplus that Durham makes every year, and it will make a massive difference to those who commute between the two sites. The university just needs to stop finding excuses and do something about it.
AB: Probably to get more people using the DSU, it's kind of its basic function so it would be nice to actually achieve that. The student union is weak (and things like 38 week lets get forced on us) because no one gets involved, so it's the most important thing this year to make sure they do.
Who gave the best answers? Comment Below…
And follow this link to vote: http://www.dur.ac.uk/student.elections/dsu/
This is exactly what your Durham halloween plans say about you as a student
Jolie TabernerTrick or treaters are girl mathing x
A man has admitted to stealing mail from St Mary’s College after entering as a trespasser
Hannah FergusonThe defendant denied stealing from South College on the same day
Durham University post-grad student jailed for grooming 13-year-old girl with autism
Cory BroadbentSitikantha Mohanty, 50, was on a student visa studying business administration
Durham Student Union ranked worst for representing students’ academic interests
An academic officer said Durham is ‘not good at listening to its students’
Here’s what your fave Durham late-night takeaway says about you as a student
Caitlin JamesBeware the Paddy’s fans
Thinking about joining us? Here are six reasons why you should write for The Durham Tab!
Katie HeckelsCome to our open meeting at 6pm at The Library Bar on Thursday 5th October
Durham Union will attend Freshers’ Fair following two year ban
The decision recognised the Union’s improvements in equality, diversity, and inclusion
Durham ranked as worst uni in England and Wales for social inclusion, new league table finds
However, the uni placed seventh nationally and The Times named it as the best university in the North East
Durham Uni students to receive all marks in November following end of marking boycott
Those who took a resit can expect their results in September
Durham Uni places in top five for 10 subjects, 2024 Guardian University Guide shows
Its physics department is second only to Oxford
Durham Uni staff may strike in September following end of marking boycott
The strikes come after the UCU rejected the offer of a five per cent pay award
Nine students owe Durham Uni over £6000 for unreturned library books
One student alone owes the uni £890
Venue cleared of three out of four charges over ‘senseless and avoidable’ Olivia Burt death
Pieter SnepvangersThe jury has now begun its deliberations
The 10 things about Durham that shocked me as an international student
Vernice NgYes, Durham really is advertised to us as Hogwarts
I tried the viral TikTok Milan pasta and this is how it went
Spoiler: it was the best meal of my entire life
Durham Duz Dance 003: From Durham student to international DJ John B
Avantika SoodBag degree. Try and become a DJ. If that doesn’t work out, become a cellular biologist
Durham Duz Dance 002: Zero Sammy Virjins
Wondering who Sammy Virji is and why Durham students will pay 50 quid to see him?
Durham student’s death in queue for nightclub was ‘preventable’, prosecutors say
Olivia Burt died five years ago after an ‘unsuitable’ screen collapsed on her
A dramatic recap of the whole Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson cheating scandal
anotherstephenRemember when she kept posting open love notes on Instagram to him?
Co-star romances and age-gap relationships: All of Paul Hollywood’s biggest controversies
Lydia Spencer-ElliottHe’s back handing out handshakes on another series of The Great British Bake Off
Boo! These are officially the most haunted UK unis in 2023, based on ghost sightings
Emily SmithThere have been 59 ghost sightings at one UK uni
MAFS gossip column: Jordan responds to fight scandal and cast knew each other before the show?!
Hayley SoenThe drama really never ends!
Tour buses and family dramas: A brief history of One Direction’s run-ins with the law
Liam Payne has just had his driver’s license suspended
‘You’re scared to step outside’: Two women share their stories of being stalked at uni
This doesn’t only happen to celebrities like Holly Willoughby
Another one! People spot a further editing error in MAFS questioning a staged dinner
Nothing is sacred anymore
Um, the video of Georges squatting has been revealed and you absolutely have to watch it
Ellie RingGive this man all the baguettes
Attention pickpocket! The uni cities where you’re most likely to have your phone stolen
I’m switching back to a Nokia brick after this
Meet Lauren Sintes: The 27-year-old model joining the cast of Made in Chelsea
Of course she’s well connected with most of the cast
Rugby boys and the cleaning rota: Just 19 uni things that are none of my business
The hygiene rating of my fave kebab shop has nothing to do with me!
From secret hookups to cheating: All the biggest bombshells from the Love Is Blind reunion
I’m in shock at all of these
Why do posh people sleep with all their mates? A very serious investigation
The Made in Chelsea mayhem has gone on long enough
‘You’ve made a c*** of yourself’: Shona shares off-screen chat that saw Brad axed from MAFS
‘Bradley said he was behaving like a caged animal’
MAFS UK star Chanita Stephenson calls out the current cast for being a ‘bit too wild!’
She thinks they’re on the show ‘for fun’ and are not ‘focusing on their marriages’
‘Go f**k yourself’: Luke calls out ‘snake’ in MAFS cast who ‘sold’ story of him having a fight
It was revealed today Luke has been removed from the show following a physical fight