Student Democracy? Make mine a double

Student Democracy? Make mine a double

LEAKED Minutes highlight problems of discrimination and non-students participation in Student Democracy

I’ll be as BRIEF AS POSSIBLE. Don’t stop reading! This will shock and irritate you. Do you use the Student Union shop? Are you a member of a Society? Then THIS APPLIES TO YOU.

This information was forwarded to me from someone who did not wish to publish it themselves and who wants to be kept anonymous. This information made me feel truly ashamed of how STUDENTS ARE TREATED BY THE STUDENT UNION.

Problem 1

DISCRIMINATION in Extended Elections Times

The Student Union holds elections every year to ELECT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. The upcoming elections are going to prove controversial as they will DISCRIMINATE AGAINST STUDENTS THAT DON’T DRINK ON STUDENT UNION NIGHTS OUT.

The Elections & Rules Committee is responsible for elections and recently agreed ‘that voting would be extended on Wednesday evening till midnight.’

This creates a favoured group of people ie those who like to drink alcohol and go on Student Union nights out. This is a minority of the students (both under- and postgraduate) that study at the University of Leicester.

This decision also BENEFITS THE PEOPLE IN THE MEETING. I am not going to mention any names but ALL OF THEM DRINK AND GO TO NIGHTS OUT regularly. Some of the members of this meeting WILL BE GOING UP FOR RE-ELECTION as well. They are playing with the rules they are supposed to be protecting.

Some students cannot drink alcohol on religious grounds. Therefore this is religious discrimination for extending voting times ONLY IN A DRINKING ENVIRONMENT. I have no problem with drinking. In fact I drink myself. The problem I have is that THE STUDENT UNION IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DEMOCRACY! HOW CAN SUCH AN EXTENSION IN TIME BE JUSTIFIED?

Those in favour of this extension will argue that it ‘allows more people to have the chance to vote and it will increase turnout of the election, making the election itself more democratic’. THIS REASONING IS FLAWED BECAUSE in a democracy you need to have the same available voting times for every member of the electorate on equal terms. By extending voting times to Red Leicester YOU ARE EXCLUDING HUGE CHUNKS OF STUDENTS ON RELIGIOUS GROUNDS AND OTHERS THAT CHOOSE NOT TO GO ON A NIGHT OUT AT THE UNION.

Problem 2

Non-students campaigning for candidates

One question asked was whether a particular well known person (not a student at the University of Leicester) could campaign for a candidate. The E&R Committee again rubberstamped WITHOUT REALLY THINKING OF ITS IMPLICATIONS. When people leave Uni and still want to join student elections only one thing will be on their mind (MONEY). Inviting outside influences is against the rules FULL STOP! So why is this person allowed to campaign when he is well-known to be affiliated to a particular nightclub? Did it matter that this person is personally known by the entire E&R Committee?!! You tell me.

I would like to ask the E&R Committee to reconsider these two issues SO THAT THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS ARE AS LEGITIMATE AS THEY CAN BE.

There are going to be people who read this and slag me off. One thing is for certain though. I will never give up the person who leaked the information. I hope that this will encourage more people to speak out against bad decisions such as these.

Written by: Nathan Woodcock