A Stoic effort
Stoic TV host first ever live online hustings
The campaigning phase of the Imperial College Union Sabbatical Elections kicked off when STOIC TV broadcasted a ‘Meet the Candidates’ IC News special on Wednesday night.
Candidates running for the next year’s sabbatical and student trustee positions showcased themselves and their manifestos over the live stream found on the Union website.
The slated 6pm start turned out to be overambitious as the live broadcast started nearly an hour late. There were further delays, as technical glitches meant the sound cut off during the first round of candidates’ speeches.
The format of the special edition show took after the party leaders’ debate durignthe 2010 general election; each candidate was allowed one minute to pitch themselves uninterrupted before answering questions from IC News interviewer William Prince and the live Twitter feed. An out–of–studio punditry team were also on hand to dissect and discuss the candidates’ debate. Located in the Felix back office, IC News Presenter Elizabeth Skrzypiec lead the discussion with current Union President, Alex Kendall; ex–Deputy President (Clubs & Societies), Jenny Wilson; and ex–Felix Editor, Dan Wan.
The event is in addition to the traditional round of Hustings in the Union bars. This year, FiveSixEight will hold its first Hustings since opening last October.
It was an impressive display of technical aptitude and collaboration from the Union staff and student TV station, albeit hampered by the technical mishaps and delay. Studio presenter William Prince was on notable form as he constantly placed candidates under the spotlight with discerning questions about their policies and wider knowledge of the Union and the role they were fighting for.
The commentary team provided further insight into the roles and were quick to point out discrepancies in the candidates’ debates. Dan Wan staunchly opposed the view that Felix was an insular and male-orientated society: a point that the IC News studio presenter and Felix Editor candidates raised. Kendall was unexpectedly put under the spotlight himself when Elizabeth Skrzypiec questioned him about his role as Union President in the nationwide student protests. December’s Life Sciences cuts was a hot topic throughout the program as both Deputy President (Education) and Presidential candidates were quizzed about their views upon the issue.
The footage from the live stream will stay on the Union website for the Elections period. The show will serve as hard and lasting evidence of each candidate’s credentials and suitability for the positions they are running for when voting opens on the 8th of March.
