Election results rarely elicit gasps. Groans, for sure, but strung-out tension is rare. Friday night, however, the rounds of results for LUSU President played out like a horse race.
3 rounds of vote counts we were treated to, cranking up the number of cramped limbs in the room each time the two leading candidates were shown neck and neck.
However, by a handful of votes, Rory O’Ceallaigh was duly elected LUSU President at 10pm on Friday. He gave his speech, went for his official photo and then I cornered him (respectfully, of course) and his enormous grin to help you get to know him.
What does the LUSU President do?
Exactly what you’d think, actually. They support the work of the other members of the FTO team to ensure everything runs smoothly. Additionally, they chair various boards and committees responsible for any sort of student issues, attend councils as a student representative and acts as lead officer in relation to operations of the Union’s commercial services and their development.
Therefore, the president needs to have a firm grasp of the university’s organisational mechanics, needs to be in touch with opinions of the student body and understand the capabilities and limitations of the university’s funding structure. Now on to the interview.
What was the best or most challenging moment of your campaign?
Unsurprisingly, the hardest part of Rory’s last few weeks has been the balancing act.
It is clear he is very proud of his college allegiances and this critical week of the President campaign has also coincided with Patriots, Furness’ annual sporting competition again Cartmel.
Supporting Furness’ odds of victory in their college rivalry whilst also maintaining significant campaign pressure knocked Rory flat.
“It was just shattering.”
Wednesday was a clear example: he flung his limbs about a netball court and a rugby field for Furness, campaigned for his LUSU President Bid up here on campus, (I’m sure he managed to fit his academic commitments in at some point), then in the evening planned to head down to Sugar and hand out stickers in the queue.
“I was on my sofa at like 10 to 11 thinking ‘do I wanna go?’. I was half asleep.”
But his powers of resurrection are truly to be marvelled at. He stickered the partygoers and it all paid off.
What were the key factors that you believe helped you secure this victory?
We’re sitting in the buzz of his win, surrounded by people who have been asking him questions since the moment his name was announced. LUSU staff want photos, The Tab want an interview, his campaign team – enlivened by their share in his victory – are all waiting around for him but still, Rory takes the time to process this question. His answer is enlightening.
“People I’ve spoken to said that my manifesto was well written.”
This is clearly important to him, but the real success seems to lie beneath the surface: he hauled himself about campus, physically interacting with as many students as possible in an attempt to engage with our issues in person.
“The stickers helped as a gateway to talk to people, that human interaction – because some of my competitors had significantly more followers on social media, for example, but face to face, the more people see of you…”
He trails off with a gesture to the room that has just witnessed his victory.
Was there a specific moment that inspired you to run for LUSU President?
Not a single instance, but this bid is in no way out of character for Rory. Imagine him in beige.
“I was a scout leader before I came to university and I wanted to volunteer here because that’s kind of what I spend my spare time doing.”
He dedicated a lot of his free time to Furness’ officer roles, succeeding in his bid to become JCR President last year and jumping to become a Student Trustee. Sheepishly, he confesses to enjoying his volunteer roles rather more than his degree. For Rory, then, LUSU President seems like a natural step. There is no more sustaining motivator than satisfaction.
It could, however, have almost been an entirely different story:
“The local scout groups didn’t respond to me in time so I got the JCR role and then when they finally responded I was like ‘I’m actually too busy now’. It’s funny how things work out.”
Their loss is definitely our gain.
Is there a political or social figure you found yourself returning to for motivation during your campaign?
This one makes him stop to think for a while and he compliments the question. I am smug, he is ponderous, but the answer is “not really”. No. Quite the opposite.
He recalls with apprehension the moment he realised how much his manifesto focused on economic points. It all seemed very impersonable, but then that is the angle from which he has most often come at LUSU operations in the past – a major role of the Student Trustees is to scrutinise the financial components of the union. He played to his strengths and it paid off.
Do you have any advice for people hoping to run for FTO positions next year?
Rory shows a clear understanding of the fact that the responsibilities imposed upon roles such as this do not appeal to everyone. But he has advice for future candidates:
Whilst campaigning, don’t worry about what the other candidates are doing.
“I did a lot of that. I’m sure you walked round – it wasn’t my posters that were everywhere; and social media presence, it wasn’t my social media presence that was everywhere. I was worried about that.”
And suddenly I feel as though he’s talking to me directly.
“Focus on what you’ve got to offer.”
To find out more about Rory’s aims as President, you can read his full manifesto here: Candidate_Manifestos_LUSU_Elections_2025.pdf
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