News

He won. By a lot.

‘Scarfie’ candidate Logan Edgar won a landslide victory in the OUSA Presidential by-election held just before exams last semester.

The now President Edgar is 20-year old second year BCom student majoring in Marketing. He was born and raised in Te Anau, attending Fiordland College where he served as deputy head boy. He is also a former New Zealand road cycling representative.
 
During the election period Edgar campaigned on the basis of being the ‘Scarfie’ candidate and touted his knowledge of what real students wanted as his main drawcard. Edgar’s campaign was noticeably better organised and more proactive than those of his opponents, which meant he received healthy support despite Edgar having little knowledge of OUSA’s internal workings and lacking substantive policies.

This superior organisation translated into a landslide victory for Edgar, who received more than twice the votes of the runner-up, current Executive member Fransisco Hernandez, and almost as many votes as all the other candidates combined, when students went to the polls.

Critic secured an exclusive interview with Edgar.

Being a self-proclaimed ‘true scarfie’, did you do anything stupid during your victory celebrations?

Yes. During the taxi ride to the BYO we were headed to that night, I told the driver to “let the meter go wild, I’ m the president of a 22 million dollar organisation!” I also had to be prevented from trying to put OUSA’ s cash reserves on black at the casino.

Certain members of public have called you a ‘power-hungry dictator’ already. Do you think the position and power has gone to your head at all?

Haha, if I said no I would be telling a big porky. At one point I got too big for my boots when I strolled into Unipol without ID. The staff asked to see it and I told them I owned the place. It’s ok though, sometimes I just need my good close friends to remind me that I’m actually just a simpleton cowboy from rural southland.

How are you fitting in as a ‘simpleton’ in the complex world of OUSA and student politics?

I think it’ s going well. I’ m a bit mad but the Exec seem to be right behind me. I like to try to keep everyone’ s morale up as I know that has been an issue in the past. It has been a challenge learning the ropes especially during exams and the holidays when everyone has been away. I’ m looking forward to getting right in amongst it as soon as the semester begins.

What do you plan on doing this coming semester?

First and foremost I want to fight the VSM (Voluntary Student Membership) Bill. If ACT manages to push it through they will have to take me kicking and screaming with them.

As well as that, I think how student dollars are being spent is very important. I want to look at cutting costs and reviewing OUSA assets. I want to know what students want and try to investigate how we can give them the best value for their money. VSM is a bad thing in my opinion but it has highlighted the importance of using student funding as effectively as possible.

Okay lastly, tell us about your upcoming ‘Presidential Prison’ stunt?
 
Basically I am living in a specially made prison cell on Union Lawn from 7pm on Wednesday the 13th until 7pm Friday 15th in protest of the VSM bill. There will be a surrounding two metre high wall that we want to cover in green handprints showing student support for the opposition of the bill. Throughout the 48 hours there will be a great atmosphere including DJs, cultural groups and fairground rides. We will be holding an exec meeting around the cage and there will also be a sausage sizzle fundraiser for a Scarfie’s cat to be neutered (with all the rest of the profits going to SPCA).

Come down and have a look, I will also be facing the challenge of trying to go to the toilet without anyone seeing. Make sure you come and introduce yourselves to me, I’ m a fucking nice guy who loves a good yarn. Also you can challenge me to a game of chess through the cell bars, but you will have to teach me how to play first.