The Afro-Caribbean Society in the University of Bradford has long had a strong following from the students particularly the undergraduates in the first two years. Being a member of the executive team has been a prestigious affair and the roles come with no manuals but a load of testing points. I have had first hand experience on the running of the ACS and all the effort put into campaign strategies and publicity. I ran for President in March 2007 and I won with strong and overwhelming support from across its members.
The 2007/08 term has been one of best years in the history of the ACS in the university and I would say it was down to the team of executives I had and the support of the students. After all, they are the judges on our performance.
We delivered on numerous occasions after a shaky start but the real test was the End of Year Ball. We coined the name 'One Night Only' after the Dreamgirls song. In essence, we wanted to stress on the fact that for one night only and maybe only for that night in their student lives our members will feel like royalty with celebrity status. For this and several other reasons when it was time to hand over to a new executive team competition for the positions were high and hard fought. I remember 3 candidates for the Vice President role that needed one winner, such was the zeal to carry on our good work. Slowly that fire has been burning out with no one to fuel it. Our successors had a fairly good year but failed on the real test they were unable to deliver an End of Year Ball and had conducted elections that were grossly marred with corruption and sheer lack of professionalism and respect for one another.
Being a very vocal member of society and a reference point for the ACS executives I stressed my point that the moment we turn a blind eye on corruption and disrespect for rules and constitution we fail the ACS as a whole. My warning was not heeded and my fears are now reality.
The current crop of ACS executives have failed to carry on the good name of ACS, they have failed to fly the Bradford flag high. With no intention to disrespect their persons, they have given into complacency and a backward mentality of a care-free attitude. To illustrate my point, the manifesto night and the elections were held yesterday, to my shock and disbelief, there are 8 positions to run for and there are 8 candidates running, one for each post. This already breeds carelessness, the lack of competition for a position is a strong disincentive to begin with because the candidates will win the post by default, the availability of re-opening the nominations is there only for the sake of formalities. I do not see the members coming back with deadlines and exams fast approaching to re-cast their votes. Furthermore the candidates who were running were generally ill-informed about the duties of their posts or bore an air of arrogance and cockiness which did not go down well with the electorate and elder statesmen of the ACS.
I am, however, an opti-realist so I am hoping and wishing that there will be real content and character should they win the elections and I wish for an overhaul of the manner in which the way the ACS carries its name and the image of the ACS in Bradford and around its neighbouring universities. Gone are the days Leeds ACS looked to us for direction.
I reserve my judgement for the new executives and will see how next year's elections are run but so far the elections this year have been a mockery to the term election and utter shambles.
This shows that there's still a handful amount of people at the university of Bradford who are not afraid to say clearly what Acs has become all about. On a personal level, it is clear Acs at Bradford University is the easy way to brand yourself and is not longer a society who drives students from the Afro-Caribbean community with a common aim. Friendship has become the main factor of getting elected to the detriment of hardworking, willingness and competence. I can only wish the new exec good luck at fulfilling their duties for the upcoming year but when 85% of the current crop have taken Acs in hostage for personal reason and been voted based on friendship it is really hard to see how they can do better than the previous executives. As a matter of fact running for a position where there's no real opponent to bring the best out of you is like going to war with a full army to a field to engage an assault against a non-existent army, there can only be one winner.
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