Students at the University of Aberdeen fight for cat to become rector
A group of students at one of Scotland’s oldest and biggest universities are fighting for a cat to become their new rector.
Buttons, a popular white cat who lives on the campus of the University of Aberdeen, has rallied support from hundreds of students online.
Alex Kither, a third-year history student and de-facto campaign manager for the white cat, said that people were fed up with the student body not being represented.
The 21-year-old claims that only a small percentage of students actively participate in campus politics at the University of Aberdeen which leads to “small but vocal minorities” representing them.
But the academic institution – which counts names such as Winston Churchill, Andrew Carnegie and Herbert Henry Asquith as former rectors – have denied Buttons’ the chance to stand.
The University, established in 1495, has denied Buttons the opportunity to stand because he does not meet the requirements to be a charity trustee and is not human.
Alex said: “We’d like people to write to the university and let them know that they want Buttons to be a candidate.
“In just a few days we were able to engage with more students than any of the other candidates. Buttons has all the qualities of a good candidate – he lives on campus, he interacts with students and he’s fluffy which is a quality that none of the other candidates possess.
“A lot of people have been unhappy with the level of the candidates – with only the friends of the candidates becoming engaged with their campaign. People felt that the candidates didn’t represent the student body as a whole and instead represented small but vocal minorities.
“Last year, only around 60 people attended the hustings which is meant to be the big event in the electoral calendar. If the students feel like a feline would better represent them then maybe it’s time for reform.”
The campaign comes just two months after the university ratified a decision to scrap the rector election over allegations of “dirty tricks”.