Sam Willcocks

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Sam Willcocks
Years Active 2015 – 2017
Positions Held
FLOPPYs Won:
The Stolen Member Award (2015)
Best Hair (2016)
YSTV's Favourite Biscuit (2017)
HometownBristol
Current LocationWouldn't you like to know


Sam was stolen from a certain other media society around late spring term 2015, when he kind of just appeared at the installation of the new lighting rig. From there, he hovered in a non committal sort of way, before being elected Deputy Technical Director that Autumn, at the start of his year in industry. He spent that year pretending to know what was going on, and then was elected Technical Director in the 2016 AGM, in lieu of anyone else being around to do it, a position he held until the 2017 elections, towards the end of his final year of study. He was Webmaster for his last few months before becoming an alumni. He spent a few years working in broadcast engineering/software, and now does something largely unrelated.

He still wishes he'd got involved sooner.

Stuff He's Done

  • Didn't win a 2016 NaSTA for Best Tech. Turned up unannounced on the Sunday and went to the pub anyway.
  • Played Drive Crash 3, and apparently won(?!?)
  • Server herding, sysadmin and the occasional rebuild (including setting up and commissioning Docs:Computing:Attenborough)
  • Crewing most shows in some capacity, often technical but occasionally production-y and even once or twice presenting (sadly mostly during his "bad mustache phase" - don't talk to him about this)
  • Was Transport Captain (ok, van driver..) and had a generally fun time at Roses 2016. Also wore budgie smugglers in line of duty.
  • Had lots of members leave around him at the end of 2015-16.
  • Helped run Freshers 2016 events. Ran around in circles for much of the week and tried to indoctrinate many many freshers. Some of them even stayed.
  • Participated in the minor control room reshuffle of 2016 with Peter Eskdale, Robert Walker, and Mike Chislett.
  • Attempted to teach people how to work the good ship YSTV, while still learning how to work it himself.
  • In a long tradition of Tech Directors, neglected his degree.
  • Loosely orchestrated the frantic UniBrass 2017/FTO Debates 2017 double bill of a friday/saturday, which involved rigging at the Harrogate International Center (where they memes), getting politely kicked out at 1700, driving a van back to York, having an OB ready in Hendrix Hall in time for the FTO debates to start at 2000ish, largely successfully broadcasting said debates, packing down, getting some sleep, getting up at 0600, driving the van back to Harrogate and broadcasting brass bands for a day, packing down, going to McDonalds, and then driving the van home before faceplanting in bed.
    • Loosely. Would've been nothing without all the (multiple) wonderful crews. Shoutout and apologies to everyone who did all 3 things alongside me...
  • Didn't win another NaSTA for Best Tech in 2017, but at least went this time. Took bad photos all weekend and made poor attempts at humour in the AGM.
  • Handed over the mantle of Tech Director to Tom Lee, persuaded Matthew Stratford to run as Computing Officer instead of him, and settled for Webmaster in the 2017 Election.
  • Conceived and constructed several highly dubious pieces of woodwork: the "Fan-Shelf 5000" and the only marginally better planned Lee Mack the Tripod Rack.
  • Received highly commended for the "Extra Mile" award at the Love York Awards 2017. Also ran Tech for the livestream, so legged it down from OB Control at the back of Central Hall to the stage, possibly slightly quicker than Dan Maher was expecting, resulting in some very shaky and very close up wireless camera footage as Dan tried to get out of the way...
Screen capture from Love York Awards 2017 livestream from Dan Maher's wireless camera
  • Conceived (with Sam Hance), and then failed to be free for the Wiki Party.
  • Just about passed his degree!
  • Received "YSTV's Favourite Biscuit" (an award, not an actual biscuit) at the 2017 FLOPPYs.
  • Left University, and York in 2017 :(