The 1996 election was historically unusual in that one of the two candidates (who lost by approximately 100 votes) had recently completed studies at the University, highlighting the fact that there is no rule preventing a member of the student body from standing for the post and that the trend for celebrity candidates might distance the office from the issues of student life. This situation recurred in 2018, when the current Rector, Maggie Chapman, won re-election against a challenger who was, at that time, studying law at the University.