The Candidate The Official publication of the 2014 Annual Guild Elections
President
Jason Giancono
PRESIDENT Illuminate Hi! My name is Jason Giancono. I’m a third year Computer Science student, and I’m currently the Guild’s Science and Engineering Faculty Rep. This year I’m running for President. I got elected last year as an independent student. I just wanted to represent my peers and I have spent the last nine months doing just that. However I still don’t think the Guild is doing enough for students. That is why I have put together Illuminate, a group of regular students who want to transform the guild. For starters, this year we saw Guild membership fees re-introduced.
the Guild website. My most fond memories of the Guild are late at night, studying for exams when I got an email saying our reps were out at the rainbow hexagon, cooking up some brekky on a BBQ at midnight. Illuminate want to recreate these great moments by creating a Guild that comes out and supports you when you need it most. Free breakfasts, late night snacks and stress relief activities will be a common occurrence. I remember when The Tav events would get packed to the brim and there would be giant lines back to Angazi. With our Activities candidate, Rami, we will bring Tav back to its original glory. Awesome headliners for parties, innovative themes and a new variety of acts and events like stand-up comedy and bingo. We promise not to leave non-drinkers and juvies in the cold either, because we’re going to run parallel events for all major Tavern events, for those who don’t want drink. Sadly, the deregulation of university fees was announced this year. This is the kind of change that will see students paying off their HECS debt for most of their lives. Our team will oppose these changes, but not by spending our time convincing students who are already under pressure to skip classes. Protests shouldn’t be a monthly occurrence and there are other tactics which can be used to oppose this change. Illuminate students.
Why? We are now the only guild in the state which charges a fee. We are also the guild with the most money in WA, so why are we being charged this fee? I believe this was a major betrayal of the student body, who were not consulted about this change at all. The first order of business for Illuminate will be to make Guild free for students again. Information on the Guild Council and its decisions is so hard to come by for an organisation that is supposed to be democratic. The executive committee meeting minutes where the decision to charge a fee aren’t even available online. Illuminate want to change this and introduce measures to make Guild meetings open to students to attend and also providing transcripts online. We also want to take a leaf out of Curtin Confessions book and allow students to submit anonymous questions and suggestions to be responded publicly on a blog on
will
represent
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We will make a Guild for All.
Phoenix Hudson
PRESIDENT Left Action My name is Phoenix Hudson. I am currently undertaking a double degree in Performance studies and Journalism. I am a passionate individual who dedicates herself
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
wholeheartedly to all tasks I undertake. I believe in unity between us all as we are all equal. I vow to stand up for all our rights as students as vehemently as I would fight for my own individual rights.
and this university is a brilliant place and I want to build on that. If you haven’t voted in a Guild election before, or if you’ve never had anyone to vote for, make sure you vote for the Student Unity ticket this election.
As your Guild president I will endeavor to implement policies that I am elected upon and that our experiences and relationships built on campus are ones that we will cherish for a long time. University memories should not just be about books and classes, positive engagement and comradery are also important. This year I have been involved in protests against the budgets cuts, guild social events and have also managed to help out on the education stalls. These experiences were not only rewarding but they also enabled me to see just how powerful we as students can be as a collective. Having said that I believe that more students could be involved; we need to do more to get the message out about how it affects students. I intend on organizing activities that will make students curious and encourage their involvement. Whether we are campaigning for marriage equality, against racism and sexism, for refugee rights or freedom of speech, there is strength in numbers and this guarantees our voices are heard. No matter your sexual preference, color or country of origin, we ALL have a right to be educated without fear of incurring debt that will affect our futures greatly. We are the future; the government should certainly let us have one. I promise to be a student politician you can trust as I value honesty. The passion and commitment I have seen from LEFT ACTION this year is what encouraged me to run for President. They have been diligent in their duty to encourage and reflect diversity around campus and have continuously worked to inform us when our rights are being threatened and reminded us that we have the power to make this stop. Being around like-minded people enables you to stay true to yourself and by doing so you inspire others to do the same. Vote for LEFT ACTION because YOU are our priority. Vote 1 Phoenix Hudson for Guild President Vote 1 Left Action
Dylan Gojak
PRESIDENT Student Unity I’m running for Guild President because I want to see a Guild that works for all students and works to provide them with the best quality of services possible. I’m tired of seeing students being used as political tools for political agendas. A Guild should be there to represent you and make your university experience great.
The guild shouldn’t be run by a political agenda; it should work for all students no matter what their opinions or beliefs. This September vote for services, not slogans Student Unity represents change, a new guild that will work for students to build a better campus for everybody. Make sure you vote next week. Make sure you vote for change. Make sure you vote Student Unity.
Education Vice President
Curtin Guild needs change. If elected, I and the Student Unity team will get on with the job of providing student services - from a great club culture, pop up shops and more events to better parking and a wider range of food outlets. The current Guild Executive has focused on fringe poilitical issues and protests, while ignoring ordinary student concerns. No wonder so few students have bothered to vote in recent elections! It’s time to change all that. The Student Unity team and I are going to get to work on the things that really matter. Parking is the bane of many students existence at Curtin. Both the expense of parking and the lack of parking has been an ongoing problem for some time. I am fully committed to creating an opportunity for the guild, along with the university, to build a multistory car park. I understand balancing a degree and trying to seek work. A guild run by Student Unity would engage more businesses on campus and in the local area to try and open up opportunities for students, giving them better chances to have part time work while they study. Curtin is a diverse place and I want to continue to build this diversity, working for all students. This guild
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Saraya Martin
Education Vice- PRESIDENT Illuminate Aloha, My name is Saraya Martin, I’m a third year nursing student and current president of Curtin Association of Nursing, Paramedicine And Midwifery Students (CANPAMS). I am running for Education Vice President (EVP) this year. Your probably wondering what makes me remotely qualified to represent you as the 2015 Education Vice President (EVP). Well luckily I’d love to tell you. I have been involved throughout my degree in advocacy roles. I am the current president of a Guild club which I started from scratch with the help of some dedicated students. I am good at developing
relationships with the people who are responsible for decision making and I’m not afraid to tell them when an academic decision negatively affecting student life. I have represented students on disciplinary panels ensuring fairer outcomes. Plus I have fab email skills which is a super important life skill. It is also vitally important to me that students are aware of what the EVP can do for them and give them a voice in the scary maze that is university.
Clare Francis
I am running with Illuminate because they are a diverse bunch of students who I believe have the experience to represent your rights on campus.
Education Vice- PRESIDENT
It has become increasingly apparent that quality education and welfare for all is not prioritized in the current political climate. I am passionate about ensuring your education and time at Curtin is top notch and that your rights are not overlooked by the university who often don’t see the outcome that changes have on students.
Hi everyone! I’m Clare Francis, Left Action’s candidate for Education Vice President and National Union of Students (NUS) delegate. I’m a second year geography student, Hufflepuff and education activist. I have also been referred to as ‘the person with blue hair who hates Tony Abbott.’
I will be a strong voice standing up for students and ensuring that their dissatisfaction with the proposed education cuts and deregulation is heard by the university and federal parliament.
Unlike other student representatives, I did what I was elected to do as part of Left Action: oppose education cuts, defend student rights, introduce $2 coffee and increase club funding.
I will ensure that the academic appeals and discipline process is thoroughly scrutinised to ensure that it is fairer and more efficient. It is mind-blowing to me that it can take more than 2 months to receive an outcome which often causes a lot of distress to the student involved.
As the current humanities faculty representative I have opposed staff cuts, course cuts, reduction of contact hours and units pushed online. I was able to work with students who were experiencing these cutbacks, meet with university management and help organise the public campaign which doubled contact hours in several architecture units and prevented a mid-semester staff sacking. Proposed reductions in government funding by Labor and Liberal would worsen the situation of cutbacks on campus, so opposing Federal changes as well as changes on a campus level are crucial in order to defend student and staff rights on campus.
My aim is to improve already existing welfare services offered by the Guild and university as well as to create services that directly ensure student wellbeing on campus. As EVP I would have an unparalleled opportunity to tackle major student issues such as mental health, changes to Youth Allowance and student poverty. If you vote Illuminate you are supporting the introduction of a Food Bank for students in need, as well ensuring the government hears our opposition to changes in student welfare. I can relate to a number of these issues so understand the need for a proactive approach. This year there has been a number of student common room spaces taken back by the university. I will actively ensure that the university is aware that this is unacceptable and endeavour to maintain student spaces as autonomous. We need spaces to hang! Vote 1 Illuminate We will make a Guild for all!
Left Action
I’ve been a leading activist in the student campaign against education cuts, fee hikes and cuts to student welfare. The Liberals’ budget included some of the worst attacks to students in a generation which I believe would create a US-style system of education, result in massive fee increases, saddling students with decades of debt or pricing them out of higher education altogether. I think it’s the responsibility of student guilds to stand united against attacks from the government, rather than accept Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne’s agenda for students. The nationwide campaign that I’ve been a part of with other activists in Left Action has prevented $435 million cut in university funding and cuts to start-up scholarships (which were proposed to be changed to a loan). These changes would have pushed Curtin students further into poverty and increased the amount of staff cuts, course cuts and contact hour cuts at Curtin. It’s only been through the education campaign, led by left-wing activists that have involved thousands of students, that these cuts were stopped. At the time of writing, changes in the budget have not gone through the senate, but many politicians
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
have pledged to block them due to the campaign. But regardless of whether the cuts from the budget go through the senate, it’s clear Tony Abbott and the Liberals are no friends of students and an activist guild will be needed to defend student rights. I’ve also been involved in a number of other progressive campaigns including marriage equality, Aboriginal rights, refugee rights, justice for Palestine, free speech, transgender rights, universal healthcare and the environment. I stand for an inclusive guild which will actively oppose all forms of oppression including racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. Vote 1 Clare Francis for Education Vice-President and NUS delegate Vote 1 Left Action
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Blake D’Souza
Education Vice- PRESIDENT Student Unity No statement supplied
those of you who can't make it to uni is essential. Secondly: I am against flipped classrooms. Although we live in a digital age, the idea of a flipped classroom system is a terrible one, and on the University only considers the concept because it saves them money and means lecturers can get away with less work. Thirdly: There should be more accountability for lecturers and tutors. One of the largest complaints from students is the contactability and accountability of lectures and tutors. This can sometimes lead to misinterpretation and negative consequences in which the lecturer always comes out on top. So i would like to reinforce our existing help and guidance in these situations and make lecturers more accountable. Fourth: Improved facilities, like WiFi and lecture theatres. For those of us at uni, our learning facilities seem to be lacking or are run down. Thus I’d like to work with the university on coming up with a standard for new and existing facilities. Finally: I am against protests as a means of budget cut conversation. One thing the past guild has done, is spent tens of thousands of dollars on protests and rallies over the past two years. Now’s the time for a more civilised and productive conversation regarding the federal education cuts. The money spent on these issues could go toward more funding to make sure low income students can get subsidies, or making overall education at Curtin more fulfilling. Vote [1] Brad for Education Vice President. Vote [1] The Overheard at Curtin Party.
Activities Vice President Brad Schoone
Education Vice- PRESIDENT Overheard at Curtin Hi, I’m Brad Schoone, a second year Computing student. I’m going for the position of Education Vice President with The Overheard at Curtin Party. One of our major purposes at university is to absorb as much knowledge as we can while we are here. So my ideology is a simple one: I would like to make that process easier, more comfortable and more productive. After listening to many of my peers and students around campus I have come up with some simple yet concrete promises to make sure my ideology is met. First: Compulsory iLectures. One of the most fundamental things we pay for is our lectures. Thus, not having iLectures for
Rami Tawil
Activites Vice- PRESIDENT Illuminate Hi! My name is Rami Tawil. You’ve probably seen me around at the Curtin Tav taking your photo. I'm a third year commerce student by day, and event photographer by night. This year I’m running for Activities Vice President. Over the past few years at Curtin, I attended several activities and
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
events on campus. Moreover, I feel like Guild can be doing more for the student body. That’s why I have decided to join Illuminate, everyday students who want to make guild so much better! I noticed this year a big lack of events such as Grill the Guild. We used to have free sausage sizzles every fortnight during common free time. First and foremost, in 2013 free premium guild membership was introduced for all students – this was able to happen due to the SSAF. In 2014 this was revoked and guild was priced at $50 a year. At Illuminate, we don’t agree with this! We believe guild should be free for all. What does this mean for you? Cheaper food, drinks, events and more! Furthermore, there is a large lack of activities and events for those under the age of 18, and those who do not wish to celebrate in the tav! This inspired me to run parallel events alongside the tav as well as running several more activities during the week such as open mic nights, comedy nights, night markets and more! But why stop there? Let’s bring back Oktoberfest, Guild ball and even come up with some crazy new events! Why stop there!? I have spent countless nights at uni studying and finishing assignments. I want to make this better! Everyone needs a break, why not have brinner (breakfast for dinner)? Or night markets, or listen to some relaxing music. At Illuminate we want to turn those stressed, sickening, tiresome nights into fun, relaxing, and enjoyable ones! Did you love Ben & Jerry’s and just can’t get your fix at uni? Illuminate can change that! We plan on bringing you all sorts of treats including Ben & Jerry’s as well as frozen yoghurt and more! Ben & Jerry’s fridges will be placed at guild outlets such as The Spot to make sure you get that extra energy before that next class! As a photographer, I always take an interest in media but I believe GROK needs a facelift. Illuminate will be taking new measures to have the magazine written by students, for students, with ideas, articles, opinions, and artwork. Grok will receive a HUGE facelift becoming the magazine you once read and truly loved. I really want to grow the amount of clubs on campus – at the University of Melbourne they have over 200! The way we will do this is by offering start-up grants for new clubs in order for them to get a head start, offering a new and unique grant for events which are outside of the box and increasing the regular event grant to $1500. Illuminate will make a Guild for All.
law. It appears that Australia is progressively replicating a US-style health and education system which I believe is flawed and unjust. Students are already bearing the burden of paying for education, rather than the government making education readily available for all.
Amber Russell
Adam Parsons
Phoenix Hudson
Activites Vice- PRESIDENT
Activites Vice- PRESIDENT
Activites Vice- PRESIDENT
Student Unity
Overheard at Curtin
Hi, I’m Amber Russell a Law and International Relations student and I am running for Activities Vice President for Student Unity.
Hi, I’m Adam Parsons, and I’m currently studying Computer Science. As the representative for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, I will deliver on my promise to give students more of a say on the matters that concern them most.
The diversity at Curtin University is one of its greatest attributes, one that needs to be far better celebrated. The heart and soul of this university depends on the ability to nurture all walks of life with the common desire to provide an enthralling education. At Curtin we have seen this celebration of diversity diminish with certain radical groups creating an exclusionary culture. As Vice-President I will endeavor to revitalize a culture on campus by way of more inclusive events for Curtin University students. Where an Architecture student can meet a Law student, where our international students can connect with our local students freely. This will come in the form of themed events, subsidized breakfasts on campus, activities in the courtyard, larger international food stalls and much more. Another issue that I am passionate about is ensuring students throughout their degree have the opportunity for internships with the prospect of graduate jobs. The guild can play an important role in liaising with businesses on behalf of students and creating lasting relationships within industries. I can guarantee there will be more career- like events as well as more information on prospective internships that will circulate to the majority rather than a small select few from all disciplinarians. Additionally, as a representative it is essential to maintain communication with students by way of discussion groups and the openness for general feedback and thoughts. This is perhaps the most important role of a representative, representing the view of the students that elected them. Your voice will be heard!
As countless students have oft complained about, the current Guild Council isn’t very student focused. Instead, they are interested in irrelevant protests and pushing the agenda of Socialist Alternative, an organization that prides itself on Australian flag burning and pushing the socialist agenda. I also form part of the upand-coming “Overheard at Curtin Party”. We stand for some big changes in the guild regarding personal responsibility, accountability, removing political interests from Guild policy, and bringing spending of student SSAF fees under control. The Overheard at Curtin party prides itself in focussing more on issues that directly influence and affect students of Curtin University, and not those where a university student guild holds no domain. These issues and political ideals may mean a lot to some people, but we believe they should be discussed and expressed in the appropriate forums, not the Curtin Student Guild. Much like the separation of church and state, it is important for the Guild to be independent of an outside political party or group. The current incumbent “Left Action” is actually anything but “left” and is instead an admitted front for Socialist Alternative, hardly an appropriate representative for student matters. It’s important to note that as the Science and Engineering representative, I aim to be as impartial and unbiased in voting in Guild Council meetings as possible. My door will always be open to hear your concerns in the department, concerns with tutors and lecturers, concerns with other students, and concerns with the university itself. By electing me, you get the best opportunity to have your say in matters that affect not just the Curtin Student Guild, but actual matters within the university. Vote [1] Adam Parsons for Science and Engineering Representative. Vote [1] The Overheard at Curtin Party.
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
See Guild President Statement
The Australian Government claims to have no money available to fund higher education, yet it still finds enough to continue the imprisonment and torture of refugees in mandatory detention. Moreover, it spends billions of dollars on purchasing a fleet of fighter jets, funding war and occupation, and providing comparatively huge handouts to the mining industry. The student guild should be a place which not only boldly defends students' rights, but also the rights of all oppressed minorities and this identity should be present and visible to all on campus. Vote 1 Left Action
General Secretary Zoe Horner
Activites Vice- PRESIDENT Left Action My name is Zoe Horner and I am third year Occupational Therapy student with a strong interest in human rights, social justice and left wing politics. This year I have been involved with activism on campus as well as supporting Palestine, opposing cuts to health and the student rallies in the Perth CBD. Alongside my study, I am also a support worker who understands the limited support families receive in terms of funding and resources. I have also been doing activist work for other campaigns, including the Oaktree 'Live Below the Line' campaign. Recently I have been helping to build the campaign against cuts to higher education. I am passionate about the value in education and believe it is the way forward for our younger generations. With the recent announcement of the federal government taking billions out of university funding, I am motivated to take a strong stand against the implementation of such cuts. Curtin has already seen massive cuts to courses, hundreds of academic staff lose their jobs, overcrowding in classes and a push to online learning. This not only alienates students from their own campus but is an issue to which I strongly object. I personally value the experience of learning most effectively in interactive environments and through conversation and debate. Additionally, I am greatly concerned of the proposed deregulation of uni fees in which universities could charge up to $200,000 for courses such as medicine and
Sam Cavallaro
General Secretary Left Action My name is Sam, I study Fine Art and I am running for General Secretary and National Union of Students (NUS) delegate for Left Action. This year I had the opportunity to fulfil many of my goals in the position of Guild President. Last year Left Action ran in the elections promising to stand up against the cuts, stand up for students' rights and stand up for social justice – we have done just that.
Improving campus life • Introduced $2 coffee • Renovated the Bookmark Café • Represented the diverse student population by introducing halal barbeques • Started movie nights at the Tav • Introduced games tables in the Guild Courtyard • Wicked Wednesdays are back • Doubled club funding • Introduced free first aid training • Increased student financial assistance • Introduced a student loan scheme Standing up for social justice • Showed support for LGBTI people by campaigning for marriage equality • Fought racism at home by defending the rights of refugees • Took a stand on the issue of racism, apartheid and genocide by calling for justice for Palestine • Supported community protests against Abbott’s budget such as the March in March • Organised protests to save Medicare • Advocated and supported the visa claim of a queer refugee student As general secretary I want to bring my experience as president back into the Guild and continue the work that Left Action has begun. With the biggest changes ever to hit higher education being threatened by the Abbot Government – and two more years with him at least – there has never been a more crucial time to have an experienced, independent and active Guild. Next year we will: - Continue to campaign for our education, as part of the national campaign coordinated by the National Union of Students (NUS) - Fight to ensure that students (and staff) aren’t worse off as a result of the massive administrative re-structure (EQUIP) Curtin is undertaking. This could mean less staff to handle student service queries, longer waiting time, less human contact with more online, and getting the runaround. - Negotiate new SSAF projects with the university to improve student life - Continue to advocate for International students and support a diverse and vibrant campus life Vote 1 Sam Cavallaro for General Secretary and NUS delegate Vote 1 Left Action
Standing up against the cuts • Start-Up Scholarships have been saved • Cuts of $435 million nationally have been blocked in the senate • The education campaign could stop deregulation of uni fees, which is now wildly unpopular, and Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s approval rating is the lowest of any government minister. • Staff sackings have been prevented at Curtin and we have made the university think twice about future redundancies with a loud and public campaign for education • This campaign has included publicising the appalling treatment of HDR supervisors and their students. • Contact hours cut in some units have been brought back
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Jake Wittey
General Secretary Illuminate Hey My name is Jake Wittey and I’m a third year International Relations and Economics student, and for
the last year I have been an ordinary councillor on Guild Council. This election, I’m running for the position of General Secretary. This past year as an ordinary councillor has given me a spectacular insight into how the Guild operates, and how we can best utilise it to bring about the best outcomes for students. Outside of university, I work as a bartender and have had plenty of experience liaising with others, and organising and hosting numerous events and functions. Coupling these skills developed together, I believe that I can administrate the Guild to bring about the best university experience for students. Illuminates’ policies of addressing student welfare issues, opposing fee deregulation and launching a host of new events for students are why I’m running with them this election. According to Universities Australia, two-thirds of students live below the poverty line. Illuminate believes that this figure is unacceptably high. To ensure a nutritious start to the day and to ease the burden on students, we will endeavour to provide free breakfast for students. If elected we too will endeavour to provide free Guild membership, opening up the Guild’s services to those who may have found $50 too expensive or felt it would have been better spent on rent, food or bills. Existing programs will also be reviewed in order to maximise the amount of students that the Guild can assist. The proposed changes to higher education will price many students out of higher education and place an undue cost on current students, with compounding interest of up to 6% to be charged on existing student debt. Illuminate will seek to implement alternative methods in conjunction with some of the ones practised in order to lobby the Government to abandon the proposed changes. The Guild has hosted some spectacular events. Over the past year however, we believe that the Guild has placed too much emphasis on Tav events. Illuminate will continue to host fantastic Tav events, but will also put more time and effort into hosting other events for those who aren’t into drinking, or desire greater diversity in the selection of events to attend. Illuminate’s collective expertise on events planning and management ensures that we are the right team for this job. Illuminate is for working with the students on equal footing to ensure the best outcomes.
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Blake D’Souza
General Secretary See Education statement
Vice
President
where you’ll most likely spend the next couple of years of your life, if you actually care about making a difference, vote [1] The Overheard at Curtin Party, vote [1] Kye Russell.
If elected, I would bring the focus back to students. Some of our first year units in Business (cough) BIS100 (cough) are critically flawed. I learned how to make a G-Mail account in my first tutorial, as you all know, such knowledge could only be learnt through a $1,000 first year unit. The Business Faculty needs to conduct a review of these ridiculous filler units and make the first year relevant again.
Kye Russell
General Secretary Overheard at Curtin Hi, I’m Kye Russell, I’m a second-year Computing student, representing the Overheard at Curtin Party, and I want to make university about university again. Curtin students are actually very lucky. With Guild representatives sitting on many University committees and boards, along with the millions of dollars raked in every year from the Guild’s retail operations, the students at Curtin actually have a chance to make a difference. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. I believe the Guild has been plagued by outside activist organisations, treating the Guild as a platform they can funnel money from in order to bankroll their irrelevant activist campaigns. The Guild has a commitment to Curtin students, a commitment that I consider hasn’t been met for a long time. If elected, I’ll ensure that Guild starts meeting this commitment. I’ll ensure that the interests of Curtin students are met, forcing out any outside political organisations that may or may not have harassed you in the Guild precinct if you’ve ever dared to refuse to buy their newspaper. It’s the small things that make the difference. Fast, reliable WiFi to allow you to get your work done. More social and club spaces, which can better the quality of life for Curtin students, in turn increasing retention rates and academic performance.
Ben Dickinson
General Secretary Student Unity I’m running for guild because I believe it should never lose sight of its core job of student services. We all have different political beliefs, but the one thing we all have in common is that we’re all Curtin students.
I understand that a large majority of students are apathetic about this stuff. If you’re even reading this, you’ve put in more effort than most, so I thank you for that. If you actually care about the place
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
I can’t think of a single student who doesn’t love froyo, but I can think of so many people who don’t like the amount of money spent recklessly spent on the education cuts campaign. Students are plagued with two issues at the moment, education cuts and lack of froyo on campus. Throwing large amounts of money at education campaigns doesn’t improve the outcomes, but if we used some of that money to buy a froyo machine for one of the cafes, we’d be able to solve the froyo drought.
At some time or another, most of us have been frustrated with the parking, the price of coffee and the difficulty of finding a job. The guild hasn’t been talking about these issues – instead, it has been pursuing a radical political agenda driven by its executive to the exclusion of most students.
I’m livid with the fact we have to pay fifty dollars for Guild this year, while the discount stays the same and the prices increased. I’m running with Illuminate because they’re the only group that I am certain will ensure Guild membership is free in 2015.
If elected, I want to support out clubs, our outlets and our staff in delivering the best possible experience to Curtin students.
So if you want an awesome rep who will take care of Business, Vote 1 Amy Bracegirdle the best Business candidate in town.
and it is these sort of initiatives by commerce related clubs that I want to strongly support. I am completely behind Students Unity’s pledge to build a better Club culture on campus, because in my opinion it takes more then just subsidising a clubs printing to build better more active university clubs. Since I have become an active member of Curtin University I have enjoyed talking to fellow students and staff as to how Curtin can continue to improve and prosper. Many of the ideas and feedback I have received are ideas Student Unity wish to implement. Ideas like creating more benefits in the form of more Guild discounts, lowering the prices of goods throughout Curtin, naturally increasing the amount of consumption, creating greater revenue for the Student Guild; therefore creating opportunities to build long-term infrastructure. It is innovative ideas that Student Unity are listening to, which we want to take to the Student Guild to give the students of Curtin University proper and appropriate management. We have only one aim and that is to fully commit ourselves to representing the students of this university to being more transparent and less political and to making sure that when we make decisions about how we spend your money they are the right ideas not just a waste of money.
The Student Unity team will get the guild back to basics – delivering quality services to all students at the lowest possible prices. This September, vote for a guild that works for students. Vote Student Unity.
Samuel Chelanga
Business Faculty Rep
Business Faculty Rep
Cheaper food at Guild outlets, so you don’t have to spend upwards of $30 a day just so you can cram all day during exam weeks. Sure, it isn’t stopping world hunger, or ceasing the middle-eastern conflict. It’s what the Guild’s about, it’s what we’re equipped to fight for, and it’s where we can make a difference. That’s what matters. This said, the big stuff matters just as much, if it’s about students. I don’t think there are many students that are against the federal education cuts. What everyone is against is the reaction. The constant and systematic protest after protest after protest? The Guild loves blowing money on this stuff! It’s easy to print a bunch of signs. Is it creative? No. More importantly, it doesn’t work! If elected, I will assist in rethinking the Guild’s activism strategy.
current Guild has missed the point of what student representatives are supposed to be doing. It’s gotten to the point now where students avoid Guild stalls because they don’t want to get into an argument.
Left Action
Sean Mawdsley
Business Faculty Rep Student Unity
Amy Bracegirdle
Business Faculty Rep Illuminate Hi! My name is Amy Bracegirdle. I am an Economics and Marketing student here at Curtin. I believe I will be the best person to represent Business Faculty students, which is why I am running for Business Faculty Representative this year. I’m running because I think the
My name is Sean Mawdsley and I am originally from New South Wales. I moved to Western Australia two years ago and since then I have enjoyed the relaxed nature of Perth and studying a Commerce degree at Curtin. I am running for Business rep because I want to fully represent the Business Faculty to ensure that students are being represented appropriately and professionally. I want to ensure student rights are met while creating more opportunities to Business graduates by working with the Curtin Business School and clubs such as the Curtin Commerce Club and other Business related clubs. I want to actively work to try and create more access to internships with Perth’s largest and prestigious companies. Particularly, what the Curtin Commerce Club are trying to achieve with their Industry Engagement Evening is exactly what Curtin University needs
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
I am Samuel Chelanga. An international student from Kenya studying Finance and Entrepreneurship. I will be running for the position of Business Faculty representative with the Left Action Party. I am an outgoing guy, I work hard and play even harder. I love being in Curtin and always try not to miss wicked Wednesdays at the Tav. I have always had a passion of helping others and being a member of the guild will provide me with a platform to do just that. I want to be the face and mouth piece of CBS students, raising their issues and concerns. Recent stuff cuts and proposed funding cuts to the university is an issue of major concern that will be affecting many CBS students and something that Left Action and I will be raising and pushing to bring an end to. I live by the wise words of John Jameson’s family motto ‘Sine Metu’ (‘Without Fear’)
Science & Engineering Faculty Rep
search of cheaper food. As a student within the science and engineering faculty, nothing crushes me more than searching my bag and realising I did not bring certain equipment to a lab. Not only if I don’t rush home to get it will I fail the lab, but even if I do go, I am disadvantaged by time. Whether it be safety boots, safety glasses, lab coats, eye pieces or even calculators. Illuminate intends to bring an equipment lending system to students, allowing them to go through with their labs so that they don’t jeopardise their marks just because of a hectic morning. Equipment will also be available to students who simply can’t afford it, to ensure they are left behind. Illuminate will be your guardian angel in the academic jungle. We will make a Guild for All.
Ammar Fazillah
Science and Eng Faculty Rep Illuminate Hey! I’m Ammar Fazillah, a second year Petroleum Engineering student and a current Curtin Student Guild Councillor. However this year, I would like to turn it up a notch, by running for Science and Engineering Representative. As a student councillor under the guild for nearly a year, I have bear witness the guild being outsourced both in terms of time and money, away from the students and towards external causes. Although many of these causes are justified to devote effort, I believe that the guild should think first and foremost about the students at the university. There are times the guild has to take political action to advocate for students but it should not be the only means of making students’ lives easier. This is why I am running for Illuminate, as they aim to bring guild back to the students. Currently, students know very little as to what goes on during council meetings and what SSAF money is being spent on within the guild. This results in decisions being made which I believe are not in the best interests of students. This is why Illuminate intends to create a far more transparent and therefore accountable guild by allowing regular students better access to meetings by advertising the time and location all of all meetings as well as giving them the opportunity to voice themselves in a standing item. This year, guild has reintroduced a membership fee that charges students a one lump sum payment in order to get full benefits of the guild. This is unfair to students who need that money to pay off their rent, fuel up their cars, or feed themselves for a week. The basis of financial shortage being the reason for this fee is quite unreasonable considering Curtin’s guild is one of the best off financially in the state and therefore has more money to work with. Illuminate intends to bring back free guild for all students, meaning that everyone is able to enjoy discounts at guild outlets. This then would also encourage more students to eat and shop at the university and therefore reduce the need for students to travel to Waterford in
Blake D’Souza
Science and Eng Faculty Rep Vice
President
Health Science Faculty Rep
As part of a new Guild I want to work towards building efficiency and a greater deal of diversity not just in people, but in opinion also. I think it is important that a guild that represents 50,000 or so students should be apolitical and moderate and I am proud to say I don’t belong to any political party, my only aim in running for this position is to focus on the needs of students at this university. I don’t want to get caught up in political rallies or socialist rhetoric I want to focus on the things that effect average students on a daily basis. As a student we can all agree that the cost of books is a burden, they are a necessity and are something we’ll all probably require to complete our many units. However the prices of these books are a great decider as to whether or not we will purchase them and thus affect our study. I think the guild spends so much effort subsidising food it also needs to look at how we can possibly further subsidise the cost of books and broaden the amount of available book grants.
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See Education statement
many of our careers are poorly represented at these events as faculty representative I would be committed to ensuring that we open up more prospects for science and engineering students in the industry and that there is an adequate amount of support for students.
I believe that a student guild should place its students first and foremost before any other personal beliefs and opinions, I am willing to work hard for my faculty and to be a tireless supporter of science and engineering students and I hope I can count on your vote.
Jayne Kazich
Adam Parsons
Science and Eng Faculty Rep
Science and Eng Faculty Rep
Student Unity Hi, I’m Mathew and I am in my second year of studying biotechnology and molecular genetics I am really excited to be running for Science and Engineering Faculty Representative, because I enjoy studying science and I want to work towards ensuring we continue to have a strong faculty, that operates well and services our needs. The main reason I want to run is because I want to be a strong advocate for students in my faculty and to stand up for their rights. I am passionate about ensuring that students are given the greatest amount of opportunity to succeed while at University. One of Australia’s largest exports is pharmaceuticals and the Biotechnology sector makes up a larger part of our GDP than any other country, this isn’t reflected in any career expos at Curtin and
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
See Activities statement
Vice
President
This is Illuminate. We will represent your needs, improve your university experience and support YOU. Love you all, Jayne Kazich!
Health Science Faculty Rep Illuminate Hi, I’m Jayne Kazich (also known as Jayne Marie). I am in my 3rd semester of Nursing and I’m running for Health Science Representative with Illuminate. I’m fun, friendly, bubbly and really easy to get along with. I’m also forward thinking and super dedicated to represent all of my beautiful fellow Health Science students. Basically, Illuminate is a bunch of down to earth students who want to change the Guild to benefit the students, including making it free for all. (I know right! Crazy concepts, but we can’t help it we just love you all!) I’m running with Illuminate because we hold the same core values and attitudes, together we can change the Guild.
Mathew Claughton
campus opportunities for Health Science students to gain practical experience and get information about the field they want to work in. This means you’ll be able to make more out of your placements and get the right information about grad programs and other opportunities. I want Health Science students to know who I am! I want them to feel like they can have a chat if the think they’ve been marked unfairly, if they have a super cool idea for an event or if they just need a break from studying for 5 minutes. I think it’s time to elect a Guild that you don’t constantly avoid talking to, that won’t put political agendas before you, that doesn’t tell you to skip classes (we all know how hard it can be to catch up sometimes!).
As much as I take my learning at uni seriously, I’m not gonna lie, I’m a pretty social person. I love meeting new people, having a few drinks and basically enjoying myself. Illuminate will help make coming to uni more social. I’m referring to better Tav events! Woo! But also more non-alcoholic events for a bit of innocent fun times to make your long days at uni less of a drag and to help you destress during exams. Free cooked midnight brinner anyone? (That’s right, you can throw away that box of Coco-pops!) On a more personal level I would love to help make the Health Sciences a more social and supportive faculty. I’m a general representative in CANPAMS (Curtin Association of Nursing Para-medicine And Midwifery Students) so I have some insight into how running a club can be. If elected I’ll support the running of health science clubs by liaising with the Guild to help the clubs provide more services and events for the students in the schools they represent. That all sounds fun and jolly but what will Illuminate do for your educations? A large amount of students are unhappy with the amount of practical experience they are getting in the first few years of their degree. Illuminate will push for a much needed review of the first year Health Science units. We also want to create more on
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Tristan Kealy
Health Science Faculty Rep Student Unity Hallo, I’m Tristan and I am currently in my second year of studying Psychology. I am really keen to run for Health Sciences representative because I want to be able to stand up and fight for student’s rights in the Health Sciences faculty. I have become increasingly annoyed at the current guild for what seems like their blatant disregard for the everyday needs of students and narrow radical political agenda. I didn’t come to University to be told to go on protests every second week or be forced to take a copy of Red Flag and I certainly didn’t decide to come to Uni to be told what awful people Christopher Pyne and Tony Abbott are; I came to university to study and to enjoy myself as much as possible. I don’t like the Liberals and I don’t like what they are doing to our University, but I can’t spend all my time hating on them. I want to know that the Guilds full focus is on students day to day needs not on planning their next rally. There is equilibrium between fighting for our education and focusing on our education. Being told to “skip class to go on a protest” is something I don’t think is logical and something I don’t think a guild that is meant to represent all students should advocate. I think the guild needs to return to being a more diverse place that welcomes a range of ideas and is more tolerant of free speech. I think it is time the guild got back to having diverse representatives that are mature and apolitical in how they look out for students needs. I want to focus on students, focus on building and supporting more health science clubs and focus on listening to what students need most.
Humanities Faculty Rep
Steve Giles
Health Science Faculty Rep Left Action Steven Giles Hi, my name is Steve Giles and, as a second year Social Work student, I am Left Action’s candidate for Health Sciences faculty representative. Outside of study, I am passionate about social justice and I am active in a number of causes – from human rights to justice for Palestine. I am also a proud volunteer, tutoring young Indigenous school kids as a part of the AIME program. As this year’s Mature Age Officer, I’ve worked hard engaging, informing and empowering students to stand up to the Federal governments proposed attacks on higher education. These attacks, including the deregulation of tuition fees and interest on HECs debt, adversely affect all students – particularly those from already marginalised groups. Left Action has been at the forefront of this fight at Curtin University, actively opposing the Federal government’s attacks, as well as bringing attention to the staff cuts on campus that have affected so many students. Our tireless work, along with the efforts of students nationally, has contributed to a number of wins for student rights. Firstly, Labor has pledged to oppose the attacks on education that they themselves were planning while in government. Additionally, pressure from students, coupled with public support, ensured that $435 million dollars in higher education cuts was blocked in the senate. Deregulation of tuition fees and other attacks also likely to be blocked. However, the fight doesn’t end there and student rights are likely to come under further attack in the future. As a Left Action candidate, I strongly oppose any attack on student rights and support student welfare. The Guild needs to be committed to standing up for students, their interests and welfare. Left Action has a proven track record in delivering this. Furthermore, Left Action candidates come from a variety of different backgrounds, ensuring a Guild that reflects the diversity on campus and is inclusive for all students. Vote 1 Steve Giles for Health Sciences Representative Vote 1 Left Action
Liam O’Neill
Humanities Faculty Rep Illuminate
and a waste of students time I as Humanities representative pledge to look into this. I will seek to introduce Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to Guild catering and retail because who doesn’t love ice-cream. Finally I stand as a National Union of Students delegate for a second time in order to best represent the issues of students of Curtin University at a national level, as a 2014 delegate I sat as an Independent delegate and I intend to do so again. I also hope to at the NUS national conference push policies on issues such as accountability, fair and honest practices in order to ensure that Curtin students’ money that is paid in affiliation fees to the national union are spent in a wise and accountable manner. Illuminate will get the best deal for Humanities students. We will make a Guild for All.
Well hi there, My name is Liam O’Neill; I’m a current Guild councillor and president of the Curtin University New Zealand Students Association. I study a Bachelor of Arts majoring in international relations and I am running for Humanities faculty representative and NUS delegate with Illuminate for the 2014 Guild Election. I stand to get a fair go for Humanities Students; we face constant cuts to our courses such as my tutorials for my Chinese elective that saw them halved from four hours to two hours a week which caused me to drop the unit, these course cuts need to stop. It is also important that our faculty representatives attend every meeting of a university committee that they’re a member of in order to best represent students views to the university, thus I make this promise that if elected I will aim to attend all the meetings that I have to attend in my role as Humanities representative especially Humanities course management committee and Humanities teaching and learning committee. It is also important that the Humanities common room is restored by the university, Humanities students need a common space to relax and study as well as a room made available for Humanities clubs and societies to use and as Humanities representative I promise to fight for this. I think that it is important that our assessment structure in Humanities is reviewed with courses with “you must pass all assessments” requirement is badly damaging to student welfare in courses where your failure of one assessments means that you have wasted your course fees because you “bombed out” on an assessment where your failure in the real world wouldn’t have cost someone their life as in subjects like medicine or sciences. As your Humanities representative I would lobby to see these requirements pulled out of units where they are not necessary. It is also important that we review our common first year unit structure in Humanities as some of these units are not relevant to people’s courses and this ultimately leads to these units being a time filler
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
Tom Marcinkowski
Humanities Faculty Rep Left Action My name is Tom; I’m studying a Master of Human Rights with the Curtin Centre for Human Rights Education, and my undergraduate degree is in Journalism. I have a passion for social justice. I would like to be elected as your Humanities Rep for 2015 in order to put that passion into practise, using my new position to defend the rights of students. Humanities courses are among the worst affected by the corporate restructuring of universities that has happened under both Liberal and Labor governments. With the Abbott government’s latest savaging of higher education, life will become harder not just for humanities, but for all students. Left Action has done an excellent job of fighting back against these nightmare cuts this year. I will be running in Left Action this year to maintain Curtin’s strong involvement in the nationally co-ordinated student campaign demanding affordable education for all. Clare Francis, who held the position this year helped organise the public campaign which doubled contact hours in several architecture units. Fighting for students rights needs a two-pronged approach. 1. We need to fight for students rights’ nationally. This is true whether they are being attacked by a Liberal government, like this year, or a Labor government (which last year proposed $2.3BN
in cuts to higher education). Left Action is independent of Liberal and Labor. This is why the Left Action-run Guild this year has been such a strong supporter of the National Union of Students. The education campaign nationally has had some massive wins. I am also running for National Union of Students’ delegate. 2. We need to hold Curtin to account, and fight to maintain decent teaching resources for students. I believe Curtin university has been a willing accomplice in implementing the government’s cuts, whether by raising parking fees or cutting teaching resources for students. Our Vice-chancellor supports deregulation. Though this is my first year at Curtin, I already have a wealth of experience in politics and student activism. In 2012, I was the Education Vice-President of the ECU Student Guild. I was also an ECU delegate to the National Union of Students for three years running. I am also a central organiser of the campaign group, Friends of Palestine WA. In this capacity I recently led two rallies condemning Israel’s latest massacre in Gaza. If you, too, support social justice and education rights for students, then please give your vote to me as Humanities Rep… and to Left Action! The whole point of student Guilds is to act first and foremost as an independent body that can represent students and defend their interests. We have another whole year and a half of Abbott, Pyne and their attempts to destroy our education ahead of us. It is therefore imperative to vote for the ticket that chooses candidates who are activists and fighters willing to resist this mad drive to make university unaffordable. That means voting Left Action in the Curtin Student Guild elections, and voting Thomas Marcinkowski as Humanities Rep 2015!
International Student Committee Convener
study in Information System and Technology, and I am also currently the Director of Marketing for ISC (International Student Committee). I am running for the position of ISC Convenor. I’ve only been representing my fellow international students for one and a half month and I feel that my time is too short to do anything significant that would help international students in any way. Helping people out brings joy to myself and of course the one that I helped, which is why I want to be the ISC Convenor. Moreover, I’m part of Illuminate, a group of students that will bring a transformation to Curtin Student Guild. International Student Committee is the only department that runs by and represents international students at Curtin. As a department of Curtin Student Guild, the very purpose of ISC is to enrich students’ experience. According to Curtin Statistics, there were 16,000 international students in 2013, which is more than a quarter of total student population. With such huge number, I didn’t even know the existence of ISC until my second year in my bachelor degree. If only I know about ISC sooner, I believe they would improve my study and/or life experience. Also, I feel like there are not enough participation nor activity that international students are encouraged to be involved in. The position of ISC Convenor opens up many doors and opportunities for me to convey international students’ point of view. Besides, I might be able to use the position to persuade university to provide more to international students to show them that they are welcomed and appreciated at Curtin. Therefore if I’m elected, the first thing in my agenda is to make international students aware that there is a department specially founded and dedicated for them. Furthermore, I promise to not only listen to students’ needs and concerns, but I will try my very best to find a solution that can hopefully be beneficial to everyone. I also pledge to not to disregard any feedback, recommendations, and/ or criticism against ISC in order to build a better department for every international students. Afterwards, I would like to continue to promote the diversity and multiculturalism at Curtin as one of the evidence that it is a safe environment for international students to study and to enjoy their university experience to the fullest. Lastly, I would like to create a platform where international students can interact with local students to expand their knowledge regarding the culture from all over the world, which I believe would be beneficial for everyone. As a member of Illuminate, together, we will make Guild for All.
Natasha Woenarso
International Student Committee Convener Illuminate Hello! My name is Natasha Woenarso. I just finished my bachelor degree in Finance and Marketing last semester, and I am continuing my postgraduate
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Guild Councillor
between graduation and graduate jobs. We need a united front and multifaceted approach to ensure students are taken seriously and our education and future contributions are valued. Vote 1 Illuminate, for a better Guild!
Iftekhar Robin
Sam Franz
Siobhan O’Rourke
International Student Committee Convener
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Hey Everyone! My name is Sam Franz and I’m a first year Social Work student. I’m also a co-convener for the Cross Campus Queer Network of WA and this year I’m running for Queer Officer and NUS delegate. I want to be able to represent and advocate for other Queer students and ensure that they have the best university experience they can. To do that, I have decided to run with Illuminate because they care about students and their wellbeing. Curtin has been the highest-ranking university in the Pride in Diversity award for two years in a row. This means we have beaten every university in the country (including UWA) to ensure that as a university we support LGBTQI students and staff to the best of our abilities, and provide the LGBTQI community on campus with resources and a safe space to go. However a large majority of the student and staff population has no idea that the Queer Department even exists. In the past two years that I have been involved with the Curtin Queer Department I have found that it is becoming even less known and that is something I want to change. Something thing I want to do is make the Queer department more inclusive for trans and gender diverse students. Being gender diverse myself, it was something that I struggled with when I first came to uni and it would be great to see more resources and information available so that other gender diverse students can get the support they need and feel welcome and accepted in the department. The queer department used to run big and exciting events like Bingay (bingo hosted by Drag Queens), that the whole university could get involved in and next year I plan on bringing those events and visibility of the queer community at Curtin back. This will work well with one of illuminates’ policies, which is to bring back bigger and better events to Curtin and the Tav. We want to bring back events with variety, awesome headliners and even plan on creating parallel events for people who are underage or simply don’t like to drink. My favorite Illuminate policy by far is free guild! We are the only University in the state that charges a fee to be part of our student guild and this isn’t fair. We know that students already pay enough for university so why should we have to pay more to be part of our guild? The first thing Illuminate will do is make guild free again for all!
Hey! My name is Siobhan O’Rourke and at present I’m a second year Psychology student. This year I’ve been lucky enough to serve as a Councillor on the student Guild and as the WA State Branch NUS Disabilities officer. This year I’m running for Women’s Officer, Councillor and NUS delegate with Illuminate.
Left Action Hi there, I am Iftekhar Robin, a doctoral research student in the school of Economics and Finance, Curtin University. I believe in multidisciplinary education, diversity in culture and nationality, and democratic practice at all levels. Currently am involved in Curtin Student Guild as CUPSA executive. I have been in this position since February 2012. Prior to this, I was associated with the postgraduate student association in the ISS, Erasmus University, Holland as the elected academic council member for the period 2007-08, while I was doing masters in economics there. Being a Curtin student, I strongly believe that students coming across the globe with different background require a leadership who can raise their rights to the University authority. Having experience working with different student bodies both in Curtin and overseas, I firmly believe, if I become elected as the convenor of International Student Committee, I can address appropriately the international students’ issues and uphold their voices. I am committed to ensure a congenial environment for all Curtin students, and create new changes in line with their needs in the days to come. I belong to left action panel and need your support in order to implement the vision of the student Guild.
Lewis Whittaker
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hello! My name is Lewis Whittaker and I’m in my second year of a Commerce/ Arts double degree in Economics and International Relations. I currently sit on guild council and I intend to continue this role into 2015 with Illuminate, running for NUS delegate and Councillor. Illuminate intends to reform the guild for the better, making it much more accessible, inclusive and once again free to join. However, the thing that makes me most excited about Illuminate is its events policy. Events and activities, especially for non-drinkers, have been neglected in recent years and the Illuminate team seeks to rectify this, with heaps more events such as parallel events to Tav parties and open mic nights. One of the main roles for a councillor is to keep the faculty reps and the executive accountable to the council and the student body as a whole, and if elected I will make sure that the office bearers sit on both University Course Committees and Teaching and Learning Committee meetings. If elected I will engage with the executive of the guild in order to make the guild overall much more transparent, with meeting minutes becoming more easily available to the student body as well as audio recordings of the council meetings. Vote 1 Illuminate for more events and a more inclusive guild. Vote 1 Lewis Whittaker for Council and NUS.
Illuminate is here to represent all students. Help us create a Guild you will be proud of. Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
Jake Wittey
Guild Councillor Illuminate See General Secretary statement
Illuminate is being formed by candidates that believe the guild needs to do more to directly assist and work with students, first of all by making membership free again! Like any good student I’m excited to see the social scene across Curtin brought back to life with lots of events new and old in the works at The Tav. The last year has seen me grow more involved with the Women’s department on campus as we worked to re-establish the Women’s collective and rebuild a presence on campus. As Women’s officer I’ll work with Grace McDonald to provide representation for and advocate for the rights of women identifying students on campus. It has been wonderful seeing the Women’s Department grow and I aim to continue building the department’s presence by running events (pizza and movies anyone?) for women identifying students on campus. The Women’s room will be maintained as an accepting and safe autonomous space and is open for women students to relax, hang out and study. The graduate pay gap, increased time to pay off HECS, sexism, safety and harassment are just a few of the issues affecting women students at Curtin and the Women’s department aims to provide information and promote activism around these and other women’s issues. A NUS Women’s department survey found that 76% of women felt unsafe on campus at night and as such I believe it is important that we work to make campus safe for women by maintaining a positive relationship with security, ensuring students know how to access help as well as ensuring adequate lighting and other safety measures. As a National Union of Students Delegate I will represent the interests of students, first and foremost by opposing deregulation, fee increases and funding cuts to students. Similarly I believe in the importance of student welfare in allowing students to obtain an education and as such oppose changes to Youth Allowance which would see the age of independence raised to 25 and students be left without any income support
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Sarah Formentin
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hi, My name is Sarah Formentin. I am a second year Nursing student and a committee member for the Curtin Association of Nursing, Paramedicine and Midwifery (CANPAMS). I do not know a whole lot about politics, and I know that a lot of people out there don’t either. I want to be the voice for those who do not understand all the politics and the strategies. I simply want to make this campus a better place for every student. I also hope that by running in this election I will be able to help students to gain a better understanding of what Guild is, and what we can do for you. One of the ways we are going to do that is by making Guild membership free for all students. It seems unfair that we have to pay the SSAF fee every semester and a Guild membership fee in order to fully experience student life at Curtin, students aren’t made of money! So if you want a Guild that looks after regular students, Vote 1 Sarah Formentin and Vote 1 Illuminate.
Company, and I want to give YOU the opportunity to transform the Guild next year.
students to socialise and relax. It would be pretty great if we had a Guild that talked to the university about these issues like adults instead of shouting insults about the VC’s wage outside her window.
Until about a month ago, I wanted nothing to do with the Guild. I felt intimidated, unsafe and unrepresented. My friends had been harassed for attending class instead of going to the protests. I paid $50 for a membership which used to be completely free, for fewer student events and more expensive food.
Keelee Hadland
Guild Councillor Illuminate "Hello there! My name is Keelee Hadland and I am a first year student at Curtin. I am studying Journalism and Screen Arts, and I hope to become a news anchor once I graduate. I will be honest and say I don’t know much about politics – hence why I stopped doing Law at Curtin! But I know what works and what doesn’t. I want to help the Guild maintain its good relationship with its students, with different forms of help and support available to everyone. I wish to keep the campus running smoothly, and hopefully even better than it is currently. With Illuminate, we hope to create better services for everyone in many ways, for example better parking and more events for the under 18s. I want to make Curtin smaller in terms of how people know each other – we need to have better communication amongst all the students and staff! I also want Guild membership to be free! People tell that was a thing last year, but now it costs $50. I'm determined to make sure all students are able to get free Guild membership in 2015. Voting for me as a councillor for Illuminate will guarantee you a better Guild, better university and, by default, an easier time during your studies. Vote 1 for Keelee Hadland, vote 1 for Illuminate – we’ll serve you better! "
But then I found out that the Guild doesn’t have to be this way. There are people in the Guild who want FREE membership, BALANCED finances and NO STUDENT HARASSMENT. This group is called Illuminate. No, we are not the Illuminati, nor are we affiliated with a political party. In fact, because we do not have political affiliations, you can trust that our actions are motivated solely to improve university life at Curtin for ALL students of ALL backgrounds, because that is your right. We have no superobjective to promote another party’s ideology. We are here to represent YOU. We plan on setting up a system where the student body are active in changing policies, utilising platforms such as Facebook for anonymous suggestions, feedback and criticism. If you are interested, we will give you the opportunity to attend Guild meetings and have access to their content online. You can get savvy on your Guild, and we can get savvy on your needs. The Guild’s responsibility is to defend your rights, particularly the rights of those who are often disempowered because of their identities. It is unacceptable that Curtin does not have a Disability Department to represent students who have mental, physical and/ or intellectual conditions. The way in which society views and treats people with disabilities can be more damaging than the disabilities themselves, and lack of representation in the Guild is an example of the quiet exclusion that prevents awareness and understanding. I want to set up a Disability Department that will be ready for next year’s election, and that will not only promote equity, but provide support and community. I want to change the way Curtin thinks about disability. Illuminate will make the Guild for the people of Curtin. Not just the people of one political party, or the people who can afford expensive food, or the people who have time to go to protests instead of class. I want you to vote 1 for Georgi Ivers and vote 1 for Illuminate. For a better Guild!
Georgi Ivers
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hello! My name is Georgi Ivers. You may have seen me at one of your lectures trying to convince you to volunteer overseas with AIESEC, an international student-run organisation whom I work for. If not, let me introduce myself! I am a first year International Relations student, I also work at a bakery, I am currently the stage manager for a production with Melville Theatre Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
You know what? Students have it tough enough without having to worry about paying for amenities that should already be available to them. That’s why I believe that Guild should be free for Curtin students, because as they always say, Guild Is Good For You!
Helman Alfonso
Guild Councillor
So if you want a Guild run by regular students who will look out for you, Vote 1 Letesha Goble and Vote 1 Illuminate.
Illuminate
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hey! I’m Letesha and I’m running for the Councillor position as part of Illuminate. I’m in my third year of my Civil and Construction Engineering degree, hailing from the mighty Faculty of Science and Engineering. I believe that the Guild should be run by the students and for the students! We don’t need to involve ourselves in politics about things that don’t concern the students at Curtin University. Whether you’re left-wing, rightwing, middle wing, or simply don’t care, the Guild should be representing you!
Guild Councillor Student Unity
Kate Schweizer
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hey there! I’m Kate. I’m in my first year at Curtin studying Creative Writing. I’m running for Guild Councillor. I want every student at Curtin to enjoy their limited time at university. My focus is on student welfare and enjoyment. The Guild should be putting all of their time and energy into bettering student life. I want equal opportunities for every student regardless of their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic background. Illuminate hopes that Free Guild membership will encourage more people to get involved in student life. That means more activities and more parties at the Tav.
Letesha Goble
Bridget Edwards
No statement supplied
Hi, My name is Helman, I'm a first year law and commerce student majoring in economics, I'm running for one of the positions of guild councillor. Like many people I think that our student guild is falling behind and alienating itself from the students. We want the guild to include all Curtin students and we want to do this by making guild membership free once again, as it should be for university students. We'll be focusing on many ways to actually improve Uni life here at Curtin, through better events and better transparency. We want to try and deal with improve on-campus issues which have been neglected in the past couple of years, like parking. I would be very happy to bring any ideas that you have to meetings. Illuminate is behind real student representation. For a Guild for all, for a free Guild, Vote 1 for Helman Alfonso and Vote 1 for Illuminate!
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Guild membership should be an option for all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, and no one should have to feel left out. Illuminate wants to insure equal opportunity for everyone. The Guild is supposed to take care of its students. Student welfare will be a main focus of ours. Students should all know about the counseling and Triage services available on campus. We also hope to better advertise guild equity spaces, where minority students can find safe space areas. Everyone should feel safe on campus. Illuminate will put their funds towards improving student life. We promise a better university experience for everyone. We will be run by students for students. So Vote 1 for Kate Schweizer and Illuminate for a better guild
That means looking for issues students are facing on campus, like the lack of parking, the poor state of first year units and doing more awesome and free events for
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Phoenix Togiapoe
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hi, My name is Phoenix Togiapoe and I am a second year Urban and Regional Planning student. I am also the second-third year student representative for the Town Planning Students Association (TPSA). This year I am running for the position of Councillor in the Curtin Guild Elections. I’m running for guild because I want to help improve the student experience at Curtin. Public transport to Curtin is shocking, and Illuminate want to bug the university to act on this everincreasing problem. Transport isn’t just a problem for commuters either, with student parking pays decreasing every year, getting more expensive and the Pay-AsYou-Go system unfairly affecting students driving from far away who can’t catch public transport, and can’t get here before 8am when all the parks are taken. It shouldn’t take half an hour to find a parking space! When I started university in 2013 the Guild decided to waive membership fees because of the Student Services and Amenities Fee that was introduced. We’ve had to pay for membership this year, but it seems like we are getting less than we got when it was free. I will ensure that Guild membership is free for all students, and you will get more of the great events, services and discounts that other universities enjoy. So if you think these are the issues your guild should be focusing on, Vote 1 for Phoenix Togiapoe and Illumiante.
Welfare with the International Student Committee (ISC), a department of Curtin Student Guild, as well as sitting on the Council of International Students Australia (CISA, a peak representation body for international students in Australia) Western Australian team. Having worked with AIESEC (a global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences) in the past, I also stand as AIESEC’s alumni. I am running for the position of guild councillor.
Natasha Muller
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hi, My name is Natasha Muller and I was born in Brazil, and I’m running for Guild Councillor. I am in my second year, majoring in Marketing and Advertising, which I am very passionate about. Currently I am the Director of Events of ISC (International Student Committee). I joined ISC in the first semester of 2014, and since then I have been organizing events for international students with the objective of enriching their social experience on campus. Due to my multicultural background I believe all students should have the same rights regardless of their ethnicity, sexual orientation and economic status. I decided to join Illuminate because their ideas match with what I think a student representative body should be. Free guild membership and different kinds of parties and events that cover different beliefs are essential to a campus with a diverse student body such as ours. As a full time student, I spend a lot of time at university, hence I believe the lack of healthy food options is a problem for many students. Illuminate will endeavour to increase the menu range in order to accommodate for all students. Illuminate are more focused improving your campus life, making a student guild which looks after all students! When you get to the ballot box, Vote 1 for Natasha Muller and Vote 1 Illuminate!
I stand with Illuminate’s policies and its goals. Illuminate stands for true representation of students; transparency; free Guild membership for 2015; improved student welfare; disability support; improved facilities and amenities on campus; and increased support for clubs and societies. If elected I will make certain that the faculty representatives and executives are accountable of their promises, and decisions are made in the best interest of students. Guild should truly live up to its saying “Guild is Good For You!”. Vote 1 for Illuminate! Vote 1 for Hyo Chan Kim - your Guild Councillor!
Aaron Beardsell
Guild Councillor Left Action My name is Aaron Beardsell. I am a second year student studying Speech Pathology here at Curtin. I am the treasurer for the university club Students For Palestine. I have also been involved in the education campaign against Tony Abbott and Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s attacks on education. I’m passionate about improving student life, particularly around issues involving parking, education and staff cuts, university culture and life, and defending student’s rights on campus. As a political activist with a personal focus on equality and breaking down forms of discrimination in society, such as sexism, homophobia, and racism, and I will be running in this year’s Guild Election with Left Action.
Hyo Chan Kim
Guild Councillor Illuminate Hi, My name is Chan and I am from Korea. I am in my third year of my Commerce degree majoring in Finance with background in Information Technology. I am currently the Acting Vice President and Director of Education and
As a Guild Councillor I can provide a fair voice that will fight for student’s rights against education cuts that harm all students, both present and future, as well as any other attacks on student representation and rights. Vote 1 Aaron Beardsell for Guild Council Vote 1 Left Action
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
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Khyl Hardy
Tristan Kealy
Layal Ghalayini
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Left Action
Student Unity
My name is Khyl, I’m studying Chinese (Mandarin) and History, and I have been the General Secretary in the Guild this year. I am running with Left Action for Guild Councillor and National Union of Students (NUS) Delegate. For the last two years, Left Action has made it a priority to campaign against federal government cuts to higher education. With the changes proposed by the Abbott Liberal government, the need for student organisations to organise opposition to their agenda has become more urgent. I believe these changes would see our education system transformed to mirror the two-tier system in the United States, which sorts universities into Ivy League institutions which cater to the rich, and low-quality but nonetheless extremely expensive community colleges for students from working class backgrounds. According to Bruce Chapmanthe person chiefly responsible for planning the abolition of free higher education in the early 90s, so no friend of students- such a system could mean students are saddled with up to $120,000 in debt by the time they complete their studies.
See Health Sciences Faculty Rep statement
Student protests around the country have succeeded in making the changes to higher education one of the most unpopular aspects of an unpopular government’s program. If we want to make sure that the Abbott government cannot get away with attacking students for the rest of its time in office, we need to continue the fight-back. I’m a member of Socialist Alternative and a long-term activist in a range of left-wing campaigns. I bring experience and a commitment to social justice (as well as other admirable traits, like a near-encyclopaedic knowledge of The Simpsons) to the job of helping organise the fight-back.
Left Action No statement supplied
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Zoe Horner
Blake D’Souza
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Left Action
Student Unity See Education statement
Vice
President
President
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Overheard at Curtin
Student Unity Vice
Vice
Brad Schoone
Amber Russell
See Activities statement
See Activities statement
President
See Education statement
Vice
President
Our student organisations are here, first and foremost, to stand up for our rights, whether that be against the university administration or against the government. Vote Khyl Hardy for Guild Councillor and NUS Delegate Vote 1 Left Action
Sean Mawdsley
Guild Councillor
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Faculty
Guild Councillor Overheard at Curtin
Student Unity See Business statement
Kye Russell
Rep
See General Secretary statement
Adam Parsons
Guild Councillor Overheard at Curtin See Activities statement
Vice
President
Tom Marcinkowski
Guild Councillor Left Action See Humanities statement
Faculty
Rep
feminist emphasis. I have been a member of Curtin’s student community since 2007 and am passionate about engaging with, supporting, and enriching its student community. I have acted as a Curtin student mentor many times over and loved working with our first years to ensure a smooth transition into university where they felt safe and supported. I was also proud to take part in the Curtin Coaches program, which provided important outreach services to high-school students in our local communities. I also often undertake teaching work in primary schools and tutor at the tertiary level. Working with students of all ages is one of my passions and foremost priorities. I believe strongly in equality for all and aspire to advocate with and for marginalised groups in our society. I am very invested in equality for women, the LBGTQI community, and Indigenous Australians. I am also particularly avid about the state of higher education in Australia and the status of tertiary students. The Education Campaign is very important to me; I would like to see greater government investment in high quality education, with an aim to ensure affordability and accessibility for students. Left Action’s goals resonate deeply with me, which is why I am running with them this year. I support a strong, active Student Guild which speaks for all students and works towards better standards and outcomes for everyone. Vote 1 Maddie Dobson for Guild Councillor Vote 1 Left Action
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Clare Francis
Guild Councillor Left Action See Education statement
Vice
President
Frinky Simbolon
Guild Councillor Left Action No statement supplied
Womens Officer
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Nick Everett
Dylan Gojak
Guild Councillor
Guild Councillor
Left Action My name is Nick Everett and I am a Left Action candidate for Guild Council and the National Union of Students. I am committed to a democratic, activist student guild that stands up for the rights of students and for social justice. I am a mature age student, studying a Masters of Human Rights, and I am an activist. I am the convenor of Friends of Palestine WA and the Vice President of Curtin Students for Palestine. I first became an activist in the late 1980s, campaigning against the re-introduction of student fees and against South African apartheid. I believe a student union should be concerned about both student welfare and issues of social justice. Today students are facing a major attack on their right to public education. I believe the Abbott Liberal government is planning: unlimited fee increases; the abolition of start up scholarships; and deep cuts to Newstart and Youth Allowance. They want a US-style education system that benefits the rich. We must stop them in their tracks! This is why I have been involved in the campaign against the cuts, joining three NUS National Days of Action this year. Out campaign has been strong and loud and it needs to continue.
Student Unity See President statement
Ben Dickinson
Guild Councillor Student Unity See General Secretary statement
I am also a founding member of Students for Palestine at Curtin University, which seeks to raise awareness on campus about Israel's policies of genocide and apartheid towards the Palestinians. Over the last two months I have been involved in organising rallies and public meetings calling on our government to: end its support for Israel; kick out the Israeli Ambassador; and support international calls for an arms embargo on Israel. If elected, I will campaign for a student referendum on Guild support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which seeks to force Israel to comply with its obligations under international law. Stand up for student rights and social justice! Vote 1 Left Action!
Maddie Dobson
Guild Councillor Left Action My name is Maddie Dobson and I am a Left Action candidate for Councillor. I'm a postgraduate student pursuing a higher degree by research, with my PhD focusing on educational issues with a
Sam Cavallaro
Guild Councillor Left Action See General Secretary statement
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Siobhan O’Rourke & Grace McDonald
Womens Officers Illuminate Siobhan O’Rourke: Councillor statement
See
Guild
Grace McDonald: Hey! My name is Grace McDonald. I’m a third year Urban and Regional Planning student with a passion for fashion, kidding. I have a passion for everything. This year I am running for Women’s officer. I want to run this year because I have seen issues on campus directly relating to women’s safety and health that have not been addressed in the last 3 years. Ergo I want to address and fix these issues. I am running with the Illuminate team because I feel they have the most real chance of actively fixing these problems, instead of the past guild, which has promised much but in my opinion done zilch. A recent NUS survey found that over 76% of women felt vulnerable when travelling on campus at night. I have also felt this, walking through the south end of campus in the middle of the night with no lighting was incredibly frightening. I don’t believe that any person, woman or man, should have to feel this. Therefore I intend to directly campaign for more enhanced lighting in all areas of Curtin campuses. I also intend to ensure that Curtin Security perform more regular patrols and checks. I don’t want to walk around campus constantly looking over my shoulder and peering around corners. I find it despicable that a guild, so entrenched in human rights and equality cannot find the time to ensure safety for me, my
friends and my Curtin associates. However, the Illuminate team and I will fight for our safety, amongst other polices such as free guild, because hey, free stuff is the best kind of stuff : D I and my team Illuminate are the people who are concerned about your feelings, your qualms and what you find difficult. However big or small the problem is, we are the people who are here to fix it. Grace.
Estelle Rosario
Womens Officers Student Unity No statement supplied
Indigenous Officer
Sharleah Ramirez
Indigenous Officer I’m Sharleah Ramirez, a proud Karriyarra, Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi from a town called Port Hedland within the Pilbara region. I entered Curtin University through the enabling course and am currently enrolled in the school of humanities studying Anthropology & Sociology. One of my long term goals is to be a successful life coach or motivational speaker; where I am able to inspire, educate and motivate people in recognizing their own capabilities in achieving their dreams and aspirations. I believe anyone and everyone can achieve what ever they want to achieve in life if they put their minds to it. I have been a member of Curtin University since semester 2 of 2013, and I feel that my knowledge and awareness of the University is at a high standard. I feel that I am a dedicated member of the University and have passion in representing the Indigenous people of this University.
relationships with several different high schools and universities within the state of Western Australia. With these connections I am keen as Indigenous Rep to build strong relationships between these organizations and the Guild of Curtin University.
Mature Age Student Rep
I feel that the Guild association and the Indigenous people of Curtin University will benefit from me as the Indigenous Rep, as I am devoted to demonstrating the correct representation for Indigenous people. My aim is to increase the engagement of indigenous students in the student Guild body, as this will create an understanding, awareness and opportunities within itsself for Indigenous people. I am very passionate about assisting people when it comes to the understanding of cultural welfare within social settings such as the Guild. To help improve the system for not only the Indigenous people of Curtin University but also for the non- Indigenous people to get to know Australia’s first people first hand. I believe that I will be a strong voice for Indigenous people in the future, with this thought in mind I also believe that I can help build a strong bond between the relationship of not only the Guild and the Indigenous people but for everyone on campus.
-NAIDOC Week celebrations. -Welcome to country. -Getting involved with different events. -Being a host of events that promote cultural awareness, bonding people together. These are only a few ideas to start with…
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Fabian Yarran
Indigenous Officer Left Action No statement supplied
As Indigenous rep of the Curtin Guild I believe that I can offer networks with a range of diverse organizations that all promote recognition and reconciliation for Indigenous people. Some of these organizations include; AIME, ICEA, Recognise Campaign, True Blue Dreaming Foundation, Cultural Connection Code, St Catherinesp Darnjoo Darbalung Program and many more. I also have good Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
As the Mature Age Student Rep, my desired outcomes for 2015 would be that the diversity of the Mature Age Student population is embraced, explored and addressed; ensuring all mature age students are a part of, not apart from the traditional student population. Illuminate is a group that will represent ALL students, a Guild for everyone! Gareth Thomas : Hi, my name is Gareth Thomas and I am in my third year of a Journalism and International relations double degree. As a 30-year-old former automotive mechanic and father to an energetic toddler I have a wide range of experiences unique to mature age students. With this background I feel I would make a very capable Mature Age Representative. I will be running alongside Jodie Best, the most experienced person on campus when it comes to mature age student issues. Together we will work towards an increased mature age student presence at open and information days to provide the resources to make your university experience the best it can be.
With this, I propose to make a difference by: Cultural understanding and representation for and of issues regarding Indigenous Australians. Organising Interactive cultural sessions Indigenous and Non Indigenous backgrounds, bringing everyone together. Yarning and spreading the good word
requirements to the child care assistance project currently provided by the Guild. I plan on continuing all this and more into 2015 if elected.
Jodie Best & Gareth Thomas
Mature Age Student Reps Illuminate Jodie Best: My name is Jodie Best and I am currently in my fourth year studying Psychology. With a crew of kids and work, life can be a challenge when you choose to study. These challenges and my passion for mature age students are the driving force behind me choosing to run as the Mature Age Representative alongside Gareth Thomas and Illuminate. In 2012 I approached the Guild about the representation of the 40% of mature age students at Curtin, there was NONE! So in 2013, I was one of the first elected Mature Age Student representatives for the Guild after initially starting up a ‘club’ for us in 2012 (Something was better than nothing, right?!). Since those small beginnings a lot has been achieved. I developed and established a central contact point within an environment that supported the mature age student, reaching many people both on campus and online. However; things have changed during 2014 and I want to ramp up the representation once more. I want to see the return of the coffee mornings and evening get togethers that were so popular. I want all mature students to feel connected with new networks and new friendships. I want to be seen and heard!
I know from experience that being the ‘older’ person in the class can sometimes be alienating and it can be difficult at times to relate to your younger classmates. For these reasons I would like to see more activities and opportunities for mature age students connect, network and socialise with peers that understand the unique challenges faced by mature age students. Furthermore, I will endeavour to ensure that information and access to support for parents is as visible and efficient as possible. Finding a balance between work, study and family can be very difficult and in some cases it can be the difference between a pass and a high distinction or even deferring and graduating. With Jodie and the rest of the team at Illuminate we will do our upmost to properly represent the needs and interests of mature age students. We’re all here to work for our degrees and Illuminate will make sure you have a damn good time in the process, while also fighting the deregulation of fees, and constant encroachment into common room spaces. So vote 1 for Illuminate and make a guild for all!
Some issues to be addressed next year will be the presence of mature age representation at all open and information days for students, the need for equality with scholarships and to follow and update any
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Wiwince Pigome
Mature Age Student Rep Left Action My name is Wiwince Gorida Pigome. I am Left Action's candidate for Mature Age Representative. I'm a mature-age student studying my Bachelor of Social Work. I've experienced firsthand being a mature age student, as well as being an international student studying in Australia; the reason I am undertaking my social work degree is that as a social justice and human rights activist, I would like to contribute to making a difference in people's lives. I am a human rights activist. I have dedicated myself to fighting for justice and freedom for my people of West Papua for more than 12 years. I have campaigned on the violence and genocide committed by the Indonesian military government regime, which has been supported and funded by the Australian and American governments for over five decades. There have been 500,000 people murdered, and people killed every day. Because my people have experienced the injustice and denial of their basic human rights, this has made me a strong believer in human rights - equal rights and opportunities for women and children, indigenous rights, asylum seekers, and environment and animal rights. The most important thing for students currently is waging a campaign against the Liberal government's cuts to higher education. Left Action have consistently campaigned against these attacks, and a progressive guild should continue this successful campaign. I would like to take this opportunity to be part of activism, and to tackle diverse areas of concerns such as education, as well as international students' rights, refugee rights, and racism. I strongly believe that with the advocacy skills I have in collaboration with the dynamic and progressive likeminded people in Left Action, we can make a difference for all students. All students should have equal opportunity to access all services and activities in and out of campus, with flexible hours of teaching and learning time in conjunctions with family, working and leisure time. With students living on average 60% below the poverty line, I believe the guild should endeavour to provide its services at low cost. I welcome anyone who could contribute new ideas, concerns and suggestions, critiques and
challenges that could make a productive and effective outcome for everyone. Vote 1 Wiwince Gorida Pigome for Mature Age Representative Vote 1 Left Action
N.U.S Delegates
important issues confronting them. I've seen the importance of waging a real campaign against both the federal budget and Curtin's own cutbacks. It is not enough simply to rely on the goodwill of those making the cut backs; the student guild needs to be an independent, fighting body. A strong student guild is one that not only defends students' rights, but the rights of all oppressed minorities. I support indigenous, refugees, LGBTI issues, Palestine, and women's rights.
Sam Franz
Sam Cavallaro
NUS Delegate
NUS Delegate
Illuminate
Lewis Whittaker
Vote 1 Left Action
Left Action
See Guild Councillor statement
See General Secretary statement
NUS Delegate Illuminate See Guild Councillor statement
Election Dates
Clare Francis
NUS Delegate
Tuesday
Miranda Wood
NUS Delegate
NUS Delegate
Illuminate
16th September 10am to 4pm
Jason Giancono
Wednesday
Illuminate
17th September 10am to 8pm
Siobhan O’Rourke
See Guild Councillor statement
NUS Delegate See Guild President statement
Jake Wittey
NUS Delegate Illuminate See General Secretary statement
NUS Delegate Illuminate See Humanities statement
Faculty
Tom Marcinkowski
NUS Delegate Left Action
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
With the massive attacks on students, seeing not only fees and HECS skyrocket, but poorer and marginalised students pushed out of university education, I think it's crucial that Curtin has a strong, fighting guild to oppose the cuts. Curtin itself has already seen massive cuts to courses, a push to online learning, rising fees and overcrowding in classes. This will only get worse if the budget cuts are implemented.
Rep
See Humanities statement
Faculty
Vice
President
My name is Miranda Wood and I am Left Action's candidate for National Union of Students’ (NUS) delegate. I'm a studying a Bachelor of Education, and have spent the last year working as Education Vice President of the guild. Before coming to Curtin last year, I worked in aged care for 7 years, being an active trade union delegate in my workplace. I have also been a activist in numerous campaigns, including the campaign for equal marriage, refugees and the massive anti-budget rallies. I've spent the last year running the campaign for education, and campaigning against the antistudent measures in the Liberals' federal budget.
18th September 10am to 4pm
Liam O’Neill
See Education statement
Left Action
Thursday
Voting will take place within the polling tent at Atkinson Forum
Left Action
Rep
I believe the Liberal government's intention of creating a US-style education system will see only the wealthiest people being able to afford to go to uni. The entire burden of cost would be pushed onto students, rather than the government taking responsibility for providing accessible, affordable education for all. Being this year's Education Vice President has meant I've had experience dealing not only with the university, but also the opportunity to talk to students about what they see as the most
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Khyl Hardy
NUS Delegate Left Action See Guild Councillor statement
NO PHOTO SUPPLIED
Blake D’Souza
NUS Delegate Student Unity See Education statement
Vice
President
Vote 1 Left Action for a diverse and inclusive guild that stands up for students.
NO PHOTO SUPPLIED Grace McDonald
NUS Delegate Illuminate See Womens Officer statement
Nick Everett
Guild Councillor Left Action See Guild Councillor statement
Jess McLeod
NUS Delegate Left Action Hi, I’m Jess and I’m a nursing student. I’m running for National Union of Students (NUS) delegate with Left Action. As the Mature Age Representative this year, Guild President last year and the Education VicePresident the year before, I have lots of experience and knowledge of student issues. Over the last three years I have spoken up for students on committees, put out press releases, organised collective meetings for students to get involved in, made sure students were informed about the campus and federal education issues, organised protests and actions, supported many progressive causes, and helped individual students with their concerns when they have come to me. I have also participated in and helped at social events, and faculty and club activities. I first became involved in the Guild because I wanted to make a difference and I wanted students to know that the Guild is here to stick up for students. The core reason we are all at uni is for our education, which is why the campaign against the cuts and fee hikes was so important this year. I am committed to the idea that education should be for all, and not just those who can afford it. Before I was involved in the Guild I was an activist and a socialist, and involved in Equal Love WA and the campaign for marriage equality.
Dylan Gojak
NUS Delegate Student Unity See President statement
Ben Dickinson
NUS Delegate Student Unity See General Secretary statement
One of the things that really helps students to stay at uni is knowing that there is support if they need it, having good services available, and also having clubs, societies, collectives and social activities to participate in. This is what I will continue to do if elected to NUS delegate. Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
The opinions stated in The Candidate are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Guild. These may not necessarily be factually correct. There has been almost no editing of submissions except minor gramatical corrections from the Returning Officer and formatting for this publication, so as to not interfere with candidates election policy statements. Where no photo or statement has been published, no photo or statement has been provided by the cadidate.
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
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Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
This page has been left intentionally blank
Curtin Student Guild Elections 2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
- All views expressed are those of the candidates and NOT of the editorial staff of any Curtin Student Guild publication or of the Curtin Student Guild -
Election Dates Tuesday 16th September 10am to 4pm
Wednesday 17th September 10am to 8pm
Thursday 18th September 10am to 4pm
Voting will take place within the polling tent at Atkinson Forum
The Candidate The Official publication of the 2014 Annual Guild Elections CurtinCurtin Student GuildGuild Elections 2014.2014. Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer Student Elections Authorised by Gavin Wibrow - Returning Officer
- All views expressed are- those All views of the expressed candidates are those and NOT of the of candidates the editorialand staffNOT of any of the Curtin editorial Student staffGuild of any publication Curtin Student or of the Guild Curtin publication Student orGuild of the - Curtin Student Guild -