Chuchu (Janet) Yin has withdrawn from the 2018 USU Board election, narrowing the pool of candidates down to eight. The official USU elections website has listed Yin as ‘Election Withdrawal’, as of Tuesday 8 May, the second day of campaigning.
Yin is a second year Commerce student and is an international student from China. She was one of five international student candidates vying for the position of USU Board Director.
In a statement provided to Honi, Yin said she “hated politics” but “forced myself to campaign for the board director since I think it might be a good platform for me to stand for international students.”
Yin’s policy statement was minimal, she did not have a campaigning slogan, and did not have a Facebook page. She declined to be interviewed by Honi.
Before Yin withdrew from the election, Honi completed a candidate profile which readers can view below.
In today’s statement, she wrote: “During the last few days, I was trying to contact my friends to vote for me which has made me very guilty and depressed. Since I am just not that type of person who feels comfortable to bother my friends, especially with such a purpose.”
Yin stated that she would keep doing everything she could for international students and did not want to “pretend that [her] policies benefit domestic students as well, since in fact it is not.
“As an international student, I just want to get benefits/rights which we are supposed to have in this country. Therefore, I honestly think I am not the right person to take this position, more motivated and ambitious person should deserve it and can actually make a difference.
“I really wish whoever get on board can actually do something for international students!”
Yin also apologised for the inconvenience she had caused USU staff and thanked friends for their support.
Honi tried speaking with Chuchu Yin. We really did. But she was “too busy” for a 40 minute interview. She was also “too busy” to take our quiz, and generally “too busy” to give voters the chance to evaluate whether she’s fit for public office. Lucky for her, being a Board director doesn’t demand any time commitments and all Board meetings are optional if you have something else on. Right?
Judging from her policy platform, Yin is concerned with international student welfare. She wants to involve more international students in C&S, and proposes more outreach as well as a multiplatform advertising campaign to achieve it. She also wants to provide internships to both domestic and international students. It’s unclear whether this policy refers to internships within the USU itself, or external ones the USU organises for its members.
These are Yin’s only two policies. She otherwise lists some C&S experience, mostly from this year: she is dance society MADSOC’s performance coordinator, is a USU volunteer, and is International Revue’s marketing and public relations director. She also stresses that she studies economics and works as a tutor.
