A notice of candidates was released on April 12, announcing eleven candidates who will compete for five University of Sydney Union (USU) Board positions in May. At least two board members must be ‘wom*n’, as per the notice.
All USU members are eligible to vote and voting links will be sent by email to all members.
The deadline to become eligible to vote is May 3 at 4pm. Voting opens at 9am on May 6 and closes at 5pm on May 10.
A debate between all candidates will be held at the Refectory in the Holme Building on May 1 starting at 1pm. Candidates will be given a chance to speak about their policies and present their vision of the USU. The debate will also be livestreamed on the USU’s Facebook account.
The eleven candidates listed on the notice, in alphabetical order by last name, are: Harshita Bhandari, James Dwyer, Angus Fisher, Ethan Floyd, Simon Homsany, Daniel Park, Orlando Throsby, Naomi Viegas, Phan Vu, Georgia Zhang and Zixuan Zhang.
Bhandari is a second year Business Analytics and Marketing student. She is currently the Social Media Coordinator for Sydney University Business Analytics Society and a current member of National Labor Students (NLS).
Dwyer studies Advanced Computing and Computer Science. He was the USU’s 2023 Welcome Fest Event Coordinator, and is currently a Campus Activity Coordinator. He is also currently President of the Sydney University Data Society.
Fisher studies economics and is a Councillor for the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). He campaigned for Revive (National Labor Students) and Rose Donnelly for last year’s SRC elections.
Floyd studies Arts, majoring in Politics and minoring in Indigenous Studies. He edited Honi last year and is a current member of Grassroots. He is a First Nations Office Bearer for the SRC and a Councillor.
Homsany is a Juris Doctor (post-graduate law) student. He completed his previous degree in Commerce at the University of Western Australia.
Park is a fourth year law student. He is currently the Treasurer of the Korean Law Students society.
Throsby is in second year and studies philosophy. He currently resides at St Paul’s College. He was a member of the Honi ticket last year that withdrew their nomination. He works as a research analyst at the Menzies Research Centre, and also an intern for Liberal MP Christopher Rath.
Viegas is studying a Master’s of Information Technology and Information Technology Management.
Vu is a second year student studying Economics and Law. She is the International Student Officer for the Sydney University Law Society.
Georgia Zhang is a third year Politics and Law student, who resides at St Andrew’s College. She is the Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Officer for the SRC. She is currently a Producer of the Sydney University Law Revue.
Zixuan Zhang is a fourth year Pharmacy student.
The election regulations stipulate that candidates may not start campaigning on social media until April 27. In person campaigning is only permitted from April 29.
The results will be announced at Hermann’s Bar on May 10.
Update to the article on Friday, April 19 2024: Orlando Throsby has rescinded his nomination as a USU Board candidate in 2024. This leaves ten board candidates contesting a total of five positions.
