Education VP Candidates: Erin Russell (Left Action) featured left, and Bridge Truell (Illuminate) featured right.

Left Action’s Erin Russell and Illuminate’s Bridge Truell are the running candidates for the 2021 Education Vice president position at Curtin’s Guild.

The role, held in 2020 by Chris Hall, plays an important part in advocating for students’ rights and ensures Curtin’s policy and procedure align with student interest.

Left Action’s Erin Russell says she would use the position to fight the $45 million budget cuts being made at Curtin.

The cuts come as a result of the reduction in incoming fees, due to less international students attending Curtin because of COVID-19.

“It’s going to mean bigger class sizes, course and unit cuts, and possibly trimesters.”

Russell said she would use the Education Vice president position to fight the huge cuts through an “angry and loud protest campaign”.

A long-time student activist, Russell was part of the ordinary representation board this year and has helped organise a variety of protests.

This included the protest against Climate change, a Curtin-based protest in support of Muslim students following the Christchurch massacre, and most recently a protest against the cuts at Curtin that saw almost 100 angry students and staff storming the vice chancellery.

“Students can do a lot to change the world.”

“I think fighting the restructure at Curtin is going to be the biggest priority. It is going to lead to a dramatic decline in our education quality, while we’re paying through the nose for our degrees”.

Bridge Truell was the 2020 Vice President of Activities and the 2019 Queer officer.

Truell will be another candidate running under Curtin’s Illuminate party, which dominated Guild seats in last year’s election results.

In the official publication of the 2020 annual Guild elections, Truell says that it’s imperative that we continue to fill our Guild with passionate, driven, and experienced representatives.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have completely changed the nature of our study environment”.

Truell hopes to continue the equity and wellbeing works of his predecessors.
“I’ve been constantly inspired during my time in the Guild by the accomplishments of previous VP-Es like Nicola Gulvin, Hana Arai, and Chris Hall who have implemented the Respectful Relationships module, fought tirelessly to improve Curtin’s health services…”

Voting on campus will happen from 21-24 September 2020.