On Tuesday the 20th of September, Grok Magazine approached and interviewed a variety of Curtin University students who had voted for the Student Guild Election. As we wanted to learn more about how students felt about the Illuminate, Left-Action and Independent candidates, the method of which voting booths were set up, as well as whether or not the sausage sizzle was truly worth voting for, we asked students the following questions:
Student 1
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 1: The Guild Election is a good form of reaching out to the student body, especially the way they’re [The Student Guild] campaigning the election this year. It’s an opportunity for both campaigners and students to be able to participate in determining the quality of campus life.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 1: I am voting because I’m an international student. I’m interested in new activities and experiences that the campus can offer.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Student 1: I think there’s a lot of variety within the Illuminate candidates. They have a lot of different opinions and approaches as to how they run their campaigns. But I think all of the campaigners come with pros and cons in the way they [Illuminate] want to run the student body, so we’ll just have to see what they do with the votes we put in.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 1: I feel like the Left-Action candidates also have their pros and cons, much like the Illuminate candidates. However, I do think that there’s a reason as to why they [Left-Action] are so straightforward with the way they promote their beliefs, and it really depends on the voter themselves with who they’re more comfortable voting for. It’s not really our choice to determine which party is better or worse.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Student 1: It’s not a very smart idea nor strategic way to campaign yourself. It does not come with a lot of engagement, which is very important in Curtin University. You have to really win in terms of that. However, that’s not to say you can’t take the risk altogether.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 1: I prefer to vote in-person, due to its reliability and also in terms of knowledge. When you vote, you don’t just vote out of interest, as you’ve really got to be educated on who you’re voting for. So, acknowledging that factor itself would allow you to better understand the concept and context with what you’re voting for.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 1: I’m happy with the way the Guild has set up the voting booths. What I like about the Guild is how engaging everything is, as well as the way it’s set up. However, maybe the Guild can incorporate some more fun activities – not saying that it’s not good now – it just needs that cherry on top.
Student 2
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 2: I’m personally not that engaged with it. Didn’t know much about it at all.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 2: Because of the sausage sizzle, as well as the fact my friends are voting too. But it was also interesting to see what the candidates are doing.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate Candidates?
Student 2: I don’t know anything about the Illuminate candidates if I’m being completely honest.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 2: My friends and I ran into one of the Left-Action candidates, and their views seem a little bit controversial – which is cool, but also a bit scary.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent Candidates?
Student 2: I don’t know anything about the Independent candidates either. I didn’t see any campaigning from them on campus.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 2: Probably online. You’re able to look up more information related to the candidates, because I personally had no idea what was going on.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 2: I think they [The Student Guild] could probably set up very differently. The set-up was fine for going in and voting, but campaigning and giving information about the candidates is something that needs to be worked on. I was given very little information about them when it came time to vote. It also didn’t seem like any of the candidates had any ideas that were different from each other.
Grok: Is the sausage sizzle worth voting for?
Student 2: They [The Student Guild] ran out of sausages by the time I voted, which was really annoying. Maybe get more sausages next time!
Student 3
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 3: Honestly, I don’t have a strong opinion. I don’t really know much about it. It [The Guild Election] wasn’t promoted as much from where I look at Curtin University’s side of things.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 3: I voted because a lot of students at the end of my class were going to vote, plus the incentive of the sausage sizzle that we didn’t end up getting.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Student 3: I like some of the causes they [Illuminate] are running for. The Illuminate candidates are a bit intimidating in terms of promoting and talking to people, compared to the other parties. But they still have good intentions.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 3: I’ve only really got to know one Left-Action candidate throughout the election. They seem really nice and down-to-earth, and I really appreciate the policies they’re striving to implement.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Student 3: I’ll be honest, I don’t know any of the Independent candidates. I would say they weren’t campaigning enough compared to Illuminate and Left-Action. I haven’t seen any of their campaign posters – if they have any – or anything online.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 3: Probably online. It’s just easier and more accessible to people who cannot come to campus.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 3: It’s [The Guild Election] definitely better than last year. I didn’t even notice it was happening last year, and didn’t know it was even a thing. There could be improvements in engaging more with everyone to get more voters.
Student 4
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 4: It [The Guild Election] almost feels redundant given how large Illuminate is, but it’s good that there’s Left-Action as well. However, it feels like you just vote for whatever the cards tell you to. There’s not enough information readily available to make up your mind on things.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 4: I did it for the sausage sizzle, which alas, I didn’t get. But I also voted due to the fact that there were a lot of people in my class who were voting together.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Student 4: I think they’re [Illuminate] all really good and have good causes. I don’t know a whole lot about them as people, but from the things I’ve read on their fliers, they seem pretty decent.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 4: Same thing [to Student 4’s previous answer]. But I feel like Left-Action is more progressive and active with their campaigns for rights, which I really appreciate. They are genuinely cool people.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Student 4: I don’t know anything about the Independent candidates. I didn’t see any of their stuff anywhere.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 4: I vote in-person because I get reminded to whenever I walk past a polling place. It’s right in your face, after all. If I were to vote online however, I might do it, but there’s a bigger chance that I’ll forget to.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 4: It was a little bit difficult to find information about the candidates, or get to know them as individuals. So if there’s some way to spread more information about them, the Guild Election would be a lot better.
Student 5
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 5: I like that they’re giving students more of a say on how things are run in the Guild, and that we’re given the opportunity to vote ourselves on the people who we’d like to represent us.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 5: I voted last year, and figured “why not do it again this year?”. I was already on campus, and was walking by the voting booths at the right time.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Student 5: I like Illuminate’s causes, but they feel very oppressive compared to the other parties. When I was voting, the vast majority of options were for Illuminate.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 5: I like what Left-Action is campaigning for – it feels more real-world in comparison to what the Illuminate and Independent candidates are promising. Left-Action is fighting for people’s rights and larger causes instead of more individual things such as food-cost and parking.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Student 5: I do not know any of the Independent candidates, so I can’t comment on that.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 5: I prefer in-person. I am already on campus, and it feels like I’m actually getting involved. Whereas with online voting, there’s more of a disconnect, and I personally wouldn’t do stuff online if I could do it in-person instead.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 5: Besides the short-living sausage sizzle, I think it’s [The Guild Election] is pretty good. There wasn’t a lot of information about the parties however, especially with what exactly each party stands for. It felt as if the individual candidates would just come up to you and explain what they are about, rather than provide information about the party itself. It’d be nice if there was a better way to access information about what each party strives for, as well as the approaches they take to achieve their promises.
Student 6
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Student 6: I don’t have a very strong opinion on it [The Guild Election], to be honest. It just happens every year, I think. This is the first time I’ve voted. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s more that I don’t see it making a very big difference.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Student 6: A large group of students who I was walking with decided to do it, and I really wanted a snack… that I didn’t get. So, I got a meat-box instead. It’s so good. I love it.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Student 6: I think promising to campaign for paid-practicals feels like an unwinnable battle. I appreciate that they [Illuminate] are bringing it up and trying to talk about it, but I don’t see them ever convincing the higher-ups to do that. They’re basically internships.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Student 6: I haven’t seen as much of their [Left-Action] stuff compared to Illuminate. I’ve kind of just seen them handing out fliers and promising more representations for minorities and things like that. And fair enough, that’s a good enough cause. Not too fussed about that.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Student 6: I couldn’t name one. Even though I just saw their [Independents] names while I was voting.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Student 6: I’m funny about the idea of voting online. It seems really easy to fuck with. It’s confusing. So, it’s much nicer to vote on campus and possibly get rewarded with a snack. You don’t get that possibility online.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Student 6: I don’t care. As long as I get a discount on my coffee, I’m happy.
In addition to interviewing non-candidates regarding their personal thoughts on the Guild Election, Grok Magazine was also fortunate enough to interview an Illuminate candidate:
Imari Morris (Illuminate Candidate for Queer Officer)
Grok: What’s your opinion on the Guild Election?
Imari: I think it’s good that it gives students a chance to choose who represents them and for many students, it’s the only time they learn about what the Guild actually does.
Grok: Why are you voting for the Guild Election this year?
Imari: I’m voting in the Guild Election this year because I want to help make campus better by choosing who will represent me and be there to help if I need it next year.
Grok: How do you feel about the Illuminate candidates?
Imari: Illuminate candidates come across as really friendly and passionate about what they believe in. I am a member of Illuminate, but while campaigning, I find that the candidates are passionate about making the student experience here at Curtin better for all students.
Grok: How do you feel about the Left-Action candidates?
Imari: I understand that the issues they [Left-Action] are advocating for are important. However, I don’t understand why they focus all of their policies and conversations around national issues and things that don’t directly apply to Curtin and its students. And when they start conversations with students on campus, it feels a little misleading as they start thing things like “vote to fight for abortion rights” and other similar topics.
Grok: How do you feel about the Independent candidates?
Imari: I think it’s really brave that the Independent candidates decided to run in the Guild Elections and want to make a change around campus. However, given that they are running by themselves, I don’t feel like they have the best knowledge of how the Guild works since they aren’t running with a ticket that has the experience to help them if they need it, both in lead up to the election and afterwards, should they manage to get in.
Grok: Do you prefer to vote in-person or online?
Imari: I like that voting is in-person. But I do wish that there were more options for students to vote online if they don’t have the opportunity to go to campus as often.
Grok: Are you happy with the way that the Guild has set up the voting booths this year? Or do you think it can be improved?
Imari: I think while they [voting booths] are in good places, there could be a little more information about where voting is and how to vote for new students.
Grok: Is the sausage sizzle worth voting for?
Imari: It’s a good bonus. Free food for something that only takes a minute or two which can also have long-lasting impacts on campus is always great.
Based on the answers that Curtin University students have given us, there were a few notable discussions relating to the Guild Election such as minimal information about the parties, lack of campaigns from Independent candidates, as well as the fact that the sausage sizzle ran out of food within the first 45 minutes. It is safe to say that while there are definitely students who are voting for the sake of the Guild and representing the student-body, there are just as many students who don’t really care and just want free food.
