Ruiqi (Rachel) Jia: candidate profile and interview
Pulp sits down with the USU Board hopefuls.
Faction: PENTA
Slogan: Reach your goal!
Colour: Baby Blue
Manager: Hildy Zhang
Degree: Commerce II
Quiz score: 35%, 8th out of 10
A reserved candidate, Ruiqi (Rachel) scored 35% in the Pulp quiz with a particularly inadequate knowledge of campus life. Jia is running for board to “improve the welfare of international students, build more connections between USU and societies and to increase the diversity and creativeness of the souvenirs in the USU store”.
In her interview with Pulp, Jia states that she is running as an Independent. She is, however, supported by Penta. Moreover, her reluctance to state who she would like to see as President means Jia’s allegiances within and outside of the Board remain largely unclear. She does acknowledge that she most wants to work with Du and Jiâng.
Jia struggles to articulate a comprehensive vision for the board. When asked to list her three most important policies she could only name two. She proposes improving the process of communication between the board and clubs by “setting up some instructions” for club execs with more guidance on how to get help. Jia is also hoping for the increased presence of USU stores by designing more activities to increase student engagement, for example, by selling student designed tshirts and souvenirs.
When asked if she had any criticisms of the USU, Jia said that more “dishes and delicious food” could be added to the ABS building, suggesting she plans to remain a fairly apolitical candidate. Jia doesn't think there should be much in the way of politics on the board because “it’s an organisation that is aiming to improve the whole experience of students”. Nonetheless, Jia condemns CathSoc’s LifeWeek stunt stating their discussions were “unacceptable” and that the USU should play a role in having such signage removed.
In terms of a Covid-19 recovery, Jia advocates for the continuation of more free food on campus. She suggests holding online events and local events in overseas cities that are managed by USU representatives to engage with students stuck abroad.
Jia appears relatively unenthused by the interview process and she lacks the vigour of other candidates. She will also struggle to demonstrate her viability as a candidate given her low test score and general absence from campaigning. Nonetheless, she appears to have significant backing from the International student community and some unique policy positions to set her apart.
Voting opens 9:00am May 17 and closes 5:00pm May 21. Voting is exclusive to USU members, who will be sent an email to submit their vote. Sign up here.
Watch the full interview below.
Article by Emily Graetz. Video by Kristin Miao.