University of Sydney Union
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| Institution | University of Sydney |
|---|---|
| Location | Sydney, Australia |
| Established | 1874 |
| President | Michael Rees |
| Vice president | Atia Rahim |
| Honorary secretary | Shannen Potter |
| Treasurer | Tiffany Alexander |
| Affiliations | University of Sydney Students' Representative Council, Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association |
| Website | www.usu.edu.au |
The University of Sydney Union (USU), established in 1874, is the student-run services and amenities provider at the University of Sydney. The USU's key services include the provision of food and beverages, retail outlets, live music and other entertainment, festivals and events including the biggest Orientation Week (OWeek) in Australia, and Clubs & Societies
The University of Sydney Union provides student services and amenities and supports the university's strong debating, dramatic, and cultural traditions, through over 200 clubs and societies. It was the 2007 World Debating Champion and 2008 Australasian Debating Champion, and in recent years has dominated the finals of the Australian and Australasian Championships. In 2014, the Mandarin debates team won the Fourth Australian Mandarin Debating Championship, and placed second in the prestigious International Chinese Debating Competition in Beijing. USU team captain, Charles Yuchen Zhang, was also awarded the top prize in the individual competition.
Also in 2014, the USU debaters placed second in the Worlds Universities Debating Championships (WUDC). Eleanor Jones (USU B team) was awarded World's Best Speaker. Former debaters include the former Prime Minister John Howard and Justice Michael Kirby.
USU also boasts some of the oldest political clubs in the country. The Sydney University Labor Club is the oldest political campus club in Australia and Sydney University Liberal Club was established in 1933 well before the founding of the Liberal Party of Australia.
The Sydney University Union (SUU) was established in 1874 for debating, at a time when the University had fewer than a hundred students; graduates and staff were thus dominant. In 1884, the University's Senate provided a common room for the union, and in 1906, it decided to provide a building for the union's use. This building is now known as the Holme Building.
A separate Sydney University Women's Union (SUWU) was formed in 1914. The Senate also agreed to fund a building for the Women's Union; Manning House was opened in 1917. It was at this time that the University made membership of one of the two Unions compulsory.
Until the 1970s, the Unions' headquarters were an important meeting place for staff and students; however, with the establishment of a University of Sydney staff club and the growth in size of the university population, the influence of staff in the activities of the Student Union decreased. The amalgamation of the two student unions came after the decision in 1971 to jointly fund the construction of the Wentworth Building, named after William Wentworth, one of the leading figures in the colony of New South Wales. The two unions amalgamated on 1 January 1972 to form the University of Sydney Union (USU).
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