Introduction
Voting is one of the most powerful tools for transforming communities, organizations, and cultures. It goes beyond simply choosing leaders; it’s a way for people to shape the future and uphold shared values. For students, voting is a meaningful commitment to these principles, empowering leaders who can address pressing issues, drive change, and foster social progress.
More than a decision, voting is a voice for diverse perspectives. It builds a stronger, more engaged community by encouraging every viewpoint to be heard and valued. Through voting, we don’t just elect representatives—we nurture a culture of involvement and resilience, one vote at a time.
Importance of Voting
Dahl in On Democracy stated that voting is important in democratic systems because it empowers citizens to hold leaders accountable and ensures representation across diverse groups. Citizens can influence decisions on law, policies and social priorities through voting. This can create a more inclusive society and regular elections enable peaceful transitions of power, fostering stability and safeguarding freedoms central to democracy’s values of justice and equality.
Overview of the Recent Elections
Taylor’s Law Society serves as a bridge between the students from Taylor’s School of Law and Governance with the faculty, providing initiatives for students to learn essential legal skills that are not taught in universities and real-life practical experiences in the legal field. The society has collaborated with numerous industrial partners, NGOs and student-empowered organisations, arranging a range of remarkable activities such as internship programmes, guest talks from prominent figures in the legal field and networking programmes.
Following a predetermined schedule, the Taylor’s Law Society election process started with candidate preparation, where the candidates decided to run the election based on their personal qualifications, experiences, and encouragement from peers. During the campaign period, each candidate presented their manifestos and engaged voters through physical campaigns and social media content which highlighted their commitment to transparency and inclusivity. Standout promises included Yigin’s pledge to ensure transparent financial management and creative fundraising, as well as Li Wen’s goal to create a supportive environment with more interactive and enriching events for law students. Almaz emphasized fostering a sense of community within the society by connecting with all students to ensure broad representation.
After this period of active engagement, students voted to select their representatives, giving the newly elected candidates a mandate to lead based on their proposed contributions to the society. After the election, candidates transitioned into their roles, focusing on community engagement, event planning, and balancing their leadership duties with academic responsibilities. This structured election process fostered democratic participation within the student body and provided a platform for candidates to demonstrate their alignment with Taylor’s Law Society’s values and goals.
Introduction to the New Board Of Directors For 24/25 Term
After an intense election season, where each candidate brought their A-game, passionately advocating for their vision and values, it was clear that only one group could emerge victorious from this fiery battle. Taylor’s Law Society is excited to announce the newly elected Board of Directors for the 2024/25 term, as we bid a fond farewell to the previous term.
Leading the team as President is Lim Li Wen, who brings a clear vision for advancing the Society’s goals and fostering a more inclusive community for law students. Supporting her is Mikesh Sevaraja as Vice President, who will play a key role in coordinating the Society’s initiatives and ensuring smooth operations alongside Li Wen.
Almaz Isa joins as Secretary, responsible for overseeing the Society’s administrative needs and maintaining effective communication across all activities. Kee Yi Gin takes on the role of Treasurer, where he will focus on managing the Society’s finances to ensure well-planned budgeting for various events and initiatives.
The team also includes Jamie Cheah as Public Relations Director, who will be instrumental in building awareness of the Society’s activities and engaging with the public. Assisting her is Adriena Arrisya, the Public Relations Assistant, who will support outreach efforts and help communicate the Society’s achievements to a broad audience.
Together, these leaders bring diverse skills, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to enhancing the experience of all students. The Taylor’s Law Society community looks forward to the contributions this team will bring and anticipates an inspiring term ahead under their leadership.
Interview Segment
We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Li Wen, Almaz and Yi Gin while they reflect on their personal growth before and after the election, sharing their experiences and vision for their upcoming term.
What motivated you to run for your position within Taylor’s Law Society?
Li Wen has previously served a year in Taylor’s Law Society as one of the Graphic Designers, finding herself captivated by the various programmes that the Society offered. She was able to flourish both professionally and personally through initiatives such as the Annual Internship Programme which drove her to run for President, aiming to offer law students the same mind-changing experience. Almaz on the other hand was initially approached by Li Wen to run together as a team. Their experiences of working together as part of the Board of Director in Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre sparked a strong bond between each other which motivated her to take on this fundamental role. Last but not least, Yi Gin found that her background knowledge in accounting and practical experiences gained from HR and AIESEC startup challenges adds on a finishing touch for the Treasurer position coupled with her goal towards efficient financial mangement and bringing transparency to the team. She believes that this role offers her an opportunity to pursue personal growth, honing her skills with bigger responsibilities at hand.
What challenges did you face during the election process, and how did you overcome them?
Naturally, behind these titles and responsibilities, our dedicated leaders are humans as well with each having their own unique experiences and personal thoughts that have shaped them to the person they have become today. For Li Wen, “Seeing other candidates who were very qualified and distinguished, it was quite taxing as there were always doubts at the back of my mind.” She struggled over her insecurity of how secure her campaign was during the process. Furthermore, Li Wen admitted feeling a melancholy of guilt and sadness knowing that her triumph would come at the cost of the opportunities that her honoured opponents’ could have had. Despite these challenges, Li Wen pushed forward, navigating the emotional complexity of the election with humility and respect for her fellow candidates. Despite Almaz and Yi Gin's shared fear of public speaking, they nevertheless overcame it by practicing their script back and forth. Besides that, the encouragement from their team helped improve their confidence.
Which personal qualities do you believe were crucial in motivating you to run?
Li Wen believes that dedication, commitment and a welcoming attitude is key to running for a campaign. She has spent countless hours planning the perfect campaign while putting herself in the voter’s shoes and shaping her campaign in a way that reflects their needs and concerns. Almaz emphasised that staying organised is crucial to run for Secretary as it is a position that comes with the responsibility of juggling multiple tasks. Almaz prides herself in staying on top of her tasks while executing it efficiently in tiptop quality. Meanwhile, Yi Gin’s motivation to run for Treasurer came from her strong passion to make meaningful contributions and enhancing Taylor’s Law Society to everyone involved.
How do you plan to balance your responsibilities in the Law Society with your academic commitments?
Balancing academic commitments with leadership roles can be challenging. However, our interviewees have shared some insightful tips on how they juggle tasks efficiently. It ultimately boils down to stay organised complemented by a throughout planning of their schedule. Li Wen shares that she relies on a planner to schedule both study sessions and meetings for her clubs & societies in addition and setting internal deadlines to make sure she stays on track. Almaz on the other hand plans her weeks in advance, setting realistic daily goals to ensure that she does not fall behind. Yi Gin acknowledges that balancing multiple commitments requires sacrifices. Therefore knowing which tasks to prioritise at hand is significantly crucial to balance these two commitments effectively. She prefers to plan her schedule ahead of time, allowing her to align with her team’s availability easier. Yi Gin academically makes a point to stay fully engaged during lectures and maximise her tutorial sessions to ensure efficiency.
5. What are the upcoming events that Taylor’s Law Society plan to offer in the near future?
Now, for the juicy part of the interview! Our fellow leaders have shared some of the exciting events Taylor’s Law Society has in store. The Society will host the Internship Programme and the much-anticipated Law Ball to continue their annual traditions. Additionally, they’re expanding their firm visits to include the Attorney General’s Chambers. Students can look forward to a fun Trivia Night, offering a much-needed break from the daily grind, as well as an online Law Book Sale in the near future. To top it off, the Society is growing Taylor’s Law Football Club into a full-fledged sports club, providing an opportunity for law students to connect through sports and other activities.
Conclusion
We congratulate the newly elected Board of Directors—Lim Li Wen, Mikesh Sevaraja, Almaz Isa, Kee Yi Gin, Jamie Cheah, and Adriena Arrisya for their dedication and commitment in shaping an enriching year for all members. We look forward to seeing their leadership and vision come to life in the term ahead!
Comments