Dylan Rafel Adams

Running for: Clubs Officer

Hey guys, I’m Dylan, and I’m running to be the Clubs Officer on ANUSA in 2026. I’m passionate about creating the opportunities that clubs need to thrive on this campus.

Campus life and participation have reached their highest levels since post-COVID, which is a fantastic achievement, but it has also highlighted structural issues such as funding shortages and administrative bottlenecks.

As the President of one of the ANU’s largest student societies, the International Relations Society, as well as the Marketing Officer of the ANU Jazz Society, I know what it’s like to run a club, big or small. It also means I know what clubs want from our student union.

That’s why, if you vote me [1] for Clubs Officer, I will fight for:

The service provision of ANUSA is integral to its running and functioning on campus. However, at times, students can feel distant from this aspect of ANUSA, particularly because of a barrier to volunteering in that service provision. If elected, I will:

  • Expand an ANUSA Volunteer Register, building upon the volunteer system used in O Week and Bush Week by the Clubs Officer, to enable non-elected students to assist in ANUSA’s service provision, such as manning the Food Pantry.

    • This expansion aims to engage particularly first-year and international students in the functioning of their student union, broadening ANUSA’s outreach to the student population.

    Cultural and religious societies are the backbone of campus life, and many cultural clubs have expressed the need for greater visibility and recognition of their events and traditions. If elected, I will:

    • Create an ANUSA Cultural Calendar that showcases cultural events, religious observances, and society-led initiatives.
      • This calendar, built through society submissions to the Clubs Officer, will both give cultural clubs the recognition they deserve and help prevent scheduling conflicts, fostering a more inclusive and supportive campus community.

    Planning major events like balls or conferences is already a huge undertaking, and it can feel tedious for clubs to constantly cross-check with others to make sure their dates don’t overlap. If elected, I will:

    • Introduce a Special Event Planning Calendar, where clubs submit their tentative dates for large events by providing the Clubs Officer notice of their Special Event Grant applications.
      • I will commit to maintaining this calendar as Clubs Officer and make it accessible to all societies so that everyone knows what large events are coming up, helping clubs collaborate and avoid clashes.

    Club funding is dire, and ANUSA must take bold steps to secure clubs’ futures. Many societies are already cutting back on events and collaborations because their funding can’t stretch far enough. If elected, I will:

  • Push for an aggressive ANUSA club sponsorship scheme, strengthening and expanding the sponsorship matchmaking service by increasingly identifying potential sponsors to contribute to the ANUSA sponsorship pool.

  • Establish O-Week and Bush Week Pitch Grants, specifically for large-scale, collaborative events.

    • These grants will be made available for clubs to apply for prior to O Week and Bush Week. These grants will not be deducted from a club’s annual funding pool, but rather will be allocated from ANUSA’s O Week and Bush Week budgets. Successful applications will have their events featured as part of ANUSA’s official O-Week/Bush Week programming and advertising, giving clubs both extra financial support and visibility for larger and collaborative events in the busiest periods of the year.

  • Commit to an open and transparent process as I explore options to ease funding concerns for clubs, promising to engage in a collaborative approach to find a solution.

    Clubs thrive when they have a strong voice in ANUSA, and I want to ensure the Clubs Committee remains a space for clubs to shape the way I lead. If elected, I will:

  • Engage academic clubs in campus activism against course cuts, ensuring they have a role in defending their disciplines by providing support and assistance through ANUSA materials.

    • Through this, I will explore the creation of an ‘Academic Clubs: How To’ guide, exploring pathways for academic clubs to be involved in educational advocacy.

  • Continue to push back against the restrictive poster policy, strengthening the Tear Down The Poster Policy Campaign.

  • Push back against changes to FOC and Kambri venue notice requirements, which now demand over two weeks’ notice, by advocating directly in meetings with ANU staff.

  • Work closely with ANUSA departments to build connections between clubs and department activism, inviting department leadership to participate in Clubs Committee meetings.

    This year has shown how vibrant campus life can be, with initiatives like the expansion of night markets. Club life and participation have never been higher post-COVID, but there is still huge untapped potential to make campus events even more diverse, inclusive, and engaging for all students. If elected, I will:

  • Explore the creation of a Postgraduate Week, organising ANUSA events alongside promoting the organisation of Club events, recognising the unique needs and skills of postgrad students.

  • Expand the ANUSA Multicultural Night Markets to feature more live music and deeper club involvement, celebrating Canberra’s diversity.

    The state of live music at ANU and in Canberra is dire, especially with recent cuts to the School of Music. Musicians and performers bring incredible vibrancy to student events, yet their work often goes unpaid or underfunded. At the same time, many ANU music students are struggling to find platforms to perform and earn recognition for their craft. If elected, I will:

  • Enable ANUSA club grants to cover the costs of hiring musicians and performers where they are integral to an event. This will both support ANU’s music students and strengthen the cultural life of our campus.

    Running a club shouldn’t mean drowning in admin or lacking access to the basic tools needed to succeed. Too often, student leaders are spending more time troubleshooting logistics than actually building community. ANUSA has the capacity to make running a society simpler, more professional, and better supported. If elected, I will:

  • Provide free Canva Pro membership for all societies, using Canva Teams so every club has access to professional design tools.

  • Launch training courses for club executives, including:

    • A social media and design workshop for marketing officers.
    • A website setup seminar for societies wanting to grow their online presence.

  • Pilot bi-weekly street stall bookings on Kambri, coordinated by ANUSA, so clubs can use prime campus space to promote events, sell merchandise, and build their membership.

    • The administrative work behind street stall bookings, including FOC forms and Kambri bookings, will be managed by the Clubs Officer, and will be open for clubs to express interest in taking a slot.

  • Enable clubs to submit events to be advertised on the ANUSA newsletter, ensuring large-scale cultural and community events are promoted across the whole university.

I’m proud to be running on RAGE, a ticket that is delivering the services you need, building the campus you want and fighting for the education you deserve.

Thank you so much for your support, lmk if you have any questions for me and please remember to vote 🗳️ from the 22nd to the 25th of September!!

VOTE [1] Dylan Rafel Adams for Clubs Officer
VOTE [2] Dylan Rafel Adams for Save our Res Coms for NUS
VOTE [1] RAGE for ANUSA