Abacus Society: President

I am strongly interested in the prospect of becoming the president of ABACUS because I've always wanted to take on the responsibility and challenge of running a society at UCL. Growing up in Hong Kong, I especially appreciate the ABACUS society because it celebrates the cultures I have been well acquainted with. Attending ABACUS events has only further grown my interest as they bridge the gap between other universities and their members, creating a cohesive community that spans international borders. Throughout my time in ABACUS, members and I myself included have discussed potential future events and if given the opportunity, I believe I possess the skillset and determination to lead the future of ABACUS. Resurrecting my high school volleyball club in high school has taught me the importance of administration. Working in close liaison with the coach and teammates to coordinate training sessions, organising interschool events has allowed me to hone my leadership and managerial skills. I also understand that members and the success of societies are intertwined, so resolving conflict by engaging the community made an optimistic attitude imperative. More importantly, through building the volleyball club from the ground up, I understand the process of materialising a vision into reality. I look forward to engaging my interests and pushing myself beyond my limits as president. I strongly believe I can make innovative contributions through my leadership and communication

Hi everyone! My name is Zi Tong and I’m a 1st year medical student running for president. I believe I have the necessary qualities and experience to lead ABACUS to greater heights of success. 

What influenced me first to get involved with abacus was the community and how inclusive it was. Being a BBC (British Born Chinese), I feel right at home in this society and would love to give back and show others the same experience I received. Having been in London my whole life, I am accustomed to the life and party in this city and can be sure to lead good events. 

I have several experiences in leadership ranging from being House Captain in school, leading orchestra for 3 years to running ‘anime’ society in school XD. I was also the Finance Director for my school’s Young Enterprise team and managed to lead my team to win some awards, showcasing my organisation skills, teamwork and management abilities. These experiences have taught me valuable skills such as effective communication, delegation, and problem-solving. As a first year representative, I have had a small peek into what it is like to run ABACUS as a society and believe I have what it takes to run for president.

All in all, I love meeting new people and have met my closest friends through abacus. I will try my hardest to work with the rest of the committee to bring you guys the best events and continue to uphold the reputation ABACUS holds. I look forward to seeing you guys soon!

The Abacus Society was founded to bring students of different backgrounds together and to provide an environment for people of diverse upbringings to form closer bonds with each other. Fostering relationships has been a core principle of the society and I believe that I would uphold these traditions should the torch be passed down to me.

As president, I aim to:

1. Reduce ticket prices. I understand the frustration of paying exorbitant ticket prices just to have someone from KCL spill their drink all over you. As president, I will try my utmost to keep ticket prices to the bare minimum so we can all have a lovely time.

2. More social events. Abacus is often referred to as a ‘clubbing’ society; I don’t exactly disagree to that statement. But let’s be realistic, there’s not much socialising when dancing with a bunch of sweaty students in a jam-packed room. In addition, there are younger members of our society who haven’t reached the age of 18 when arriving to UCL and I do sympathise with them; missing out on events, especially when your friends are having a marvellous time is rather abysmal and FOMO is undoubtedly felt. It is totally unfair and this is why I aim to create more events which would provide more opportunities to allow our society members to socialise with each other outside of the clubbing scene.

I am confident that I am the ideal candidate for this position and I implore you, join me in making my vision a reality.