The Union Debate
Event description
The USU Invites you to the inaugural Union Debate!
Hear from some amazing and influential speakers as they debate the topic:
"We should never restrict free speech"
When: Thursday 20 October, 5:30pm
Where: Venue Change; The Cullen Room, Holme Building, Science Road, Camperdown
For information about how to get to The Cullen Room click here
Speakers
in alphabetical order
Bri Lee Kat Cheng 
|
Bri Lee is a Sydney-based author, academic, and activist. After graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Law (Hons) and Arts (Mandarin) degree in 2014, she was admitted to the legal profession early in 2017. Bri then completed an MPhil in Creative Writing and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney Law School. Her doctoral thesis is about defamation proceedings for ‘public interest’ journalism – a topic she has written and spoken about at length. Kat Cheng is an Arts/Law student majoring in history at the University of New South Wales. She was an Issue Editor of the UNSW Law Journal and professes a strong passion for Law and Economics. She has also been a three-time finalist of the Australasian Debating Championships and grand finalist of the Australian Debating Championships. |
Katherine Wolfgramme |
Katherine Wolfgramme transitioned over thirty years ago, she is a proud transgender woman of colour with a breadth of knowledge that is unique among other gender-diverse speakers. Through her engaging storytelling, Katherine shares her experiences as a child born with gender dysphoria, a trans youth, a transgender woman in full bloom, and now a transgender elder, community mother, and Sydney LBGT Community Leader. |
|
Louise Miligan 
|
Louise Milligan is the author of Witness, The Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice and Cardinal, The Rise and Fall of George Pell. Her work investigating the history of Catholic Cardinal George Pell – the third most senior figure in the Vatican - for the ABC TV 7.30 program and in Cardinal broke massive international news and led to Louise being a witness in the committal proceeding of Cardinal George Pell. That experience is documented in excoriating detail in Witness, along with the accounts of complainants of sexual crimes who also became witnesses in other trials. |
|
Oliver Cummins 
|
Oliver is a philosophy student at the University of Sydney. In 2022, he was named best speaker at the Australasian debating championships and best judge at the Australian debating championships. In his spare time, he likes watching movies, playing board games, and spending time with his girlfriend's cat. |
Sophie Shead
|
Sophie Shead is a philosophy honours student at the University of Sydney. She has been a semi-finalist of the Australasian Debating Championships, a grand-finalist of the Australasian Women’s Debating Championships, and has judged and debated in the finals of the World Universities Debating Championships. |
Chair |
|
Ellie Stephenson
|
Ellie Stephenson is the current Director of Debates at the USU. She is a Australasian top 10 speaker and has spoken in the semi-finals of the World Universities Debating Championships. In addition to studying her honours in political economy, she edits the University of Sydney student newspaper Honi Soit and is looking forward to being a Chief Adjudicator of the Australasian Debating Championships in November. |