Students in years past have become used to the barrage of fliers
and campaign slogans on campus that accompany elections for the
undergraduate student government, but this year candidates have
found a new way to advertise to UCLA voters.
Whether it’s for Slate Refund, Students First!, Bruins
United or the various candidates running as independents, potential
Undergraduate Students Association Council officers and their
supporters can be spotted campaigning on Facebook.com.
Students and candidates campaign on Facebook with personal
statements that detail their views on student government and photos
advertising a certain slate or candidate.
Bruins United and Students First! have set up Facebook groups,
and each has hundreds of members.
Though some Facebook activity is regulated by the Elections
Board, students can put anything in their profile as it is
considered free space, said Anat Herzog, E-Board chairwoman.
Facebook messages, which are similar to private e-mails, are
treated the same as personal e-mails and are regulated by the
board, Herzog said. Candidates can send messages out to members of
Facebook groups, but not unsolicited messages to individuals.
Herzog said she is convinced that Facebook will continue to be
utilized in future elections, and so may become more regulated in
the future.
Many candidates have utilized the Web site and enjoyed its
benefits.
Marwa Kaisey, a general representative on USAC and the Bruins
United candidate for president, said Facebook is a useful resource
for campaigning.
“It’s definitely a reflection of our campus
community,” she said. “It’s just a really good
way of getting in touch with people.”
Kaisey added that her slate is using Facebook as a networking
tool with people they already know or within their extended circles
by posting campaign photos and candidate advertisements on personal
profiles.
Kyle Hyman, the Campus Events commissioner candidate for Slate
Refund and a second-year biology student, said Facebook simplifies
the process of campaigning.
“It’s an easy way to reach a lot of people,”
he said, adding that because Facebook has features that allow
students to see if their friends have recently updated their
profiles, continuous updating is key for profile viewing.
He also said that by using the Facebook, candidates have the
option of reaching hundreds of people.
Hyman’s fellow slate members are not the only ones
sporting Slate Refund pictures on their profiles.
“Our friends and supporters are doing it as well,”
he said.
Troy Isaac, a independent candidate running for president and a
third-year political science student, agreed that Facebook is a
good tool to use.
“It’s grass-roots campaigning on the
Internet,” he said. “It’s been
wonderful.”