The area around Bruin Plaza and Bruin Walk was awash with blue shirts yesterday as campaigning for the undergraduate student government election intensified and candidates and groups distributed free giveaways and spoke with voters about their platforms and ideas.
In addition to heavy leafleting, Bruins United passed out bright blue candy, Students First! gave away free pizza, and the leaders behind The Green Initiative Fund distributed organic and energy-efficient giveaways.
Homaira Hosseini, the Students First! presidential candidate, said her slate’s campaign has tried to engage students in small-scale communication more than their opponents.
“The one difference is we like to initiate dialogue a lot more. … (We) emphasize voter contact,” Hosseini said.
But candidates from Bruins United said they have also emphasized individual dialogues during their campaigns.
“One-on-one is obviously key,” said Matt Sandler, Bruins United’s presidential candidate. “It’s really the only way to answer individual concerns.”
Students campaigning for the environmental fund also rallied student support for their cause by passing out energy-efficient light bulbs and organic smoothies.
“We want to emphasize a clean campaign,” said Alisa Ahmadian, a campaign leader for the group. “It starts a cool dialogue, a flow of thought related to environmental issues, because a lot of people don’t think about it.”
Candidates said that during their campaigns they have also tried to educate students on what the Undergraduate Students Association Council as a whole does.
Sandler said that, though voter turnout tends to be low, many students are curious about USAC.
“There’s a lot of interest,” he said. “Our main goal is to ignite that interest in USAC and the upcoming election.”
Still, many students claim ignorance of USAC’s impact or even the existence of the election.
Sherry Voong, a second-year sociology student, said she did not vote last year because of a lack of information about her options.
“I didn’t know much about either group,” Voong said. “Why would I vote for something I don’t know about?”
She said that this year has not been very different.
Though she was approached by a campaigner from the Students First! slate, she still cannot discern the differences between the parties.
“I just see (their) signs; that’s about it,” Voong said. “I see their faces, but I don’t know them. I can’t tell the differences between either group.”
Others said that USAC officials should take charge of informing voters of the council’s importance during the election process.
“People who do not know are not being outreached to,” said Susan Li, a second-year history student.
Campaigners have until Thursday, when the election ends at 7 p.m., to rally support for their candidates.
Cendana said that Thursday the Students First! campaign will hold performances by various student groups, including ones by salsa and a cappella groups, as well as Brandon Contreras of the group 3:26, which recently participated in Spring Sing.
Tim Mullins, the campaign manager for Bruins United, said that his slate will continue to distribute themed prizes and giveaways in the days to come.