Walking on Bruin Walk on Monday, students encountered campaigning including blue lemonade, green balloons, dancing and even a puppy.
The more traditional props for the Undergraduate Students Association Council elections included hundreds of fliers ““ some of which were made from sustainable, sweatshop-free materials ““ and brightly colored green and blue shirts for Students First! and Bruins United supporters respectively.
Every year, USAC candidates step up their tactics to get noticed by students who are used to ignoring people fliering on Bruin Walk, but usually these tactics are a lure to get students to stop and talk about the issues.
“I’m really trying to connect with people I don’t know on Bruin Walk,” said Addar Weintraub, the Bruins United candidate for Academic Affairs commissioner and a second-year economics student. “It’s really important to me to be able to talk to people in person.”
Weintraub said she was trying to get the attention of students heading to early classes by passing out cupcakes to people walking up Bruin Walk at 9 a.m. Monday.
Jamel Greer, the Students First! candidate for internal vice president and a third-year Afro-American studies student, said he was campaigning on Bruin Walk to get to know people and to have fun.
“I’m trying to have a good time out here,” he said. “We’re trying to spread the word about issues and USAC and communicate to students.”
Standing next to Greer were several students wearing Students First! shirts and dancing to loud music.
But Eunice Huang, a second-year mathematics of computation student who spoke to one of the candidates on Bruin Walk, said she could have learned more from the conversation she had with him.
“I only asked him about funding for clubs,” she said. “He wasn’t very detailed, and I didn’t really learn what his stance was.”
Perhaps the most mysterious campaign strategy are behind the signs on Bruin Walk from student groups that chose to endorse the slate Students First! The signs are green with a large exclamation point and the name of the group that endorses the slate at the bottom.
“The … signs are very Riddler from Batman. They’re fun and mysterious,” said Jeanalee Obergfell, the Students First! candidate for external vice president and a third-year political science student.
Students First! supporters also set up a snow cone booth on Bruin Walk and were passing green, icy treats to students walking by.
“The snow cones were perfect because it was a really hot day,” said Tina Park, current external vice president and campaign manager for Students First!
Dave Valk, an independent candidate for president and a second-year political science and sociology student ““ who was not wearing a brightly colored shirt or distributing snow cones ““ said his campaign is going to be mainly through word of mouth after his block party Saturday night.
“I’m just being present out here, trying to talk to people,” he said. “Everyone knows my face from the party flier and the picture with the cup.”
“As long as I’m having a good time, it’s been a success. It was all about trying to talk about issues and influence the election,” he added.
The other independent presidential candidate, Jose Manaiza, was not present on Bruin Walk for comment Monday afternoon.
Michelle Lyon, a Bruins United candidate for general representative and a second-year political science and English student, said she is reaching out to as many students as possible by talking to student group leaders and letting them advocate on her behalf. She added that earlier in the day she enjoyed passing out Bruins United goodies such as blue Airhead candy and blue lemonade.