By Jeff Hicks
Today I was stopped on the phone while walking back from class. It wasn’t the first time this week that someone had come up to me with a flyer asking “Have you voted yet?” with a forced smile on his or her face. I lost my concentration and had to apologize to my co-worker on the phone about the interruption.
The elections shouldn’t be this way. I think it’s possible to run a student election without being an inconvenience to the student body.
But Bruins United and Students First! campaigning and flyering techniques lack class, efficiency and most of all, are unthoughtful.
Even if there are no rules to flyering on campus, there are rules of consideration that should be taken into account.
It would be nice to walk down to campus without being stopped 10 times with a flyer put in my face. People passing out flyers should not chase down those who are avoiding them. If I say “I’m not interested,” then campaigners should not continue following me or shout after me. You shouldn’t use the “tag photo” tool on Facebook to turn my profile page into a billboard of campaign photos.
These, to me, seem to be very obvious guidelines for politeness and courtesy that have been notably absent from this year’s student election.
It is understandable that both groups want to get their word out; more than $20,000 have gone into this year’s student election. But these student organizations should not take over all of the major pathways on campus for a week as advertising space.
I heard someone say to their friend today “Thank God you’re there; you saved me from those annoying supporters!” I don’t think Bruins United or Students First! want to leave this impression on students, nor should they.
I know I won’t be voting in this year’s election simply because these two groups have had an intrusive presence on my life. It’s not because I don’t care for student government or am interested in the programs and functions they organize; it’s because I won’t vote for a slate or party that endorses tagging me online in a photo that has its campaign slogan across it. I don’t want to vote for a group that makes me feel uncomfortable walking to class.
I hope that both Bruins United and Students First! take the time to change their conduct on campus to be less overwhelming.
Hicks is a second-year materials engineering and mathematics student