Nearly every inch of campus will soon be plastered with neon posters boasting catchy slogans, and chalked over in messages on Locust Walk.
At 6 a.m. today, campaigning officially began for freshman candidates seeking positions on the Undergraduate Assembly and their class boards.
Last night in Logan Hall, all 47 candidates -- vying for eight UA seats and 10 different class board positions -- gathered for the 2004 fall elections candidates' meeting, run by the Nominations and Elections Committee.
"The purpose of this meeting is to inform all of the people who have already announced their candidacy, to make sure that they know all of the rules about running for office ... so that there are no violations by any candidate," College senior and NEC Chairman Eli Schlam said. "It's a very complicated process, but it's that complicated so that we can ensure a fair election, and no one has an unfair advantage over any other candidate."
The aspiring student leaders will campaign through Sunday, Oct. 3, when elections end. Voting officially begins this Sunday, Sept. 26 at midnight.
At that time, however, most candidates will be shaking hands and meeting students at the Midnight Breakfast in Houston Hall, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. This will be an opportunity for the candidates to meet with their constituents face-to-face.
According to UA Chairman and College senior Jason Levine, good student leader will seize any and all opportunities to get in touch with the people they hope to serve.
"Winning an election at a large university is all about meeting people and having them remember your name," Levine said.
"So what makes the best candidate is motivation and the will to get out there and talk to people and have them remember who you are."
Most candidates seemed more than eager to forge ahead with their campaigns.
"I'm really excited to get going in the campaign season. I have some great ideas," said Ali Lapinsky, a College freshman running for class board treasurer. "The reason why I want to run is because I feel like student government is a real presence on campus. ... People really get involved when they see other students getting excited about events and things, so I'd like to plan and get people excited."
UA candidate and College freshman Matthew Leskowitz is equally enthusiastic.
"I guess the biggest reason I'm running is the fact that there are a lot of things that we can change at the University, and I've ... heard since I've been here that the UA plays a major role here in making changes to policies," he said. "So I feel that being on UA is a great chance to help my classmates make a difference."
Schlam was optimistic about all of the candidates' potential.
"We think that among these kids are probably the future leaders of this campus, so we're very excited to have them. We're hoping for a very clean and fair but also a fun election," Schlam said.
College freshman and UA candidate Jason Karsh said, "I'm hella excited to run."
