UA President campaigns heat up

With this year’s changes to the Undergraduate Assembly election process comes another important “first” — presidential campaigning.

As today marks the start of monetary campaigns, presidential candidates and College juniors Grant Dubler and Matt Amalfitano are both accelerating their efforts to win voters.

Though a direct presidential election may not have an outright impact on campaign strategies, it will increase the excitement surrounding the presidential campaign by “acting as a new outlet for student voices that we haven’t yet seen,” according to Nominations and Elections Committee Chairwoman Rachel Levick, a College senior.

The two candidates are both doing their part to boost voter enthusiasm.

Dubler has assembled a team headed by College junior Colin Kavanaugh, an associate UA member and former Daily Pennsylvanian reporter and columnist, who is serving as campaign manager remotely from Washington, D.C. this semester.

Some of Dubler’s Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity brothers — including former Sammy President Charles Isaacs, a College senior, and current Sammy President Jordan Lurie, a College junior — have also been helping him behind the scenes, Dubler said.

The group’s overall strategy, he added, is “pretty basic — meet everyone.”

In terms of particular tactics to reach students, Dubler said he will not place much emphasis on flyering.

“You have to do it,” he said of the typical Penn strategy, “but I’m really going to do a door-to-door campaign.”

For now, Dubler said, he is sending personal e-mails to about 400 of his closest acquaintances and meeting with student groups and freshmen he does not already know.

Additionally, he started a Twitter page and has released the first of three campaign videos, which has attracted about 1,700 views so far.

Amalfitano’s team — the self-declared “Matt Movement” ­­— is also boosting its efforts.

Comprised of more than 150 people who are in “constant communication” via Facebook, the Movement includes “well-rounded students” such as College junior Nicole Dillard and College sophomore Joseph Lawless, Amalfitano said.

Since holding a town hall before spring break, Amalfitano has launched a website with links to both his Twitter account and the Google Doc for his supporters. He is also releasing a video today, which Lawless choreographed.

Though technology is useful in generating awareness, Amalfitano said, “you need to have good relationships with people … it’s important for people to connect a name to a face.”

Nevertheless, Levick stressed that in a direct election, technology will allow each candidate to “reach a lot more people than just those who walk down Locust.”

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