First, I would like to thank Keith Nichols, director of news and communications. In my last column I chastised News Services for printing the faculty/staff newspaper in color. I, of course, was under the assumption that color printing is exuberantly more expensive. Turns out I’m wrong. According to Nichols, it only costs the University an additional $100 to print the Bulletin in color.
As you are no doubt aware, it’s election time on campus. The University’s grounds are littered with flyers, handbills and wooden signs. If you want to talk to a candidate directly you can more than likely find them hanging out in the Brickyard or pestering patrons outside one of the dining halls.
I’ve run, if that’s what you can call it, for a number of student-elected offices in the past: president, treasurer and UNCASG president. Don’t worry; I lost almost as much as I won. So I speak from some experience. A couple pearls of wisdom for those who are running. The signs are a waste of time, energy and money. The “sandwich boards” make campus look like a quasi tent city.
The real way to win a student body election is through online word-of-mouth networking — MySpace, Facebook, instant messenger, The Wolf Web, e-mail, etc. Viral marketing, the experts call it. Candidates: don’t waste your effort on traditional campaign tactics. Student body elections don’t occur at a ballot box, but rather online. And since this election is online, the candidate with the largest community of virtual supporters will come home the victor.
But the sad thing about student body elections is that this is the hardest Student Government operatives will work all year. Imagine a world where Student Government exerted as much energy as candidates do to garner our votes. Do you ever recall this much effort into promoting a Student Government activity, issue or event?
Since Student Government is relatively incapable of doing this, I will help them out. Here are some things you might find interesting or relative.
Gov. Michael Easley has announced that he wants to take away money from need-based scholarships by redistributing the revenue from lottery proceeds. The N.C. Education Lottery distributes 10 percent of its net proceeds to college scholarships for students who qualify for a federal Pell Grant.
His Majesty would like to take $10 million of the college scholarship money and divert it toward his pet education project — the More at Four pre-kindergarten program. Apparently, next year more than 30,000 students, attending both public and private schools, will be receiving lottery scholarships. Sucks for them.
What is the governor proposing to do to make up for the apparent shortfall in monies available to need-based financial aid? He has proposed creating a new government-run work program. From the Governor’s Office: “Low-and moderate-income students will benefit from a new financial aid program that combines a two-year state grant with current federal assistance that will replace the need for loans if students work 10 hours a week to help pay for their education.”
Does this mean everyone will have to work at the University under the auspices of the federal work study program? They might as well create a labor camp — now that thousands of students will be forced to work on campus. I can see a future when faculty is replaced with work study students. Thankfully the general assembly will have to approve any such changes. My hope is that they throw it out the window and ask the governor to start over.
Here is another item that may interest you. The next two weeks mark the last theatrical performance in Thompson Theatre before it goes under a $29 million renovation. About $15 million of that is from our student fees. By the way, those may not be the exact numbers, but they’re in the right ballpark. You might want to get your money’s worth and check out the historic building before the wrecking ball moves in.
As you can see, there is a whole lot more going on on campus other than Student Government elections. Perhaps one day Student Government will take initiative and become a communications conduit for students to learn what all is taking place on their beloved campus, especially when it impacts our wallets.
E-mail Andrew your suggestions for Student Government campaigns at viewpoint@technicianonline.com.
