Campain Conundrum

Drake Students Confused About Student Senate Campaigns, Issues

by Jessica Free

Des Moines, Iowa (Feb. 26, 1997)-- For the past week, candidates for student senate officer positions have been campaigning fast and furious. Drake students were exposed to the various campaign tactics, but were they aware of it? Were the efforts of the candidates enough to generate interest and influence voters?

Some students simply felt uninformed. Christina Chase (AS1) said she didn't know enough about the candidates to vote. "I knew there was an election going on, but all I knew about the candidates were their names and what they looked like," she said. Chase said she felt that in general the campaign strategies of all candidates were ineffective because she was completely unaware of the issues at hand, or even if there were issues. "And I didn't know how to find out more about any of it," she said.

Kenneth Mach (BS1) agreed with Chase. "I just didn't really get a chance to hear their views or what they want to do for us," he said.

Sources repeatedly noted that posters and flyers on the Drake campus were purposeless. "They didn't say why we should vote for a particular candidate; they only screamed names and faces at us," Mach said. "They could have done so much more with such a visible medium."

Others found positive aspects in the various campaign efforts. One such student, James Simmons (JO1), said he had a good sense of what each candidate stood for. "I heard what each candidate had to say about himself or herself at the G-K Hall Council Meeting. I also felt the signs on the tables at Olmsted and Hubbell were effective," he said.

Chase, Mach and Simmons agreed that the open debates, which were held a week prior to the election date, were a good idea, but not well-publicized. "I didn't even know they were going on until after they were over," Mach said. Chase did not know about them.

"If the candidates or even the Student Senate were to publicize the debates for several weeks prior to when they're held, I think there would have been more of a turnout, or at least more awareness of the fact that they were going on," Simmons said.

Simmons added that he feels there ought to be more opportunities for the candidates to give their platforms on campus issues, although not necessarily in a debate format. "And they need to start sooner," he said. "For the most part I think this campus cares about the elections. We just weren't prepared to be forced to make a decision so quickly."

However, voter turnout may not have been affected by the unpreparedness of the voters. "I know a lot of people that voted, but they voted for who they knew, not because of the issues," Chase said. "It seemed like more of a popularity race than a real election."

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