Student Council presidential candidate Ed Jenkins has spent $2278.60 on his campaign at press time yesterday, exceeding the spending of his opponents by more than $2,000. Whit Hunter has spent $149.82, Johnny Vroom $248.18, Mati Wondwosen $91 and Shaun Moshasha $212.
University Board of Elections requires candidates to report all expenditures within 24 hours of the expense, said Eric McDaniel, second-year College student and Marketing & Communications Committee Chair.
Jenkins, a second-year College student, said his purchases - which include candy, frisbees, pens and bottle openers - gave him the chance to talk to students in person.
"What I'm running for is a people's president," Jenkins said. "To be known as a person, not just a name."
McDaniel said the University does not fund student campaigns, with the exception of a $100 grant available through application through the UBE, which Jenkins said he did not apply for.
"Student self-governance doesn't work if there's giant financial inequality involved," McDaniel, a College Representative candidate, said. "Some students are not going to be able to participate in elections where the financial stakes are that high. It's not true student self-governance if students at the University can't run for office [because of] financial ability."
Third-year College student and presidential candidate Johnny Vroom, Council's current chief of cabinet, said everyone has different campaign strategies.
"Personally I'd go a different route," Vroom said. "I felt that posters and fliers were adequate to promote myself."
Every candidate reported spending money on fliers. Jenkins said fliers are often "impractical and a waste of paper," though he reported spending $224 on fliers.
"I'm giving out pens, bottle openers, [things] that kids get excited about," Jenkins said.
Presidential candidate Shaun Moshasha, a fourth-year College student, said he was surprised at Jenkin's "exorbitant" spending, because he hasn't even seen any of the items Jenkins purchased.
"I might not be everywhere, so I don't know, but I certainly haven't noticed any impact he's had," Moshasha said.
Third-year College student and presidential candidate Mati Wondwosen, a member of Council's Diversity Initiatives Committee, also took a more grassroots approach.
"I worked more closely with good friends and supporters to have cool designs and something that stands out and is different, but I found more effective ways to do that," Wondwosen said. He said he believes building a strong campaign team is more important than marketing personalized merchandise.
No spending limit for student elections exists at the University, but McDaniel said he believes the University and the UBE should consider capping campaign spending for student elections.
"The university can't say that it [upholds] student self-governance if not every student has the opportunity to campaign equally," McDaniel said. "Without the cap,
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