By the time Ohio University’s Student Senate election season wraps up, the REACH party could have outspent the yOU ticket and two independent candidate’s campaigns combined by $3,855.
Although senate mandates a maximum amount to be spent depending on the type of candidate, this year’s candidates will fall safely short of their respective amounts.
Senate requires a party with executive candidates to raise no more than $1,500 plus $150 per non-executive candidate member — a maximum total that comes out to about $6,000 for both the REACH and yOU tickets.
To date, REACH has raised between $2,500 and $4,000, according to the party’s treasurer candidate, Evan Ecos. REACH began fundraising at the end of Winter Quarter by sending letters, a tactic Ecos said was used by campaigns last year.
“We try to take the most professional stance,” said Ecos, a junior studying communication. “(Professionalism) is the theme of our campaign.”
Ecos expects REACH’s biggest expenses to be advertising — from about the 700 T-shirts they printed to banners that have been hung throughout campus.
“We inform students of what we stand for,” Ecos said.
REACH traveled to Illinois in order to print T-shirts because the service is cheaper there, Ecos added.
Tony Koehling, the presidential candidate for yOU, said he is planning a drastically different budgetary approach to his campaign.
Koehling, a junior studying political science, said yOU’s campaign budget will play on Hermain Cain’s 9-9-9 policy. This means the budget will consist of only the $9 each of yOU’s 16 representatives will donate. The total, with an additional $1 from Koehling will come to $145.
“We feel, with all the budget cuts in the state and this institution, there’s no need to use executive funding for Student Senate campaigns,” Koehling said. “We’re just running to represent the student body, and I don’t think we need to spend over $1,000 in a campaign such as this.”
The yOU ticket will use the money for posters and homemade T-shirts, Koehling said, adding that the decision to limit campaign funds should not be viewed as disorganization within the party.
“We’re all insightful, critical-thinking students,” he added. “I think during this time, it’s just smarter to campaign on an OU student budget.”
As independent candidates, Jared Henderson and Jiuqing Cheng are limited to different amounts for their campaigns.
Because he is running for president, Henderson can raise a maximum of $750.
However, Henderson said he is not fundraising or spending any money. Instead, Henderson said he will connect with students via social-networking sites and a website he is planning on developing.
“I don’t see how (fundraising) has a positive effect,” said Henderson, a junior studying philosophy.
Cheng, a third-year graduate student studying psychology, is allowed to raise a maximum of $500 as an independent candidate running for SAC at large senator.
Cheng’s efforts will be focused online by talking to OU students on a Chinese social-networking site similar to Facebook.
He plans to begin fundraising soon.
“Of course, I will pay for much of my own campaign,” he said. “But it would be good if someone else would donate money.
sj950610@ohiou.edu
