Crazy Campaigns

While impossible Undergraduate Council campaign promises continue to plague the Yard, things are different in the upperclass Houses. Worldly upperclassmen know better than to be enchanted by the alleged possibility of longer dining hall hours and termination of the universal wake-up call in the form of the Mem Church bells. Since straightforward platforms may not be enough to sway House-dwellers to vote at all, what’s a candidate to do?

To stay ahead of the apathetic curve, upperclass UC candidates have attracted the voting populous not with their fresh new ideas but with attention-grabbing campaign methods. However, several have been adamant that their campaigns, while perhaps unorthodox, have true substance at their foundation.

“While you want to show that you’re serious, you don’t want to come across as toolish,” says Anthony R. Britt ’10, who was recently re-elected as a Lowell House representative. Britt took advantage of his song-parody-writing hobby for his campaign, sending one of his creations over his house list to attract attention to the election (although he did not manage to actually record it). “It’s less about ‘vote for me,’ more ‘this is the UC,’” he adds.

Brad M. Paraszczak ’11, who advertised his Kirkland House campaign by photoshopping himself into a poster of South Park characters, says that “the posters are just an eye-catcher to get people to find out more information,” noting that his platform was further outlined in a Facebook group.

Britt says he believes using an enthusiastic approach can be indicative of an individual who will truly drive activity in the UC as opposed to one who is only in it (God forbid) for résumé building and GossipGeek fame.

In the end, even if the Quadlings are still left without proper cell phone reception, George J.J. Hayward ’11 says, “Things get stressful here. It’s good to laugh once in a while.” Even though you may be laughing at them.