Candidates for Student Association president and executive vice president are using the Internet to propel their campaigns and inform their constituencies.
Most of the sites contain information about the candidates, platforms, election information and links to other candidates’ sites.
Non-graduating senior David Burt, who is running for SA president, has included a message board where anyone can post a note or question, and he will respond. So far, many postings are from other candidates.
(The Web site) is important because I highlight technology issues in my campaign, said Burt, whose site is www.burt4prez.com. Burt’s site received 815 hits in the few weeks it’s been available.
The Student Association Election Committee must approve every page of a Web site before candidates are allowed to launch a site. The Student Association Election Committee can impose sanctions for non-approved sites.
Web sites make it easier to give the students large amounts of information that can not fit on a poster, said junior David York, a presidential candidate who calls www.york2000.com his homepage.
To most candidates, it is another way to get their names out and for voters to get more involved. Most of them do not expect Web sites to decrease the amount of posters and palm cards on campus.
It’s a good way to communicate in a different way, sophomore presidential candidate Abby Lestition said. You have to want to know more about us.
I can’t see a student making a decision based solely on a Web site, said junior Pat McLaughlin, an executive vice presidential candidate who shares Lestition’s site, http://gwu.edu/~abbylest, which will be posted in its entirety soon.
Presidential candidate Jeff Marootian describes his leadership and the platform of his campaign on his Web site, http://gwu.edu/~jeffm. According to Atif Qarni’s Web site, http://gwu.edu/~atif, his site is under construction.
Chris Voss said he uses his Web site, www.stormloader.com/vote4voss, to inform voters and solicit feedback. He has an online survey about possible vendors for the GWorld Card debit program.
Executive vice presidential candidate Cathy Resler’s Web site, http://gwu.edu/~reslerc, gives background information on herself and describes major issues of her campaign.
Freshman Heather Fink, executive vice presidential candidate, said she did not think it was necessary (to have a Web site).
If people want to know about me, they can just ask, she said.
