Students elect to skip USG polls

By PEI H. SHEN
Collegian Staff Writer

Despite the rain, one campaign worker stood on the Mall facing College Avenue, holding an umbrella as she held out florescent green fliers and asked students if they had voted. It was impossible not to notice that Undergraduate Student Government elections were happening yesterday.

As students walked by the polling sites, campaign workers for the Josh Bokee/Kerith Strano and Corey O'Brien/Kara Annechini tickets bombarded students with fliers and last-minute reminders to cast their ballots.

Steve Castor, head elections commissioner, said more campaign workers were outside the polling areas than in previous years.

"It's important to get people as they are coming in and remind them to vote," he said.

At the HUB, a steady flow of students came in to vote throughout the day.

"The turnout has been quite impressive," said poll worker Glenn Cannon. "Right before and right after classes get out, we've been getting bombarded."

The flow of students was actually 354 less than last year, with a total of 4,599 votes cast yesterday. The O'Brien/Annechini ticket received 2,809 votes, while 1,790 were tallied for Bokee/Strano.

The falling turnout, close to 2,000 less than 1992 turnouts, left some polling sites barren.

"It's been pretty dead except around lunchtime," said Jennifer Clark (sophomore-chemistry), a poll worker at Redifer Commons.

Despite all the efforts to get students to vote, some students were not interested in the elections.

"I don't know any of the people," said Cathy Lee (freshman-business). "From my experience in high school, I don't think student government does a lot. I have no idea what they do, and that is why I don't care."

Other students did not vote because they were indifferent toward student government.

"I really don't care about politics here, and I

don't think USG does anything on campus," said Eric Glantz (senior-accounting and international business).

Castor did not think turnout would be good this year because he thought coverage in The Daily Collegian lacked in-depth analysis of the candidates' issues, unlike past years.

"The candidates' platforms are very similar, so it's hard to differentiate for the nonpartisan student," Castor said.

Jitu Modi (junior-biology), a poll worker, thought the turnout would be low because fewer candidates were running this year. With more candidates, voter turnouts are usually better because of more campaigning, he said.

"This year the campaigns didn't stress (voting) enough," Modi said. "Campaigning was very minimal. A lot of people still don't know who is running. Usually some controversy comes up, but this year there wasn't."

Paula Butters (freshman-nursing) still did not know who she was voting for as she waited in line at the HUB yesterday.

"I think they both have good ideas and will follow through with them, but I can't decide," she said.

Modi voted so that he can have the right to complain.

"If the person I voted for wins and messes up, then I can complain about them," Modi said. "If the person I voted for doesn't win, and the winner messes up, then I can say, 'I didn't vote for you and that is the reason why.' If I don't vote, I can't complain."

Lori Yacisin (senior-labor and industrial relations) thought voting was an important part of being a Penn State student.

"These people are going to affect you on a daily basis, and it's your responsibility to pick those that are going to work in your best interest," she said.