Candidates use tape, funnels to lure voters

Things got a little sticky -- but apparently not sticky enough -- yesterday for some Undergraduate Student Government presidential and vice presidential candidates in their quest for victory.

USG Vice Presidential Candidate Brent Barbe -- again painted blue -- and Presidential Candidate Hank Saur transcended the boundaries of their respective tickets, and also tried to transcend a garbage can. They climbed on top of the can and allowed themselves to be duct taped to the center pillar of Pattee, although they did not stick.

"This stuff doesn't stick to the pillar very well," said Presidential Candidate Thane Fake, who was there helping in the attempt to stick the candidates to the pillar. Barbe's presidential running-mate, Michael Landsberg, also assisted with the adhesion.

Not long after they started winding the tape around the pillar, the candidates were asked by some women, who would not identify themselves, to leave and that University Police Services was on its way.

Although the candidates speculated the women did not really call the police, a few minutes later, University Police Officer Tyrone Parham came to check on the situation.

He advised the candidates to ask permission if they wanted to take any similar actions in the future. Saur explained they were there protesting borough housing concerns and tuition costs.

"Pretty good idea, though," Parham said, laughing. "That's drawing some attention."

Only a few students witnessed the candidates' attempt to tape themselves to the library at about 11 a.m.

"This is a bad time," Barbe said. "People have classes."

One student, a friend of Fake's from the University Escort Service, said he enjoyed the escapade.

"I've got to say I love it. It's refreshing," said Andrew Wagner (senior-English). "A lot of people, I think, tend to take the USG campaigns much more seriously than they should."

But at about noon yesterday, droves of students swarmed workers from Jason Covener and Jeremy Nightingale's campaign who were giving out "beer funnels."

A vehicle plastered with signs promoting the Covener/Nightingale ticket blared out AC/DC's "Have a Drink on Me." In the back of the vehicle, a bag filled with "beer funnels" sat and droves of students swarmed the workers who were handing out the funnels.

Papers fastened to the funnels said "Don't be a victim of (University President) Graham Spanier's personal crusade against alcohol! Demand a fairer and more lenient alcohol policy on campus."

The 100 available funnels were gone in about five minutes, according to workers. Covener said he might mail an extra funnel he had to Spanier.

And some people who received the funnels that read "You win" received a free six-pack of beer from the campaign, Covener said. If a winner is under 21, Covener said he will "work something out" about what the prize will be.

"If you're under 21, I won't say we will, I won't say we won't (give you the prize)," Covener said.

In 1992, then-USG president Rob Kampia came up with a plan to sell beer funnels to promote awareness. The sale never took place because some feared it would have promoted excessive alcohol consumption rather than awareness.