Campaigns aggravate campus residents

It's no secret IU has voter apathy affliction.\nHours before the polls closed for this year's IU Student Association elections, campaigners for competing tickets doubled their efforts to reach as many potential voters as possible.\nUnfortunately, some would rather not be reached.\nMany campaign workers entered residence halls and peddled their platforms door-to-door, which had some students irritated.\n"I was just sitting in my room doing homework, and they just walked into my room," said freshman Tori Montgomery. "I didn't appreciate that."\nMontgomery said she had already formed an opinion based on other campaign events held around campus, and the "intrusion" by another party only solidified her decision.\nFreshman Marissa Treasure said she was equally upset by the relative imbalance between campaign slogans and actual concepts.\n"Crimson and Big Red need to focus more on telling people what they're about instead of annoying them," she said, referring to the several repeat appearances of both parties. "Going into the dorms is not the way to do it."\nSophomore David Ballinger found a way to rid himself of unwanted guests.\n"I just want them to leave, so I say, 'Oh sure, I'll vote for you,'" he said, despite the fact he will probably not vote at all. "I don't really know that much about what they stand for, so I don't know how it would benefit me."\nBallinger said some campaigners have offered to "show him how to vote," but not provide him with enough information on their platform.\n"It makes me feel pressured to vote for their respective tickets," he said.\nWhen it comes to IUSA elections, freshman Brittney Miller is "not really that into it," and door-to-door campaigners haven't helped.\n"We're just trying to do our homework, and they're constantly knocking on our doors," she said. "The first time was okay, but then the third time, it's kind of annoying."\nMiller's roommate, freshman Karena Elkins, said she felt one of the campaign workers intruded by entering her room to show her the IUSA Web site.\n"It just pissed me off," she said. "He's walking into my room like I'm a complete idiot and couldn't find a Web site."\nMiller was equally miffed.\n"When they come four times, it makes you not want to vote for them at all," she said. \nCrimson Presidential candidate Tyson Chastain defended the campaigners.\n"We are the student voice, and you've got to get out there to students," he said. "We definitely hate bugging people in their rooms, but it is our job to represent them the best way we know how. We apologize to everyone that we did offend."\nBig Red Vice-Presidential Candidate Angel Rivera said sending door-to-door campaign workers to the dorms helps boost the dismal voter turnout IUSA experiences each year.\n"It's a democratic process," he said. "If you don't like it, you don't like it."\nDespite several conversations with the campaigners, Miller said she didn't learn much about their platforms.\n"I saw one that said 'more beer' or 'wet campus,'" she said. "That's really all I remember."\nOf course, some campaign techniques resonated with the two girls.\n"Thumbs up for beer," enthused Miller.