By snoadmin
The two contenders for the ASI president experienced more than the usual election-time stresses, thanks to the disappearance of several campaign posters on campus.
According to incumbent ASI President Shefali Mistry, 28 election signs bearing her name have been removed this year. She said 20 of the signs were missing before this past weekend and an additional eight disappeared since she put up more on Monday night. She said the main areas where signs were taken down were in Parkside and Residence commons and at the College of Business Administration Building. Mistry said she cannot point fingers without having seen someone removing a sign.
ASI Presidental Candidate Mark Andrews said he put up eight new signs on Sunday night; when he walked around Monday, all eight of the signs were gone again. Andrews said the main areas he has noticed problems with his signs are at the Parkside and Residence commons, CBA Building, Psychology Building, and near the Social Sciences and Public Administration Building. He said he also seen his signs on the ground near where they were staked. Andrews said he thinks the grounds crew might have taken signs off the grass in order to maintain the landscape and then had forgotten to put them back up.
Former College of the Arts Sen. Austin Meiners said he has seen problems with both candidates’ signs recently.
“I’ve walked around the campus and I’ve seen the different photos all around,” Meiners said. “I’ve walked around 15 minutes to an hour later and seen both [candidates’ signs] knocked down.”
Andrews said he does not think political motives were involved with the disappearances.
“It’s been a very clean campaign,” Andrews said. “Everyone’s getting along.”
Meiners said he knows of people in the dorms who would take the signs down “just out of indifference.”
Mistry said she thinks removing signs during an election time gives people unfair advantages.
“It doesn’t look right,” Mistry said. “A lot of times people have said they see your flier. I don’t feel I’m able to get my name out like other candidates.”
