Contrary to what every student procrastinating the night before a final essay is due would like to believe, ignoring something does not make it go away. Sadly, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) council seems to think it can do just that by banning all audio/visual campaign materials from the CUSA elections.
This means that candidates cannot use any videos or podcasts distributed online or otherwise, to make their case to student voters.
Videos on YouTube and Facebook have become more than just commonplace — they’re an integral part of the way students talk, learn and share their thoughts with each other. If CUSA wants to engage student voters, they need to give candidates access to the media students actually pay attention to.
Online material is considerably cheaper than physical media. Anyone with a webcam, digital camera or cellphone can record video or audio, editing software is free, and uploading a video to YouTube costs nothing but bandwidth.
It’s also more environmentally friendly than several hundred posters or handouts, which students have learned to ignore and do nothing but litter campus with.
CUSA’s argument that some students may have access to higher quality recording equipment is just as applicable to any physical media — a student with a $1,200 digital camera and Photoshop skills will be able to produce a far more professional poster than someone without.
Worst of all, CUSA has done nothing to clarify the absurd loopholes in the electoral code that allow one to disqualify an opponent by campaigning for them. Now, supporting a student politician is as easy as uploading a video endorsing their opponent.
As much as CUSA might like to deny it, online video isn’t going anywhere. In fact, online media is going to play a major part in every student election from now until holograms are invented.
CUSA should embrace new technologies and sort out any problems with them now, rather than strap on a pair of blinders and pretend the campaign process can stay stagnant forever. All they’ve done is condemn Carleton students to another controversy-prone election.