Cohen: ‘Walk-and-talking’ awkward for all

Student Senate canvassing is annoying but necessary.

By Ben Cohen

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Editor’s note: Cohen is a member of ConnectKU in addition to writing a bi-weekly column for the Kansan.

Some people call it “drawing blood.” Some people call it “walk-and-stalking.” Some people just call it the reason they hate Student Senate.

Those of us who commit the act just call it a necessary evil.

For a week every spring, Senate coalitions flood Wescoe Beach and then the rest of campus. Coalition members pass out fliers to every single person we see, following them to the ends of the earth (or at least campus), telling them why they should vote for us.

I admit that I’ve taken part in this for the past three years. The term those of us who run for Senate apply to the practice of harassing uninterested students is “walk-and-talking,” a single letter separate from one of the previously mentioned terms.

Very few of the people who run, regardless of partisan affiliation, honestly enjoy doing this. One can get desperate when trying to be elected by thousands of strangers, and after a while, any idea sounds like a good one.

The mindset behind walk-and-talking is that it leaves no stone unturned when searching for people who may be interested in supporting your coalition.

The last week before the polls open, when we are allowed to do this, is a period of incredible uncertainty and anxiety to all involved. The members of the various coalitions pour their souls into those Senate campaigns that clog campus for a few weeks every year.

Some years, it is more effective than others.

I ran twice with the Delta Force coalition and saw two radically different results based on how much we engaged in walk-and-talking. One year, it was discouraged among members of the coalition, and although a fair amount of people were elected, we didn’t do all that well.

The next year we reversed directions and did it constantly. The coalition did better, at least in regards to how it stacked up to its competition when the votes were tallied, but that election had a voter turnout that was so low it was a little embarrassing to all involved.

Last Thursday marked the end of the campaign season, which pitted United Students, Students of Liberty and ConnectKU against each other. The election had a significantly better turnout, with around 17 percent of students voting, as opposed to the previous year’s 12 percent.

I was elected to Senate for the first time by something greater than a five-person committee.

This year also saw more people engaging in walk-and-talk. I get the idea from seeing this voter increase that people are enthusiastic about the various coalitions’ ideas, things like putting up wind turbines on campus, making Gmail KU’s new e-mail system or making it easier to use the Union parking garage.

But maybe, just maybe, people are getting used to seeing the coalitions roaming campus to the point that they are starting to warm to it.

That is reassuring because of how much it is pushed on candidates that this is the way to be elected. People have always complained about how annoying walk-and-talking is.

The annoyance is understandable, even from the perspective of somebody who has engaged in it for a few years now.

Everyone who participates in Student Senate elections knows how it looks when we crowd campus and beg you to listen to our rants about how we will bring about world peace and sunshine and puppy dogs if you’ll vote for us.

It is about as awkward for us to do as it is for you to politely listen and nod at appropriate times. All we ask is that you don’t hold it against us the rest of the year.

Cohen is a Topeka junior in political science.

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