NEWS 1
dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
VOL. 107, NO. 06 ● SINCE 1908
Candidates accused of campaign violations Emily Barber @EMILYRISA
Across the country and across t he US C c a m p u s , e le c t io n season is about to k ick i nto high gear. On Tuesday, student government candidates for the 2016-2017 academic year will have their mandatory candidate meeting, after which they will b e a l lowe d t o c a mp a ig n i n earnest. Several candidates have been accused of violating sections of the campaigning codes that refer to premat ure publicit y and social media. The Elections Commission has filed official charges. Two of t he accused candidates, third-year sociology student Cory Alpert and thirdyea r f i na nce st udent M ichael Pa rk s, bot h running for student body president, have responded to The Daily Gamecock’s requests for comment.
not specifically dealt with in the student government campaign codes. The section on electronic communications references only phone calls, text messages and webpage s spon sored by t he university. Alpert is facing three separate charges: distributing campaign materials before t he of f icial candidate meeting, campaigning explicit ly for t he purpose of gett ing votes and employ ing copy righted or t rademarked materials. T he s t u d e nt g o v e r n me nt c a m p a i g n c o d e s s t at e t h at “campaign materials may not be distributed before the official candidates’ meeting” and that ca nd idates ca n t r y to en l ist students to their campaign staff,
Park s has so far been charged in relat ion to a Facebook post announcing his candidacy. In an email, he expressed his excitement for the campaign and his respect for t he elect ion codes.
but cannot “campaign for the explicit purpose of acquiring votes” before the candidates’ meeting. Sources report that complaints have been fi led to the Elections Commission against Alpert for prematurely launching the link to his campaign website. The website was available briefly last week and was made unavailable Tuesday, but not before several people fi led complaints. Alpert says that the website, wh ile temporarily available, was not actively publicized by anyone on his campaign staff. It would have been available by an Internet search of Alpert’s name. “ T he l i n k t h at h ad b e e n dist ributed was on ly made available to student campaign staff members and other personal friends, none of whom at tend t he Universit y of Sout h Carolina,” he said. I n reference to t he cha rge of c a mpa ig n i ng solely for the purpose of at t a i n i ng vote s, A lper t maintains that the website wa s not d ist r ibuted by h i s c a mp a ig n s t a f f , s o “no communication on t he website cou ld have been interpreted as pu r posed for acqu i r i ng vote s.” He a l so den ied any use of copyrighted or trademarked materials.
“My Facebook post was not a n at tempt to g a i n a n u nfa ir adva nt age on the field, but more of an announcement of my own fi ling as a candidate to my ow n Faceb o ok f r iend,” Parks said. “It wasn’t an at tempt to promote my c a n d i d a c y, a n o f f i c i a l campaign website or social med ia page , si mply a n expression of an intention to chase a dream.”
S o m e s t u d e nt org a n i z at ion s re ceived e m a i l s f r o m A l p e r t ’s campaign, expressing his interest in meeting with them to discuss the future of the campus. In response to a question of whether
The issue of social media announcements is TAKEN JANUARY 18, 2016
Dates
January
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Washington Semester Program Spring Information Session
‘The Space Between’ PAGE 8
Nine underutilized resources on campus Mary Ramsey
@MCOLLEEN1996
1) Career Center W hat they do: The Career Center offers my r iad ser v ices i nclud i ng work shops, help f inding internships and one-on-one consultat ions. St udents can get help wit h resume writing, graduate school applications and even practice mock job interviews. Where they are: Thomas Cooper Library Level 5 When they’re there: Monday through Friday, 1 to 4 p.m. 2) University Writing Center W hat t hey do: The Universit y Writ ing Center is available to students, faculty and staf f. They of fer work shops, one-on-one consultations and a writer’s hotline to answer any and all questions related to writing. Where they are: Byrnes Building 703 W h e n t h e y ’r e t h e r e : Av a i l a b l e b y appointment SEERESOURCESPAGE3
Honors College Residence Hall B110
The Secret Admirer: Stalking Awareness Month Resource Fair Russell House Lobby 2
Madison Graduate Fellowship Workshop DeSaussure College Room 228A
Pet a Puppy Thomas Cooper Library
S.E.T. Fair Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Career Fest Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
National Student Exchange Information Session
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SEEVIOLATIONSPAGE2
Rick Ackerman/ THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Russell House 301
Study Abroad Fair Russell House Ballroom
As part of the nationally recognized Stalking Awareness Month, Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention (SAVIP) has partnered with on- and off-campus organizations to put on a stalking awareness informational and resource event on Monday, Jan. 25. Formally named The Secret Admirer: Stalking Awareness Month Resource Fair, the fair aims to educate USC’s campus on stalking by using a variety of educational resources and expertise on the topic of stalking. Attendees will learn how to recognize unhealthy behaviors and how to help themselves or others who are being stalked. The event will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the second floor lobby of the Russell House. The Secret Admirer: The Follow Up, a discussion to answer any questions about stalking, relationships and unhealthy habits, will be held Wednesday, Jan. 27 in Russell House 302 from 5 to 6 p.m.
—Compiled by Holly Heaton