How Do I? Dodge slates’ politicking while staying informed

You’re five minutes late to class and sprinting up Bruin Walk, when a student sporting a blue shirt, with the name of an undergraduate student government slate you haven’t heard of, attempts to stop you and have a conversation.

If you look particularly friendly, the student may even ask to walk you to class, even if you’ve just pulled out your phone and are pretending to talk with a friend so you look busy.

You may be embarrassed to admit you didn’t know UCLA had a student government, especially since Bruin Walk has transformed into campaign headquarters. But there are ways to learn about the Undergraduate Students Association Council without talking with slate representatives, though careful maneuvering through the Bruin Walk chaos is required.

Taking fliers from campaigners is the easiest way to gather information about elections and also skip a long conversation that would make you late to class.

Elections fliers are a high-quality glossy material and brightly colored to easily catch your innocent student eye, especially since they trump the small pastel fliers handed out on Bruin Walk on a normal afternoon.

“Fliers connect a face to a name and make you feel like you know who you’re voting for,” said Eunice Kiang, a second-year undeclared student.

You can learn about the different candidates and their plans on the fliers, but studying their pictures can also help you recognize them in order to escape a one-on-one the next time you are on campus.

By the end of elections, slate T-shirts are as easily recognizable as the UCLA baby blue, so proudly wearing a slate T-shirt can ward off campaigners from the opposing slate.

Wearing a T-shirt is great advertising for who you support, but it also alerts campaigners that you have already made up your mind, said Pardis Farhadian, the Bruins United candidate for Facilities commissioner.

Farhadian said she doesn’t usually approach students who are wearing shirts or stickers because they have probably already voted.

T-shirts are not the only free things handed out during elections, and you can still get the perks without engaging in conversation with campaigners.

A simple stroll down the campaign trail can merit you candy and food to keep you awake in class, not to mention an energy-efficient light bulb.

Melinda Porto, a first-year musical theater student, said she was excited to receive candy from a campaigner and thought it was a good tactic.

But if you tend to lay out at Sunset Recreation Center instead of coming to campus and are curious about the madness your friends are discussing, elections information is available online.

One guilty-pleasure peek at a slate’s Web site will remind you how crazy USAC elections can be and keep you away from Bruin Walk.

And while you’re online, you can log on to MyUCLA and vote, in between checking your e-mail and Facebook.

“If you say you voted, (campaigners) just walk away,” said Justin Wong, a third-year international development student.

The constant fliering and over-enthusiastic campaigners may get on your nerves, but you’ll just have to deal until USAC elections are over at the end of this week.