It was slightly disappointing to find out that this year’s Student Union elections would only feature one registered slate, which would run unopposed for election. Be Unleashed has conceived a campaign and an ethos eager to implement change on campus and in Student Union. In a university that boasts thousands of students with a variety of talents, passions and ideas, it seems surprising that more are not motivated to take part in student government. However, a sudden twist in the plot revealed a potential rival. “Be United 2012” emerged as a write-in slate for election. The plot subsequently took another turn, as none of the names mentioned have been confirmed as actual Boston University students.
According to an article published in The Daily Free Press Monday, the possibility of the slate being a hoax is more and more plausible. This mystery slate did not engage in any dialogue with the Student Election Commission, and its video campaign does not reveal any faces or live footage. Using social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter, this alleged “ghost” campaign has an eerie online presence. One tweet to emerge from “Greg Jones,” the supposed campaign manager, read, “I like how every one has no idea what they’re up against, just wait #SilentThreat @BeUnited2012.”
Should this slate be a prank, one cannot help but wonder what the ultimate purpose is of making such an effort to campaign for nothing. Is it an attempt at satire regarding the student political process? Or is it a viable threat that is exploring the more unconventional route of campaigning? Unfortunately, for the student population, we may never know. Those perpetuating this elusive slate could be spending their time advocating real change and reform in student governing bodies and beyond, and instead they remain behind their veil of unverified social media channels.
Inevitably, the emergence of such a puzzling set of circumstances reveals that the state of our Union is in need of rejuvenation. Thankfully, progress has been made in numerous areas, maybe most notably in the debate regarding gender-neutral housing. However, it remains to be seen how this election will unfold and what it will symbolize for our community, with or without BU’s mystery slate.
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