Hold on. It’s election season.

Yeah, the students elected a new Student Association president, vice president and treasurer this week. The front page of this paper probably proclaims the proud winner’s name.

But is there pride involved?

Where’s the pride in winning through schleppy tactics? How can someone feel good calling themselves SA president if the opponent lost because of a rumor?

It was a schleppy election, even compared to last year’s. There were allegations, unsubstantiated and unconfirmed rumors, charges of alleged campaign rule breaking and, of course, an arrest.

Remember last spring? The biggest scandal then was Phill Buoscio’s campaign fliers, which included some that said “The Only Greek Candidate” and were distributed solely on Greek Row. Seems downright tame.

How did it get this way? What led these two candidates down the roads they went? Were they getting desperate to win?

How’s this for desperation? John Fallon put up some campaign posters featuring a picture of Elvis Presley, who’s apparently not dead because he’s voting for John.

Guess Chicago’s not the only place where dead folks vote.

It’s too bad that the mess of real-world politics has to find its way here. The mudslinging was disgusting, but are the candidates really to blame—or is it their camps?

It seemed like the politicos were out Wednesday and Thursday looking for something. Anything.

They had their tape measures, making sure no politicking was going on within 100 feet of the booth. They were looking for anyone possibly whispering anyone’s name and screaming unfair.

The unfortunate candidates had to answer countless phone calls and questions about nothing but rumors. It must have been exhausting having to deny everything that was in the air.

Strangely, though, voter turnout was fairly high. That’s great, but a shame if it’s because of controversy. One almost wonders if people are voting against a candidate rather than voting for one.

And, if that’s true, will the person who wins feel like the lesser of two evils? What kind of an election is this?

It’s an election of factions.

One, there’s the greeks and the rest. It seemed like a lot of people wore Fallon buttons because he’s greek and they’re greek. Likewise, a lot of independents wore Rob McCormack stuff because he’s independent.

That’s wrong. The issue wasn’t the greek letters on a coat or the University Plaza logo on a sweatshirt.

Second, every endorsement—whether it went Fallon’s or McCormack’s way—was criticized because of factions. So and so in this organization shouldn’t be able to endorse so and so because he’s a part of someone else’s campaign.

An endorsement is an endorsement. It’s not someone’s under-the-table agenda or speaking softly with a big stick. It’s an endorsement.

How dirty. With luck, the SA will run a lot cleaner next fall than their election ran this week.