Many of the candidates running in the 2010 general student government elections spent the early hours of the morning setting up signs, fliers and chalking the sidewalk in preparation for the next two weeks of campaigning.

In addition to covering the campus with campaign slogans, several candidates said they are also planning to make themselves available to students in the dining halls, the Brickyard, the Court of North Carolina, and Talley in an effort to reach out to students.

This year, Lindsey Pullum, the elections commission chair, said, “we want students to know who their candidates are, not just recognize names.”

Candidates also said they have created facebook pages and built interactive websites to make themselves more accessible.

The line up for student body president include: current chief of staff Kelly Hook, current CHASS senator Scott Goldsmith, current chair of the NCSU College Republicans Charles “Ches” McDowell, a senior in aerospace engineering Zach Lego, current chair of the Union Activities Board Matt Woodward, a senior in electrical engineering Jimmy Dieffenderfer, and a senior in plant biology Matt Gromlich.

Hook said she wants to shift the mentality of the university away from administration and back to students by simplifying transportation and access to online courses.

“We tend to be focused on administration instead of what tends to make life more simple for students,” she said.

Instead of focusing on specifics, McDowell said, “I’m out to bring accountability and transparency back to student government. I want to make sure student government is working for the students as it’s sole constituency.”

Stephen Kouba, one of the three students running for Senate president, said he wants the Senate to have a better presence at student organization meetings.

“I want the senate to have a prevalent role in campus life,” he said.

Sarah Center said her role as student senate president will be to have senators out on campus and have them interacting with the students.

Michael Robinson, the third candidate for Senate president, said he wants to “build a coalition” between the student executive branch, senate, and the University administration.

Both of the candidates running for student body treasurer said they are concerned about making the appropriations process more simple and transparent for students.

Kyle O’Donnell said he would make sure to attend in full all senate sessions, university student center’s board of directors meetings, and appropriations meetings; meetings that past treasurers have neglected to attend even though it is part of their job description.

Buddy Bryson said he wanted to ensure that as much student fee money as possible goes back to students and also that he would hold all of student government to a high standard of ethics when dealing with student money.

Both of the candidates running for student body chief justice, Monica Noble or Diana Tingen, said they have not put up signs around campus. However, both said they will be around campus talking to students over the next two weeks.

Noble said her goal as chief justice is to make the student conduct board more active within the NCSU community. She said when students think about student government, they should recognize the conduct board as a part of student government.

Tingen also said she wants to make the student conduct process better known to the rest of the student body, but that she intends to focus on alcohol education.

“I want students to be more aware of the possible sanctions they will face if they abuse alcohol,” Tingen said.