Leading up to the election this year, candidates were frantically working the phones, producing commercials, hanging signs, contracting printers to produce campaign materials and handing out food and T-shirts to drum up support at the polls.
This wasn't a national presidential race, or even a City Council election: These candidates were running for Canyon High School's Associated Student Body offices. Though none of the candidates was more than 18 years old, many took cues from national candidates and spent big bucks to secure their seats.
"If you look in the past, all the people who went big won," said Canyon High junior Samantha Deacon, 16, who won her campaign for "co-commissioner of spirit." "I put $250 of my own money into it."
While some schools in Orange County – like Laguna Hills High School – cap their ASB candidates' spending, others are considering rules to rein in over-the-top campaigns that shower potential student voters with pizza, candy and free T-shirts.
Deacon's $250 didn't include the cash her dad threw into the race for 275 T-shirts bearing pictures of Deacon's face and dozens of custom-baked cookies printed with her photograph in edible ink.
Because Deacon's father had contacts with producers of promotional materials through his business, Samantha's campaign stuff was discounted. The total cost was $805.
"We try to encourage them not to spend a lot of money on campaigns because that's not the way it should be," he said. "But there's no spending limit."
Megan O'Gara, activities director at Laguna Hills High School, said student government campaigns there have spending limits of $25. The cap on campaign spending has been around for longer than the seven years O'Gara has been with the district, she said.
"They can do posters," she said. "We had a lot of people in the past … buying bracelets for everybody. Some people were spending a couple hundred dollars. That's not fair. Obviously, these are serious positions."
CHANGING RULES
The Laguna Hills ASB and Canyon ASB have similar financial responsibilities, but instead of Canyon's 18 elected seats, Laguna Hills has 12. Four of those who make up the ASB Cabinet take applications and interviews to select 21 appointed officials from the student body – usually 70 to 90 kids apply, O'Gara said.
"We're looking into putting expenditure limits on the campaigns next year," he said. "We limit the number of posters, and we allow them to do a two-minute video that all the students see. They can be as creative or as boring as they want. Kids are only allowed to campaign for two days leading up to the elections, but this year they've been using text messaging to campaign before they're allowed. We'll have to look at that."
Odle said the biggest changes in Orange Lutheran's ASB campaigns have revolved around new technologies.
"I think the most elaborate part of it has been going from paintbrush and paint on poster board to using computers," he said.
Students will now use laser printers to make T-shirt designs. Sometimes kids use Photoshop software to put their heads on the bodies of celebrities. Many assemble and edit video presentations.
INFLUENCE AND COLLEGE
McKee said that student government has real power over activity expenditures at the school. They meet in a leadership class every other day, and they approve purchases not only from ASB accounts, but also from clubs and athletic departments.
"Take the volleyball coach," McKee said, illustrating the role of the student officials. "Say he wants to spend $50 on nets and balls and stuff, the kids approve it. But if he wants to spend $2,000 for a clinic in Florida, we can say, 'No.' We've done it before. It usually doesn't sit well."
There's also prestige and college applications on the line, which may explain why some students put so much time, effort and money into winning the elections.
"It's kind of a big deal for some of these kids to get on it because they're out there in front of the school," McKee said. "It looks really good on their college applications."
