Undercurrent

When former senatorial candidate Ed O’Reilly spoke at the Cape Cod Lounge at UMass Amherst, the room was set for 150 people, but was filled with less than 15, only half of which were students.

Much has been said about how the Internet has changed communications, but event organizers at UMass are finding that to fill seats, they still need tried and true methods like fliering and tabling.

The O’Reilly event was sponsored by Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society who, according to co-Vice President Patrick Meaney, relied on “viral marketing” and the Internet for their publicity. They created a Facebook event page, posted it on the UMass arts and events calendar, and sent e-mails throughout the legal studies department. In spite of the meager turnout, Meaney, was happy after it was over.

“I’m pleased it went off without a hitch,” he said.

He said he wished more students were in attendance, but based on the timing of the event they would “take what they could get.” Meaney’s theories for the poor turnout – O’Reilly is not a well known name in politics and students are not thinking about campaigns right now, months removed from the elections. He described O’Reilly as a third-party candidate whose political views he did not completely endorse.

The UMass Republican Club has hosted many successful events, including this year’s kick-off event, featuring conservative talk show host Michael Graham. Over 150 people turned out, surprising club president Greg Collins.

Collins believes the success is based in strong group commitment, good organization, and extensive publicity. For any event, he said, the club can spend between $200-$300 on fliers alone. They spent $900 on three advertisements in The Daily Collegian ahead of a controversial, but well attended, speech by Don Feder. While most organizations don’t have the advantage of such a large budget, Collins says money alone does not guarantee a strong turnout.

“We are well organized, we know what needs to be done,” Collins said.

Within the structure of the club, jobs are delegated to various members who complete their given tasks in a rigid time frame. Collins describes the members as “passionate” and “committed.”

Meaney feels Phi Kappa Phi is lacking that kind of organization, in part because members are busy with their own academic pursuits. He expressed his desire for a more hierarchical structure that would keep members on an equal footing and ensure more widespread commitment.

“We want to show the community that an honor society can be about more than grades and doing well,” he said. “We are moving in the right direction, but we need to grow and expand.”

Even in hindsight, Meaney would not change the way the event was publicized. He said he felt e-mail and Facebook was the right way to reach the desired demographic and that posters would have been a waste of time.

“I see posters all around campus, but I don’t see them being read,” he said. “We did the best we could, I don’t think the result would have been any different.”

-With Mattew Cadwallader