Dominic Capparelli is the only person running from the Campus Action Party in April’s Student Government election.

“I’m running a solo ticket, but I don’t think you can judge an election by less than 10 percent of the school’s population,” Capparelli said. “There’d be no hard feelings if I lost. I’d apply for appointment to the senate and then back whatever administration gets in.”

Capparelli initially decided to run for student body president after receiving encouragement from a member of the Student Senate.

Capparelli said he has already gathered 10 or 15 people who will partner up in small groups outside every university building on voting days to direct students to the polling location. He plans to have double the amount of participants by then.

Capparelli’s campaign manager Scott Lambert is constantly searching Facebook networks to identify Chicago natives to contact, Capparelli said. The main concentration of voters to seek out will be Chicago students that he relates to, he added.

Aside from establishing his own voting base, Capparelli said he wants to make himself available to organizations that already interact with the Student Government.

“I will take a trick or two from the University Board,” Capparelli said. “I went to their ‘Up All Nite’ Las Vegas event, and there was not a seat in the house. They really know how to interact with students.”

He said he already has a strong connection with Mike Usher, the comedy coordinator for UB, and building a strong connection between the organizations will be atop his goals. Increasing student attendance and participation at senate meetings will also be an immediate goal of Capparelli’s if he is elected.

Providing an additional hour of shuttle bus service will be Capparelli’s main objective because he said he feels that student crime is largely related to alcohol consumption. He said ending bus services at the same time that bars close creates dangerous situations in which students may be forced to drive or walk across campus.

“‘Business as usual’ needs to end,” Capparelli said. “I think the same projects keep coming past and that there needs to be more contact between students and the Student Government.”

Capparelli liked Student Body President Cole Rogers’ Winter Wonderland idea and didn’t think there was any infraction on UB responsibilities. However, Capparelli said Rogers’ and Bulgar’s continued pursuit to increase the diversity requirement is misrepresenting the students because the senate voted against the idea.

“The students are not being listened to, in my opinion,” Capparelli said. “There’s no real candidate who’s in touch with the students. They all have their parties that they campaign with, but they all vote for each other.”

Capparelli said Bulgar and Bobbie Mitchell, student body president candidate for the Students Wanting Action Today party, will clash because of their Greek affiliations and therefore split the Greek voter turnout.

But Capparelli has experience in more than campus politics, he said.

Capparelli is one month removed from helping his uncle, Jim Capparelli, run for the U.S. Congress during the February Primaries.

“Dominic was a great organizer in terms of getting out there and gathering the concerns of the younger constituents of the third congressional district,” Jim Capparelli said. “(Politics) is something that’s not easily done, and it’s more difficult to do what you think is right. I think it was a hard lesson for Dominic to learn, but politics is not always fair.”

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.