Ichiro Yasuda, a fourth-year student in the faculty of environment, was announced last Friday to be the winner of this year’s WUSA General Election MacBook draw.
Yasuda said he learned of the draw from the posters advertising it around campus, which prompted him to research the candidates running and vote for the first time.
Students online have expressed dissatisfaction with WUSA’s use of the tactic, but Yasuda said he viewed it simply as a marketing tool that helped encourage him to look into the election. “If it was purely, ‘vote’, I don’t think I [would’ve] take[n] time to research who are the candidates. So… I think it’s a great initiative to grab students’ attention and encourage people to participate.”
He said that having voted in this election, he “definitely” wants to be a more active participant in any future WUSA elections or events. Yasuda added that picking up the MacBook gave him the opportunity to meet WUSA staff at their office, and that he found everyone to be very friendly which made him feel “really comfortable that they’re running the school.”
Yasuda said that he plans to give the MacBook to his girlfriend, whose own computer is getting old.
