Members of the UT band played "The Eyes of Texas" as a small but growing crowd of Student Government members swayed their horns high in the cold air around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
The school spirit kicked off a Student Government-sponsored rally that signaled the start of campaigning at an unusual time of night.
Members of the Empower ticket placed large wooden A-frames around the West Mall to advertise the ticket's platforms.
"Any spare time you have goes to campaigning," said Eli Oldham, radio-television-film sophomore.
Oldham said campaigning would be easier than last year.
"It was so cold last year, and the A-frames were huge, like 12 feet," he said. "But it's still really intense."
Wednesday was also when financial disclosures for all the campaigns were due.
The 37 candidates that constitute the Empower ticket have spent $4,281.73, according to the financial reports.
Eight independents have spent a total of $121.19.
A financial disclosure is not necessary if a candidate does not spend money on his or her campaign, according to the SG's election code.
This is the first of five financial disclosures candidates must provide. The last must be filed on the final day of voting or on the last day of a potential runoff election.
Phillip Tau, a business and marketing sophomore and independent candidate, has yet to spend any money on his campaign but plans to in the future.
"[Independent candidates] have met to basically talk over what each one of us plans regarding campaigning are," Tau said. "I know most people didn't have anything to put up at midnight."
Tau said independents are "bouncing ideas off each other" to get their names in the public sphere.
Political communication junior Taylor Ellison spent most of her time Wednesday going between Empower booths in Jester Center and the West Mall.
She said people have approached the booths and written their names on e-mail lists at free will.
"Meeting all these people that don't know about Student Government is great, because we get to tell them about it and inform them of when to vote," Ellison said. "All people really want is someone to stop and explain it to them."
Student Government elections are held online Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
