TIS THE SEASON of electoral campaigns and, in TCD at least, journalistic antics have added to the local colour.

Tony Wall, chair of the students' union electoral commission, found himself the subject of a stinging editorial in the college newspaper, Trinity News, for opening the ballot box containing sabbatical nominations in advance of the deadline. While a number of union officers expressed doubts about the wisdom of his actions, the opening of the ballot box before the deadline has long been part of the run up to sabbatical elections in TCD, facilitating the process of rumour mongering so crucial to the conduct of student elections.

According to Trinity News, Wall's action "technically renders all nominations invalid" the writer, TN co editor Amy Mahon, says it may be necessary to re open nominations for the elections. Mahon's own nomination for a sabbatical position was rejected on the grounds that it was submitted late. One of those involved in its rejection was, coincidentally, Tony Wall.

Trinity News also took SU presidential candidate Patricia Callan to task for using a students' union cheque for £2 to pay her membership fee to the college Historical Society on the occasion of a recent Hist debate on university legislation addressed by Minister for Education Niamh Bhreathnach. Callan received a ticking off in the form of two letters from Hist officers and a page 6 story despite the fact that the union bad decided to cover any expenses incurred by union executive members who attended the debate.