ASI president candidates exercise ‘free speech’

Alexandria Scott
alexandriascott.md@gmail.com

With a microphone and empty stage, the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential candidates summed up their campaign platforms in short speeches at ASI’s “Free Speech Hour” during University Union hour on Tuesday. It was an event for candidates to introduce themselves to students, according to ASI Board of Directors Chair Kaitlin Harr.

Here is what the four candidates had to say:

In his speech, agribusiness junior Jason Colombini said he learned three things while working on his family’s farm in Lindon, Calif. He said 1. Success comes from hard work, 2. Always help someone in need and 3. Honesty is the best policy.

Colombini said in his speech that he has paid for his entire education. In an interview after the debate, Colombini further explained that every expense about college — whether it be tuition, rent, food or fun — he pays for. As ASI president, Colombini said he would be more understanding of the students who have to support themselves in one way or another while going to Cal Poly.

Colombini also said that when ASI talks about how much a student is paying for education and possible increases in tuition, he knows firsthand how it will affect them. Students who go to school and work for their education are underrepresented, he said.

“The things that are worth most in life are the ones that take the most work,” he said.

Psychology junior Nate Honeycutt’s campaign is founded on making students first, he said in his speech. In an interview afterward, Honeycutt said the job of the ASI president is to be an advocate for students.

“It’s important for me to have this as my philosophy,” he said.

Honeycutt has two years experience as a Board of Directors representative for the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Liberal Arts. His experience as an elected representative has given him practice with being held accountable and accurately reflecting what students need, and that goes in line with the job of the president, he said.

Sociology senior Haley Houle said every Cal Poly student brings something to the campus in her speech on Tuesday. Her goal as president is to start conversations and build relationships between the different groups on campus, she said.

In an interview after, she said it is ASI’s job to connect students to the existing programs on campus and improve relationships on campus by breaking down communication barriers that exist between the different student groups.

“Not my team, or your team — let’s make this about our team,” she said.

Political science junior Daniel Wasta said some of the things he will do as president are supporting athletics, making Cal Poly a sustainable campus and helping students get jobs as soon as they graduate.

Off stage, he said in order to get students jobs after graduation, he will strengthen relationships with alumni. He said that someone who went to Cal Poly knows how rigorous the education is here, and how it produces smart and capable students.

“I’m very proud to go to this school, and I think employers will notice that as soon as they start hiring,” he said.

For supporting athletics, Wasta said the campus has incredible teams, but the student body needs to be more involved in attending games.

“How do we have a women’s basketball team that goes to the NCAA tournament and not have a packed gym?” he said. “I want to breed a culture of athletic support where students know athletes personally and support not just teams ,but friends.”