Sean McMinn
smcminn@mustangdaily.net
Looking back on his campaign for the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidency, psychology junior Nate Honeycutt says it’s been a time for learning and growth.
Honeycutt describes himself as a mild introvert — he’s never owned a cell phone, and he recognizes that his first few encounters with students were slightly awkward. But a week later, he was scooping ice cream for voters and explaining his “students-first” platform to anyone who would listen.
“I’ve really loved the whole campaign process,” he said. “There’s been so much I’ve learned about Cal Poly that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to.”
The path to campaigning, Honeycutt said, began two years ago when students in the College of Science and Mathematics elected him to represent them on the ASI Board of Directors. Since then, he’s served as a College of Liberal Arts representative and worked with two other students on the Semester Review Task Force.
Despite his history with student government, Honeycutt said Tuesday he is confident a typical student can connect with him — he believes he’s carved out that particular demographic for himself among this year’s four-candidate voting pool.
“I consider myself an average student,” he said. “I’m paying my way through school. I work. I’m involved with clubs. And I know for me, simplicity rings true and really resonates.”
In addition to his work in ASI, Honeycutt is also a student employee at the University Police Department. He said Tuesday he postponed his work with police during the election so he could spend more time reaching out to students.
Honeycutt said he has been impressed with all his competitors’ campaigns. He believes it’s still “anybody’s game.”
“Everyone’s pulling strong from different segments of campus, and everyone’s vision rings different with different people,” he said.
Unlike other candidates, Honeycutt said he has no plans to provide students with computers to vote on during the election. He said it would be “awkward” to approach someone and ask them to vote on a provided tablet or laptop.
After learning his competitors are planning to use computers to help students vote, he said he would discuss the possibility of doing it himself with campaign leaders.
If Honeycutt wins, those campaign leaders could become nominees to top ASI positions. He said he would choose his appointees based on their vision for Cal Poly, but also look at how much they helped him during the campaign.
There are 12 core members on Honeycutt’s team, according to campaign manager and political science sophomore Joi Sullivan.
Time will be cut short for the president-elect if Honeycutt captures the presidency Thursday — he is leaving for Reno, Nev. in the evening to present at a psychology convention Friday.
But Honeycutt said there is one thing already planned if he wins: After avoiding it for years, he’ll finally need to purchase a cell phone.