Sean McMinn
smcminn@mustangdaily.net
For Haley Houle, campaigning for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) president is just one more hat.
The sociology senior said Tuesday she hasn’t asked for any special exemptions from her regularly frantic schedule to allow more time for campaigning. She’s still leading the ASI University Union Advisory Board, searching for a new ASI executive director, meeting with university administrators and attending classes — all while preparing to graduate in June.
“Sleep has been decent,” Houle said. “That’s definitely why I’m still sane right now … and being around all the students all day reenergizes me every single morning.”
Heading into the final hours of the campaign, Houle said encouraging students to vote is most important. She hopes to break an ASI record for voter turnout. If four candidates can’t break the record, she asked, who can?
“I want to really just encourage students to vote and stress the fact that it’s important that every student vote,” she said. “Taking myself out of it, I think students need to see value in each vote. And that’s something, I think, falls on us as candidates to educate students.”
Since she’s finishing her degree in June, Houle will continue as a graduate student at Cal Poly in the fall — making her the first student since 2009 (when graduate student Jon McElroy ran against art and design senior Kelly Griggs) with plans to serve in presidential office while pursuing a master’s degree.
Houle has higher hopes for this year’s election than her first two years ago. Then, she lost a race for ASI Board of Directors and instead took a position on the University Union Advisory Board.
This race, she hopes, will give her a different result.
“I have done my absolute best so far, that’s what I know for sure,” she said. “I have tried very hard to be at my booth and approachable for all students.”
Houle’s family is coming to San Luis Obispo for the final voting announcement Thursday morning.
“I cant even grasp how I’ll feel at that moment,” she said. “It will definitely be the proudest moment of my life. I don’t even think I can explain it right now.”
In the meantime, Houle will be at her booths on campus, asking students to vote. She also said she wants to connect with some final clubs today, and reconnect with ones she spoke to in the past three months.
“The thought that tomorrow it’s up to every student to cast their vote is incredible,” she said. “That’s the only way I can explain it. And so right now … the next 36 hours are about conveying to students to just vote.”