Olivia Proffit
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Profiles on the other two ASI presidential election candidates: (Lance Collins, Owen Schwaegerle)
Environmental management and protection junior Kyle Jordan is running for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) president as a write-in candidate.
“Being a transfer student and being new to the campus does mean that I don’t have the same time and perspective as the other candidates,” Jordan said. “At the same time, I’d say being a transfer student prepares me for the position because I have a diverse perspective.”
Jordan was originally going to run for the ASI Board of Directors for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). After his friend decided not to run for ASI president at the last minute, Jordan decided to run with similar goals in mind. He missed the deadline to file for candidacy, so he registered to be a write-in candidate.
“I felt like the things that he was going to support were some of the things I wanted,” Jordan said. “I don’t know enough about the other two candidates yet, but I feel like the things I wanted out of him, I can represent for the campus.”
Being a write-in candidate means Jordan’s name will not formally appear on the official ballot. Rather, voters will have the option to type in his name at the bottom of the ballot on their Cal Poly Portal.
According to the ASI Election Code, Jordan will be able to participate in ASI events along with the other candidates. ASI Recruitment and Development Chair Gabriella Bragoli could not be reached for comment.
The code states, “Registered Write-In Candidates shall be allowed to participate in regularly scheduled activities sponsored by the ASI Recruitment and Development Committee.”
With his campaign slogan, “Write in your future at Cal Poly,” Jordan wants to be the voice between the students and the administration to help improve communication between the two groups. He envisions better inclusion in the decision making process in all of the university’s diverse interests, Jordan said.
“It’s not so much that I want to be president,” Jordan said. “I want somebody to be president who’s good at listening to everybody, who’s good at making the right decisions based on those recommendations and making sure that campus is headed in the right direction.”
Jordan doesn’t have any previous experience with student government, but in the short time he has been at Cal Poly, he has been already been appointed to ASI President Joi Sullivan’s executive cabinet. He has also had experience in his major with conflict management classes, resource management classes and working with diverse groups of people to come to decisions.
Jordan has been elected as the mountain bike race director for next year for the Wheelmen, a bicycle racing team and club on campus, where he’ll gain experience running and organizing races for the club.
“People have already put a lot of trust in me, and I’m trying to get the rest of campus to do the same,” Jordan said.
He also feels qualified for the position because he worked either part-time or full-time while continuing his education, he said. He has experience working with the public, colleagues and vendors, as well as communication and coordination with others.
“I’m not going to lie and say that there’s not a lot of unknown and I’ve never done it before, but I am up for the challenge,” Jordan said. “I’m not a stranger to hard work or long days. I’ll put in the effort needed to take both the campaign and the job seriously.”