This week, The Backpage decided to expand its horizons and get political! We managed to score an exclusive interview with write-in candidate for ASWC President, Keenan Hilton, and his campaign manager Marcial Diaz. We’ve provided a transcription of the interview below.
Backpage: Where were you when you heard that lost?
Keenan Hilton: Well, we got out of rehearsal, and of course I have an experienced ASWC senator here, so he knew. He knew exactly where to go. So we ran up to the ASWC Office here in Reid and checked the numbers on the window.
Marcial Diaz: We considered it a victory. We were aiming for between 30 to 40 votes, and we got 83 and two ballots that had misspelled Keenan, so we actually had 85. What was it, 8.9 percent of all the votes?
BP: Whose idea was it to have Keenan run for ASWC President?
KH: The way it started was that I had talked with a couple friends about how I thought, if I just got a couple of my friends from Lyman to just write in my name, then I could probably get second place. Then, I was talking to Marcial about it, and that was Saturday morning.
MD: Then we had a lunch break and during the lunch break, I worked on his campaign.
KH: He came back with posters and fliers.
MD: I saw the opportunity of having a different type of president. You know how in the Pio last week, you had an article about how most of the people involved in ASWC, or at least the presidents, are Greek, male and white? Keenan is just different. He’s an indie!
BP: Why did Keenan run? Was it just to have somebody different in the race?
KH: When [Marcial] printed out the fliers, the whole thing was obviously very self-aware, and I knew that I was up against someone who has been in ASWC for a very long time and seems very well-qualified, and is the only person actually on the ballot. We were definitely very aware of all of those things, and actually very aware that I don’t have ASWC experience; but I mean, really, for me, because I had to justify it in some way, because in the one-in-a-million chance that I did win, like what would I do? You know? I couldn’t just be like, “Wait, no, the whole thing was a joke! Sorry guys!” The way I justified it was just that I think it’s stupid that in a democracy, what we call a democratic election, there’s one person running for the most powerful position. You know? Yeah, I mean how can you make the assumption that he’s the only one that they want? I know it was just the decision of other people who may have run to just not, but I just thought that there should be another person, and I thought, you know what? I’ll be that other person! I’ll be the alternative choice! [ See NOTE]
BP: So, what would you have done if you did win by some off-chance? Did you have a platform?
KH: My platform basically was that I’m another choice. You know? What would I have done? Well, I would’ve shaken Marcial’s hand, and then I probably would have called up Matt Dittrich and asked him if he could teach me how to be ASWC President.
BP: Do you expect that phone call would have gone well?
KH: I expect that it would have been tense.
BP: Had you talked to him before this?
KH: Very little. I’ve never actually met him formally. I remember him from the Green Dot thing at the beginning of the year. I remember that he was super funny, but no, I didn’t meet him. He wrote on the campaign’s Facebook page that he wanted a debate and I actually really would’ve liked that. I felt bad coming in at the last minute, and not that he would’ve needed it, but not giving him a chance to be like, “Hey people, I have these qualifications.” I came in super fast at the end, with our powerhouse campaign. But, you know, he asked for a debate, and then I friend requested him, and said uh hey I think that my schedule is going to be open at these times, but then actually, my schedule wasn’t open at all, because Monday is actually my busiest day in terms of classes, and then I also had rehearsal from 6 to 9:30 p.m. or whatever.
MD: We considered having it from 5 to 6, but he also needed to have dinner.
KH: I also needed to shower, and have dinner.
MD: It would have been a very short debate.
BP: It seems like Keenan is a busy man. Do you have any plans for the future, in terms of school politics?
KH: Well, I myself, who knows? I really like ASWC and I really think that is an excellent institution to have as far as giving students a say in what goes on in the school. We pay for it, obviously. Um, you know? At this point, I say who knows? Who knows? Maybe.
MD: But there is talk about him maybe running against Kayvon in 2013.
BP: Do you have any sort of message for the people who voted for you who may be disappointed?
KH: Yeah, I know, crestfallen, as I’m sure they all are. I guess my message is, again, the purpose of my running, my goal wasn’t to win. My goal was just to be another option. So, I guess what I say is just like you know, thanks for considering another option. You know, I think that’s healthy in a democracy to have multiple, multiple choices. HUZZAH.
[NOTE]
BP: Is there anything else you would like to add?
MD: Well, you should mention that he’s a Sig pledge.
BP to KH: Are you?
KH: Well, I mean I was last semester. I didn’t de-pledge … I consider myself an indie …