With a student body president campaign centered on the unique Aggie experience, Kyle Kelly brings both understanding and fresh ideas.
Kelly said his campaign is about more than just himself, it’s ultimately about serving students. With more than 50,000 students and 900 organizations on campus, Kelly said the students he represent have a variety of viewpoints and interests.
Because of this, Kelly said SGA needs to recognize that the Aggie experience is unique for everyone. Kelly said being in touch with these students would be a focal point for his cabinet if elected.
“Everyone is unique,” Kelly said. “We have to relate to all of those people.”
Kelly said his position as executive vice president to Reid Joseph has given him insight on how to relate to students as well as a realistic understanding of the workload of an SBP.
“Having been the right-hand man to the SBP, some of the numbers I’ve given to equate to the job [are] that there will be about 200 speeches given this term,” Kelly said. “In the month of August, [the SBP] will travel 8,000 miles, and then it’s about a 70- to 80-hour work week.”
Kelly said he has unique goals ranging from larger projects that pertain to the admissions process, the academic calendar and other state legislated matters to smaller, less controversial goals like removing the MTV channel from the MSC basement floor TVs and putting plaques around Simpson Drill Field to honor the 55 Aggies killed in WWI.
“The truth is that candidates run on policy every year and we have decided to take a very realistic approach with ours,” Kelly said. “The big things tend to be more controversial, take time and effort. The small things, they are quick, easy fixes. No one disagrees on them.”
In an attempt to maximize his limited time in Joseph’s cabinet, Kelly said he began authoring bills in December and that many of his ideas came from this process.
Aside from policy plans, Kelly said a fundamental part of the job before him is establishing working relationships with SGA, a rapport with administration and serving as an advocate for students. Part of this relationship with the administration will entail helping introduce the new University president to students.
“One of the things we bring to the table there is a consistency through the change,” Kelly said, “especially with the incoming president and being able to integrate him with the student body, having seen exactly how Dr. Loftin has integrated himself with the student body.”
Citing endorsements from the Corps of Cadets and the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, Kelly said he has already begun communicating with diverse groups.
“We’ve even seen, during this campaign season, a more united A&M … behind us than has been seen in I think at least a decade,” Kelly said.
Kelly said while each individual experiences the traditions and customs that make A&M special in a different way, a big part of the campaign is focused on maintaining this common spirit.
“It’s not an easy thing to have a school like ours, there’s just not very many,” Kelly said. “Especially as we grow, [spirit] can be watered down, convoluted and eventually lost if we are not careful.”