UPUA’s 11th Assembly adjourned for the last time Wednesday night after one of the most successful terms in the organization’s relatively short history. In an assembly not plagued with internal tension or malice, UPUA accomplished initiatives on the Ford/Jordan platform and beyond. The 12th Assembly has big shoes to fill to continue the betterment of student life.

With a new assembly comes new leadership, which two candidates hope to capture. This year’s presidential race is between two UPUA veterans: Sammy Geisinger with running mate Jorge Zurita-Coronado and Katie Jordan with running mate Alex Shockley. Onward State met with both of the executive tickets to learn more about each candidate’s plan if elected. Both presented their platforms, highlighted key initiatives, and fielded questions from our staff.

While we were impressed with both tickets’ work in UPUA thus far and their platforms for the future of the organization, our staff feels Jordan’s experience and tangible initiatives make her the best candidate to become the next student body president with Shockley as her vice president.

One aspect of Jordan and Shockley’s platform that stands out is how realistic their initiatives are. Even though the ticket has 51 initiatives they hope to accomplish to better student life at Penn State, each item is feasible and we could see the platform reaching fruition by the end of the 12th Assembly. It’s admirable to reach for the stars, but Jordan and Shockley understand exactly what steps they must complete to achieve their goals and they’ve set a tangible plan to accomplish them.

Our staff agreed particularly with Jordan’s plans to enhance the campus and community recycling policies and to increase student support on the State College Borough Council. The former, which is a major national and even global issue, has seen support on campus, but efforts from UPUA could allow such an important effort to truly soar at Penn State and throughout State College. As for the latter, with local elections coming up, it’s important for students to have a voice in the Borough. We’re confident Jordan and Shockley are committed to working with Borough Leaders to ensure this voice is heard.

Perhaps the most significant attribute Jordan brings to the table is her experience working with administrators. Over the past few years, UPUA has worked diligently to improve its relationships in Old Main and with the Board of Trustees, and both she and Shockley have nurtured these connections in their respective positions this year and will continue to do so if elected. Jordan was able to secure two additional student government seats on the Board of Trustees, allowing her to spend the past year working directly with the Board. Because UPUA is ultimately an advocacy organization, it relies on connections with Penn State’s leaders to carry out its initiatives. Jordan and Shockley already have these connections in place, which we believe will allow them to hit the ground running on day one.

Finally, both Jordan and Shockley currently sit on the inaugural Student Fee Board, which is an important group that will require strong leadership to thrive after 11th Assembly president and current Chairman Terry Ford graduates. Though we don’t doubt Geisinger and Zurita-Coronado would be able to learn the ropes of the Fee Board, the still-new Board will be able to seamlessly continue its work with Jordan as one of its key members.

It is because of the above reasons and more as well as a strong confidence in the executive ticket that Onward State offers Katie Jordan our official endorsement for UPUA president. We are confident in Jordan and Shockley’s ability to lead the student body and pick up right where the 11th Assembly left off.

Remember to vote Wednesday, March 29 at vote.psu.edu!