Dear Incoming ISU Students,

Welcome to your new academic home, but also your new city home – or home away from home.

As Iowa State students, you are now also official residents of the City of Ames. That comes with all the rights and responsibilities of such, including voting. Participating in any election process can offer exciting opportunities for involvement — not only in the ISU community — but in the larger Ames community.

On a lighter side, we hope that you will enjoy all of the fun amenities that Ames has to offer. It would be hard to find a comparable community with more than 30 parks of varying sizes and uses – including a dog park! Add to that the more than 50 miles of shared use paths for those of you who come to town with your bicycle….and the list goes on.

Shopping diversity and ethnic restaurants surpass that of most towns our size. Do check them out.

Most exciting is all the shared resources between ISU and the City of Ames. At the top of that list is probably CyRide serving not just Iowa State, but the entire Ames community. The Ames/ISU Ice Arena is shared and used by community members and students alike. The City and ISU share a sustainability coordinator….and the list goes on.

All told, we hope the offerings and resources of the Ames community make ISU an attractive choice for students. And, we know that the athletic, cultural, and educational resources make Ames a better place for long-term residents.

Thanks for choosing Ames and ISU as your new home. Feel free to call me at City Hall with any thoughts.

Welcome. We think this is a mighty fine place to live.

Sincerely yours,

Ann H. Campbell, Mayor