Cyclone, friend, leader. I cannot think of any three words that better describe Spencer Hughes. I met him my first day here at Iowa State; he was carrying the largest collection of ISU gear I have ever seen. He had it all — the flag that took up half a wall, the carpet with Cy printed right in the center and the face paint he would use at every home game. He didn’t hesitate to come over, introduce himself and teach me how to put my loft together.

Since then, I have gotten to know Spencer very well. I hung out with Spencer and his roommate each night to watch “Sports Center” and “The Colbert Report.” Any time I was struggling with a decision or ethical dilemma I turned to him. He never disappointed, no matter how many thousands of things he already had on his plate. He really has been busy; Spencer has served on the Government of the Student Body as a senator, the Speaker of the Senate and the Director of Student Affairs. He has also balanced a significant commitment to Dance Marathon with being a Cyclone Aide, hosting a radio show on KURE and the various projects he has led to help benefit ISU students.

In case you haven’t had time yet to check out Spencer’s platform (which can be found at www.hugheskletscher.com), Spencer believes student dollars should be used to benefit the students who pay them. He is also the first person in recent history who is willing to back those words up. He will not accept the full-ride fall and spring scholarships that every president and finance director of GSB receive. This action alone will save us up to $90,000 per year. Spencer is also leading the charge to allow students to use dining dollars at off-campus restaurants like The Fighting Burrito, so many of us won’t have to see our money go to waste at the end of the year.

I have had a chance to sit down with a lot of student leaders at Iowa State, and I have never met anyone with more passion for Iowa State and its students. You can hear it in his voice when guiding students around campus as a Cyclone Aide, and you can see it in his cardinal-and-gold-painted face at football and basketball games. Spencer has our best interests at heart, and I trust him to do us proud. On March 11 or 12, I will vote for him to be our next GSB president at vote.iastate.edu.