Since this edition of the Daily is the last one before elections begin for the Government of the Student Body Senate, presidency and vice presidency, now is probably the best — and fairest — time for the editorial board to offer an opinion on the two slates of candidates running for president and vice president. 

Rather than endorsing one campaign or the other, we will offer our opinion on the merits and shortcomings of each. This retains our practice from the presidential election in November as well as last year’s practice.

Our opportunity to interview Dan Rediske and Zach Bauer came on March 2 and, like our interview with Spencer Hughes and Hillary Kletscher, that conversation lasted nearly two hours. 

What struck us most about Rediske and Bauer is their evenly spread balance between ideas and process.

Rediske and Bauer very clearly emphasize improving the structural framework as original initiatives. Some critics might say that such emphasis is too much on the side of GSB and does not give enough attention to student needs.

Two points could be stated in answer to that charge. First, since GSB includes all students and has the power to divvy up the pie of student fees, it must be the model organization and lead by example. 

Second, an organization whose members cannot agree among themselves is a disparate and ineffective organization. 

Although the internal workings of GSB might seem dull and it might be tedious to cultivate relationships with other formal bodies — such as the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and the Ames City Council — those kinds of formal relationships are essential for any such body to work well.

That framework is essential to any undertakings that seek to improve the student experience. 

Seeking to harmonize the occasional cacophony of voices within GSB to the point that the executive branch’s communications director works with the Senate’s public relations committee and its chairperson to the point that the two groups issue news releases together is one such example.

As for the undertakings themselves, Rediske and Bauer have several in mind. 

For example, the two want to create a special fund to help out new clubs that ordinarily would not receive funding, simplify the financial aspects of GSB’s role, look into providing free e-textbooks for the most popular general education classes, host a voter registration drive, and investigate mass emails sent to students by businesses to determine whether student clubs have the same opportunity as for-profit businesses have.

By and large, they tend to put students on a level playing field with others, such as businesses, or by attempting to minimize the amount of debt students should have to accumulate to pay their cost of attendance, even if only by a few hundred dollars.

Overall, it seems like the two of them are just as interested in building a structure or culture in GSB whereby any problem can arise and be accommodated or resolved, as they are in ideas they have already brainstormed. 

Knowledge about GSB’s inner workings is just as essential as bold ideas.

Those are some of our thoughts. We will leave an endorsement, however, to you when you vote on March 11 or 12.