With rising tuition rates, overcrowding in the dorms and growing disconnect between students and their representatives on the Government of the Student Body, the ISU student body needs leaders who have a solid plan to effectively take on these issues, and much more. That is why we, Jake Swanson and Dave Bartholomew, are your guys to help bring Iowa State into a new era. No longer will we stand for the status quo, business-as-usual attitude because we know the students at Iowa State can’t wait for change to happen; they have to make it happen.

One issue that affects nearly all students on campus is student debt. With the average ISU student graduating with $30,000 in debt, we understand financial security is going to be a burden on students for years to come, and we would like to help. Our five-point plan involves creating a new Executive Cabinet position that will be responsible for overseeing a tuition task force. This task force will assist students in determining their eligibility for federal aid and Pell Grants, which can potentially reduce thousands of dollars from a student’s debt, as well as assisting the ISU Ambassadors to lobby the state legislature for increased loan repayment options.

We understand this may not completely alleviate the problem of student debt, but we feel this is definitely a step in the right direction, and it would start the first day we take office.

Aside from debt, Iowa State is projected to have the largest freshmen class in history arriving this fall, which will cause the dorms to face increased demand for space. We feel that no student deserves to have to live in the floor’s den or be crammed into tiny rooms. We would like to create an ad hoc committee composed of ourselves, Inter-Residence Hall Association and members of the administration in the Department of Residence, Facilities Planning and Management, ISU Dining, Student Affairs, and President Steven Leath to determine the best and most feasible options for accommodating this increase — and any future increases in students.

Improving student life also involves GSB taking a leading role in student diversity and connectivity. As we have discussed with several campus organizations, we feel that promoting a tolerant and integrated campus is a must for successful student life. Our plan begins with putting together a diverse executive cabinet that will work with diversity organizations as well as the International Student Council to foster awareness of cultural diversity and create long-lasting relationships. We think developing stronger relationships with student organizations will increase student connections to GSB and will help create an atmosphere where GSB is not thought of as a distant, bureaucratic student government but rather an open, student-oriented organization that works with every student and group to ensure they prosper while at Iowa State.

Of course, not all of our ideas can be put into a single letter, but we want to assure you we have many more, from dealing with the Parking Division to revitalizing Campustown to changing academic policies. We just want to end by saying that we, Jake Swanson and Dave Bartholomew, have the experience and the drive to effectively address every issue we have laid out and plan to take our new, student-led approach to the executive branch if elected as president and vice president. On Monday and Tuesday, vote Jake and Dave.