Members of the Generation Iowa Commission discussed the pros and cons of young professionals living in Iowa with a small group of Iowa State University students and Ames citizens Friday afternoon in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

The Generation Iowa Commission was conceived last year by Gov. Chet Culver and approved by the Iowa legislature. Its purpose is to help attract and attain young people in Iowa, said Sophia Magill, commission member and employee of Iowa State’s Office of Admissions.

Magill said the commission issued a report in January after doing a study on reasons young Iowans leave the state.

“This is our first time getting feedback,” Magill said.

She said the commission has held public meetings before, but this is the first open forum after the report has been issued.

Magill helped lead the open forum Friday, where she presented several suggestions made by the Generation Iowa Commission, pausing frequently for audience feedback.

An important theme of the forum was exploring a new Web site created by the commission called GenerationIowa.com, which consists of networking, career-related and recreation-related resources and activities.

Commission member Shawn Rolland, senior in political science at Drake University, led the audience through different sections of the Web site, which uses online social networking elements similar to those found on Facebook and MySpace, along with informational resources.

“We really want this to be the one-stop shop for everything young Iowans could want,” Rolland said.

It took the audience of approximately 30 people some time to become engaged in the discussion, but items such as recreational opportunities for young adults in Iowa – or lack thereof – as well as the notion of a full-tuition scholarship to Iowa institutions for exemplary students facilitated some feedback.

The suggestion made by the commission to create a “merit-based scholarship program with residency expectation” was based upon an existing program in Oklahama, said Rachel Judisch, vice chairwoman of the Generation Iowa Commission. Audience members showed interest in the details of such a program.

Stacey Olsen, an employee of the Department of Natural Resources who attended the conference, questioned the idea of such a scholarship, saying students may have to weigh having higher education paid for against struggling to find a high-paying job in Iowa upon graduation.

Magill said the commission has considered that concern. The “wage gap,” or difficulty for young Iowans to find a high-paying job in the state after graduating from college, was a significant theme during the forum.

Another concern voiced by many was related to the recreational activities available in Iowa.

Daniel Fischer, senior in agriculture business, said there were “two considerations” when considering where to live after his studies at Iowa State: “the pay different cities can offer, and the culture of those cities.”

Fischer also said he thought tax credits or scholarships should be given to diverse populations and members of “creative classes” in order to foster the culture in Iowa.

Eve Doi, member of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, said she thought there were plenty of recreational opportunities in Ames and the greater state of Iowa.

Doi said although people may often complain of there not being “a lot to do” in Ames and Iowa in general, a lot of events do occur and the problem is more one of awareness building and marketing.

“There’s plenty going on,” Doi said.

Brian Phillips, president of the Government of the Student Body and senior in political science, attended the forum. He thanked the commission for its work on issues of retaining young people in the state.

Phillips said he finds the loss of recent graduates to other states “disturbing,” and he himself plans on staying in Iowa upon graduation.

“I think that what Iowa has to offer is very important – certainly to me,” Phillips said.