The elections for one of the most involved student positions on campus will take place soon, but this year, the number of candidates is lacking.

The Government of the Student Body will soon hold elections for the positions of president and vice president, but currently, there is only one team running.

Brian Phillips, GSB senator and junior in political science, and Ian Guffy, GSB senator and senior in computer science, are the first and only president and vice president to announce their candidacy.

Phillips said they are running to address issues they feel are important. They will be the only individuals on the ballot as long as they gather the required signatures by Feb. 23. He said they are very close to the required 1,500.

“There’s very little that we can’t address as senators, but there are things that are easier addressed being an executive than being on senate,” Guffy said.

Phillips said they are the right individuals for the job because there is no one else willing to step up and do the job and they feel they are some of the most qualified people for it. Phillips currently works as a clerk in the house of representatives and also has worked on the research staff for one of the caucuses. He also has experience serving on GSB.

“I’ve been on GSB as a senator for three terms and am in my third term right now,” he said.

Phillips said his work as a senator will help him address students’ needs and his work with the legislature will help him with the lobbying efforts for student tuition.

Guffy said he has been involved in student groups since coming to Iowa State and been a part of GSB since last spring, where he has worked on committees and with members of the administration.

“I think that they’ve both taken initiative on senate and pursued issues that students have raised to each of them,” said Emily Jensen, current GSB president and senior in political science.

Guffy and Phillips said their platform includes three main points: improving communication, improving Campustown and reining in tuition.

Tuition rates are determined by the Board of Regents, based upon how much money is allocated by the state legislature.

“It’s all about representing to both of those groups what the student interest is,” he said.

Improving Campustown is currently being addressed, and Phillips said they plan to continue with these projects.

“With Campustown, we’ve worked already with the GSB representatives to the city to look into things, such as public restrooms, to implement a Campustown cleanup program,” he said.

Another goal Phillips said they hope to achieve is to improve communication with the student body.

“We’re going to actively seek out engagement, try to rebuild constituency councils so people have good representation, and we’re going to try to talk to people from day one, in orientation classes,” he said.

There are some qualities Jensen said the GSB president should possess.

“I think it really requires someone who is motivated, who is knowledgeable about the university and issues going on within the university,” she said. “I think it takes someone who’s active and will represent students.”

Jensen said she and Sara Faber, GSB vice president and senior in public service and administration in agriculture, have decided to try and stay away from the campaign as not to influence it. However, Jensen said she has answered any questions Phillips has had about her responsibilities as president.

Phillips’s experience and how he works with others would help him as GSB president, Jensen said.

“I think that he has experience on the state level, and he’ll be very experienced with the lobbying efforts and the outreach that GSB does,” she said.

Faber said she has not talked to Guffy personally about her position, but has seen him work as a senator, where he is very active and willing to give his opinion.

“He’s one of the senators that’s taken initiative and gone out and looked for things . or done things he thinks needs to be changed or looked at and that’s very respectful as a senator,” she said. “I think he would do a good job as vice president just from the fact that he takes initiative and he’s looking for those issues.”