The following letter is in response to Nicolai Brown’s Oct. 31 column, “Back to basics.”

Nicolai Brown, we want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to share with you and with other ISU students what the government of the student body is doing this year.

Ironically, the same day your column was published, asserting to Daily readers that GSB is only a resume-booster, there was an article about the newly-formed GSB-initiated recycling program at Iowa State.

But this isn’t the only thing GSB is doing this year. In fact, the Daily has reported on a number of these positive benefits to campus life. We remind you of a small sample of successes GSB has had this year. Behind each of the victories for students that GSB helped create, we have listed the date that an article discussing it appeared in the Daily.

1. Worked during the summer to cancel mid-year tuition hikes – and succeeded! (7/14/05)

2. Formed the “Principle’s Commission” to examine discriminatory action on the campus and to create an open dialogue between students and faculty members. (9/1/05)

3. Helped to fund the Student Health Advisory Committee’s trip to a national conference in order to learn how to better educate ISU students about healthy living.

4. Allowed Student Legal Services to update their technology to better serve students. (10/13/05)

5. Advocated a strong position for the students on the impending keg ordinance. (10/20/05) (10/28/05)

6. Initiated a class to work towards the improvement of Campustown. (10/27/05)

7. Drafted a resolution to denounce the heavy Federal Student Aid cuts in the U.S. Congress.

8. Created the Student Affairs Commission to ensure that students’ voices are heard in city policies. (9/28/05) (10/3/05) (10/28/05)

9. Engaged in a discussion with the Ames City Council on improving the City of Ames and Iowa State University. (10/6/05) (10/10/05)

10. We continue to discuss pressing matters of importance within the ISU community and our world through discussion of integrity of education, discrimination, differential tuition and social bias.

If you as a student feel your needs are not being served, we urge you to come to the West Student Office Space in the Memorial Union and discuss it with your GSB senators.

You can also come to a meeting on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union or check out the GSB Web site at www.gsb.iastate.edu to contact your representative. We would all love to hear from you.

Lori Neuman-Lee

Senior

Biology

Off-campus GSB senator

Luke Gran

Junior

Forestry

LAS GSB senator