No ISU students turned out to watch candidates for the Ames School Board discuss a range of issues at the Memorial Union on Thursday afternoon. Approximately 10 Ames residents attended the forum.

Judith Dolphin, executive director of the YWCA, who sponsored the forum, said the debate was held on campus because it was easy for candidates and Iowa State students and faculty with school age children to attend.

“Students don’t have a lot of chance to get involved,” she said. “So that was the reason it was held on campus.”

Mike Murray and Ron Werner-Wilson are the only two declared candidates for the two open board seats. The election is scheduled to be held on September 13.

Both candidates have ISU ties and hope Ames and Iowa State can work together. Werner-Wilson is an associate professor in human development and family studies and Murray is an engineer in facilities, planning and management.

Murray said he would like to see the board and university work together on more projects and share budgets. He said he wanted to bring communication, so residents don’t feel they’re talking to a “brick wall.”

“The public needs to feel like they’re being listened to,” Murray said.

The kids at Schilleter [apartments] are being “jerked around,” especially when they are being bussed past closer and more convenient schools, he said.

“We are marginalizing them,” Werner-Wilson said.

Both candidates said they hoped to work with the ever-changing university population in Ames.

“One priority is to reach out to folks in transition and take their ideas seriously,” Werner-Wilson said.