Until 1870, with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, blacks didn’t have the right to vote, and therefore had no way of electing other blacks to office in order to fight for their causes.

Today, although we as students have the right to vote, we are not represented by our peers. Our stay in Ames is controlled by older members of the community who are out of touch with the university.

The answer is two-year term limits. If we changed the limits, students could be elected to the Ames City Council and represent us to help solve highly controversial problems as well as age-old issues like alternate-side parking (designed by the city to create revenue at the expense of low-income residents).

We, as students, need channels in order to express our concerns for our community.

We will finally get our chance on April 5. Vote “yes” for shorter term limits.

Aaron Robert Gott

Sophomore

Political Science