If you’ve been following the Government of the Student Body for the last several years, it’s difficult not to roll your eyes when you hear another GSB presidential hopeful talking about how he or she will lower your tuition, create more entertainment options for you and don’t forget this one — communicate better with you and the other 27,000-plus students at Iowa State.

GSB campaign promises are perennial, and all too often they go unfulfilled. What’s refreshing is this year, one slate will be able to follow through on its promises. When students head to the polls Monday and Tuesday, they should cast their votes for Drew Miller and Jenn Riggs.

Miller and Riggs are the only candidates who have taken a proactive approach to fulfilling their campaign promises now, long before they’ve assumed the GSB executive thrones in the East Student Office Space of the Memorial Union.

Even with fresh, workable plans for campus recycling and under-21 entertainment options in Ames, Miller and Riggs’ greatest strength is in their passion for registering voters.

The slate plans to work with the New Voters Project to sign up 9,000 student voters next year — mobilizing a strong student voter bloc across the state will force legislators to fund higher education or risk losing their jobs, they say. We couldn’t agree more.

The slate isn’t without weaknesses. Riggs has no prior experience on GSB. However, the fact that one member of the slate is not a GSB “insider” may actually work to their advantage. Riggs, and Miller as well, realize many students view GSB, particularly the marathon senate meetings and intricate finance process, as intimidating, irrelevant and self-absorbed. They’re prepared to change that perception.

The campaign platform of Sophia Magill and Will Rock is commendable and echoed many of Miller and Riggs’ goals. However, Magill and Rock haven’t taken the same leaps and bounds to accomplish their goals that Riggs and Miller already have. Electing Magill and Rock would only reinforce the GSB status quo of the last several years.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Russell Graves and Dave Stout, neither of whom have any GSB experience. It would be extremely difficult to accomplish goals without understanding the inner wranglings of GSB. But even their goals remain questionable — the pair say they don’t want to make promises they can’t keep. But how, then, does this make them accountable to students? The slate also lacks professionalism. Hawaiian shirts and cupcakes may seduce some college students, but they’re not as likely to charm the Legislature or Board of Regents.

In a time when students are fighting losing battles with the powers that be — whether in tuition or tailgating — they need GSB executives who can curb student apathy and mobilize the untapped voting power of students. Miller and Riggs’ down-to-earth, yet fiery approach to GSB will rally the support of students other executives have failed to gain in the past.