Editor’s note: Each slate for GSB President/Vice President was asked to write a column for the Daily. This is the first of three.

We are running for Government of the Student Body President and Vice President, because we hope to change not only the attitude students have toward GSB, but the attitude GSB has toward students.

In recent years, GSB has lost its focus, moving away from students, and what students want. Government of the Student Body without the student body is just government, but instead we have the potential to create an environment where all students work together.

We are proposing nothing less — not just communication, but interaction. We will go to every student organization, not just to tell them what GSB is, but to show what GSB can do.

And what can GSB do? Under our administration, the No. 1 priority will be working with students. It isn’t just a slogan, it is what we will do every day — working with students to accomplish the goals they want, rather than our own personal agenda.

When visiting student organizations and floor meetings, we will help each group work on what they are passionate about — whether it be a fund raiser, a philanthropy or a campaign to promote awareness of a cause.

Many groups on campus have trouble keeping members interested because they lack these projects — we will change that. We will also work with those groups that do have well-established projects to improve them.

Through this, we hope to institutionalize activism on campus.

How will we do all this? We wouldn’t promise it if we didn’t know it was possible. Twenty-eight weeks in office (excluding Dead Weeks and Finals Weeks), with five meeting nights per week, and two of us each attending just over two meetings per night is 600 meetings. Difficult, but not impossible, at least not for two students deeply committed to the idea as we are.

Another part of working together is changing the confusing nature of finance allocations to student organizations.

We will hold forums beginning in the fall to explain what groups must do and must not do to be eligible for funding, rather than springing it on them two weeks beforehand. Over the years, this has created much distrust of GSB by students, and we hope to change that.

Promoting and representing ISU students is perhaps the most important task of the Government of the Student Body executives.

We are best qualified to do this, because we are the most professional and represent the broadest range of students.

We also have been representing students longer and will continue to do so through contacts and relationships which are unique to our slate — contacts in university administration, the Ames City Council, and the State Legislature.

After many meetings with State Legislators, we have found there are three major misconceptions which prevent them from hesitating to cut funding for Iowa.

1. They don’t know who students are.

2. Students don’t vote.

3. They think students aren’t active.

We will work to change all three. First, by continuing and expanding ISU Ambassadors, a program with the goal of identifying one ISU student from each county in Iowa. These students will be the representative of Iowa State to State Legislators and make certain every Iowa legislator meets face-to-face with an ISU student.

Second, we will expand this year’s successful voter registration drive, by working closely with the New Voters Project.

Last, we come back to the heart and soul of our platform — activating every student on campus by reaching out to them personally. With 600 student organizations on campus, we hope to visit the State Legislature with a list of the 600-plus activities students on this campus are participating in.

This will serve as a wake-up call to the Legislature, to show just how much work goes on at Iowa State. We will also be able to show this list to high school seniors visiting campus, so we continue to attract the best, brightest and most active students.

With your vote, we will bring GSB back to the students, and

create a positive trend for the future of Iowa State. On March 8 and 9, vote Sophia Magill and William Rock.