I think the question on everyone’s mind is no longer, “Who is the Daily endorsing?” All kidding aside, I am grateful for this opportunity to clarify our slate.

Putting students first has been our No. 1 priority from the start. We, Shawn Faurote and I, will not push our own personal agenda, nor will we solicit only the opinions of a small circle of GSB insiders. Our first priority is to you, the students of Iowa State.

We are running in the hopes of protecting the student interest, not our own.

After learning the ropes of GSB this year, Shawn was disappointed. His decision to enter this race came after GSB tried to eliminate competitive trip funding to organizations, something they considered to be a small point on the agenda.

Shawn was surprised because he understood that the cost a student would have to bear to make up for the difference could turn competitive clubs into exclusive organizations.

He wanted to know what the students thought. He personally visited organizations and involved them in the discussion of this issue. He encouraged students to write letters to their senators and to attend the GSB meeting.

The students responded.

Shawn wrote the amendment to the bill, and today clubs and organizations are still able to receive funding for competitive trips.

We are the first to admit that we do not have all of the answers. No candidate should — and if they claim to, their motives should be questioned.

It is sad to see this university election mimicking the negativity found in the majority of political campaigns. Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Our refusal to give in to this negativity is a direct result of the belief that a person’s words and actions must be in accord.

Our words and ideas are based on strong ambitions and backed with the realistic knowledge of what it takes to change things, as well as the good intentions of Shawn and myself.

The only way to get the entire student body involved in decisions is to improve communication. For the last few years, GSB has fallen out of touch with the students.

Shawn and I realize students have enough to do.

We will work to increase quick and easy access to GSB. Even if students are not concerned about the specifics of student government, they need to know about issues that affect them.

We will utilize more media to keep students informed. Shawn and I will also launch meetings and open forums for students to express their concerns. Most importantly, we will talk directly with students.

We have ideas, not an agenda. It is unrealistic for candidates to make specific promises not knowing the future. Graduations and the university’s goal of attracting 4,000 to 5,000 new students every year makes the student body an ever-changing population. GSB needs to be open-minded.

The phrase “Students First” is more than just our slogan. It summarizes what we feel should be the focus of Iowa State’s student government.

Putting students first includes serving the needs of all students in a greater capacity than just academics. Iowa State is supposed to prepare students for the world outside of college. With the changing face of Iowa State and the nation as a whole, it is important to promote awareness.

This is not just a catch phrase. This is an issue Shawn and I have discussed at length with students. We want to encourage an environment where all student opinions can be heard and respected. Our campus should be a place where everyone can see their similarities and their differences. We should not have to ignore diversity. We should celebrate it as an asset.

Thus we propose the establishment of a multicultural center on campus. This would be a place where students could learn about, share in, and express different cultures. Other universities have these kinds of facilities, and it is time for us to show our interest in progress.

We also propose the growth and continuation of the Friday Conversations between students, faculty and the administration to form a working definition of diversity.

Finally we will work to promote campus responsibility.

This is what students will make of it. As the student body we play an integral role in the quality of the university. We will establish ways to provide service to the community and campus. We will re-establish a campus recycling program. And we will provide students with a vehicle to make a difference.

If we are elected, you will be heard, and you will have the ability to make change.

We believe the Government of the Student Body, in its service to the students, has the potential to create an environment wherein all students’ needs and concerns are heard and met. We have already received suggestions and plan to address them.

If elected, we will work to correct the way off-campus students are being treated by the city of Ames. We will talk with you.

Shawn and I have been accused of idealism. This is often a lethal quality in politics. We don’t back down from this accusation.

What we ask is, “What is wrong with idealism?” Doesn’t real change come from challenging the status quo and working towards our ideals?

Shawn and I don’t aspire to be career politicians. We see a need that, with your help, we believe we can fill. Put Students First on March 10 and 11. Vote for Shawn Faurote and Vicky Lio.

Vicky Lio is a candidate for GSB vice president. This is the third in a series of three guest columns by the executive slates.