Free tuition, a parking spot in the Memorial Union ramp and a monthly stipend might be considered the best parts of being the Government of the Student Body president.

Two past GSB presidents, however, said those don’t compare to the other aspects of the position.

“The best thing is that you get to be in a room with the decision-makers at Iowa State,” said Andy Tofilon, GSB president for 2001-2002. Tofilon now works for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Bryan Burkhardt, GSB president for 1998-99, said it was the students, not the administration, that made a difference to him. Burkhardt is teaching electronics at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.

“For me, probably the best part of being GSB president was being able to meet a diverse variety of students,” he said. “[These are] students I wouldn’t have interacted with otherwise.”

There are many privileges GSB presidents receive that many student may perceive as perks.

GSB presidents automatically serve on the union board, which is why they have a free parking spot at the union parking ramp. But all members of the union board receive this privilege, said Mary McBirnie, GSB office manager.

Presidents also serve on many other committees. This could be a perk as well as a pain, depending on who you are, McBirnie said.

The GSB president also receives full tuition and a stipend each month, which is based on room and board.

“The logic is that they don’t have time to work,” McBirnie said.

Tofilon and Burkhardt both agreed their academic performance may have suffered as a result of the job.

Tofilon said he would not have been able to succeed at being president if he had not put in plenty of time.

“I spent 10 hours a day on being GSB president,” he said. “[However], if you don’t put the hours in, you won’t be a good president.”

Helping students was an important part of being GSB president for both Burkhardt and Tofilon, they said. Both said being in the limelight was a positive aspect for their presidency.

“You’re the biggest dork on campus,” Tofilon said. “People recognize you and they’ll stop and tell you what’s going on.”

Burkhardt said being stopped by students was always good because most students were respectful of what he could, or could not, do for them.

While Tofilon said the administration was helpful, Burkhardt said he had a negative relationship with the administration, which remains as one of his biggest regrets.

“I didn’t always get along well with the administration,” he said. “We had different views on a lot of things and that made it challenging.”

Burkhardt said he attributed many of his problems with the administration to the university president at that time, Martin Jischke.

Tofilon, who worked with President Gregory Geoffroy, said he had good relations with the administration, and still speaks to some administrators on a regular basis.

“I have a good friendship with the president of the university, and that’s pretty unique for a student at Iowa State,” he said.

Both past presidents had advice for the next person who steps up to take on the role.

“You have to have a good sense of humor,” Tofilon said. “People will question what you do, the Daily will go after you, Carmen [Cerra, the Daily’s editorial cartoonist] will draw pictures of you. It’s something you have to deal with. You have to take it with a grain of salt.”

Burkhardt said picking a few goals and focusing on them will work best for the next GSB president.