Spring Break is only a week away, which means almost every student on campus has a busy week ahead.

But before you sit down for grueling 12-hour study sessions, there’s one thing you need to do: Vote in the Government of the Student Body elections.

Regardless of your opinion of GSB, it is still the students’ representative to ISU administrators, state legislators and the Board of Regents. And at the very least it allocates funding to student clubs and organizations, a process affecting numerous students and the opportunities they have at Iowa State. So, even if you don’t agree, GSB does a lot outside of campus – the student funds allocation process alone is reason to be concerned with the elections.

You only have today and tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday, to choose between the two slates, both of whom bring a lot of prior experience to the table.

The voting process isn’t difficult, especially with the online voting options available in addition to the regular polling locations.

If you don’t feel you have enough information about the candidates to make a well-informed decision, check out the Daily’s Web site, www.iowastatedaily.com. We have the candidate profiles and debate stories available on a page if you want to do some research before voting. We also have a link from our site to the GSB voting site.

It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Last year, GSB had the highest voter turnout in its history, with more than 6,000 students going to the polls.

Compare this number with the almost 28,000 students attending Iowa State and it becomes quickly clear how much each vote counts.

This is an opportunity to begin participating in local government, an opportunity where your vote will make a difference.

Students may complain about GSB. They may claim senators aren’t representing their constituents’ interests or work on any real, beneficial projects for the ISU community.

But if students do not take the time to cast their vote and show what they want, they have given up their right to complain or criticize.

GSB is the students’ government. It is the largest organized student voice, and while it may not accomplish all of its goals, its voice does have clout on the ISU campus.

ISU students are the reason the university exists. They are the people populating the classrooms, organizing the activities and paying the tuition and fees that help keep the university going.

Sometimes it may seem there are too many students for a unified voice to be heard. It may seem that the decisions being made about our school are beyond our influence or control. This is why GSB is important.

GSB represents you, make sure you have voice in what it does.

Take five minutes to vote.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Charlie Weaver, Omar Tesdell