With a voter turnout that doubled last year’s numbers, the students have spoken, and they have picked Ben Golding and Lisa Dlouhy as their Government of the Student Body president and vice president.

Golding, GSB engineering senator and senior in engineering, and Dlouhy, GSB off-campus senator and junior in genetics, ran a very respectable race in a campaign that generated lots of positive ideas and dialogue between the candidates and students.

It was a campaign in which each slate brought something to the table, and that should be enough reason for students to have cast their vote. It’s unfortunate that we can call about 3,000 votes a good-voter turnout on a campus of more than 25,000 students, but at least it’s a start.

And now is not the time for students to be idle. Although Golding and Dlouhy are the voters’ choice, students need to remember that they, as do all members of student government, work for them.

And that communication has to be a two-way street. Golding and Dlouhy did an effective job during their campaign of getting to know their students and asking them what they want from GSB.

Students, in turn, need to make sure that they’re voicing their opinions to their representatives.

Sure, GSB needs to be out there and raising awareness, but students need to do their part.

Just showing up to vote isn’t good enough. You have to make sure that your representatives are letting your thoughts be heard, whether it’s to other members of GSB or the ISU administration.

For students who claim to not know what GSB is or does, or even worse, not care about what it does, that’s also not good enough.

This year alone, GSB tackled issues that directly impacted students, including CyRide’s Brown Route, a bus shelter in the commuter parking lot and alcohol-free Veishea.

These issues will come up time and time again, and it’s important to make sure GSB handles them the way the students want.

Members of GSB would surely appreciate the feedback.

But enough of the preaching. All of the slates ran a good race and brought up good points. Not one candidate has anything to be ashamed of.

And a special congratulations to Golding and Dlouhy, next year’s president and vice president.

You have both served very impressively and effectively in GSB as senators. Now, just do the same as president and vice president.

Good luck to you both.

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Sara Ziegler, Greg Jerrett, Kate Kompas, Carrie Tett and David Roepke.