Two Iowa State students intend to run separately for at-large positions on the Des Moines School Board and City Council in an attempt to represent youth in the city’s governing bodies.

Bryan Burkhardt, former Government of the Student Body president and senior in computer engineering, plans to run for a four-year seat on the City Council, and Gregory Tew, junior in aerospace engineering and former GSB senator, intends to seek a three-year seat on the school board.

Both Des Moines natives said they are interested in becoming outlets for the opinions of Des Moines youth.

Burkhardt, 21, said he is “focusing on becoming a positive voice” for the 18-25 age group, though “I think I can represent the entire community.”

He said the younger group of voters “is a group that has been under-represented and non-represented — oftentimes overlooked.”

Tew, 20, said he intends to run because he doesn’t think students “have a voice on the school board.”

“There’s some changes in the school district that I think need to be made on behalf of students, and I don’t think they’re getting their needs met right now,” he said.

Tew said changes he would like to make on the school board include “beginning to incorporate ideas from the cross section of the community and get more youth on there.”

Both candidates said young people tend to feel disconnected and apathetic towards governing officials because of the distance in age.

“[There is] too much apathy on the part of students for the school board so they don’t care anymore,” Tew said.

Tew, who lost a bid for a GSB engineering seat for the 1999-2000 school year, said he thinks his primary advantage in the race would be his age because his youth makes it easier for him to connect with students.

However, Burkhardt said he thinks his youth is “both an advantage and a disadvantage” with an emphasis on the advantages.

“The 18-25 population is known as the most apathetic of voters,” he said. “I think the fact that I am young can convince a lot of people.”

Des Moines City Councilman Chris Coleman, 32, currently is the youngest member on the council. Coleman said all governments need a “diversity of voices.”

“The bottom line is people don’t care how old you are as long as you are going to be there to contribute,” he said.

However, Coleman said people often are skeptical of younger candidates because they may not have as much background.

“It’s difficult to say you want to be a leader when people see you as inexperienced. A lot of times people just don’t think you have the practical experience to be grounded in a decision,” he said.

Coleman said youth might find it difficult to win an election because they “are gearing a message to a population that doesn’t vote.”

Burkhardt said the experiences he gained through work with GSB are “experiences [that] will help me and keep me in the race … [but] whenever you take on a different role, there is a lot to learn.”

He said his goal is to make Des Moines a “more neighbor-friendly city.”

As a student of Des Moines Public Schools from kindergarten to 12th grade, Tew said his history with the system also will give him an advantage in the elections.

“I think that gives me insight into how the school district operates and what could be done better,” he said.

Des Moines City Clerk Donna Boetel-Baker said she has not seen anyone as young as Burkhardt run for a seat on the Des Moines City Council in the 16 years she has worked in the office.

She said the ages of current council members range from early 30s to late 70s. However, in the 1970s there was a member who was elected when he was 28.

A school board official said members of the current board all are over 40.

Both students have picked up the necessary paperwork for the race, and Burkhardt said he is “trying to get as organized as possible.”

If more than two candidates run for the City Council position, a primary will be held in October to reduce candidates for the final November election to two.

Three of the seven at-large School Board positions and four of seven total City Council seats will be filled in the fall elections.