Government of the Student Body president Bryan Burkhardt and vice-president Jamal White are probably planning to run once again.

It’s not a certainty, but they’ve taken out the necessary petition forms.

It sounds like they’re going to try to climb back in the saddle again.

Does this seem like a good idea to you?

Sure, why shouldn’t it?

They’re already got a year under their belts and they know what they’re doing.

There’s no one more qualified for any position than someone that’s already done it before.

Or is there?

I don’t think Burkhardt and White should run again.

I’m not completely convinced that Burkhardt and White have done so swell this year.

Like Jerry Lewis, sure we could let him do the marathon again, but why? He sucks.

To see for sure, let’s look at the platform that they campaigned on during last year’s election.

A Daily editorial from Feb. 20 of last year said the central theme in the Burkhardt/White campaign was that they would “give all ISU students a voice.” Boy, oh boy, does that sound like a plan.

But the reality is they haven’t lived up to that theme at all. Do you know what GSB did this year?

I doubt it, most don’t. Could you pick Bryan Burkhardt out from a line-up?

I’ll give you a hint, he looks nothing like Tony Rampton. If Burkhardt and White were to be a voice for the students, where’s the interaction?

Why are they virtually unknown on campus outside of their student government circle?

Another promise was to improve lighting.

In an article published in the Daily on Monday, Burkhardt said, “We have already begun to make increased awareness on the issue, and we have somewhat successfully drawn awareness to areas and issues. We also made comments encouraging the city to look into their lighting issues.”

What the hell does that mean?

That quote is so ridiculously vague and pointless it sounds like something you say when you’re running for president of your sixth grade class. “I’ve worked with Mrs. Neeker on the possibility of more recess time, and she is definitely more aware of the issue.”

The campaign promise was to improve lighting, not just to remind everyone that lighting is indeed bad, so start carrying a flashlight.

The campus is just as dark as it was last year and no real progress has been made.

A third unfulfilled promise was the multicultural center.

Burkhardt/White said they would support such a center, but in the very same Daily article from last Monday, Burkhardt basically admitted they had given up on that issue. “Instead of a multicultural center, we’ve addressed more basic issues at hand … ,” Burkhardt said.

But promises are promises, right?

No one really expects GSB presidents to come through on their campaign platforms do they?

Burkhardt/White promised to “help students deal with raising tuition” too, but nobody went and blew their wads in Vegas because they were anticipating some help with their tuition did they?

Well, there are other things that bother me about Burkhardt and White.

There’s that whole deal with the GSB/George Washington Carver Special Projects Account.

In an article that ran in the Daily on Tuesday, it was explained that the GWC fund was created when Burkhardt and White gave up their GSB stipends because they were already on scholarship.

According to the third clause of the bill creating this account (#98-008F), the money was to be used to further the George Washington Carver Committee ideals.

Interestingly enough, it also reads in the second enacted clause of the bill that Burkhardt and White were to consult with GSB finance director Jeremy Williams and the GSB advisor when allocating the money.

But instead of using this money as it was intended, to promote the ideals of George Washington Carver, it has been used as the executive kiss-ass fund.

How does sending the Panhellenic Council to Chicago have anything to do with George Washington Carver?

And it has been used without properly consulting the appropriate GSB officers.

If you came to the GSB senate this year and were denied funding, good ol’ Papa Burkhardt might just give you a call and pony up the money out of what became his own personal campaign slush fund.

He didn’t consult with Williams as outlined in the bill he passed out money to groups from which he thought he needed to gain support.

If you ask me, this has all been a plan from the beginning. Burkhardt and White still won’t admit that they’re running again, but they’ve pretty much been silently campaigning for months.

In the Monday article, White said, “I don’t think you can ever accomplish everything you’d like to accomplish in the time that you have.”

Don’t tell me that doesn’t sound like someone who’s getting ready to run again.

The fact that you didn’t do what you promised is not an excuse to be the big cheese for another year.

The fact is, Bryan Burkhardt and Jamal White should not run for GSB president and vice-president again. ISU hasn’t had a two-term presidency any time in recent memory.

If we’re going to start crowning monarchs, let’s at least wait until we have a truly dynamic president and vice-president that deserve to repeat.

Maybe the Burkhardt/White era wasn’t terrible, but they surely are not the best executive slate in recent memory.

Besides, I don’t want to be one of Jerry’s kids.

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David Roepke is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Aurora, Iowa.