From specialty seats to rising costs in tuition, the three Government of the Student Body president candidates stated their positions on these issues in the first executive debate Tuesday afternoon.

About 35 people were in attendance at the presidential debate that took place in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union at noon. Chairs remained empty, making visible the fluorescent yellow campaign fliers that were placed on their seats.

Among those in attendance were Dean of Students Kathleen MacKay and GSB President Rob Wiese.

There are three slates vying for two of Iowa State’s most prestigious student leadership positions, GSB president and vice president.

GSB Election Commissioner Eric Anderson started off the not-so-heated debate by allowing the three candidates to tell their lengthy lists of credentials.

Anderson than asked the candidates why they thought they should be GSB president.

Candidate John Hamilton, junior in marketing, said his past experience as a GSB senator will allow him to know what to do and what not to do. He said he learned a lot from the former GSB President Adam Gold about what not to do.

“I think most students think that Adam Gold didn’t do a good job representing the students,” he said. “We’re really concerned about going out and finding what students want us to do.”

Hamilton’s running mate is Amy Robertson, junior in exercise and sport science.

Burkhardt, who is running with Jamal White, junior in metallurgical engineering, said they want to include everyone in GSB, by not singling out any one group of students. He also said they want to continue expanding ideas currently in place.

One of those ideas they plan to expand on is the possible development of a multicultural or activities center.

“We think maybe a new building could be built for the amount of money it would take to renovate Morrill Hall,” Burkhardt, sophomore in computer engineering, said.

If elected GSB president, Chris Wisher said he and his running mate, Jennifer Johnson, junior in elementary education, plan to address the “major” parking problem on campus.

“As a Cy-Ride bus driver, I experience firsthand the problems with transportation on campus,” Wisher said. He said expanding Cy-Ride’s brown route would be one possible solution to problems of students getting to and from campus.

Wisher, junior in finance, said he would also push for a new parking ramp on campus.

Since all of the presidential candidate are currently serving on GSB as senators, Anderson asked the question of ‘What have you done to help GSB as a senator this year?’

In coordination with their main focus of getting every student involved, Burkhardt said he took an active role in every students’ needs this year as senator. Helping to coordinate a Veishea open forum last semester was one way in which he did this, he said.

Hamilton said he has been continuing his teacher evaluation system research and is working with students and faculty. He said he spent at least 10 hours a week researching.

Improving the image of GSB by being more available to his constituents is something Wisher said he’s done as a senator. “I’ve spoken with residents in the residence halls so they can have more interaction with the legislative process,” he said.

With the low number of students turning out to vote in past GSB elections, candidates were asked to address the subject of apathy at ISU.

Hamilton said the main reason for students’ apathy is because they don’t know what GSB does for them. “We need to get out to the organizations and let them know,” he said.

Burkhardt agreed by saying, “It’s very crucial that we listen to the students. We want to find issues [students] have an opinion on.”

Through his own research, Wisher said he’s found that students have issues they care about but that GSB needs to find them. “You have to know firsthand those issues,” he said. “We need to go out; we need to bring them out of their shells.”

During the time allotted for the audience to ask the candidates questions, Wisher was asked about his recent stance on a George Washington Carver Chair bill presented to the senate.

“I am in full support of the George Washington Carver Chair,” he said. “I just want to make sure he is recognized for his accomplishments not just for his classification.”

One candidate said he’s changed his position on the issue of specialty seats in GSB.

Hamilton, who once tried to eliminate specialty seats, said he now sees a need for specialty seats. He said he observed this year that bills funding minority organizations were scrutinized more than others.

“I know that we have a minority relations officer, but why not have a under-represented relations officer to help represent those who aren’t minorities.”