With the election of new officers, Iowa State’s College of Agriculture’s Student Council is looking forward to the upcoming year with new activities.

Tonia Hesse, junior in dairy science, will serve as president for the council. Shannon Brinning, junior in animal science, is the new vice president. Secretary for the new year is Patrick Kuehn, sophomore in agricultural education, and Chris Bowman, junior in agronomy, will serve as treasure.

The advisors for the council are Jim Kliebenstein, professor of economics, and Joseph Burras, professor of agronomy. The council is made up of 46 students elected from 29 clubs. It creates a unified group within the college to serve as a liaison among the departments and the college administrators, Kliebenstein said.

“It is a progressive group within the College of Ag that is a joy to work with,” Kliebenstein said.

Hesse said the new officers’ goals involve increasing student participation with the college and university. Through their involvement in various activities, students can see the opportunities in agriculture, she said.

“We want to encourage all students to get involved with the college and ISU,” Hesse said. “It’s a way to meet new people, make connections for future jobs and support the respective curriculums.”

As a new project, the council is looking into hosting leadership workshops and other fun activities with corporate sponsors for National Agriculture Day on March 20, Hesse said.

The council will also try to build excitement in the college to put a bid in to host the Western Association of Agriculture Councils conference in Spring of 1999, she said. Another goal the council set was to increase participation in the big brother/big sister program, Hesse said.

The program works to promote student retention by matching freshmen with upperclassmen within their departments. The upperclassman can serve as a resource for the freshman if they have concerns about classes, professors or schedules, Hesse said.

Other projects the council works on include coordinating Ag Week activities and encouraging more involvement with Veishea, she said.