The students have spoken.

After two weeks of campaigning and three days of voting, the 1997-98 Government of the Student Body has been elected. Winners were announced Friday at 6 p.m. in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union.

The three-day election drew 1,936 voters. Students voted for a new executive slate and 39 senators.

Rob Wiese, 22, a senior in agriculture studies from Bennett, and Matt McLaren, 21, a junior in agriculture business from Farragut, were elected the 1997-98 GSB president and vice president. They received 654 votes.

Wiese said he was disappointed with voter turnout, but happy with the result.

“I think to increase voter turnout, GSB has to accomplish something,” Wiese said. “Hopefully Matt and I will do a good job next year so more people will turn out to vote.”

Wiese said he was surprised by the results. “It was a nice surprise and I was really happy,” he said.

McLaren said he thought he was going to hyperventilate when his slate was declared the winner. “I was extremely excited,” he said.

Wiese and McLaren said they plan to get to work right away, though they don’t take office until the end of this semester. “We’re going to do the best job we can, but we’re going to need help,” Wiese said. “We want everyone to get involved.”

Wiese and McLaren said they are going to start visiting student meetings this week. After spring break they will start interviewing for cabinet positions.

Presidential candidate Todd Swanson and his running mate Amber Powell came in second place with 519 votes.

Swanson said he was disappointed, but he wished Wiese and McLaren the best of luck next year.

“I thought the elections went really well and I was glad to see a lot of people turn out,” Swanson said. “The Senate seats were pretty much what I expected.”

LaRhonda Potts and Rob Ruminski came in third with 446 votes.

Ruminski said he was satisfied with his role in the elections.

“I feel LaRhonda and I put a lot of effort into bringing substance to the issues and into the campaign,” Ruminski said. “I feel our campaign was a success in the end. We upped the ante, so to speak, for the other slates involved.”

Ruminski, too, said he was disappointed with voter turnout.

Brad Lozan and Melissa Cross came in a distant fourth with 205 votes.

Lozan was reluctant to discuss his reaction to the elections because he said he couldn’t sum it up in one sentence. He said he has written a letter to the editor that will appear in the Daily.

“The turnout didn’t bother me,” Lozan said. “The thing that bothered me more so is that people weren’t informed.”

Lozan said the elections came down to “who gave the nicest sugary snack on the way to the polls.” Wiese and McLaren handed out Rice Krispie treats last week to get their names out.

Rory Flaherty and Jeff Halliburton came in last with 67 votes.

Flaherty said he was happy for Wiese. “I knew after the campaigning started that it was going to be a two-man race between Swanson and Lozan,” he said.

Student reaction

Although many hoped the three-day election would generate more interest in the election, some say the opposite may be true.

Kelly Posey, a sophomore in industrial technology, said she didn’t vote because she kept putting it off.

“The three-day voting process turned me off because it gave me too much time,” Posey said. “After reading the article in the Daily about first-day voter turnout I decided that students weren’t voting.”

Aaron Robinson, a sophomore in exercise sports science, said he didn’t plan on voting because he didn’t pay attention to the candidates and their positions.

“I haven’t possessed a great interest in GSB since I’ve been at Iowa State,” Robinson said. “I think most people who didn’t vote feel the same way I do about GSB. They don’t care.”

Jolita Anderson, a sophomore in child and family services, was one of the 1,936 students who did vote.

“It was good that voting was extended to three days because some people can’t get out on the first day,” Anderson said. “It gave everybody an opportunity to vote.”

Anderson said her first choice for the executive slate was Potts and Ruminski. But since they didn’t win, she was happy Wiese won. “He was my second choice,” she said.

1997-98 GSB Election Results

Executive results; 1,904 ballots cast

Total student turnout: 1,936

Robert Wiese/Matt McLaren 654

Todd Swanson/Amber Powell 519

LaRhonda Potts/Robert Ruminski 446

Brad Lozan/Melissa Cross 205

Rory Flaherty/Jeff Halliburton 67

Official Results 1997-98 GSB Senate elections

Agriculture- 2 seats

ballots cast: 206

Chad Dummermuth 168

Geoffrey Peterson 134

Charlie Rohwer 81

Misc. 3

Business- 2 seats

ballots cast: 184

John Hamilton 112

Lee McMillan 76

Chemika Butler 69

Pete Bernardy 52

Misc. 8

Design- 1 seat

ballots cast: 93

Matt Ostanik 74

Tommy L. Carthers 16

Misc. 3

Education- 1 seat

ballots cast: 45

Jennifer Johnson 45

Engineering- 3 seats

ballots cast: 341

Todd M. Nickell 179

Bryan Burkhardt 175

Jamal Omar White 150

Lee A. Kaiser 132

Joe M. Kuphal 72

Richard Kerslake 55

Sam Nanfito 52

Misc. 16

Family & Consumer Sciences- 1 seat

ballots cast: 61

Jaqueline Sowell 53

Misc. 7

Graduate- 3 seats

ballots cast: 16

Kari Ditsworth 10

Daniel Etler 6

David Schooff 6

Misc. 2

LAS- 4 seats

ballots cast: 403

Justin Hattan 209

Mike Pogge 208

Kate Kjergaard 205

Sara Wisgerhof 171

Theresa Uchytil 163

Bryce Wilson 118

Karla Scheele 109

Mandy Kay Wisniewsky 106

Lanine Bacaam 36

Misc. 32

Vet Med- 1 seat

ballots cast: 0

Intrafraternity- 1 seat

ballots cast: 201

Nate Laverty 150

Mike Larson 30

Misc. 21

Panhellenic- 1 seat

ballots cast: 113

Brooke Douglas 64

Patricia Robbins 49

RCA- 2 seats

ballots cast: 458

Matt Craft 341

Doug MIller 336

Chad Barth 65

Janine Putnam 54

Misc. 23

TRA- 1 seat

ballots cast: 201

Christopher Wisher 152

Sharrice White 33

Misc. 16

UDA- 1 seat

ballots cast: 280

Michael Vojta 258

Misc. 22

USAC- 1 seat

ballots cast: 31

Benjamin Studenski 26

Misc. 5

Buchanan/Westgate- 1 seat

ballots cast: 12

Misc. 12

Off-Campus- 9 seats

ballots cast: 446

Beth Davis 318

Ben Bartels 293

Andy Yedlik 279

Joseph M. Brus 274

Theron Lee Lewis 271

Shantel Brown 156

Travis Parker 108

David Crawford 103

Steve Erickson 101

Adam Gold 78

Martin Musial 10

Misc. 155

America Ethnic Minority- 1 seat

ballots cast: 167

Marcia L. Johnson 117

Mark Nimmer 44

Misc. 5

Disabilities- 1 seat

ballots cast: 28

Christine Little 28

Nontraditional- 2 seats

ballots cast: 89

Milton McGriff 42

Jilene Hamil- Wilson 35

Shaun Wilkinson 22

MIsc. 5

International- 2 seats

ballots cast: 246

Julio F. Speroni 180

Suresh Chekuri 176

Casey Powers 55

Adam Stoermer 10

Misc. 8