Most students do not care or even vote during GSB elections. This is proven by the voter turn out every year. It’s unfortunate that most students do not realize how powerful our student government is in deciding on student issues that affect us daily.

That is why I am telling all of you to go out and vote at the Union Feb. 25th through the 27th. It will take only a few minutes of your week. However, when you do vote, do it smartly. Make the wise choice in choosing the next GSB president.

I have attended the candidates debates and listened to what they have to say. Most of the questions asked at these debates were very general therefore they yielded very poor answers. In researching these candidates I have kept one idea in mind, to not vote another Gold in office.

I will start off with Brad Lozan. Of all the candidates I take this one the least serious. His experience includes a position on Gold’s cabinet which automatically puts him at a disadvantage. In addition, his answers to the debate questions make me wonder how he was accepted to Iowa State. Enrollment had to be hurting. Finally, by accounts of his own house members, he has the attitude that puts his ego higher than the clouds. I have the opinion that he is running for just a power trip and not to serve the students.

Next is Todd Swanson. Unfortunately, he also served on Gold’s administration as the finance director. The only reason why he looked good during the debate was the fact Gold was asking questions that only a finance director is qualified to answer. His good relationship with Gold is unnerving in that the president and the finance director should never be that supportive of each other. Plus, his illegal campaign tactic of flyers all over campus tells me more of his character and inability to try to win in a fair fight. The personalities of the president and the finance director are incompatible.

The third candidate is LaRonda Potts. She has the advantage of being well-versed in student government and not being associated with Gold. However, her answers to the debate questions were very abstracted and not set in a realist base. Plus, I wonder how diverse she is in student affairs of the entire student population other than her involvement in the BSA. I want a president that will be looking out for the concerns of all students.

Then there is Jeff Halliburton. There is not much to say about him other than he was a GSB senator. At the last debate he admitted to stealing many of the ideas of Wiese, the fifth candidate.

Rob Wiese has put together a very efficient campaign. He is not associated with Gold, has been extremely active in student affairs and government, uses his own ideas, holds a hard work ethic and keeps good relations with all groups of students instead of drawing support from just one group. He is not out for a power trip.

He has the proven experience with the job that he has done with IRHA. IRHA is the main governing body for the residence halls. When Rob was first elected as president the IRHA was in much of the same condition that GSB is in today. Parliament members were not using parliament procedure to run a meeting and accomplish a job, but they were using it to gain power for their selves and take away from the power of other members. I am confident that he can accomplish the same goals with GSB.

When he says he wants to win, he wants it to benefit the students and serve them better. That is what GSB is for, to serve the students interests. Now just go to the M.U. and vote today. Make an educated choice. Do not vote in another president as flawed and mismanaged as the past year. The students will not put up with a poor effort. We want the best candidate, Rob Wiese.

Douglas A Hogan

Sophomore

Economics and Political

Science