Gold has gone off the deep end

Robert Zeis

GSB President Adam Gold has done it to us again.

Friday he asked GSB Adviser Terri Houston to resign for comments she made during Wednesday’s meeting.

Even though the comments she made were perfectly sensible and in accordance with her job description, Gold asked her to step down anyway.

This is another glaring example of how Adam Gold has once again flaunted his authority with little care or forethought.

In many cases he has shown his lack of ability to be GSB President.

In the spring of 1995, before he was elected, Gold was in charge of the Veishea MusicFest.

His job entailed using the $15,000 allocated by GSB to find a big name musical act for the event at Clyde Williams Field.

Not only was he unsuccessful in finding a band, but he kept the information confidential until after his election.

Many found it hard to believe that Gold couldn’t find a decent band with the time and money he had available. It’s apparent he was more concerned with his presidential campaign than with the job he was appointed to do.

During the McHub controversy, he arrogantly stated that most ISU students supported the idea of a McDonald’s in the middle of campus.

If you remember, he made this statement with little or no feedback from his constituents or senators. Had he consulted with either group, he might have realized that there wasn’t as clear a majority as he thought.

Now we’re hearing of this controversy with Houston, who is also Assistant Dean of Students.

Her comments to the Senate ensued after several confrontations between the senators themselves and the audience members.

Those criticisms were probably much deserved. Often times the GSB meetings degenerate into simple name-calling and simple bickering with little being accomplished.

Part of Terri Houston’s job is to advise the members of the GSB on their actions. If she feels those actions are not in concert with the principles of its constitution, then she is obligated to intervene.

It is readily apparent that Adam Gold may not be as qualified for the presidency as his supporters thought last semester.

Not only has he displayed glaring shortcomings as a leader but he has shown little or no respect for the students of Iowa State, the people he represents.

Gold has successfully duped the students who voted for him. Though his campaign promises stated he would use the presidency to help the students, he has used it instead as a resume filler.

He has once again made the Government of the Student Body a mockery.

His actions will do nothing to improve the voter apathy that dominates the spring elections.

Who will even bother to take the time to vote when they hear of the silliness that he attempts to preside over every Wednesday night?

I feel partially to blame for this, because I did not take the time to vote last April. Maybe if the thousands of other students (including myself) had taken the time out to vote, it’s possible this lame duck wouldn’t be in office right now.

I can tell you it won’t be the same for me next semester, because I plan on voting.

Every student has a stake in what goes on, if not for GSB’s purpose but to keep half-wits like Gold out of office.

However, voting for a new president next semester doesn’t help the situation now. Should the students of Iowa State be subjected to this self-aggrandizing and pompous man any longer?

There have been many times in history when an elected official simply did not meet the needs or care about the needs of those who elected him, and now is such a time.

We owe it to ourselves to elect officials who will promote the good of the student body and conduct themselves in a manner consistent with strong leaders.

Adam Gold performs neither obligation.

What should a concerned electorate do to intervene against an individual who is not fulfilling his responsibilities as their leader? The first step is to get involved. Call your GSB senators; their numbers are in the student directory.

Make it known to them that you won’t stand for this anymore. Attend the weekly meetings in the Union.

Get a feel for what your leader is really doing.

I have a feeling, though, that these steps may have no impact. We are dealing with an official who has a term of just one year and probably won’t care what his electorate thinks now that he’s in office.

If that’s the case, maybe GSB should begin impeachment proceedings to impart to him the importance of the job he is taking lightly.

Lastly I have a message for the subject of this article.

Mr. Gold, you have insulted the student body for too long. Terri Houston is not the person that should be stepping down, but you are.

You owe the students of Iowa State your resignation.


Rob Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.