Iowa State Student Government election polls open Monday. One of the seats on the ballot represent the Inter-Fraternity Council. William Chleborad, a junior in industrial design, is one of two candidates running to serve as a senator for the college.

What makes you qualified for this position in Student Government? 

What makes me qualified is that I have experience in the past with leadership at Iowa State. My freshman year, I was the Geoffroy Hall IRHA representative. So, I was introduced to respectful Senate advocacy, writing up bills for students and outreach to students, as well as second semester that freshman year I was promoted to Geoffroy Hall vice president. And so I was introduced to conducting Robert’s Rules, managing large groups toward common goals, giving speeches, addressing people in a professional manner and being collaborative.

And then with Student Government, these last two years, I’ve been on the health and wellness committee as an at-large member, which, it was an interviewed and then chosen position, which I’ve been on for two straight years. With that, I’ve been able to accomplish some goals as a team player with university resource videos, mental health, social media posts, university resource, fireside chats as well as therapy assistance online, which is the TAO app.

And then, as well, just on a personal note, this past summer, I looked toward planning a nonprofit, creating a nonprofit, for mental health resources and advocacy after I graduate from college, and this is a goal I’m actively working toward still. And so, just with those experiences within the Iowa State community, I think that I’ve really shown a lot that I have to offer and that I’m really committed to bettering this community for everyone within Iowa State.

What are your goals and what do you want to accomplish in your potential position in Student Government?

So, my active goals right now for what I’d like to have people know, is the acronym CCC. And so the first “C” would be credibility. So, collaborative connection, expressing honest and open insights and opinions in respectful ways. I want to empower the Inter-Fraternal Council community to build better community experiences, advocate for resources of mental health, leadership development, career development, academic development and personal development for all students of the IFC community, students of the sorority and fraternity engagement community and all students at Iowa State. I’m working toward representing the people and standing by the people I represent.

The second “C” in the acronym is commitment. I’m committed to representing the interests of all walks of life. It is important to have outreach to marginalized and underrepresented peoples in the sorority and fraternity engagement community, and in the Iowa State University community because of their thoughts, their questions, their insights, their concerns, their opinions, their grievances; they all matter. I also personally have the commitment to learn to grow to adapt myself as a person and as a representative based on the feedback that I get from people I serve to better their college experience to better their IFC experience.

And lastly, the third “C” in the acronym is conscious effort. I am putting forth a conscious effort to work as a team player to be collaborative and to work toward a common goal in Student Government of bettering Iowa State students’ experiences, conscious effort to use my knowledge and my expertise in areas to benefit others. This would really pertain to health and wellness, especially as well as mental health advocacy, and then conscious effort to give updates and insight to the IFC executive and IFC community as a whole. And then conscious effort to do diligent and precise work, conscious effort to personally reflect the ideals of the sorority and fraternity engagement community and the Inter-Fraternal Council community of friendships, civic engagement, social justice, scholarship and leadership. And I fully commit myself to the conscious effort of putting forth above and beyond 110 percent into this role.

What needs to change in Student Government? What are some issues you think need to be addressed? 

Right now within Student Government, I feel that it’s really a cliquish organization, where people are there to make friends, form groups and only tailored to their interests or their political ideologies. At the end of the day, Student Government should be advocating for equal opportunity for all students. And so when it comes to this, that’s one of the things that needs to be addressed. And that starts by putting the right people in Student Government in the first place and using your right as a student of Iowa State to educate yourself about what campaigns platforms you identify with, what campaign can better affect you as a student and what campaign increases your ability to learn.

How do you hope to represent your constituents? 

I believe I’m fully capable of and would love to have the opportunity to serve as the IFC senator in Student Government and uphold the sorority and fraternity values, as well as my campaign promises of credibility, commitment and conscious effort. I’m running for and by the people. And so when it comes to things like this, I’m a design student, I have no interest in being a politician, I’m not running on personal ambitions, I’m not running on personal gains or to launch a career in politics or to have something of a talking point on my resume. The sorority and fraternity engagement community in the Inter-Fraternal Council community has allowed me to build so many friendships and so many connections so far. However, not all people have that same experience, and I want to make sure that I can do my part to help build the community that I’ve fallen in love with so other people have that opportunity as well. At the end of the day, I’m not there to pick sides and only serve some. I would love to be given the opportunity to serve all students, regardless of our differences, so that everyone can be happy and healthy academically, mentally, emotionally, socially and physically. That’s where I stand.

Why do you think it is crucial that Inter-Fraternity Council has an equal role in Student Government?

It’s pretty critical that both councils work together. The voices, the opinions, the thoughts, the changes and the concerns that our students and the Inter-Fraternal Council have should be addressed and should work to be resolved because those affect students directly and affect their experience at Iowa State as well as their experience within the sorority and fraternity engagement community and the community of the Inter-Fraternal Council.