Iowa State Student Government elections take place Monday, with students running campaigns to represent their respective colleges on the student lead council.

Sanjana Addagarla and Armaan “Guppy” Gupta are the two students running for the senator position representing the College of Business.

Both candidates were able to provide insight and answers about their platforms and what they offer to bring as a representative over email interviews.

Sanjana Addagarla

Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Major: Management Information Systems

Class: Senior 

Q: What motivated you to run for Student Government?

A: What motivated me to run for Student Government is the fact that I get to help students thrive and succeed. I want to be able to create impactful changes that will help current and future students fulfill their highest potential and feel heard when they start their adventure at Iowa State!

Q: Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent the College of Business?

A: I am the most qualified candidate to represent the Ivy College of Business because of my year spent in Student Government this year as business senator and my various leadership positions within Ivy College of Business. I have had the most humbling experience being the Collegiate Women in Business secretary this past year and I am also a member of Ivy Student Council where I get the grateful opportunity to interact with students from all majors within the College of Business and build connections with faculty.  

Q: What are some issues within the College of Business that you plan to address if elected? 

A: [The] Ivy College of Business does a wonderful job with helping students find career success within and after college. If elected I want to keep this effort and expand it to be more accessible with international and transfer students. I also want to have another community-building event in the fall to continue the conversation of diversity and inclusion with students entering college in person.

Q: What are some campuswide issues you plan to address if elected?

A: The campuswide issues I want to address are mental health, sustainability and campus climate. Mental health has been a large factor in how students succeed in their classes and having easy access to receive the mental health needed is something students should have. Sustainability is what makes our campus look beautiful, and as senator I want to implement more green solutions that makes our campus safe and clean for the entire Iowa State community. Campus climate is a vital aspect to the Iowa State campus, and as senator I want to include the experience of all individuals and groups, specifically marginalized groups, to feel included and have their voices heard and changes made that benefit them and all students at Iowa State. 

Q: Is there any specific legislation that you would like to introduce or support right away in your term?

A: If I get elected, legislation that I would like to pass includes: implementing more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, creating easier access to mental health resources and hosting a diversity and inclusion week. I strongly believe these are the legislative tasks that need to be passed so all students can feel accepted, treated equally and cared for.