Editor’s note: Under the bolded questions are Becker’s direct responses.

Madeline Becker, a sophomore majoring in economics and political science, is currently seated as the Collegiate Panhellenic Council senator and aims to maintain her seat through the election.

Student Government is a student organization that exists to serve and represent all students according to the student organization database. Other student organizations can apply for funding through Student Government, which according to their website, have roughly $2.6 million in annual student fee revenue to distribute.

The Student Government elections will take place March 7-8. Ballots will be emailed to students’ Iowa State email addresses.

Why do you want to return to Student Government?

“I really have had a great time in Student Government. One of the things I’m most proud of is this year, I was the chair for the Women’s Day committee. So on March 8, it’s International Women’s Day, and we’re going to be hosting an event on campus, which I have kind of been directly in charge of.”

“Planning that event has kind of showed me that you can actually do stuff with the funds that Student Government has, and being a sorority senator, I think just highlighting the importance of women is right in line with my seat.”

What was your biggest accomplishment while in Student Government?

“I would definitely say planning women’s day; this event is going to be really great and I think memorable on campus. Another thing that is in the works, but not quite finished is we’re trying to get an AED [automated external defibrillator] for sorority circle.”

“So right now, like the dorms have AEDs but all of these big chapter facilities don’t. So Pi Phi was the house that had originally reached out, and so they’re trying to go through the green initiatives fund to kind of get that necessary equipment.”

What are the biggest issues facing your constituents, and how will you address them?

“Right now the biggest problem facing sororities is just empty bed fees and low membership numbers and fixing that is about generating a desire to be in the community. So I see, kind of, my role as a CPC senator as a way to advocate for the community, but also just to set a good example of, you know, stereotypes aren’t always true, and that this community actually is really loving and beneficial and helpful in life.”

What are your qualifications for being a senator?

“So besides the political science major, I spent last summer interning out in D.C., so I do have some just kind of government experience. Beyond that, I’m very closely tied and active within the sorority community, so I feel like I’m a good representation.”

“I hold an executive position here at Gamma Phi Beta, which means pretty much that I’m just on the leadership board, and I also have just like a wide variety of friends within the community, so I feel like I can represent their interests as well as the interests of my own house.”

Why should students vote for you?

“Students should vote for me because I genuinely care about this a lot. I joined Student Government freshman year because they wanted to get involved and the LAS had opened up, and I joined as quick as I could. And then from there, I just saw the need.”

“I do feel strongly tied to the sorority community, so that’s kind of why I switched over to this CPC seat. I really am passionate about women and the role of women in society. And so I think representing sororities as real women doing really important things and not just girls having fun and taking pictures is really what’s going to make the difference for sororities on this campus.”