The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has three candidates running for two seats in the Student Government Senate.
The candidates for this year’s election are Delaney Graef, a junior studying forestry, Sen. Ryker Markus, a first-year in Agriculture and Life Sciences Education and Sen. Madison Reinhardt, a junior in animal science.
In 2024, 897 CALS students voted in the Student Government election.
Student Government is a student organization that exists to serve and represent all students, according to the student organization database. They annually distribute $2.6 million in student fee revenue to organizations on campus and in Story County.
The Student Government elections will take place March 4-5, and ballots will be emailed to students’ Iowa State email addresses.
The following interviews with the candidates were conducted by email. Reinhardt did not respond to the Daily’s several requests for an interview.
What are your qualifications for being a Senator?
Graef: “I’ve served in various leadership positions, such as Forestry Club President, Xi Sigma Pi Treasurer, CALS Council Representative, and CALS Council Co-chair. In addition, I’m passionate about making a difference on this campus.”
Markus: “My passion for representing all the CALS students and organizations can qualify me to be a CALS Senator. I also have already worked in my short time in the senate to learn as much as possible about the processes I need to go through to help organizations.”
What are the most significant issues facing your constituents, and how will you address them?
Graef: “There are various issues pressing every constituent. Every ISU student brings a different perspective and faces challenges differently. Some broad issues are safety on campus, mental health, food scarcity, and a disconnect between nature. I plan to address these issues by continuing to foster programs such as Green Dot, SHOP, Student Health and Wellness, and Sustainability programs on campus. However, I also plan to help guide new programs that reinforce campus sustainability/conservation.”
Markus: “My constituents’ most significant issue is not knowing what the student government is doing or what the student government can do for them. Some CALS organizations don’t receive funding from the student government because they don’t know they can. I plan to work with club officers and see what parts of their organization we can fund to help them grow. For the CALS students who miss out on events, because they were unaware they happened, I plan to run a CALS Instagram account and post about anything in student government relevant to CALS students.”
Why should students vote for you?
Graef: “Students should vote for me because I care. I fear I have too much empathy at times. I want to be an open door for ideas/frustrations faced by my constituents and make sure their ideas are brought to the table.”
Markus: “Students should vote for me because I understand that my job as a Senator is to be their voice and do what they want, not what I want.”
Why do you want to join Student Government?
Graef: “I want to join Student Government to better Iowa State University for us, and future Cyclones!”
What role(s) have you held in Student Government and when?
Markus: “I joined student government in November as a CALS Senator, and I am now on the Rules and Finance committees.”
Why do you want to return to Student Government, and what are you most proud of during your time in Student Government?
Markus: “I want to return to student government because I joined part way through the 2nd term and have had a very short time in student government. Now that I know the procedures and what I can do to benefit CALS students, I plan to use this next year to help as many CALS students as possible.”
