Jacob Ludwig and Jaden Ahlrichs decided to run for Student Government President and Vice-President because of how much they have enjoyed their time at Iowa State.

Ludwig and Ahlrichs are running against Bryce Garman, a senior in public relations, and Jay Waagmeester, a junior in journalism and mass communications, for the positions. The election will take place March 1 and 2.

“I think what inspired me to run is just having an amazing experience at Iowa State,” Ludwig, a senior in economics, said. “The opportunity to try and make it even better for future students is what we really want to do.”

Ahlrichs, a senior in global resource systems, echoed his campaign partner’s feelings about the school and explained how they wanted to establish a practical plan.

“When Jacob and I sat down to hash out what our platform would be, we came up with tangible things that we can guarantee can be done in the next year,” Ahlrichs said. “We made sure that our platform was not just general, empty promises.”

The platform is centered around four major components, each representing what the duo believes to be the biggest problems around campus.

“All of the points of the platform spoke to us, as something that is wrong or needs to be fixed,” Ludwig said.

The four parts are increasing affordability, supporting community, investing in sustainability and prioritizing diversity around campus. Ludwig and Ahlrichs said they wanted to focus on things that they had seen up close and personal during their time as students.

“These are things that Jacob and I could personally connect to,” Ahlrichs said. “You could bring up any of those things, and I could tell you my own personal story of why it’s necessary to change on campus.”

The affordability part of the platform focuses on expanding access to low-cost textbooks, as well as creating a food insecurity task force. Ludwig described how the food insecurity issue is growing.

“It is definitely a rising issue on campus,” Ludwig said. “So we knew we needed to do something to combat it.”

The community section puts a big emphasis on students’ mental health and making sure they understand their First Amendment rights. The campaign also wants to work to prevent sexual assault in the community.

The sustainability portion of the platform emphasizes Cyride’s Electric Bus Fleet and expanding Iowa State’s composting program. It also expresses the goal of doubling the Student Government’s funding for sustainability projects.

The fourth section is about diversity on campus. The duo hopes to put a lot of focus on creating a better environment for international students while also engaging in diverse communities on campus. Ludwig said there are students at Iowa State from over 100 different countries.

Their platform also wants to establish a career service coordinator and academic calendars that are conscious of different religions. Ahlrichs discussed the role of the career service coordinator and how it makes sense to assist international students as much as possible.

“They are the highest paying when it comes to tuition,” Ahlrichs said. “They come from all around the world. Why have them put in all that effort, when there is no support for them in advancing their career interests?”

At the end of the day, the campaign wants to provide realistic one-year goals that will improve all students’ experiences at Iowa State.

“I feel like our platform is a good snapshot of the challenges we are facing,” Ludwig said. “It’s also a platform rooted in having a one year term. Everything we put on that platform is something that we can get done.”

The instagram account for their campaign is @ludwig.ahlrichs. It contains information about the candidates, their platform and multiple endorsements from the student body. More information can be found on the Student Government website.