When Bryce Garman and Jay Waagmeester decided to run for Student body executive positions, they knew they needed to develop a platform centered around Iowa State students. During the duo’s first campaign meeting, they discussed their passions and their similarities in their ideal vision for the university. Their main similarity was community. 

The election will take place March 1 and 2. Garman and Waagmeester are being challenged by Jacob Ludwig, a senior in economics, and Jaden Ahlrichs, a senior in global resource systems, for the office. 

Thus, the campaign platform was formed based on this with three different aspects: collaboration, togetherness, and opportunity. 

The campaign is centered around increasing all students’ involvement with their Student Government. Waagmeester, a junior in journalism and mass communications, emphasized their campaign’s focus on diversity and inclusion on campus. 

“There still is some level of barriers between students,” Waagmeester said. “Cultivating a community where students feel welcome to interact with anyone and everyone no matter their identity would be a dream for me.” 

While the decision to run was stressful, Garman, a senior in public relations, recognized the importance of emphasizing community within the position. 

“It’s not easy to put yourself out there,” Garman said. “We want to keep creating a strong community on campus and make sure that every student is represented in the decisions being made.” 

The platform also focused on expanding scholarships for students, specifically focusing on higher education programs. 

“The main thing we plan to do is work with our appointed student government Director of Governmental Affairs and Legislative Ambassadors team to advocate at the state legislature for the increase of funding.” Garman said. 

The Director of Governmental Affairs is a position that already exists; however, their campaign hopes to make sure that advocating is done for the creation of more scholarship funds for higher education. 

Garman transferred to Iowa State from Des Moines Area Community College in the fall of 2020. Originally working for the Election Commission, he soon found himself working as the Director of Marketing. This was a brand new position on the Executive Cabinet, encompassing public relations, social media and planning events for student government. 

Garman said he acknowledges the institution of Student Government is sometimes overlooked and misunderstood. 

“One of our main goals is making sure people know that Student Government exists,”  Garman said. “When I first came to Iowa State, it wasn’t as active as it is now. As Director of Marketing, some of my key responsibilities are educating students on what the student government is working on.” 

Waagmeester explained how their platform represents and encourages more input from the student body. 

“I suppose developing a platform comes down to what the students want,” Waagmeester said. “I think that is one thing that Bryce and I would be really good at is reaching out to students and listening to what they want, instead of just making decisions on our own.”

For Waagmeester, running for student body vice-president is not something he expected to do. However, during the vice-presidential debate, he emphasized that his passion for Iowa State runs deep. 

“Growing up, I dreamed of attending Iowa State,” Waagmeester said during the debate. “Honestly, oftentimes I walk around campus or I’m sitting at a sporting event, and I catch myself smiling, thinking about how much I love this university.

Garman and Waagmeester believe they can establish a great culture and set guidelines for Iowa State’s future. If elected, they will enter office in April and serve until next year. 

“I think that our campaign is strong because it is student driven,” Garman said. “We are talking to clubs and organizations and we are advocating for people to get involved, no matter who you are or where you are from.” 

The Instagram account for their campaign is @bryce.and.jay. It contains information about the candidates, their platform and multiple endorsements from the student body. More information can be found at the Student Government website.