Here are the top 5 stories from the past week:

1. Iowa State ranked No. 11 in the best schools in the country– Iowa State was ranked No. 11 by Schools.com. They ranked about 1,600 schools across the country for which are the best to apply to. The final decision was made by factors such as tuition and fees, aid, median debt, repayment rates, etc. Utah State University topped the list at No. 1.

2. Weaver leaves congressional race– Kim Weaver, democratic candidate who was set to run against Rep. Steve King, announced she was dropping out of the race this weekend. She was a candidate for a House seat representing Iowa’s 4th Congressional District; this district includes Ames. Weaver was the only opponent set to run against King. She stated that she received threats which caused her personal safety to become a concern.

3. Ernst hosts third annual Roast and Ride event– Senator Joni Ernst hosted her annual Roast and Ride event in Boone on Saturday afternoon. Republicans came together to celebrate grassroots politics and listen to high-profile Republican speakers, such as Vice President Mike Pence. Other guests such as Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also made an appearance at the event. 

4. PrISUm solar car unveiled– ISU’s solar car team, PrISUm, unveiled a new car outside the Alumni Center on Friday. The car took two years to complete and is the 13th car to come from the student-run team. Penumbra, the official name of the car, is an intersection between a solar racing vehicle and a mainstream SUV. 

5. Orientation begins for incoming students– Orientation took place on campus starting on Wednesday of this last week. New students took tours of campus, were introduced to their adviser, planned their classes for the upcoming semester and were exposed to every thing Iowa State has to offer. Check out the linked article for the ISD Editorial Board’s thoughts on orientation.