Political Gallery Look inside for photos of this weekend’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Des Moines pg 4
Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 | Volume 211 | Number 44 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
StuGov, Council talk ISU issues By Christie.Smith @iowastatedaily.com
Michaela Ramm/Iowa State Daily
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Des Moines on Saturday. Clinton was joined by Democratic presidential candidates Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders. Each candidate spoke about minimum wage, among other issues and touted support for President Barack Obama.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, CANDIDATES Democratic presidential hopefuls vie for support at Jefferson-Jackson Dinner By Lissandra.Villa, Shannon.McCarty and Michaela.Ramm @iowastatedaily.com DES MOINES, Iowa — Saturday night marked exactly 100 days until February’s Iowa Caucus, and Democratic presidential candidates had the chance to stand out in front of thousands at the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. More than 6,600 people attended the Des Moines event that has historically been important to candidates leading up to the Iowa Caucus, including 2007, when then-Sen. Barack Obama stood out
at the dinner also attended by John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. Those not seated at a dinner table sat in bleachers reserved for supporters of each of the candidates. Sections competed to outdo one another throughout the evening, with many people chanting and waving signs and glow sticks. The dinner followed multiple rallies that took place in the area, including former Secretary of State Clinton’s, where pop star Katy Perry — who also attended the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner — performed. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign included a plane flying over
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SNAPSHOT
Emily Blobaum/Iowa State Daily
CARSON SPEAKS WITH STUDENTS AT IOWA STATE’S ALPHA GAMMA RHO Ben Carson, the world-famous neurosurgeon running for the Republican nomination for president, speaks with supporters after a town-hall event at Alpha Gamma Rho on Saturday morning in Ames. Carson, who took a lead in two recent Iowa polls over fellow candidate Donald Trump, spoke about his stance on key issues regarding his presidential campaign, including Social Security for future generations and healthcare, as well as his reasons for running for president. Carson’s wife, Candy, appeared at the event with Carson and sang the national anthem. Carson later signed autographs for his new book at Books-A-Million on South Duff Avenue. Visit iowastatedaily.com for a gallery of photos from the event.
With just more than a week until the Nov. 3 elections, Student Government hosted an Ames City Council candidate forum Friday night in which it asked candidates a series of student-centered questions. The forum took place at the Memorial Union and Student Government Sen. Cole Button moderated the discussion. Each candidate was asked about four key topics: affordable housing, the integration of students into the Ames community, transportation and the retention of ISU students in Ames after graduation. Affordable housing Each of the candidates agreed that Ames is in need of affordable housing, not just for students but also for young professionals and families. Tim Gartin, incumbent running unopposed for the Ward 2, said the current shortage of affordable housing in Ames is because of the reluctance of past councils to see Ames grow. Dan DeGeest, candidate for the Ward 4, praised the idea of mixed-use development like that seen in Campustown, where commercial and residential properties are built together. Chris Nelson, incumbent also running for the Ward 4, said it was important to keep students close to campus and encouraged the idea of mixed-use properties on existing CyRide routes. At-large candidate Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen said it’s a challenge to include high-density housing into existing neighborhoods in Ames, but it can be done. She said the use of technology in “creative ways,” like the website Rent Smart Ames, would lead to greater competition among renters and drive down costs. Matt Converse, who is also an at-large candidate, said he met with a local developer who was lowering rental costs on a new property in order to fill all the available apartments. With inventory ahead of need, Converse said prices would be more competitive. Converse said City Council needed to remove “barriers” on developers, so housing could be developed easier and faster. Students as members of Ames community Converse said many students don’t feel like they’re a part of the community and he wants students to realize there is more to Ames than Iowa State. Beatty-Hansen said to better integrate students into the community, she suggested the city better advertise local events and encourage students to volunteer
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Students share issues through poetry By Ellie.Conrad @iowastatedaily.com For Kai Davis and some students at Iowa State, poetry isn’t just a hobby — it’s a platform for advocacy and change. “I’m tired of feeling like I’m hiding this giant secret of mine,” Nhu-Ngoc Doan, sophomore in pre-biological/pre-medical illustration, said during her performance Friday night. A current creative writing and African-American studies student at Temple University, Davis is also an award-winning poet and spoken word performer. Meanwhile, she serves as artistic director of the Babel Poetry Collective and tours the country performing and
running writing workshops. She’s been featured at the Kimmel Center, San Francisco Opera House and on CNN. She performed alongside ISU students Friday at Intersections of Identity: A Spoken Word Event. Fourteen students performed their own poems in the first half of the show. These poems broke out on topics of race, gender, sexuality and the oppression and discrimination related to them. “Our goal for the night was to have a platform for students to really speak about things that are often left unsaid,” said Markus Flynn, senior in kinesiology and health and president of the Black Student Alliance. The students performed by either reading their poems from
smartphones or printed paper, or relying solely on their memories. For some of the students, it was their first time. “This is my first spoken-word event,” Doan said. “I’ve never done this before.” More than 100 audience members’ snaps, claps and cheers filled the Sun Room of the Memorial Union as the students and Davis reeled off social commentary and personal anecdotes. The desire for honesty was a theme throughout the performances. From the student performers’ autobiographical stories to Davis’ personal anecdotes, the performers all spoke out against the racism, sexism and discrimination they have experienced in their own lives.
“We’re not color blind. We’re color bold,” a group called the Bold Team Leaders said during their poem. Davis’ work focuses on examining traditional societal structures and expectations. As a “queer woman of color,” she uses her personal experiences to comment on the intersections of race, gender and sexuality. She also works to promote awareness of social stigmas in regard to mental health. “Take care of yourself,” she said when advising members of the audience to leave the room if they felt triggered by the topics discussed. “It’s a lot of s--- going on.” However, few left the room and extra chairs and tables had to be brought in to handle the large
Courtesy of Kayla Taylor
Kai Davis, a current student at Temple University, visits Iowa State to perform poetry at an event hosted by the Black Student Alliance. Davis also serves as the artistic director of the Babel Poetry Collective.
audience. “It was great,” said Joseph Elijah Washington, freshman in biochemistry. “The poems were amazing.”