03.12.2019 Vol. 219 No. 115
00 Iowa 00 State since 1890 An independent student newspaper serving
Voting for Student Government candidates starts Tuesday
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BY MADELYN.OSTENDORF @iowastatedaily.com Iowa State students will vote to decide the future leaders of the student body during the Student Government elections on March 12 and 13. As the polls open and voting begins, here is a rundown of this year’s campaigns.
WHITTINGTON-MICHELOTTI Benjamin Whittington, a junior in political science, and his running mate Annaliessa Michelotti, a junior in women’s and gender studies, are campaigning with “Bridging the Divide.” Their main focuses are on increased transparency with Student Government, parking accessibility and infrastructure on campus, promoting an eco-friendly campus and bringing a spring festival back to Iowa State.
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VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE During the Vice-Presidential Debate, Michelotti spoke about the slate’s plan for and progress in improving student parking accessibility and explained how their campaign has already held numerous meetings with the Iowa State Parking Division to explore what options are possible and affordable to implement. Michelotti emphasized the importance of transparency and communication between Student Government and students. They intend to encourage Senators to get onto campus as well as renovating the current Student Government website and continuing a consistent student update. “Students, again, they don’t know what Student Government is,” Michelotti said. “A lot of students that I have talked to personally have gone on to the Student Government website and try to find out ‘What is Student Government? What are they doing right now? Where is my money going?’ and it’s just ‘page not found’ after ‘page not found’ after ‘page not found.’”
JAYDEN POND/ ISD Students can either vote online at vote. iastate.edu or at a polling location at the Memorial Union near the West Student Office Space starting March 12 at 12:01 a.m. until March 13 at 11:59 p.m.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE On Feb. 21, the Friday following the
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In wake of Fuentes visit, StuGov candidates respond BY EMILY.BERCH @iowastatedaily.com After white nationalist Nick Fuentes visited Iowa State’s campus Wednesday night, multiple student organizations have taken steps to distance themselves from the event. Now, one Student Government candidate is calling for action. Benjamin Whittington, a candidate for Student Government president, announced in a Facebook post Sunday night that he would “do whatever it takes to remove white supremacy and discrimination from Iowa State University campus. Even if that means
disbanding organizations.” Turning Point USA, which does not have an official Iowa State chapter, and College Republicans are the two organizations Fuentes has associated with organizing the event. Whittington was the president of Turning Point’s former chapter at Iowa State but disbanded the organization during the fall 2018 semester. College Republicans and Turning Point have both denied affiliation with the event. When contacted for further comment regarding his Facebook post, Whittington released a statement saying his campaign “wholeheartedly supports free speech,” but
also condemns “white nationalism and discrimination.” “If campus organizations are tied to white nationalism and or discrimination and harassment, they should be fully prepared for consequences,” Whittington wrote in the statement. “The Whittington-Michelotti team will do everything in their power to lobby within Student Government for the condemnation of that club, and its actions. As a democracy, Student Government will ultimately decide what consequences should take place, when that time comes.”
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SARAH HENRY/ IOWA STATE DAILY Students gather outside Parks Library to protest Nicholas Fuentes, a white nationalist.