Student Government has chosen Sen. Erik Rolwes, a junior studying industrial design, as the Senate’s CyRide Board of Trustees representative.
Rolwes ran against Sen. Jake Snyder, a senior in public relations, winning by a lead of 13 to 11, with seven senators abstaining their vote.
“There’s so many elements of CyRide that I know and am aware of because of my extensive experience with the government organization,” Snyder said. “With that in mind, I think I am a great fit for this position. There are very few rides and stops that I’m unaware of.”
In Rolwes’ opening statement, he explained why he wanted the position.
“CyRide is one of the most important organizations in Ames,” Rolwes said. “Even on campus, we were at one point third in the nation for ridership. That’s kind of incredible.”
Rolwes had previously run for the position last year. While he was not elected then, he continued to work towards bettering the transportation system as a member of the Senate.
“I’ve been to talk with one board member and then the director of CyRide,” Rolwes said. “We had a really nice conversation about Moonlight Express and CyRide, as well as talking about Safe Ride. I was interested in the expansion of CyRide with CyRide’s Moonlight Express because there are issues with Safe Ride getting students the services they need to get off campus late at night.”
To expand upon and make CyRide more reliable for students, Rolwes plans on reaching out to students for feedback on what they’d like to see CyRide accomplish in the coming year.
“It’s still really important to listen to our students and our peers to figure out what we can do to CyRide to make it better than it is currently,” Rolwes said. “There’s always room for improvement, and I feel like that’s a good place to start.”
Other business
After a bill passed last semester, the Senate will now have a sergeant at arms position. Abigail Squires, a junior in chemistry, is the first sergeant at arms and will now lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sen. Suryansh Mishra, a senior in environmental engineering, has been seated as non-profit coordinator.
Sen. Ryker Markus, a first year in agricultural and life sciences education, has been seated on the Rules Committee.
