Students,
As my term comes to an end, I wanted to speak directly to you, the students, about what your student government has been doing for you, address misconceptions about our organization and outline the challenges we face in the future.
This year, my administration has worked diligently to enhance the communication with administrators, faculty and staff. To better communicate with students we created a brand new, user friendly Web site and increased our promotion of the budget process.
Launching Northern Iowa Sutdent Government Green Week and Safety Week, we were able to educate students in a way that we have never done before. Our walking taco program was very successful and we look forward to the Panther Bash, to celebrate a great year.
With the creation of a new position, we will have a designated person from NISG that will serve to represent the voice of students to the legislature and local government, increasing our lobbying efforts. We formed a partnership with the City to have a group of students, community members and university officials meet to discuss student issues and concerns in the Cedar Falls community.
This year we released the Diversity First Newsletter which spotlighted organizations and the events that were occurring on campus that might not have gotten the recognition that was deserved. We also assisted in creating The Northern Iowa Diversity Coalition, a group that strives to make UNI a welcoming environment for all. We also toured campus with the university administration to address problem or risk areas pertaining to safety and this semester we are conducting an accessibility tour to find areas of campus that are difficult to navigate for disabled students.
The SafeRide has been extremely successful this year and is on pace for a ridership of close to 11,000 for the year. As always, we provide students the Panther Shuttle service to provide transportation to and from classes during the day.
We have a new set of election rules that had their trial run this election cycle, and overall were very successful. Yes, they have some kinks, but we are working those out and we are very satisfied with the document. Presidential candidates will no longer spend $4,000 dollars to promote themselves and that is a great thing.
NISG has a responsibility to represent students and to do the things that you want us to. The challenge that we face is that we often hear, "NISG information doesn't matter because it doesn't have an impact on me directly." So, why should you care? You should care because you pay the president, vice president, and their directors. You should care because we spend your money on these programs. You should care because we are your direct voice to the university administration, city officials and state legislators.
My challenge to you: If you don't like something that is going on in NISG or at the university, don't just complain about it. Join NISG. Make a positive impact. Become a voice for the student body. We need students to get involved. We need you, to not just talk about changes you want to see, but make those changes happen.
While we face many challenges, the future of NISG looks bright. I have worked with Joel Anderson and Emma Hashman and I have no doubt that they will do an outstanding job leading you over the next year. But in order to do so, they will need your help. Get involved and be the change you wish to see!
I want to thank you for allowing me to serve as your President for the past year. It has been an unforgettable experience and I have learned so much, not just about NISG, but about our university, the students, and myself. I want to say thank you to those students, faculty, staff and administrators I have worked with this year to make positive changes to this university. I am honored that I was given this opportunity and I hope that looking back, I have represented you well.
As always, Go Panthers!
-Adam Haselhuhn
Student Body President
