Undergraduate Student Government presidential candidates at last night's debate stressed the importance of establishing a good relationship with the new University administration.

"This year we will decide what the relationship between the students and the administration will be," said Brad Haartz (junior-aerospace engineering).

Tony Dutzik (senior-public service) said the response of USG to important issues will affect "how the student government is perceived throughout the next University presidency and administration."

University President Bryce Jordan plans to retire Aug. 31.

The current USG president, Janyne Althaus, did not attend the debate and was not available for comment.

The seven candidates -- Dutzik, Eric Epp (senior-secondary education), Haartz, Jeff McCarty (senior-science), J.P. Muir (junior-political science), Alistair Rae (senior-history), and James Van Horn (sophomore-business administration) -- answered questions from a panel of student leaders, and the audience during the first of three debates scheduled this March. USG elections are March 21.

Dutzik said he and vice presidential candidate Kelly Glazier (sophomore-public service) will work to slow tuition increases and address minority concerns.

"We find ourselves with skyrocketing tuition, a significant decrease in financial aid and a climate for underrepresented groups which is far from satisfactory," Dutzik said.

His platform also addressed academics. Dutzik plans to work with the administration to reduce class sizes, publish a course selector guide and act as a focal point for student's educational concerns.

Epp said the he and vice presidential candidate Sue Donohue (sophomore-real estate) will work more with student services and less with politics.

He said he will address a variety of student issues including stopping the increase of parking fees, lessening the wait for women's health concerns at the University's Ritenour Health Center and making sure students receive a proper education.

"I've had a lot of friends who have had problems in their classes and they've gone and sat in the dean's office behind a cold desk," Epp said.

Epp said USG should sponsor an event similar to the Interfraternity/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

Haartz said that he and vice presidential candidate Doug DeLong (junior-accounting) advocate more productive communication within USG to better serve students.

"There has been too much infighting among the executive and the senate," Haartz said. "Very little has been accomplished."

The Haartz/Delong ticket is concerned with improving the University climate for minorities through better funding and staffing for the Women's Health Department in Ritenour, a new Paul Robeson Cultural Center, minority retention, greater attention to Hispanic needs, a fair housing ordinance for town students to eliminate discrimination due to age or sexual orientation and better accessibility for students with disabilities.

McCarty said he wants to make sure the new University administration is knowledgeable of student concerns.

"The new administration must be made aware of student concerns and lines of communication must be kept open," he said.

McCarty said he and vice presidential candidate Drew Maerz (senior-chemistry education) have had the most experience in University organizations.

McCarty said he plans to use the University Student Advisory Board "as a mechanism for exchanging information between different groups."

Muir said that he and vice presidential candidate Sue Williams (junior-health planning) intend to address student issues by trying to encourage student involvement.

"We are Penn State," Muir said. "That's the student voice that hasn't been heard at Penn State. . . . We represent the entire campus."

Muir said he would get students involved through his platform goals which include the formation of a Big 10 student coalition and a USG department of academic concerns, minority recruitment and retention and improvement of Ritenour Health Services and campus safety.

Muir stressed the creation of an academic concerns team, which would be in charge of writing a course selector guide. The guide would include information about classes.

Rae said that he and vice presidential candidate David Bindseil (junior-accounting) want to create a more effective USG by working more with students and fulfilling their needs.

He said his administration would try to obtain representation on the University Tenure Board, which decides who receives permanent teaching status. He added that students should also be able to evaluate instructors mid-semester as well as the current end of semester evaluations.

He also said his administration would organize lobby efforts in Harrisburg for increased higher education funding, increased student parking with a student parking ramp and opposing University plans to make Parking Lot 80 a non-student lot, keep in touch with students by attending area meetings and keeping special office hours, adding a description of USG to the freshman orientation handbook to increase involvement and distributing a USG newsletter.

Van Horn said he and vice presidential candidate Denys Wilmer's (senior-elementary education) top priority is stopping tuition increases.

"Students need an end to 23 consecutive years of tuition increases," Van Horn said.

He said the Van Horn/Wilmer administration would try to stop increases through a higher education lobbying program. The board would be composed of the four state-related institutions -- Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Lincoln University. The four university student government presidents would work together to try to stop tuition increases.

Van Horn added that his administration would work to increase financial aid for fifth-year students.

Van Horn's platform also includes better class instruction, a course and professor evaluation guide and expansion of the HUB.

Panelists included: Academic Assembly President Stephanie Bozym, USG Senate President Ron Marlow and former USG President Seth Williams. Publicity and Debates Commissioner Wendy Goldstein moderated the debate.

The question of USG's role as either a political or service organization was posed by the panelist Marlow.

Candidates differed on their opinions about the role of USG.