As two people who see, far too often, the inconsistencies and general ambivalence to the very serious concerns of women's health and safety exhibited by some employees of the Penn State Escort Service and its supervisors, we cannot express our appreciation enough that this issue was addressed at the USG presidential debates on Sunday night.

Brad Haartz attacked this issue in the crossfire section of the debate and showed his dedication to the students by questioning the program's effectiveness and posing possible solutions.

He has done the women of this University a great service by truly enacting his platform statement of holding the University administration accountable for its actions and promises.

By addressing the current (and quite easily solved) problems with the escort service in his campaign, he has taken the political rhetoric which we often hear around election time and this often-hollow talk into direct action with an extremely positive end.

Brad indicated at the debates that the Haartz/Delong ticket supports expanding the hours to a true dusk to dawn service and altering the service's current policy of taking women living off campus only to their residences so that they could be safely escorted to friends' homes off campus, parties off campus and yes, even fraternities and bars.

Safety has no moral bounds, as the current policy of the service not taking women to the above places might suggest. Further, it was indicated that the team would pursue the long-lost sensitivity training which was to be delivered to the escorts early last semester, but which has not yet surfaced in any form whatsoever.

His recommendation for a person in USG responsible for overseeing the activities of the escort service who could serve as a liaison between USG and the service and thus facilitate communications on potential improvements or problems sounds to those of us on the inside like an excellent step in the right direction.

We would hope that the other candidates could follow the Haartz/Delong ticket's lead in taking their political rhetoric to the heart of the problems as this team has succeeded in doing -- before the election.

Women on this campus deserve equality to men. Until they can walk alone -- to or from a party or work or even the library without having to constantly look over their shoulders in fear, or even concern -- they have not received equality.

The University owes them this equality as a result of charging them the same tuition dollars as the men who harass and attack them.