Last spring, J.P. Muir opened an Undergraduate Student Government debate for president and vice president by yelling out, "We are." An enthusiastic crowd responded, "Penn State."

Voter turnout for that year's election was one of the highest ever. Enthusiasm for Muir and running mate Susan Williams brought the hope that the pair would mobilize what they called Penn State's "silent majority."

But almost a year since that debate, Penn State students have remained silent. And the question remains -- Muir and Williams, where are those spirited, dedicated supporters now?

The Muir/Williams ticket pledged to do many worthwhile things like lobbying Harrisburg for more funding, fighting for an open budget, working with Big 10 student organizations, increasing minority enrollment and creating a course selector guide.

On some issues they hit the bullseye, but on others they failed to even make the mark.

Throughout their tenure, Muir/Williams have worked to address the concerns of underrepresented groups, to provide support for the course selector guide and to network with Big Ten organizations.

But when asked why no efforts were made to lobby legislators for more funding from Harrisburg, Muir said recently "I don't think the opportunity was there for us to really make a difference if we went down."

But opportunities always exist. If Muir and Williams had not let their constituency stagnate after the election, they could have channeled that energy into lobbying. State legislators would have a hard time ignoring this kind of effort.

Efforts to open the University budget have also been left by the wayside. Muir/Williams should have followed up the work of past administrations to make opening the budget easier.

As Casey's budget cuts begin to affect all aspects of student life, the need for an open budget is greater than ever. An open budget would provide the accountability needed in this time of financial maneuvering.

Despite Muir and Williams' mixed record, they still have time to make good on their remaining campaign promises by utilizing the large number of supporters they acquired during the election.

Doing this would change the way USG is viewed by the student body and the administration. It would add credibility to the force of the student voice. For once, USG would truly exercise the student voice -- the "we" in "We Are Penn State."