Members of Student 1st Step unsuccessfully tried to ask U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter yesterday about his commitment to undergraduate education.

Specter, R-Pa., was in State College visiting the University's Applied Research Lab and the Centre Daily Times, said Specter's press secretary Dan McKenna.

"We tried to get a hold of him at the CDT," said Brain Green (senior-sociology), president of Student 1st Step. "We were going to ask him when he was going to be here for the students."

Green stated that last Feburary, Student 1st Step gave Specter a petition with 1,200 student signatures, asking the senator to arrange a meeting with University students. Specter has not spoken directly to students at the University.

"This guy is making himself inaccessible to students," said Student 1st Step entertainment and events coordinator Alan Gordon (senior-general arts and sciences).

Student 1st Step also wants to ask Specter about his stance on research and undergraduate education, Gordon said.

"If he has a belief about research versus undergraduate education, why doesn't he come here and let us ask him questions?" Green asked. "We have this huge military research budget, and some of us can't get our loans."

McKenna explained why Specter visited the Applied Research Lab.

"He was visiting a lab that does a lot of work on special technology to see if what they are doing can be used to help the Philadelphia Navy Yard," said McKenna. Specter supports Philadelphia's U.S. Navy Yard because it provides jobs and because he believes it is in the nation's best interest, McKenna added.

The Applied Research Lab does research for the U.S. Navy in its Manufacturing Technology Program. The facility is working on new and cost-saving techniques for the repair of submarines.