Undergraduate Student Government Senate President Mike King and Lori Pennay won the USG presidential and vice presidential race yesterday with 2,079 of the 4,881 votes.

"The students make USG. We have zero power without you," King said, after the announcement.

The HUB Ballroom was filled with about 200 King/Pennay supporters who chanted "King and Pennay" and danced to the sounds of the live band Fat Head. When the announcement was made the supporters bombarded the winners with shouts and wild applause lifting them as the new USG leaders embraced.

"This campaign brought out a lot of important ideas to benefit students and we're ready to work with everybody who wants to contribute to USG and the students," King said.

Pennay (junior-speech communication) added that she's glad it's over, but it was worth it. "It felt like a very long dance marathon with a wonderful result," she said.

Before the results were announced, The Daily Collegian's Editor in Chief Mike Abrams confronted the USG Election Commission about the process of counting the ballots. The commission would not allow two reporters from the Collegian to witness and verify the tallying of the ballots.

Traditionally somebody from the Collegian is allowed in the room where the ballots are being counted, as an outside source of verification, Abrams said.

"This year they kicked us out. That's why I questioned it," Abrams said.

Abrams said the fact he questioned the results before the winner was announced, shows that who he thought won had nothing to do with it.

"I took the action before I knew the results," Abrams said.

But Jitu Modi, voting and tallying elections commissioner, said the press should not have been there when the ballots were being counted.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Corey O'Brien said he, Modi and two University Testing Service staff members were there when the tallying was done.

"There was absolutely nothing hidden," O'Brien said.

Head Elections Commissioner Scott Payne said it was just miscommunication, and the commission is not hiding anything.

King said he is confident the results will be accurate and free of error.

Latino Caucus President and presidential candidate Carina Defferrire said a lot of things went wrong during the elections.

"We'll see how (the commission) handles it," she said.

Current USG President Chris Saunders said all of the candidates ran strong campaigns and encourages them all to get involved in USG next year.

"I think Mike King had a very good platform. However, I think Erich May's leadership ability will be crucial for the best USG administration next year," Saunders said.

Former Academic Assembly President Erich May and April Campbell (junior-Spanish) came in second with 1,634 votes. May was unavailable for comment.

Defferrire and former Penn State University Veterans Organization Vice President Pat Scanlan were third with 754 votes.

"I think we definitely made a point," Defferrire said. "A different group of individuals made a stand."

Mathew Thomas (senior-journalism and English) and Joy Brown (junior-accounting) came in fourth with 414. Thomas was also unavailable for comment.

King and Pennay said the first things they will work on are the current USG restructuring efforts, the master tutoring network and the international review program, for evaluating foreign professors. The tutoring network and the review program will be done by finals week, Pennay added.

Students also had the opportunity to vote on three referendum questions. Students evaluated the quality of academic advising at the University as average. Students also wanted to supplement the HUB Eateries with fast food restaurants. They also favored keeping facilities such as Pattee, the HUB, the Intramural Building and Rec Hall open 24 hours.