2 organizations stepping closer to merge efforts

By MICHELE DIGIACINTO
Collegian Staff Writer

The Organization for Town Independent Students may no longer be independent itself.

The members of OTIS are working on a resolution this week that, if approved, will move the organization closer to a merger with the Undergraduate Student Government.

Steve Brzozowski, OTIS president, said the organization's members feel they can best serve students as a part of USG and that the merged group would still perform the same functions as OTIS did. He added that the merger would eliminate the duplication of efforts for off-campus living that has occurred in the past by OTIS and USG.

"This will help us focus our efforts," he said.

Brzozowski also said he hopes to hold an informal meeting some time this week to vote on a draft of the resolution. If it is passed, OTIS hopes to present it to USG President Mike King before spring break, he said.

"As far as I know, every member has been in agreement so it will probably pass unanimously," he said.

King said this move is one aspect of the restructuring effort proposed by leaders from USG, the Association of Residence Hall Students and OTIS last spring to replace USG with the Penn State Student Association. The Student Association would combine these groups and other student organizations.

"We're more or less consolidating resources to better serve students," he said.

He also said that OTIS, which would be renamed the Department of Town Affairs, would be a standing non-political executive department. As such, its operations would be non-political and service-oriented like the Department of Legal Affairs, which provides students with free legal advice.

King said because the department would be non-political, its services will not be affected by who is or is not in office. "The services they provide will never be jeopardized," he said.

King also said, because the department would be part of the executive branch of USG, he would appoint the department head. He added that he would allow the department to have its own internal election that they would forward to him and which he, in turn, would foward to the USG Senate for approval. Unless, he said, they elected "Charles Manson."

Brzozowski said the members of OTIS decided to approach USG with the idea after he met with Stan Latta, director of student life, last semester to discuss the direction the organization would be taking.

Latta said although he has not read the resolution yet, he is very much in favor of the idea because he feels the group was originally formed to address different needs. "The organization in a sense has outlived their purpose," he said.

Latta also said OTIS would be working as a coalition rather than as a single group, if the merger occurs.

"I think they saw the value of that with the three-unrelated rule," he said, referring to the student housing debate, which began last summer.

Brzozowski said official action will not be taken until after spring break.