Almost one month from today there will be a new Undergraduate Student Government president -- who the new student leader will be is still up in the air, but the prospects have been narrowed down.

Elections packets have been signed out by several students interested in running for USG presidential, vice-presidential and senatorial candidates. The packets include copies of the USG constitution, the Elections Code, petition and registration forms, debate information and a fair market value list, which will be updated.

The students who have signed out packets so far are Josh Bokee, Mike Burcik, Brian Cermak, Steve Gardner, Corey O'Brien, Pat Scanlan and Robert Thomas.

Each year the election commission decides when to make the packets available to students.

"We thought it was important to have them available a week in advance to give more time to get people interested," said Steve Castor, head election commissioner.

The fair market value section in the packets explains how the election commission authorizes the price of advertising, including banners, buttons and any other sort of monetary campaigning. During the stamping sessions the election commission assess the value of the ads -- for example, a banner with words and no art work would be worth $70. Presidential candidates have a $400 spending limit, and senatorial candidates have a $50 limit.

Earlier this semester in the USG Senate, legislation was proposed to eliminate spending limits but was not passed.

All presidential candidates need a total of 400 signatures to be eligible, and senatorial candidates need 25 from their voting district. Each dormitory area and town and fraternity areas are voting districts.

Burcik, currently a USG Senate Government Relations Committee chairman, and Bokee, USG Senate president, each had no comment.

Cermak commented that he is not running for the position and I merely signed out the information packet out of his interest for helping a friend decide whether to run.

Gardner said he has not decided if he is going to run because 400 signatures is a lot to collect.

"It's a pretty intense process for the next month and I'm trying to decide if I want to go through that process," Gardner said.

Corey O'Brien, USG Supreme Court Chief Justice, said he can not say too much right now but will comment further after he makes his decision.

"I picked it (a packet) up for myself for information and I'll be making a public announcement March 13 to whether or not I'm going to seek an office," O'Brien said.

Pat Scanlan, Penn State University Veterans' Organization president, ran for USG president last year, and said he picked up a packet to see how the rules have changed.

"It's a personal decision along with a few other people to get their thoughts and inputs," Scanlan said.

Thomas (junior-English) picked up a presidential packet out of curiosity, but said he is planning on running for a town senate position.

Three meet-the-candidate sessions during the three-week campaign, are scheduled for Pollock Commons, the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., and the HUB reading room.

Castor explained that the sessions will better help students decide who they want to vote for by allowing them to meet the faces behind the names:

"In the past it was hard for the average student to gain access to their own information about candidates," Castor said.

Friday is the last day to pick up packets. The deadline to return all forms, including a typed, written statement of candidacy and a $25 nonrefundable registration fee, is 7 p.m. March 13. At that time the election commission will explain the code and other information. Elections are March 29.