The Ringling Bros. and O'Brien & Bokee Circus is coming to State College!

All are invited to keep their ears and eyes peeled until March 29, the climax of the greatest show on campus, Undergraduate Student Government election day.

That's right, the campaign circus for USG president and vice president is in full swing. The ballots will give students the choice between USG Senate President Josh Bokee and running mate Kerith Strano and Supreme Court Chief Justice Corey O'Brien and running mate Kara Annechini.

The stars of the show and some interested outside observers implore everyone in the community to realize how high the stakes are in this event.

This gala battle of political wits will allow students, the paying customers, to decide the USG president and vice president who will receive stipends funded by their tuition dollars.

The winning team of the election must shoulder the burden of lobbying for University funds in Harrisburg and Washington D.C. In addition, the champions will be charged with setting a precedent in a working relationship with the administration's new ringmaster -- Graham Spanier. Next year's president and vice president must also bring the always needed USG restructuring back to life and follow through with an expanded Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

Crowd participation is encouraged. This circus is hardly a oneway venue -- it is interactive. And nothing marks the failure of a circus more blatantly than a crowd that remains passively entertained.

Customers are requested to follow the events of the campus circus during the next week. Debates and question-and-answer sessions serve as perfect opportunities for the masses to voice their opinions and desires. To get the complete fulfillment of the carnival, customers must inform themselves by as many events of the show as possible.

And of course, customers are encouraged to check this publication daily for the latest in ring events.

In addition to the important substantive issues that will be glossed over in the pre-election madness, students will be awed by some of the following oddities.

The wonderous display of death-defying showmanship will thrill, chill and daze students in a twisted game of name-recognition and sleazy sideshow politicking.

The three-ring extravaganza will commence with O'Brien and Bokee opening up in a dazzling debate filled with superfluous statements. The opponents will make grand statements and their supporters will clap real loud. It's mind-boggling.

The second stupendous ring of carnival action will pit O'Brien's running mate, Kara Annechini, against Bokee's partner, Kerith Strano.

The third amazing "ring-of-fire" holds the world-renowned USG as a whole. They've been known on rare occasions to keep bickering to a minimum and maintain the integrity of the student government. Maybe this year they will perform that trick once again.

While the show will no doubt be enjoyable, the performers have a chance to make it important. Who knows, stranger things have happened under the big top.