Students' agenda
O'Brien campaign promises must not result in rhetoric

With the words "Here comes the students' agenda," Corey O'Brien stepped into the spotlight Wednesday night as the new Undergraduate Student Government president. But O'Brien will have his work cut out for him during the next year as he faces limited funds and weak contacts with the University administration.

O'Brien and Vice President-elect Kara Annechini have pledged to lobby the state government for more money for the University, push for University Health Services reforms, increase study days before finals, create advising contracts, develop a comprehensive sexual assault bill of rights and improve tenant/landlord off-campus relations.

Although his first day in office is not until April 12, O'Brien headed to Harrisburg today to talk to state officials about issues affecting higher education. Lobbying is crucial to Penn State right now. Gov. Tom Ridge has proposed not to increase state appropriations and to slice the Tuition Challenge Grant in half, which would force the University to reallocate money to pay for its top priorities.

O'Brien and Annechini will have to set those priorities. On election night, Annechini said their top priority would be "whatever comes up first." But they must create a stronger plan and be prepared to tell the administration why the University needs more practitioners in University Health Services and how they can afford that and other campaign promises.

O'Brien and Annechini must not forget issues that affect minority students as well. O'Brien has said that it is essential to get minority students involved in USG and that he wants to initiate a liaison program pairing representatives from the executive branch with leaders of minority organizations.

Additionally, O'Brien and Annechini should add another project to their lobbying list -- money for expanding the HUB to include the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. This project has been approved by the University, but the money has not been released.

Because he has not had the same kinds of experience with the administration that other USG presidents have had, O'Brien will have to make special efforts to work with the University administration to learn how to accomplish his goals.

In a letter published March 24, John Fitzgibbons (junior-history) asked the candidates to reach out to students and "unite them to take action, not cut everyone off in the same old elitist ruling class/working class governmental relationship."

Whether it's bringing students together to lobby for more funding or going out to seek their opinions, USG needs to set a strong direction to attack student issues --and prove to the administration that it knows what it's talking about and can help find the money for it.

Don't tease the students with vague or impossible campaign promises. O'Brien and Annechini were elected because students thought their ideas reflected the "students' agenda." Let's see some results.