Students unaware of Entenberg, USG

University Student Government, Under Student Graduates, Undergraduate Students . . .

While students may not know USG stands for Undergraduate Student Government, they seem to know even less about the people and services within it.

"I think when I first looked at it, I was surprised but it would be naive of me to say that I am really surprised. You can't expect all people to stay abreast of what's going on," Entenberg said.

The poll is more reflective of students' disinterest in political issues and University issues than problems with USG, said USG Senate President Mark Sosnowsky. Many students would not have been able to name the president of the University Board of Trustees, the dean of their college or the mayor of State College, he said.

"I think the key to this is putting this information into perspective," he said. "If the question is are we doing our job, the answer is yes, even if it is ungrateful."

USG Communications Director Will Enscore said his main frustration with the survey results is the lack of appreciation for the executive department heads who work hard.

But another set of numbers -- the increasing number of people who have attended the events and taken advantage of the services offered -- concerns Entenberg. The survey showed that many students could identify that the book co-op, buses home for the break and University Safety Week are sponsored by USG.

"When I was in (Association of Residence Hall Students), we were known for showing movies, no we weren't a movie club but that's what people knew us for," Entenberg said. Entenberg said she does not mind if USG is known for providing buses, as long as they know the organization is doing a lot for students.

"Is it better to know who did it, or is it better to have the level participation?" Entenberg said.

One department, the Multicultural Affairs Department, did benefit from the increased publicity. The department was called Diversity and Outreach and mostly co-sponsored events last year. The highest number of students said they were familiar with the department this year.

While Soumya Dayananda, head of the department, said she is pleased with her department's results, she would like to see the overall USG numbers increase. However, some people said the low numbers indicate positive performance.

"If we weren't doing our job, the numbers would be higher," Sosnowsky said. "I think more people knew who Corey O'Brien was because he made such a mess of things."

O'Brien was elected as USG president in March 1995 but internal strife within his executive department led to his August resignation at the Senate's urging.

USG Chief of Staff Erin Strout, who was not involved with USG at the time, recalled how many people were talking about the organization at the time.

"For two weeks, everyone was following this soap opera," she said.