Candidates discuss administrative relationships with students

Editor's Note: This is the sixth story in an eight-part series on how the Undergraduate Student Government presidential and vice presidential candidates would deal with specific issues. This story focuses on relations with the administration.

For many of the USG presidential candidates, bridging the gap between students and administrators and working with the University is a goal they wish to achieve.

However, the way the candidates plan to achieve this goal varies from confrontations to total cooperation.

SAUR and ROBBINS

Hank Saur said he is interested in working with the administration to further many of his platform issues such as general education, relations with the State College Borough Council and increasing USG's lobbying efforts.

"We are going to work with the administration to get Harrisburg to 'show us the money,' " Saur said.

The administration's support in implementing a freshman seminar that would, in part, sensitize students to diversity issues also would be a goal, Saur added.

RUMMEL and CIESLA

Getting students involved with the administration is important to Blaine Rummel, he said.

"We're going to go to students individually and ask them to get involved with administrative committees," he said.

Lobbying the administration to help students deal with borough council is also a goal, Rummel said.

Some of his ticket's platform, such as the "grad pact" and course evaluations, already involves administration interaction, he said.

LUBKEMANN and KRAMER

If elected, David Lubkemann said the administration would not be working with him, but with all the students.

"Our main goal with the administration is to get them out of the office and get them into the respective streets," Lubkemann said.

But, Lubkemann said he understands he must work within the system to accomplish his goals concerning textbook prices and the $25 student activity fee.

LOCCARINI and PIRROTTA

Darin Loccarini emphasized the fact that he and Chris Pirrotta will not be easily intimidated by the University administration. There seems to be an anti-administration feeling in USG, he said.

"There seems to be an emphasis on pressuring the administration," he said. "That's not always going to be the case."

But when there needs to be pressure on the administration, Loccarini said, there is no one better to do it than himself.

LANDSBERG and BARBE

Brent Barbe said interaction with University administration will be a goal of his and Michael Landsberg's ticket.

"We need to force (University President) Graham Spanier to meet with us on a regular basis," he said.

If Spanier would not meet with them, he would have to face the consequences of an "atomic wedgie," Barbe said.

FAKE and BARRON

Thane Fake plans to encourage cooperation between the administration and the students. In order to make progress, students and administrators must work within the bureaucracy, he added.

"You can't exclude the administration from these issues and expect to make any changes," Fake said.

As USG president, Fake said he would bring the issues concerning the students to the attention of the administration.

DESMOND and POLK

For Jaime Desmond and John Polk, experience with student organizations will help them work with the University administration to accomplish many of their platform goals, they said.

"John and I both have much experience in dealing with the administration," Desmond said. "We will make sure they're putting students first."

COVENER and NIGHTINGALE

Jason Covener said he wants the students to tell the University administration, as well as state legislators, what they think.

"I think, in USG, we need to take a more aggressive and confrontational stance against the administration," Covener said.

The students have seen "unfortunate results" of administrative actions, he said, such as parking and alcohol restrictions.

BOWSER and WILDERS

Total cooperation with the University administration would be a goal, but not a necessity to Wesley Bowser if he was elected, he said. Effective representation of the interest of the more than 30,000 constituents would be a more important objective, he said. Making sure the administration is working with them is important as well, he said.

"Working with (the administration) would be nice, but if it becomes an obstacle then I guess it would be working against," Bowser said.