The large number of students running for town senator positions has stirred up questions from many students about alliances among certain candidates.

Town Senator Candidate Jason Covener said there have been rumors that he and other senate candidates have created an "evil conservative coalition to take over USG (Undergraduate Student Government)."

"No one is here to do that," Covener said. "A lot of us support each other."

He said 17 people running for town senate, one candidate in East, one from Pollock/Nittany and a write-in candidate for West Halls are all pulling for the Robert Michaels and Claudia Lum presidential/ vice-presidential ticket.

A flyer will be posted on Election Day listing the senators who are in support of Michaels and Lum, but that they are also running to support each other, Covener said.

He said to call it a coalition was too harsh, but that grouping together in the election could be considered a "bunch of people working together."

Covener said he and Michaels approached students to run for a USG position. Some didn't want to, while some others were interested.

"They're the ones you'll find on the ballot," he said.

All of the people running have different ideas, Covener said.

"We're all independent-minded people," he said.

Covener, however, resists the idea that the group is a political party.

"No, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's that," Covener said.

He said each candidate supported by the group has different ideas on a lot of different platforms.

It could become a political party in the future, but not right now, Covener said.

"It's more as a group of people who want to change things," he added.

Covener said a party system is good for USG.

"I'd love to see an opposing, more liberal group come up," he said.

Others disagreed.

"I'd rather see a group of 30 people sit down and see, 'What can we do that's best for the students,' " said Senate President Mike Fazio about a party system.

Some students are either very liberal or very conservative, Fazio said.

"I wouldn't want to have to decide on one," he added.

Some aspects of the USG Senate are better than the national senate, Fazio said.

The fact that senators do not have to choose sides or political parties, Fazio said, is one reason the student senate is better than the national senate.

"I wouldn't want to lose that," he said.