The Undergraduate Student Government Senate approved executive branch positions, which included a controversial decision involving former USG member Jason Covener, Tuesday night.

Of the 16 positions that were voted on, Covener's was the only one voted on by secret ballot.

The rest were voted in unanimously.

Senate President Sean Clark appointed Covener to the senate staff coordinator position.

Covener will act as a non-voting member whose job is to assign projects and coordinate committees within Senate.

The coordinator also appoints the senate support staff consisting of senators and non-senators.

Clark selected Covener (junior-political science) for the job and senate seconded the decision with 15 votes.

"One thing I would like to do is get more people involved in USG," Covener said. "I think we need to reach out to people and get normal students involved here."

The decision sparked debate in the senate because some senators were wary about Covener's past experiences with USG.

In 1998, Covener used keystroke logging -- a process that enables a person to read other students' e-mail and allows a person to view or record the keystrokes entered by the user and the computer's response during a session, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of computers.

"It was a mistake that I intend not to make again," Covener said. "I not only failed myself, but everyone that elected me to senate president."

Clark explained his reasoning in appointing Covener.

"I didn't want to go without a senate staff coordinator.

I say we let him try," Clark said. "He's been involved in USG longer than anyone else."

Some senators disagreed with Clark's reasoning.

"What is his interest in USG, helping students or just causing a ruckus?" asked Town Sen. Mike Fazio. "Jason Covener does not belong in USG."

"I've spoken to him, and I can see certain senators are up in arms about it," Clark said.

"If he's doing a horrible job, it only takes a majority to vote him out."

East Halls Sen. Steven Verbovszky also defended Covener.

"He's a reformed person inside and he will do some things for the good of the Penn State community," Verbovsky said.

"It's kind of like spanking; you don't realize it until after you get spanked for it how bad it is.

That's why we spanked him."

Town Sen. T.J. Kokolis asked why people were so upset with Covener's involvement, especially since his role in USG would be limited.

"That should speak for something because I feel that strongly that I don't even want him in that limiting of a role," Fazio said.