Brightly colored campaign T-shirts speckled a half-filled 101 Thomas Building last night as students listened to the Undergraduate Student Government executive candidate debate.

The six presidential tickets had two minutes to answer five questions designed by the election commission, while obvious supporters and those still deciding their votes observed attentively.

The panel discussion began with two-minute opening statements by one member of each ticket, where most used the opportunity to explain platform goals and emphasize their desire to "work for students."

Then the candidates played the game of five questions with issues focusing primarily on campaign goals, tuition reform, and the controversy surrounding USG this year.

The candidates were asked about their platform goals, and which of those objectives would be the easiest and the hardest to enforce.

Presidential candidate Jonathan Koltash (junior - finance and economics) stepped up to the microphone first explaining that his ticket's most difficult platform goal to implement will be to lobby alumni for money rather than state legislatures in Harrisburg.

University Health Services also proved to be a running theme throughout the evening.

Rubina Javeri (junior - finance and international business) said her ticket's easiest platform to implement would be the formation of on-line services at Ritenour where students can make and cancel appointments, and fulfill prescriptions via the Internet.

"Kris (Ankarlo) and I have already met with the director of health services and director of health education so that goal is already in the works," she said.

Vice-presidential candidate Chris Boris (junior-meteorology) took a more general matter as his team's most difficult platform: conquering student apathy.

"In the past election only one in six students voted," he said. "We have to get the word out this year."

However, presidential candidate Dave Somerman (sophomore-pre-medicine) said apathy is not the problem.

"Students are misinformed about politics at this university," he said. "We must empower them through information."

Somerman suggested the USG president write one article each week in The Daily Collegian highlighting political events.

The candidates were also asked how they would handle a situation where the executive branch and senate branch disagreed on issues, as many stated was the case this year.

"The gap should not exist in the first place," Ankarlo (senior-journalism) said as he paced energetically in front of the crowd.

"We need to get feedback from students and make your voices heard. This year's students drank Barium and now we see where the tumors lie."

Vice-presidential candidate Chris Miller (sophomore - mechanical engineering and economics) took a different approach, explaining that although disagreement within government is inevitable, the senate and executive branches need to find a middle ground on issues.

Miller and his running mate, Mike Gallo (junior - political science), both members of senate, voted in support of censuring current USG President Justin Zartman on Oct. 23.

Presidential candidate Erik Ives (junior-political science) also remarked on this action, saying it greatly disturbed him since it took away from the student voice.

However, it was the question regarding tuition which garnered the most heated candidates responses.

"The TCG (Tuition Challenge Grant) is nothing more than a political catch phrase to garner votes," Ives said. "It was implemented in the early 90s and abolished for a reason -- it is a terrible idea."

The Tuition Challenge Grant is an initiative that would deny part of the university's state funding if Penn State raises tuition and fees more than 4.5 percent.

Gallo, whose main platform is the enforcement of the TCG, openly disputed other candidates' not in support.

"We have to overcome the impudence of Zartman and Ankarlo running around lying to the administration and legislators," Gallo said as he tossed a box full of TCG reports, which he helped write, onto the table.

"Here, now everyone can read up on it."

However, there were other senate issues on which candidates also disagreed.

Presidential candidate Ed Brown (junior-political science) condemned the USG senate for not promoting rape cards, but funding $1,500 dollars to the College Republican trip to Washington, D.C.

On a positive note, several candidates commended the senate for its recent endorsement of keeping fall break where it is.

"The debate went well, especially this early in the season," said Election Commissioner Sam Spencer.

"This is the best way to get the platforms out there to the public," Spencer added.