The Undergraduate Student Government elections are today and as students sit down to cast their ballots (www.vote.psu.edu), the six presidential candidates are pushing their platforms into the final hours of campaign time.

Goals run the gamut, including better health service, tuition and the age-old problem of student apathy.

"Issues are important but students have to pay attention to what goals are feasible. The position does not come with a magic wand to wave around and fix student concerns," said current USG President Justin Zartman.

He also mentioned several attributes a person needs to best fill the executive post.

"It takes someone who is willing to listen to others and not make hasty decisions, a person with knowledge of student government and someone with stamina because it's a long year filled with a lot of issues," Zartman said.

Erik Ives (junior-political science) said his ticket's main goal is a music festival similar to Movin' On, which would be held downtown during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts this summer.

"Arts Fest is not geared toward students; this will give them something to do over the weekend," Ives said.

He hopes to have local bands play during the day and headliner bands perform at night.

"People talk about riot prevention, but what we need to be is be proactive and work with the town and the borough," Ives added. "This is a start."

Although he has not asked the University Park Allocation Committee for summer funding yet, Ives said even if he is not elected tonight, he still plans on pursuing this project.

On the other hand, Jonathon Koltash (junior-finance and economics) adopted a broader issue as his main platform.

"We need to hold this university accountable," he said.

This plan includes improving judicial affairs, classroom conditions, medical services, parking facilities and the general spending of university funds.

He has already begun to contact alumni regarding these matters.

Ed Brown (junior-political science) decided to concentrate on tackling student apathy.

If elected, the ticket plans on televising USG meetings.

Rubina Javeri (junior-finance and international business) said her top goal is to form a union of off-campus students, which will advocate for student rights within the borough.

"This is an all encompassing project," she said. "It includes CATA (Centre Area Transportation Authority), apartments and higher student representation in town."

Javeri said she has already spoken with people in the borough and plans to work on it more with town senators.

Instead of town issues, the Dave Somerman (sophomore-premedicine) ticket plans to work for better campus health care.

"I think we should have Ritenour insure itself and have students pay at the start of the year," said Somerman, who is an EMT for University Ambulance Services.

To achieve this, the running mates have already met with the director of University Health Services, Dr. Margaret Spear, and Associate Director for Administrative Services, David Lindstrom.

Mike Gallo (junior-political science) chose the Tuition Challenge Grant, a project he has researched all year as a member of senate, as his most important goal.

The TCG is a program that would make a part of the university's state appropriations dependent on a tuition increase of no more than 4.5 percent

"Tuition automatically affects every student here on campus and we are already working the TCG out," Gallo said.

He and his vice presidential running mate, Chris Miller (sophomore-mechanical engineering and economics) have compiled a report on the subject and have met with nearly 20 legislators in Harrisburg to discuss it.

"It's (TCG project) going well; there's been good input," Gallo said. "Right now we're just going to campaign until 10 p.m. (tonight)."