The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate's Web site states that its purpose is to "represent student life interests at Penn State."

At tonight's meeting, the Senate must take the appropriate steps to ensure this representation continues.

Because of recent violations of the USG constitution, USG Supreme Court issued a decree threatening to suspend the Senate if it does not resolve the violations.

The court set an agenda for the beginning of tonight's meeting, ordering the Senate to vote on the appointment of associate justice candidate Evan Yudell. Last week, the Senate defied a court order to approve or deny Yudell.

The decree also orders Senate to take minutes during closed sessions, which it failed to do at its Jan. 14 meeting. After that meeting, the USG Supreme Court filed an injunction, instructing the Senate to take minutes during all closed sessions.

The Senate violated the court's order when minutes where not taken during a closed session at last week's meeting.

The court's decree also included an order that the Senate comply with all other governing documents within USG.

It's discouraging that the Senate has to be ordered by court decree to follow its own governing documents. Though many details of the court's decree might sound confusing, they aren't. All the USG Supreme Court is doing is ordering the Senate to comply with the USG constitution.

After the Jan. 14 meeting, the court even made it easy for the Senate by issuing two specific orders regarding the Yudell and closed session matters. Both were ignored by the Senate at last week's meeting.

Now these violations could lead to the entire student body being left without representation until the next USG election in March.

Senate President Bridget Van Osten said she expects the Senate to comply with the decree at tonight's meeting.

If students are to have a voice for the rest of the semester, it must.

The Senate is a primary means of passing legislation important to students and of presenting student concerns to the administration.

Students elected members of the Senate with the expectation they would perform this duty for the entire year. The Senate cannot jeopardize this obligation.

Further, the Senate should not have to be threatened in order for it to pay attention to its own constitution.

In the future, members of the Senate need to take steps to ensure the threat of suspension does not happen again by being vigilant in complying with proper operating procedures. It's what the student body deserves.