The "I Decide" campaign came to an early end yesterday after campaign leaders were not allowed to hold a rally in the HUB-Robeson Center.

The national campaign came to Penn State Sunday as part of a nationwide non-partisan effort to encourage voting among young people.

"We passed out 400 T-shirts yesterday and held a banner [in the HUB] today to further promote the message," said Rebecca Leventhal, a campaign organizer from Harvard University. "We wanted to hold a rally, but the building operators wouldn't let us."

The original plan was to have all the students who received the free, white "I Decide -- November 2, 2004" T-shirts meet in the HUB at noon yesterday to show their commitment to voting. However, at 12:10 p.m., there were only about 20 people surrounding the giant, yellow "I Decide" banner.

Leventhal said since there could not be a rally, no one stuck around.

Becky Miller, a staff assistant for the Events Management Office, said that since the campaign was not a university entity, it needed sponsorship from a university department or a student group to hold a rally on university property.

"If a student organization would have been sponsoring the rally, it would have been able to happen," Miller said.

The "I Decide" campaign was started by students at Harvard University's Winthrop House, including Leventhal and Leslie Bishop. Their friend Chris Mason, from Southern Methodist University in Texas, also came to Penn State to help spread the message.

"We were told we are not allowed to give out papers and solicit people because we are not formally associated with any campus group," Mason said.

"And we're not associated with any group because the campaign is just about voting," he added.

Miller said in order for information to be distributed in the HUB, the events office needs to know what information is being asked for or distributed.

Although the campaign is not formally associated with any group on campus, the students of Harvard's Winthrop House contacted the College Democrats to get their help in spreading the message.

Adam Moyer (sophomore-biology and Spanish) said he received an e-mail message about the campaign from College Democrats President Megan Green.

Becky Kimber (junior-special education), another College Democrats member who went to the HUB at noon, said most of the people handing out the T-shirts Sunday were also members of the College Democrats. "Even though I am a part of the College Democrats, it's not about which way you vote," Kimber said. "It's important for all student voices to be heard because it hasn't been that way in the past."

Matt Dailey (freshman-psychology) said that after the campaign's representatives leave, College Democrats would try to continue the effort, despite the short notice.

"We still have to coordinate things," Dailey said. "This is just one of many steps."

With the Columbus Day holiday passed, Leventhal, Bishop and Mason said they are headed back to school. However, while they continue to work with schools in Boston, other students are taking the campaign to Ohio State University and Florida State University in the upcoming weeks. Bishop said she hopes the word continues to spread at Penn State through word of mouth and e-mail.

"We are just young people. We're not trying to be anything else," Bishop said. "By making it cool, we are hoping people will vote and get informed."