The recent Undergraduate Student Government (USG) initiative to create a shuttle running to Lot 83 is the perfect example of how student government should work for this or any college campus.

The bus, running every 15 minutes and serving residence areas on campus, is a positive addition to Penn State. This service will prevent students from having to walk alone in the dark or in inclement weather.

USG Senate and Academic Assembly should follow the lead of President Galen Foulke, aiming to achieve these smaller targets.

While big, lofty goals look good on paper, it's hard to make them happen.

Foulke initiated the Lot 83 shuttle amid dealing with an impeachment trial and other responsibilities as USG president.

Other USG members should follow his lead and work toward smaller - but just as important - changes.

Serving only a year understandably makes it hard for large-scale changes to come about, which is even more reason to work toward smaller, more manageable goals. The U.S. government, which USG is based upon, spends the majority of its time doing little things like routine spending initiatives and allocations, not the big things that make headlines.

USG should function in the same way.

Most of these initiatives have come through the executive branch, and the senate should jump on the bandwagon of these simple things that everyone can basically agree on. In fact, senators should come up with more of their own initiatives before their terms end.

Instead of fighting about bylaws and trying to impeach the president, USG members should realize that students will actually respect their leaders if they can see tangible examples of change.

For example, Foulke and Vice President Luke Adams want to bring a Web camera into the White Building so students can monitor the length of the line to get into gym areas. They've found that the cost of the camera might be unaffordable, so they're looking into more of a compromise: having a Web site updated at regular intervals by White Building employees who monitor the length of line.

To some, this might sound like a dumb thing to implement: Why shouldn't students just pick up the phone and call the White Building to check on the line? Or, if you really want to go to the gym, why not put up with the lines?

But these little things are what Penn State students care about. USG should rid itself of the power-trip that has seemed to highlight last semester, and instead think about accomplishing tangible goals before elections come around in a few months.