The official ballot for the March 30 Undergraduate Student Government (USG) election was released yesterday at noon with seven executive tickets competing president and vice president and 24 students vying for 27 USG Senate seats.

Elections Special Counsel Shawn Gordon said the large turnout of candidates may be because of recent controversies in USG.

Last year there were five executive tickets and 12 students running for Senate.

The 24 students running for Senate are Samantha Rubinton, East Halls; Nick Klein, Eastview Terrace; Richard Rump, Alex Ibrahim, North Halls; Margaret Emerick, Michael Tomaselli, Pollock Halls; Kim Roth, Brock Coleman, Henry Hund, South Halls; Nicholas Stathes, Patrick Bond, Joshua Ream, Matthew Cravitz, Alfred Fluehr, Vicky Cangelosi, Corey Bartholomew, Mary Ellen Oleksiuk, Keith Crouse, Charles Buchanan, Andy Banducci, Mikhail Hutton, Richard Pastena, Town; Ron Capurso, Leigh Silkunas; West Halls.

There are still open seats for East Halls, Eastview Terrace and Town senators.

The first meet-the-candidates session will be held from 4:30 until 7 p.m. tomorrow in Findlay Commons.

The presidential candidates and three of each of their platform goals include:

Galen Foulke (junior-premedicine) and Luke Adams (junior-premedicine):

Incorporate small amenities on campus to improve student experience

Make the campus a more welcoming and accepting community

See the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee adopted

Mahmoud Ablan (junior-political science) and Kyle Aucker (junior-industrial engineering):

Reduce cost of liability insurance for Greek organizations

Initiate mandatory diversity and sexual assault training for student leaders

Work to increase state funding and lower student tuition

Nicholas Palazzo (sophomore-business) and Nicholas Guiliano (freshman-finance)

Update the university policy regarding privacy

Improve relationship between USG and Greek organizations

Increase student involvement in student government

Michael Peters (sophomore-political science and psychology) and Ross Moore (junior-mechanical and nuclear engineering):

Improve Late Night Penn State

Implement forums to foster cooperation between student organizations and USG

Create a system to match students' interests with on-campus groups

Robert Dinkelspiel (junior-business management) and Joseph Budd (junior-finance):

Weekly "fireside chats" in the HUB-Robeson Center and radio address

Incorporate Race Relations Projects and Straight Talks into First Year Seminar (FYS)

Utilize HUB space better by using Alumni or Heritage Hall for student lunches

Scott Sherbine (junior-communication arts and sciences) and Alex Ibrahim (sophomore-political science):

Increase lobbying trips to Harrisburg and ask administration to cut down costs

Reunite the legislative bodies of USG to ensure maximum benefits for students

Create neighborhood watches to increase campus safety

Mark Taticchi (sophomore-political science and economics) Rodney Hughes (sophomore-economics):

Incorporate diversity and student safety into FYS

Put required student textbooks online

Make USG more student centered