Undergraduate Student Government (USG) senators say it has been a productive semester focused on tuition, safety and technological issues on and off campus, and these projects will continue into the next semester.

USG Senate President Andy Banducci said this year's Senate is relatively young and inexperienced with different opinions and backgrounds, but senators have shown enthusiasm.

Banducci said one of the Senate's biggest accomplishments was the "Extend the Freeze to University Park" rally at Old Main last month.

The rally, organized by Town Sen. Vicky Cangelosi, the governmental affairs chairwoman, allowed senators and students to speak out about a tuition freeze at 20 of the 23 Penn State campuses, excluding University Park, pending state appropriations.

The event collected about 413 signatures by passers-by asking the university to extend the freeze.

Banducci said addressing tuition concerns is what student government should be doing.

He added that the group members' role as student representatives involves lobbying state legislators and the administration.

Cangelosi recently asked senators to draft letters to their state representatives asking for more funding. Cangelosi said she wants to organize Harrisburg lobbying trips next semester.

Banducci said that besides working on projects, the Senate has done some internal work to smooth out Senate processes through legislation.

South Halls Sen. Brock Coleman, internal affairs chairman, said the committee has worked on the USG elections code. Coleman said the elections code process has slowed to let USG President Galen Foulke's redevelopment plan and a student referendum play out.

Student Services Chairman Ron Capurso, a West Halls senator, said the committee has focused on trying to get book lists onto eLion, amending requirements for teaching assistant proficiency and creating senator profiles on the USG Web site.

"We took on some pretty lofty goals," Capurso said. "But we are making progress, and we do intend to complete all the projects by the end of the year."

Coleman has worked with East Halls Sen. Holly Vergara, operations committee chairwoman, to try to get student auxiliary officers credits for their duties. Coleman said he and Vergara have talked to Penn State University Police and will pursue the project more next semester.

Vergara said the operations committee had a slow start because members took office later in the year. The committee has addressed safety issues, including lighting on campus and Centre Area Transportation Authority buses.

The committee held a campus walk to evaluate the lighting on campus at night. Vergara said the committee found a few places on campus that were too dark and other places with lamps but no bulbs.