Gillian Sorensen wants Penn State students to get their acts together, and the rest of the country, too.

Sorensen, who left the United Nations two years ago after 20 years of service, travels around the world to speak about international issues and volunteerism.

She shared her thoughts with an audience of about 80 people last night in the HUB Auditorium, urging students to study abroad, vote and read The New York Times.

"If you read USA Today, you won't know anything," Sorensen said.

Sorensen, who lived in France for one year and recently sent her daughter to Morocco with the Peace Corps, stressed the importance of international experience in all fields. She discussed opportunities in business, education, law, health and journalism.

"Her points are valid because the more helpful, knowledgeable, active people there are, the better," said Nivedita Bhushan (freshman-economics.)

Sorensen also encouraged audience members to hold their government accountable and to run for office.

"You must make it known that you care, you vote and you hold your leaders accountable," she said. "We need courageous candidates who think as global citizens."

She said that as a nation, the United States needs to fully pay its dues to the United Nations.

Also, it needs to stop demeaning the organization, trust Secretary General Kofi Annan as a world leader and sign international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol.

"We can afford to do more, and we certainly should," she said. "We should see the U.N. as the imperfect but indispensable unit that it is."

Ian McCann (senior-political science) said he came to hear about international volunteerism because he is considering joining the Peace Corps after graduation.

"On a national and political level, it is really hard to make changes," he said.