Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president Nick Stathes sent a letter Friday to more than 700 student organization leaders requesting support for a student-led constitutional convention.

"Our main objective is to publicize it as best as we possibly can," Stathes said. "My goal is to make students aware that this con vention is going to happen."

Stathes said the mass e-mail may clash with administrative policy.

"Because what I sent is something that student affairs wishes not to happen, I'd be surprised if I don't receive some sort of reprimand from the university," he said.

The convention is designed to give students the opportunity to voice concerns about Penn State's student representation, examine the structure and operation of USG and propose new roles for the student government.

The constitutional convention will be open to all interested students and representative of the entire student body. Stathes said this is unlike constitutional decisions made by the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), the voice of the student body that university administration has chosen to recognize.

"Their meetings were held in secret, but ours will be open to anyone," he said. "UPUA said they were striving for efficiency. Efficiency? It's like, why have a student government? We might as well have a dictator. Their ideas would be better received in the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Attached in Stathes' letter a constitutional convention chairperson application, which is due at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the USG office, 221A HUB. Delegate applications will be made available shortly, Stathes said.

"So far, there haven't been any applicants for leadership positions," Bryan Peach, USG press secretary, said. "But we are anticipating a good response."

Peach said USG will follow a "hands-off" approach once the convention is underway.

"We wanted to get the ball rolling and back off," he said. "We would prefer that a student from USG not apply for the leadership position."

Several individuals were approached to consider the chairperson position. Among those approached was University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) presidential candidate, Jay Bundy.

"It's good for us to come together formally," Bundy said. "However, I don't think that it's the constitution that's the problem. We shouldn't beat ourselves up over a document that the university will be perfectly fine to ignore."

The convention should focus more on how to have ideas heard by the administration, Bundy said.

"[Stathes] feels that advocacy is a rhetorical thing," he said. "But real advocacy is stepping up on someone's behalf."

Bundy said he will consider applying for chair of the constitutional convention.

Seth Bender, president of College Republicans, said he has not ruled out a run for the position.

"I think it's a great opportunity to filter the input of all the students into a single body on campus," he said. "[Stathes] has the right ideas of what to do. I would consider joining, but I think everyone should get involved."

However, not all club leaders are enthused by Stathes' letter.

"We are trying to stay out of that whole process," Elena Cross, president of College Democrats, said. "If you want to join, more power to you, but our purpose is to get involved with the real government."