More than 20 students and professors gathered outside Old Main this afternoon asking Penn State to adopt anti-sweatshop policies.

Members of United Students Against Sweatshop's (USAS), the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) and other concerned members of the Penn State community marched from the HUB-Robeson Center to the steps of Old Main with signs demanding that the university adopt the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP).

The DSP is a plan designed to ensure that licensed apparel for universities is not being made in sweatshops, and has been adopted by more than 20 universities nationwide. Penn State has said in the past that it cannot adopt the plan because of anti-trust issues.

Erin Davis, a member of USAS, said the event aimed to educate the community on the structure and implications of the DSP.

"It's mostly to clarify what the DSP is," Davis said. "A lot of people can identify the DSP with us as a group, but they don't know exactly what it is, what it means or what it entails."

The rally lasted about an hour and included readings of testimonials of former sweat-shop workers, a play about Penn State's involvement in the labor supply chain, and an informative speech about the elements of the DSP.

Check tomorrow's edition of the Daily Collegian for more details.

The main problem will be financing the project, which council member Tom Daubert said will have to come from the private sector.

Costs for construction have not yet been determined, but the "base contract value is $92,000," said Troy Truax of Delta Development Group Inc.

"It's going to be a very slow process ... it is not something that is going to be done in five or six years," Daubert said.

Council members stressed that the plan needs to be prioritized so work can begin immediately.

"I think we need to figure out a way to get this thing moving yesterday," council member Jeff Kern said.

Kern said he would like the development group to provide a prioritized list of tasks to move the plan forward quicker.

"There are many pieces that have to be put into place for this to build a positive momentum," council member Elizabeth Goreham said. "It is a very ambitious plan that could have very positive results."