Today, I write to end the recent debate concerning Safeguard Old State (SOS).
SOS is a coalition of active student leaders pushing for students to have a more powerful voice.
Almost our entire membership is made up of students with student representation experience who are essentially fed up with being mere peons. Our goal is simple: to advocate for a real student voice, one that works in shared governance with the administrators.
A few weeks ago, SOS attended the Association of Big Ten Students (ABTS) conference, where we received a great deal of support for effective student representation.
Having the support of the Big Ten is great, but we as an organization realize it means nothing if we don't gain the support of the Penn State community. SOS wants student representation on par with our Big Ten peers.
This means having control over our activity and student representation.
At the conference, Penn State was basically the red headed stepchild of Big Ten student governments.
I applaud my fellow students who are able to work in the system in its current form. The real question is, though, should you have to? Our objective in SOS is to work to reform student representation, but at the same time, work on students' behalf by advocating for their rights.
The most recent editorial (Sept. 5; "Student gov't: Focus on students") talked about the football lottery reversal as an example of students making change happen.
However, the editorial failed to mention that SOS actually contacted the facebook.com group administrators to set up a rally. In less than 24 hours, we cut through the red tape that usually takes weeks to gain a permit to hold a rally at Old Main. Shortly after, the administration reversed the decision.
In the end, we held a rally to celebrate the students' voices finally being heard.
Our student voice spent a whole year working on a constitution to drastically change the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) and put it on par with other Big Ten schools. The administration's rejecting it is a slap in the face, and SOS advocates against issues like this.
If students have issues at this university, they need someone to advocate on their behalf. That is what SOS is here to do. At the same time, UPUA shouldn't be about mere advocacy and should work with administrators on student projects. Ohio State last year worked with their borough and administration to lead a $400,000 lighting initiative to make the campus safer.
Another example is the town police chief meeting with Michigan State's student government to talk about community issues. Last year, UPUA's big projects were planting trees and asking if you want vanilla or chocolate at an ice cream social.
The UPUA is filled with intelligent and creative individuals, many who joined SOS. My greatest hope is they will finally realize their potential and change Penn State into the glorious student-centered university it should be. Until then, Safeguard Old State will continue to fight for the glory.
Gavin Keirans is the president of Safeguard Old State and is a sophomore majoring in business administration. His e-mail address is gavin@safeguardoldstate.org.
