Safeguard Old State (SOS), an organization that exists "to foster and preserve a truly student-centered Penn State," has started to satisfy its membership with students they believe have extensive student government experience.
The organization, which recently gained club status, runs a blogging Web site, www.safeguardoldstate.org, and lobbies to the university on behalf of students.
Despite the fact that the administration recognizes the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) as the official voice of the student body, SOS -- a group SOS executive director Gavin Keirans described as "dedicated to making change throughout the school" -- has grown to between 25 and 30 members.
Tom Shakely, SOS director of advocacy initiatives and LION 90.7 FM vice president, said some students had different motives when choosing the organization with which to become involved.
"The reason you see more experienced leaders getting involved in Safeguard Old State than UPUA is [because] change can be more effective for SOS ... than it can be for UPUA," he said.
Shakely said there was a reason that, although "one-third of the people in UPUA are at least members or sympathizers [of] SOS," some SOS members commit solely to the club.
"Student government has long been characterized for those kind of people who join just to pad their resume," he said. "You see a more clearly defined mission in Safeguard Old State."
UPUA president Hillary Lewis said she hadn't "thought" or "cared" about students joining SOS as opposed to UPUA, adding she's more focused on improving student life.
"I think joining SOS is easy. You just go to meetings," she said. "To join UPUA is tedious; you have to be elected, you have to be appointed. There's an extensive, extensive process," she said.
SOS is also seeing members join the organization who were previously involved in the former student government, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). Among those with USG experience on their resumes is Pat Daley, currently serving on SOS's student rights committee. Daley served as USG's vice president last year, spearheaded the "Know Your Rights" campaign and presided over the USG senate.
"I think that having USG experience is a really good way to hit the ground running because USG worked on a lot of the same issues that SOS is working on," Daley said.
Daley called his peers "very spirited, very enthusiastic."
"As I walk out of meetings, I always think to myself, 'these are incredibly intelligent people'," he said.
SOS director of alumni relations Annie Bontempo splits her time between both SOS and UPUA, serving as a UPUA representative. She said she sees SOS and UPUA as two different organizations with separate goals.
"UPUA, I think, deals more with current goings-on with the campus and SOS is more about protecting rights and traditions on campus," she said.
SOS also boasts a student who gained renown last year for getting students to party while staying organized. Joe Veltre, now SOS student rights director, spearheaded the "State Patty's Day" campaign last spring, organizing a school-wide effort to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 2 because the holiday's calendar date fell during spring break.
"My personality allows me to really get out there and contact people," Veltre said.
Shakely said SOS's collective past contributes to the legitimacy of his organization.
"It runs a gamut of experience in student advocacy and student leadership in Penn State," he said. "I think we're pretty well stocked."
