Tom Shakely is not interested in student government.

The former University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) off-campus representative, who is currently Safeguard Old State (SOS) director of advocacy initiative, LION 90.7 FM "Radio Free Penn State" on-air personality and newly-appointed UPUA Webmaster, said he thinks student government is an "ineffective system."

"Student government doesn't interest me, and I don't really see myself as involved with student government, which doesn't seem as strange," he said, "but I see myself getting involved more in the area of student advocacy, I guess."

Shakely is arguably one of the more outspoken students on campus as he co-founded SOS, which classifies itself as an "organization fighting to preserve the rights and traditions of Penn Staters" and blogs on its Web site.

"It's such a struggle just to make change happen that sometimes you have to make sure you only take 12 credits a semester, make sure that you lessen your burdens here and there and miss a meeting here and there just to make little bits of change happen," he said.

Missing meetings, however, is not a likely occurrence for Shakely.

Just a few weeks ago, he and his SOS colleagues met with interim Vice President for Student Affairs Gail Hurley.

Shakely told Hurley he became involved with UPUA as it embarked on its sophomore year of existence even though "the first master you have to serve is the administration."

So what to do? If you're Tom Shakely, you call on SOS.

"There hasn't, for a long time at Penn State, been an organization here that says, 'are your rights being trampled? Are your traditions disappearing? Are you being marginalized?' " he said.

"Whether you're a club or a student ... we'll fight for you. That's what we're here to do."

Shakely sees both SOS and UPUA, the student government recognized by the administration, as peacefully co-existing with one another, both focused on separate -- but equally important -- goals.

Shakely maintains he has a "cordial" relationship with the administration, despite SOS attributes like the Vicky Triponey Timeline of Terror -- which was halted when Triponey, former Vice President of Student Affairs, resigned unexpectedly in September -- and the daily "Safeguard Old State Scary Facts," both found on the organization's Web site, www.safeguardoldstate.org.

"Since we're able to work cooperatively with the administration, but at the same time keep it at an arm's length, we're at a safe spot," he said.

"They know what my motives are as far as ... students and their rights go, and I know that their motives are to protect the system and maintain the status quo in general."

Still, Shakely said he wants to see change, especially in the student body.

"Unless you're in a position as I am ... they know you as a number ... you're one of the mass of 42,000," he said.

"You shouldn't have to be in the spot that people in student government are."

Despite this, Shakely is confident in the "engaged and not apathetic" Penn State student body.

"The state of the student consciousness is one that's aware," he said.

"Whether we have our specific issues like Paternoville, like the student activity fee, the Board of Trustees candidates, CATA buses, drinking problems, how Judicial Affairs works, all this kind of stuff ... we all care about something.

"And that's what we're here to harness because no one else is doing the job," he said.