This Valentines Day, university President Graham Spanier was given some unique gifts -- dozens of them, in fact.

Members of anti-sweatshop advocacy groups, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), emptied a box of candy, cards and messages censuring Penn States use of sweatshop labor in apparel on the floor of Spanier's office. The group was specifically protesting the university's contract with New Era, an Alabama company with reported workers' rights violations.

Post-delivery, though, the group saw its tokens of affection discarded by others in the office. The president himself was out of the office. Not to be discouraged, the next day group members staged a wiffleball game in the lobby of Old Main. Destructive? Possibly. Creative? Definitely.

But we've come to expect -- and appreciate -- this level of diligence in demanding the attention of an often non-responsive administration from these groups.

From the traditional march across the campus to the blanketing of Old Main with letters opposing the use of sweatshop labor, the persistent, attention-grabbing acts of protest have proven USAS and SLAP to be one of the most consistently active activists on campus.

Student activism works. Though campus protests have lulled since their heyday in the '60s, it has been proven through countless protests that student activism has the ability to influence decision making.

Though not at Penn State, this fact was proven again regarding New Era in January. The University of Wisconsin-Madison withdrew its contract with the company after students brought their protests to the university. Students spoke, the administration listened.

The clear and persistent voices of students do have the power to bring about change, and USAS and SLAP understand this.

However, the power to influence comes not only in the presence of voices, but in the number of them -- an area of needed improvement for USAS and SLAP.

In a recent phone call campaign to Spanier's office, about 100 people participated, but many of these were not students. When it comes to demanding attention, there is strength in numbers. And in order to succeed, the student body must be behind an anti-sweatshop movement.

Penn State's recent stance on the issue of maintaining a contract with New Era has been to determine action based on a report by the Worker Rights Consortium, due for release in March.

Following the release of the report, the groups must hold the university accountable to their commitment to act on the WRC's findings.

We can't wait to see what you have planned for March.