Andrew Karasik

Student government is vital to the success of a student-centered university. As such, UPUA is a fundamental part of creating a successful and enriching student environment both on and off campus. We as students are, by any reasonable analysis, the most important group on campus. The administration needs to listen to us and respond to all our needs. Every decision that affects us, both directly and indirectly, must be the result of thorough student input and feedback. When this process fails, students lose the ability to realistically control their own education.

UPUA is the vital conduit for student input and feedback. It is primarily an advocacy organization for all undergraduates on campus and should act as such. Granted, UPUA has come a long way since its creation, and that is a success we can all be proud of; but UPUA needs to be held accountable for its failures as well. Far too often, well-intentioned discussions among UPUA members devolve into sessions of bickering and posturing—this lack of unity has stalled student progress the past year, and students have suffered as a result. Failures like these are inevitable when representatives become too focused on their own causes and cease to communicate meaningfully with those they represent. Effective government cannot exist without such communication. As a representative of UPUA, I will work tirelessly to increase communication between students and their government, to ensure that UPUA is representing our interests and not the interests of outside organizations. I will work tirelessly to ensure that your needs and your concerns echo through Old Main. I have always believed that Student government is a partnership between the students and their respective leaders. Only through this partnership can students regain trust in their leaders; and only then can Penn State become the student-centered university we all know it should be.