ASMSU votes to back Penn State student government
Student government officials throughout the Big Ten are fighting for student input regarding decisions made by university officials at Penn State University. The university's administration seized control of the Undergraduate Student Government, or USG, and replaced it with the University Park Undergraduate Association, or UPUA, a student advocacy group. ASMSU, MSU's student government, created and passed a bill at its meeting last Thursday showing support for the USG and allowing Roger Ludy, ASMSU's Student Assembly chairperson, to contact Penn State University officials. The Penn State administration eliminated the USG's authority and appointed students to the UPUA, ASMSU officials said. In officially recognizing the USG, ASMSU joins eight of 11 universities within the Association of Big Ten Students, which is composed of Big Ten university undergraduate student governments. Julielyn Gibbons, external affairs vice chairperson for ASMSU's Student Assembly, said if roles were reversed, she would hope other schools would do the same and offer their support. "Unlike ASMSU and other student governments in the Big Ten, we have no power none," said Nick Stathes, USG's president.