http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/campus-group-connpirg-urges-impressive-student-activism Campus Group ConnPIRG Urges Impressive Student Activism http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/campus-group-connpirg-urges-impressive-student-activism Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:25:57 -0600 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/the-daily-campuswhere-uconn-goes-from-here http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/the-daily-campuswhere-uconn-goes-from-here Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/group-works-to-develop-community-bike-program-for-students Group Works To Develop Community Bike Program For Students http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/group-works-to-develop-community-bike-program-for-students Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/group-seeks-to-reduce-plastic-water-bottle-use-the-trinity-tripod Group Seeks to Reduce Plastic Water Bottle Use http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/group-seeks-to-reduce-plastic-water-bottle-use-the-trinity-tripod Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/new-law-may-save-you-bundles  New Law May Save You Bundles http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/new-law-may-save-you-bundles Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/college-textbook-bill-should-be-passed-lte College Textbook Bill Should Be Passed http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/college-textbook-bill-should-be-passed-lte Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/students-face-uphill-battle-against-textbook-costs By: Tom ClearyFairfield English http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/students-face-uphill-battle-against-textbook-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/waking-the-sleeping-giant By: Kala KachmarYouth voters aged http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/waking-the-sleeping-giant Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/young-voices-demand-green-agenda-in-d_c By: Jessica SilberWith a year http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/young-voices-demand-green-agenda-in-d_c Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/political-organizations-campaign-to-raise-awareness As the 2008 presidential election approaches, the question of http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/political-organizations-campaign-to-raise-awareness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/voices-of-homelessness-speak By: Vanessa JoyAn eye-opening http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/voices-of-homelessness-speak Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/state-legislators-fight-for-lower-book-costs By: Danielle HooThe increasingly http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/state-legislators-fight-for-lower-book-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/campaign-fights-to-end-homelessness By: Diane PauleyCollege campuses are making an effort to combat homelessness across America. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/campaign-fights-to-end-homelessness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-hosts-car-show Two unlikely groups will unite in the middle of Fairfield Way for a car show today between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-hosts-car-show Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/bush-signs-college-cost-reduction-act By: Kala KachmarPresident Bush http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/bush-signs-college-cost-reduction-act Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/bush-signs-college-aid-bill-into-law By Audrey M. MarksPresident Bush signed legislation Thursday that will make college more affordable for students in need. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/bush-signs-college-aid-bill-into-law Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/the-poster-child By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief<a http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/the-poster-child Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swiping-for-a-good-cause If you went to any one of the dining halls on campus last night for http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swiping-for-a-good-cause Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/vote-yes-for-connpirg-in-upcoming-elections Ah yes, spring is in the air. There are so many wonderful reasons to love the season. Personally, even more than listening to birds chirping outside my window and basking in the sun's warmth, I am looking forward to one thing above all else - SGA's spring elections.As they rapidly approach, however, I have a hunch that many people may not be aware that there will be a special question on the ballot - one that only appears every two years - concerning one of Trinity's most important groups: ConnPIRG.Because ConnPIRG is affiliated with a national organization, it must go through a reaffirmation vote here on campus in order to remain officially recognized by the College.I strongly believe that every student should vote yes on April 11 to keep ConnPIRG around.For anyone that doesn't know, ConnPIRG actually does a lot, but before I get into that, I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, I'll tell you about how ConnPIRG became an organization without compare. (Sorry, but I couldn't help but steal a line from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.") The PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) were started in the 1970s by Ralph Nader and a group of students who got together and pooled their money to hire advocates to make their voices heard.ConnPIRG is one of the oldest PIRGs. The Trinity chapter has been here for over 30 years (so it'd be a shame to see it go). ConnPIRG, including the Trinity chapter, has been involved with major undertakings in the past and to this day, ranging from advocating bills to protect consumers from identity theft and to alert parents to dangerous toys, to pressuring Congress to pass a national new car lemon law.Last year, in an action that more directly affects students, ConnPIRG helped in getting the Connecticut State legislature to require textbook publishers to make their prices available to faculty. Students at Trinity, University of Connecticut at Hartford, and University of Connecticut at Storrs collected signatures to make this a reality. Also, more recently and specifically at Trinity, ConnPIRG's three main campaigns have achieved major successes. With the Hunger and Homelessness campaign, over $20,000 was raised to help local shelters and service agencies keep operating.In addition to this, Hunger and Homelessness held several food drives and hosted a number of events to raise awareness for these two social issues. Through the New Voters Project (most active during the fall before the November mid-term elections), there was a 30 percent voter increase at the Trinity polling place.And with the Campus Climate Challenge campaign, which focuses on addressing the problem of global warming, over 800 incandescent light bulbs were switched to energy-efficient compact fluorescent ones, thanks to donations from the Building and Grounds Department, as well as from General Electric.Overall, ConnPIRG is an active, effective organization, and definitely a valuable asset to have on campus. Instead of just talking about problems, this group actually goes out and does things to solve them.What's more, every Trinity student pays a waivable $5 fee on their term bills that allows ConnPIRG to hire staff to make an impact off-campus as well. So, as you can see, there should be support for ConnPIRG's initiatives, starting with a yes vote on April 11.For more information about ConnPIRG, please contact Katie Kleese, Campus Organizer. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/vote-yes-for-connpirg-in-upcoming-elections Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/hunger-101-highlights-local-issue It is a common misconception that hunger is more of a global than a local issue, but roughly 100,000 people in Connecticut suffer from food insecurity. Of these 100,000 people, 40,000 are children.Tuesday night ConnPIRG (Public Interest Research Group) held a Hunger 101 workshop in the Student Union to raise hunger awareness. The leaders of the workshop were employees from Foodshare, a regional food bank that distributes to Hartford and Tolland Counties. Foodshare distributes 11 tons of food to 40 locations (including daycares, food pantries and soup kitchens) on a daily basis. Foodshare operates with the assistance of about 1,800 volunteers.The Hunger 101 workshop is presented locally to different schools and universities, faith communities and companies. There are several different versions of the workshop, each altered to cater to their respective audience. Hunger 101's aim is to find a way to explain to middle class citizens how people fall into poverty and into situations with low food security."Hunger is more prevalent in Connecticut than students think or want to think and it's really important to understand how big of a problem it really is," said Josh Shulman, a 2nd-semester political science major. Shulman is an intern for ConnPIRG and was responsible for arranging the Hunger 101 workshop. "It [hunger] is not something that has to continue."The workshop included an eight-minute video, presented by Shoprite, entitled "Hunger Next Door." The video interviewed various impoverished families who have fallen on hard times. Fires, unemployment and unpaid child support were among reasons for the documented families' poverty. Although the families endured hardship, they remained surprisingly optimistic about the future. One man who was struggling to feed his family explained that "there's always tomorrow." According to the video, the USDA estimates that in the United States, 10.5 million adults and 12 million children suffer from food insecurity.The workshop gave students an opportunity to experience what it is like for someone struggling with food insecurity. Participants were given a refrigerator card that included a description of a new identity and a budget to work with in order to buy food for their new fictional family.There were four stations that participants could visit, in an attempt to secure their family's dinner for that night. The stations included a small grocery store, with limited merchandise, a food pantry that was operated by a disgruntled worker, an opportunity to apply for emergency money, which proved to be impossible because the forms were in Spanish, and human services, which were not very inclined to hand out food stamps. Some participants had restrictions such as not owning an oven or not being documented, which created further challenges in securing food. Needless to say, the struggle to obtain food, much like the struggle that many in the local area experience, was frustrating and difficult."I think that [the Hunger 101 workshop] is a really good program and showed how frustrating it is for people who get by on almost nothing," Megan Corning, a 2nd-semester psychology major and member of ConnPIRG said. "It definitely did a good job showing how [hunger] is a big problem in our community. We think of hunger as something not local."ConnPIRG is participating in the 23rd annual Hunger Clean Up on April 14, which is a day of volunteering at local hunger and homelessness relief agencies and fund-raising in an attempt to alleviate and end local hunger. The Hunger Clean Up also makes an effort to raise awareness in the community."One thing that I've learned is students who talk a risk and get involved now will be more likely to get involved later," Sarah Santora, the volunteer services representative for Foodshare said. "This generation will be a bigger resource, because [community] service is often required for service clubs, faith communities and it really helps." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/hunger-101-highlights-local-issue Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-divests-from-darfur Desperate to raise awareness of modern-day genocide, UConn activists left bodies strewn across Fairfield Way yesterday.Around http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-divests-from-darfur Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-seeks-to-end-state-hunger During the month of March, members of Trinity's chapter of ConnPIRG, http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-seeks-to-end-state-hunger Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/spring-campus-climate-challenge-begins In the now famous film "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore declares that http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/spring-campus-climate-challenge-begins Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/details-on-the-state-of-the-union-by-connpirg In the 2006 State of the Union, President Bush acknowledged that http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news2/details-on-the-state-of-the-union-by-connpirg Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/faces-of-homelessness-speak Stereotypes were dispelled and eyes were opened when two formerly-homeless people spoke to students to raise awareness of homelessness.The second annual Faces of Homelessness Panel, an event hosted by the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group, was held Thursday night at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center.The panel consisted of David Harris and Francine Triplett, two individuals who are formerly-homeless and Michael O'Neill, the Speakers Bureau coordinator for the National Coalition for the Homeless.The panel had spoken to schools in Massachusetts earlier in the day and was traveling around to many schools and groups. Last year, they spoke to 288 groups, including UConn, on their cross-country tour to raise homelessness awareness.Harris and Triplett shared their experiences, from its cause to their struggle out of it. Each speaker told a different story, dispelling common stereotypes of homelessness.Both Harris and Triplett stressed the importance of being active and giving when they spoke to the audience."Whether they're begging or not, whatever you do, do it from your heart," Triplett said.According to Harris and Triplett, those who stopped for conversation or volunteered in shelters and food drives are responsible for getting them out of homelessness.Harris was also interested in activism to help the homeless."The government could do so much more," Harris said. "They spend so much money on things ... like Iraq.""Nancy Pelosi ... well, she wants to raise minimum wage by a couple of dollars," Harris said. "That would help a lot." He added that he was glad that Pelosi recently became Speaker of the House."It would be cool to have universal health care," he said. "A lot of countries have this.""What do people say about homeless people?" O'Neill asked the audience before introducing the speakers. "What are some stereotypes? Maybe like alcoholics, drug addicts?"O'Neill supplied the audience with statistics about the homeless that dispelled those stereotypes. Not all homeless people are alcoholics or drug addicts and not all of them are at fault for their homelessness, according to statistics from the National Coalition for the Homeless.Homelessness does not only refer to people living on the street. It also includes people living in shelters or in temporary homes such as motels or with family. A homeless person is someone who does not have a home, according to Harris.Harris spoke first about his experience."For about three years, actually four years, I was homeless," Harris said.According to Harris he was the stereotypical homeless person who lived on the streets of Washington, D.C."I looked like everybody's idea of a homeless person," Harris said.Harris said he spent most of his life looking down on homeless people. He scored a 1440 on his SATs and was planning on going to college to pursue a career in journalism, but he became a parent at 17-years-old and dropped out of school after 11th grade.Harris was divorce seven years later and had little skills or education and could not hold a well-paying job. Soon after, he became sick and could no longer work. Later, he found out that he had congestive heart failure and suffered a stroke, which affected his physical abilities and slowed his speech. He went to shelters and found volunteers that helped him get out of homelessness.Triplett became homeless after she escaped an abusive relationship."I was abused for 13 years," Triplett said. "Don't ask me why I stayed there, `cause I don't know."When Triplett first left her home, other homeless people tried to show her how to get blankets and survive being homeless, but she started smoking crack and drinking alcohol, she said.Although she was homeless, she kept a job to pay for food and the drugs and alcohol. She became depressed."I used to cry every night because I'd come out of a warm building and sleep on the cold concrete," Triplett said.Most of all, Triplett said she wanted conversation."I got stomped on the face," Triplett said about sleeping on the streets.She went to a few shelters and joined a church. The church helped her fight her addiction and let her cook for them."I do a lot of volunteering now," Triplett said.Both Harris and Triplett now live in apartments and receive aid from Social Security to help with the cost of living.Harris wants people "to look at homeless people in a different way. They should care about us as if we were family because we're part of the human family."Before the panelists spoke, the audience watched a video clip about the problems of homelessness from a "60 Minutes" episode that aired on Oct. 1, according to O'Neill.The video clip investigated cases of "bum hunting," a term for direct violence toward homeless people. "Bum hunting," which includes beating homeless people or making them beat each other or do things in exchange for money or alcohol, grew popular after the independent DVDs, "Bumfights" came out. "60 Minutes" interviewed the creator of "Bumfights," the homeless people involved in "Bumfights" and showed examples of serious violence to homeless people that sometimes resulted in death."We've been working with him [Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes"] since February," O'Neill said.The National Coalition for the Homeless helped "60 Minutes" with information for that report, according to O'Neill."There's a lot of undocumented attacks," O'Neill said.According to O'Neill, he knew of a lot of homeless people who were attacked and did not report it. The clips for "60 Minutes" show only a little of the abuse that happens to homeless people, according to O'Neill."I thought it was so moving, eye-opening," said Allyssa Milan, a 3rd-semester sociology major who attended the event. "I've heard about 'Bumfights', but I didn't know how brutal they are."Homeless people are often poorly treated because of their circumstances and in the case of "bum hunting," they are mistreated and degraded for the entertainment of others, according to the report on "60 Minutes.""You don't become homeless overnight and you don't become not homeless overnight," O'Neill said.Kaitlin Nickerson, a 3rd semester political science and sociology double major who is a member of ConnPIRG's campaign against hunger and homelessness, began organizing the Faces of Homelessness Panel in late September."I thought it went well," said Nickerson. "We had a decent turnout. Even if only a few people come, it goes well because it affects everyone who sees it.""We had over 200 people last time and people stayed after to talk to the panelists, so we wanted to bring it back," Nickerson said."The people who came were really into it," said Amanda Ploch, a 3rd-semester international relations major and a member of ConnPIRG's campaign against hunger and homelessness."We had really great speakers, as always." Ploch said. "It really makes you open your eyes." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/faces-of-homelessness-speak Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-challenges-students ConnPIRG is working together with MTVU on the Campus Climate Challenge, which is a campaign to provide solutions to the issue of global warming, to host a free concert featuring Jay-Z.The main goals of the challenge are to create campuses that use clean sources of electricity, such as wind and solar power, transform the use of energy in classrooms and dorms and educate students about real solutions to global warming.ConnPIRG had a table set up outside the library Wednesday afternoon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and within that time period got about 130 new signatures for their Campus Climate petition, which brings the total number of signatures to just under 600.The tabling included a speech from a member of the group, as well as banners and a 17-foot replica of a windmill that could be used to provide clean wind energy.MTVU has their own campaign called Break the Addiction, which is urging students to come up with new and creative ideas to help save the environment. The winning school gets $25,000 to implement their idea at their university and perhaps more importantly to students, the free Earth Day concert on campus with Jay-Z.While this is a certainly a good incentive for students to get involved, there are many students on campus who are already concerned about the state of our environment and are willing to do their part, concert or no concert."Global warming can only be fought one step at a time and we have to start to take those steps before its too late," said Alex Bernier, a 1st-semester civil engineering major and ConnPIRG student activist.Some students already had ideas on how UConn could be more environmentally friendly."The university needs to use a lot less lighting when it's not necessary," said Steve Bouffard, a 6th-semester journalism major. "It's the one thing that consumes the most energy."Kevin McAndrew, campus organizer of ConnPIRG, commented that when driving back to UConn at night from the highway, the entire campus is clearly lit up, while the rest of the surrounding towns are dark, because of the fact that so many dorms never shut off lights in the hallways or in the rooms.ConnPIRG's main goal for this semester is to rally students and faculty to support the challenge, and help brainstorm new ideas that the university could implement, such as ways to upgrade buildings by installing solar panels or energy-efficient light bulbs.Some other ideas for "green buildings" included less air conditioning and heat through better installation and use, and the use of cleaner energy sources.A brochure provided by ConnPIRG offered five easy ways to help stop global warming: drive less, turn off your computer at night, get energy-efficient entertainment (appliances with an Energy Star rating), contact your politicians and join the Campus Climate Challenge. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-challenges-students Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/students-raise-darfur-awareness   http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/students-raise-darfur-awareness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/positive-year-forecasted-at-connpirg-meeting Trinity's Student Chapter of the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group held its first meeting to discuss the organization's plans for the upcoming year on Monday, Sept. 18.ConnPIRG has three major campaigns in the works for 2006-2007: the Hunger and Homelessness Project, the New Voters Project, and the Campus Climate Challenge.The Campus Climate Challenge has a goal to have over 1,000 universities across the United States by 2008 get all of its electricity from clean sources like wind and solar power, as well to generally educate students about real solutions to global warming."There are two parts to doing this," Sandi Gollob '07, Campus Climate Challenge Coordinator, said at the meeting. "They are education and policy. For education, we just want to teach students about they can do to help lessen and limit their negative impact on the earth. We also have policy, which is dealing more with administration and getting them to pay attention to things like greener building design, or having better light bulbs -- very simple things."The ideal objective of the Campus Climate Challenge would be to reduce campus' global warming pollution almost down to zero. The Campus Climate Challenge is actually a project of over 30 international, national and statewide student organizations joined together through the Energy Action Coalition. Students participating in this project will try to promote doing things like driving less, turning off computers at night, getting energy efficient entertainment, and telling local, state and national elected officials to become "clean energy leaders."The New Voters Project aims to register, educate and turn out new voters for the upcoming November elections."The biggest problem that we have is that for people ages 18-24, our demographic, we have very low voter turnout," Gizelle Clemens '09, New Voters Project Coordinator, said. "Politicians do not like to spend time catering to us and to our needs and wants because we don't go out and vote. Our focus is to try to mobilize and get out there and get to the polls. We want to organize and get young people from the Hartford community to vote in November."In Fall 2004, ConnPIRG and other state PIRGs around the nation sponsored the largest youth voter mobilization campaign in history, which registered half a million new voters nationwide. The plan is to not stop there, but to continue the trend and "end the cycle of neglect that exists between politicians and young people," in order to have a meaningful impact on the future course of our country's democracy.Students who plan on becoming involved with the New Voters Project will participate in contacting young people through door-to-door canvassing, phone banks, outreach at public events, high school and college campus-based outreach, partnerships with local organizations and businesses, and precinct-based turnout operations.The Hunger and Homelessness Project hopes to target the problems of those that exist without adequate food and shelter by working through education, service and action to create a "sustainable future and society.""First of all, we will do community service and volunteer and be hands-on," Ian Hendry '08, Hunger and Homelessness Project Coordinator, said. "Also, we will have meal days, where students here on campus can donate a meal, and it will be given to Mercy House. Hartford is one of the poorest cities in the country, and you can just walk around Hartford and see all these things, including poverty, and we want to try to help with that."Those involved with the Hunger and Homelessness Project will volunteer in shelters, raise money for food banks and participate in educational events on campus. The biggest event ConnPIRG has planned for the year is the Hunger Cleanup, which takes place each April. The Hunger Cleanup is a "serve-a-thon," where students get people to sponsor them for each hour that they volunteer on a Saturday.ConnPIRG's mission is to "deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects [the] environment, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government." Organizing Director Andy MacDonald, who has been working with the PIRGs for 22 years, said in last Monday's meeting that he learned that "there are a lot of people who didn't think they could get involved, but that once they took that first step, realized, 'Oh wow, this isn't that hard, you just have to know how to do it.'"The PIRGs were originally started in 1970, "In a very similar time to now," according to MacDonald. "It does not really have the catchiest name out there, but it came about in a time when the country was in a war and people were wondering why [America] was engaged in a conflict in another country where they didn't seem to want us there. Unfortunately, that still kind of sounds a lot like today, but the PIRGs came about as a way for students as citizens to engage in democracy and take classroom experience and apply it to real-world situations, and that's still the ultimate goal today." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/positive-year-forecasted-at-connpirg-meeting Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lamont-stops-in-storrs  Lamont Stops In Storrs http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lamont-stops-in-storrs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/cooling-the-earth Concerns about global warming have caused http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/cooling-the-earth Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/sign-up-join-in The low, resonating sound of oriental drums filled the newly constructed Student Union, Wednesday, made it's debut for the semi-annual Student Involvement Fair. Freshmen and upper-classmen alike floated around the aisles bombarded with flyers, poster displays and e-mail sign-up lists to create a bustling marketplace of students and organizations.The student involvement fair was organized by the Department of Campus Activities in conjunction with the involvement office. The objective: to give students the opportunity to see all the activities and organizations that are available in a fun way, according to Joseph Briody, associate director of leadership development.This semester, the involvement fair ballooned, Briody said, in part, due to the expansion of the Student Union."There are approximately 210 organizations tabling this year, which is almost a 33 percent increase over last year," Briody said,."The addition has given us that much more capacity. We can fit in almost 100 more groups due to the opening of the ballroom and we expect it to continue to grow over the following years."Briody, who was pleased with the successful turn out, estimated that over 3,000 students made an appearance at the event between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Briody and leaders alike attribute the success and the grandieur of this semester's fair to the effort put in, not only fro the involvement office, but from student volunteers such as well."The office has been working on this event since the summer time," Briody said. "The bigger it gets, the more complex it is."Connie Cabello, a 5th-semester HDFS major who helped plan the fair, assign tables and performance schedules, has been involved with the organization of the event since the beginning of the year. Cabello said, she became involved with the production of the fair through working in the Student Involvement Office. She believes the product was a complete success."I really wasn't expecting this many people showing up," Cabello said. "This one turned out really well."Cabello attributes the success of the event to the volunteers, from staff members of the involvement office, as well as the UConn men's rugby team."It was a lot of work, but we had a solid team in the involvement office and it seems like everyone is happy," Cabello said.One of the first-time involvement fair attendees, Dana Whalen, a 1st-semester exploratory major, browsed around with an open mind to what may spark her interest. Whalen commented on the high activity that surrounded her. "It's really crazy," Whalen said, "There are so many people, and so many things to look at."David Constant, a 5th-semester journalism major also noticed the high amount of student traffic, noting the increase of people filing in and out of the rooms."My freshmen year I remember it being real busy ... and this year maxes that," Constant said.On the other end of the spectrum, the tablers urged students to sign up for mailing lists or even to grab a bumper sticker. Each organization competed against the next to win the attention of open-minded students.Whitney Jefferson, a 7th-semester communications major and the general manager of UCTV hoped to gain as many signatures on the sign-up sheet for her organization as possible."It's a big rebuilding year ... the Student Involvement Fair is a big marketing tool."Its table neighbor, WHUS, UConn's radio station, looked at the fair as more of a vehicle to get their name out versus expecting students to commit to their program."It's great for exposure," said Jacqueline Marsiglia, a 7th-semester communications and journalism major."We love to have people on our mailing list. But we gain our staff members more through word of mouth."On the other hand, the women's rugby team looks at the student involvement fair as the perfect tool to gain new players. Their list boasted 50 plus halfway through the night."This is a major way of recruiting people, " Alyssa Ososki, a 5th-semester nursing major and women's rugby player said, " seventy-five percent of the new players are recruited from the involvement fair, while the other 25 percent come from flyers around campus."Nicole Ruospo, a 5th-semester English major tabled at the Relay for Life section was confident of the positive turn out for student sign-ups."We usually have a really good turnout for our event," Ruospo said, "It's a cause that affects all of us. As a result of that, students are more apt to dedicate their time." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/sign-up-join-in Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/legislators-must-not-forget-about-students-in-budget Money for higher education is a primary concern of today's college student. Whether Mom and Dad are putting us through, the State is putting us through or we're putting ourselves through school, the money has to come from somewhere, and there never seems to be enough of it to go around. So it was natural to be excited about Connecticut Representative Denise Merrill's endorsement of a plan to increase higher education financial aid by increasing the funding to the Connecticut Aid to Public College Students program (CAPCS). These hopes were disappointingly let down when next years budget was released, and it was revealed that not only would Connecticut students not receive more money from CAPCS, but they would receive less. Merrill has gone back on her lofty rhetoric and let Connecticut students down. At a lobby day hosted by students from Connecticut student governments and ConnPIRG Merrill said, "It's important today that legislators see and hear from the young people who are bearing the burden of the skyrocketing cost of higher education. Between the cuts to student financial aid at the federal level and the reductions in student aid at the state level, the cost of higher education to the average student has dramatically increased over the past several years. This is one of the most critical issues we face as a nation." We couldn't agree more, which is why it was so befuddling that Merrill turned right around and ignored all of her promises when the budget was updated. This is an important issue for all Connecticut residents. At some point in their lives, most citizens are either in college or supporting someone in college. Tuitions, both public and private, have skyrocketed, the aid is decreasing also. The government needs to help, and it needs to help now. CAPCS affects 11,078 students studying at public Connecticut universities. With the new budget cuts, many students will see the amount they receive decrease, or will be dropped from the program. This situation is exacerbated by Congress's recent budget cuts of over $12 billion - the largest cuts to the financial aid system in its history. The average award from CAPCS, which is Connecticut's only need based financial aid program, is $1,447. This award would increase if the program was funded at more than 40 percent, and will decrease because it is being level-funded for another year. It is not important to reprimand legislators for their lofty rhetoric and disappointing decisions. It is more important to implore them - please, do not forget about us when it comes time to pass the next budget. We are struggling, and now will struggle more. More of us will drop out - and that isn't good for the university system, the state or the country. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/legislators-must-not-forget-about-students-in-budget Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/get-to-know-your-tenant-rights Two housing rights professionals held an open forum Wednesday in the Student Union, to raise student awareness of tenant's rights and provide information and resources for students. "[The forum was] designed to provide students the necessary outlets to know their rights," said Hailey Avery, a 6th-semester sociology and journalism major. Avery leads the tenant's rights campaign and is the UConn Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) secretary."It was a good opportunity to have questions answered that I would not have had the opportunity to ask otherwise," said Katherine Vollono a 2nd-semester undecided student said. "I didn't know any of the stuff that the speakers talked about and I was able to get a lot of information on renting an apartment, which is not something that would be easy to find."Rafael Pichardo, specialist for the greater Hartford area of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, spoke first and focused on discriminatory housing practices. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center is a private non-profit organization that helps fight discrimination and other unfair housing practices, Pichardo said."We represent anyone, for free, if they feel they have been discriminated against," Pichardo said.Pichardo described the history and evolution of fair housing laws from their origins in 1866 to their present day implications.Currently there are 11 protected classes in Connecticut through state and federal laws. Those classes include race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, disability, marital status, age, lawful source of income and sexual orientation"Everyone from the realtor to the owner has the responsibility to follow laws regarding discrimination," Pichardo said.In order to build evidence against renters who are suspected of discriminatory practices Pichardo said he coordinates "tests.""Tests" are people hired, which display a certain characteristic which the renter is suspected of discriminating against, and pretend to be interesting in renting or buying an apartment or house from that renter, Pichardo saidRenters that are proven to have discriminated face heavy fines, Pichardo said.The second speaker was Myklyn Mahoney, an attorney for Connecticut Legal Services, a private nonprofit corporation. Mahoney handles housing cases in Windham and Tolland Counties.Connecticut Legal Services provides free legal counseling to people 150 percent below the poverty level Mahoney said.Mahoney described in detail both landlord and tenants responsibilities and rights. Mahoney also gave information on reasons for eviction and how the eviction process works.If tenants know their rights, they can defend themselves against housing violations by their landlords, Mahoney said."Bringing your landlord to court or defending yourself in court from your landlord is something that everyone in this room is capable of doing themselves," Mahoney said.The key in winning cases Mahoney said is good record keeping. Mahoney advised tenants to make sure all requests and correspondence with their landlord are put in writing, dated and that a copy is kept.Avery said she was happy to bring in such great speakers and hopes to hold more forums through UConnPIRG on issues that are important to students.The tenant's rights campaign of UConnPIRG sponsored the event, which was attended by about 30 students.Students interested in more information about tenant's rights can contact UConnPIRG for informational pamphlets created by UConnPIRG and provided by the speakers or visit the tenant's rights campaign web site at http://geocities.com/uconnstudentrights/index.html http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/get-to-know-your-tenant-rights Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swipe-a-meal-successful In response to the article, "Swiping for Charity" by Kate Schwartz that ran Thursday, Feb. 16, UConnPIRG's (Public Interest Research Group) Hunger and Homelessness Campaign had its Spring semester Swipe-A-Meal on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Dining Services allowed students to donate one or two of their flex passes, if they wished, to the Holy Family Shelter, and Covenant Soup Kitchen in Wilimantic, Connecticut. The amount of money from each swipe that is donated (to the charities, and only the charities) is $2.25; the remainder of the flex pass' monetary value returns back to Dining Services. Last Wednesday, at dinner time, students swiped to donate 4,510 times, making a total donation of $10,147! UConnPIRG would like to thank Dining Services for allowing the Swipe-a-Meal to take place and all the UConn students who donated their flex passes.Also on PIRG's Spring Agenda is the 22nd Annual Hunger Clean-Up. Any UConn student may participate by raising money and volunteering on April 15 in a state-wide community service event. The money raised by volunteers, through sponsorship, will be given to an organization for a particular reason yet to be determined. There will also be a Faces of Homelessness Panel on April 11 in the Student Union Theater. At this event, featuring Artis, the "Spoonman," three panelists from the National Coalition for the Homeless will discuss their experiences of being homeless. The Student Debt Alert Campaign has a lobby day planned at the state capital. Students will talk to Connecticut Congresspersons and discuss Connecticut Higher Education. Also the SDAC will be having an event where they will have a student debt calculator that will measure student's approximate debt from loans after graduation. The Textbooks Campaign will attend a hearing at the capital later in the semester. Students will tell committee members how much they pay for textbooks each semester, and convey their personal feelings on the cost of textbooks. If anyone is interested in joining any of these campaigns, as well as the Tenant's Rights and Media Responsibility Campaigns, they can e-mail mark@connpirgstudents.org or kaitlin.nickerson@uconn.edu. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swipe-a-meal-successful Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swiping-for-charity Mechanically swiping Husky One cards and devouring a buffet dinner is protocol for students living on campus. Yet, meal card money is used in a much different way just outside university grounds. Several soup kitchens in the Willimantic region service the local impoverished community with money donated from meal cards.In an attempt to support local establishments, the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), Hunger and Homelessness Campaign, along with Dining Services hosted the second annual Swipe-A-Meal benefit yesterday.In addition to Swipe-A-Meal, ConnPIRG is also putting efforts into other community service organizations."Some big events this semester are the faces of the homelessness panel [H&H Campaign], hunger clean-up [H&H Campaign] and the affordable textbooks hearing at the Connecticut capital," said Kaitlin Nickerson, a 2nd-semester sociology major and chief financial officer of the H&H Campaign. Students were asked to donate a flex pass and the proceeds go toward the Holy Family Shelter and the Covenant Soup Kitchen, according to Nickerson.Swipe-A-Meals are held twice a year; one in the fall and the other in the spring, since the early 1990's when the program was introduced. In special cases, such as Sept. 11 or Hurricane Katrina, ConnPIRG will orchestrate a day for Swipe-A-Meal. This past fall ConnPIRG raised $11,500 through Swipe-A-Meal for Hurricane Katrina victims - the most since the program started, according to the director of dining services, Dennis Pierce."Our goal is $10,000," Nickerson said of yesterday's Swipe-A-Meal.According to Pierce, each meal swiped is equal to $2.25.Dining Services is an independent corporation receiving no benefits from UConn or the state. Thus, they are only able to host two Swipe-A-Meals annually, according to Pierce."Unfortunately the opportunity to do this is limited," Pierce said. "We don't have the mechanisms to install it permanently. It's nice if people can donate money to an organization or cause by simply swiping their meal card."Red flyers displayed in dining hall centerpieces advertised the event, however, as Pierce explains, it is difficult to raise money when advertisement for the event is minimal."[Swipe-A-Meal] is a good way to contribute," said Jill Bedard, a 2nd-semester undecided major. "I guess if they advertised it better I would have done it." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swiping-for-charity Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-tackles-textbook-prices-homelessness ConnPIRG kicked off their spring semester campaigns this week, ready to attack hunger and homelessness, the skyrocketing price of textbooks, and global warming. College students, the group believes, have the time and ability to help fix society's problems. They can set the precedent for a better future.On April 22, ConnPIRG, a 30-year-old student-run organization at Trinity, will join forces with students across the country to combat hunger and homelessness through the Annual Hunger Cleanup. Now in its 21st year, the Cleanup relies on student volunteers to fix up local communities, with projects ranging from painting shelters to planting gardens. Kate Prendergast '08, Program Director of the Hunger and Homelessness campaign, explained how students are asked to get pledges from family and friends. That money, she said, at the end of the Cleanup, is donated to local shelters. Last year, 141 students volunteered their time to the event. The Hunger and Homelessness campaign also serves as an advocacy group, which attempts to influence the opinions of local officials. The plan, Prendergast said, is to get the attention of Connecticut senators to re-examine existing legislation to help the homeless. Through letter writing campaigns and a lobbing day at the State House, ConnPIRG hopes to change proposed legislation that will worsen housing conditions in Connecticut. Hartford, a member of the Hunger and Homelessness committee commented, already has the highest child poverty rate for a capital city in the country. "Things need to change for the better," he said. To fund these programs, ConnPIRG is looking to the Feinstein Foundation, which focuses on the importance of community service in education and helping the hungry. For the past nine years, philanthropist Alan Feinstein has divided $1 million among hunger-fighting agencies across the country. ConnPIRG hopes to be one of those groups this year.The price of textbooks, an issue close to the hearts of many college students, is one of ConnPIRG's newest campaigns. Each year, undergraduates spend an average of $900 on textbooks. The prices, statistics show, have increased at four times the rate of inflation after 1994. Justin Sweeney '09 commented, "This is the issue that affects me the most. Last semester, when I first came to Trinity, I didn't know about textbook prices and was forced to get everything when I got here. Now, I buy my books online." He continued, "People have to lower the prices of textbooks because, right now, there's no point of getting them at school." Sweeney's view is one shared by many Trinity students. On Feb. 21, ConnPIRG will attend a hearing at the Connecticut State House concerning education. There they hope to show how important these textbook prices are and will present as many student signatures as possible, showing support from Trinity and six other schools in the area. This issue, however, is extremely controversial and has many powerful companies supporting an opposing view. A developmental editor for McGraw Hill textbooks believes that the cost is necessary and is in the best interest of the student. "Much of the high price of textbooks comes from the high cost of class-testing them, developing new supplementals, and keeping current with the latest information in each field," he said. "This means a much higher quality textbook than students ever had in the past, which translates into a better education overall." ConnPIRG's final campaign this semester concerns an issue that affects all of society. Scientists have said that global warming leads to extreme weather conditions, tropical diseases, and may have even contributed to the destruction in the Gulf Coast region from Hurricane Katrina. ConnPIRG wants to set an example at Trinity, by instituting the Campus Climate Challenge, which aims to eventually reduce the school's global warming pollution to zero. To do this, the College will need to use electricity generated by renewable resources, use energy efficient buildings and appliances, and use alternative forms of transportation. To enact these methods, Trinity's Campus Climate Challenge has split into two sections, one concentrating on educating students and the other on working with the administration. Last semester, the Campus Climate Challenge experienced success in both aspects. Mini windmills were handed out to students along with information about the pros of using alternative forms of energy. A representative from Toyota came to speak about transportation and ways to reduce pollution. Trinity now has a hybrid car on campus. This spring, ConnPIRG is planning to hold a solar cookout for students and present a video series on global warming at Cinestudio. When asked about the effectiveness of the Campus Climate Challenge, member Susan Juggernauth '09 said, "Global warming is a big problem to try and conquer. However, what ConnPIRG does in both policy and education will, hopefully, urge the rest of the campus to help. We, as a college, hold so much power, and with ConnPIRG we can harness it to come together and bring change."ConnPIRG, which meets Monday evenings in the FACES Lounge in the basement of Mather, is working to raise student awareness on their issues and other problems faced by the community. After learning of ConnPIRG and their activities, Eli Roxby '09 stated, "We need to be more aware. By knowing about the problems that society faces, we, as students, could help a lot more." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-tackles-textbook-prices-homelessness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-students-protest-proposed-rate-increase http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-students-protest-proposed-rate-increase Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-campaign-draws-attention-to-homelessness ConnPIRG's Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness released the results of their national study of over 900 emergency providers last Tuesday. The study was conducted in 400 cities and across 42 states.The report, entitled Communities in Crisis, found that emergency food and shelter providers face increased need and decreased financial support from the federal government."The Bush administration's fiscal 2006 budget," says the report, "is out of touch with the harsh reality of hunger and homelessness in our communities." Nationally, 72 percent of food pantries and 66 percent of shelters have seen an increased need for their services and, "to compound that problem," says Mark Lemon, Trinity College's ConnPIRG Campus Organizer, eighty-one percent of shelters have seen funding decrease or had "stagnant funding."Connecticut's numbers are compatible with the national averages: 82 percent of food pantries and 66 percent of shelters have faced increased need, while 70 percent have seen funding decrease or stay the same. Communities in Crisis urges the Bush administration to "reassess its 2006 budget report," Lemon stated. "[The budget is] out of step with the issue, and the [administration is] cutting funds at a time when we're seeing an increased need."The proposed budget cuts funding for the Food Stamp Program by $1.1 billion, which will force a quarter of a million people off of the food stamp program over 10 years. Affordable housing programs will be cut by $120 million and public housing by $564 million. Furthermore, the Community Development Block Grant will lose $1.8 billion. These budget cuts, states the report, "exacerbate the problem."Kaitlin Prendergast '08, part of ConnPIRG's Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, said that "the Bush Administration has refused to accept the reality that hunger and homelessness is increasing, and instead has proposed cutting even more funding from programs that help low-income people. It doesn't add up." With funding cuts and inadequate resources, charitable agencies are unable to help everyone who needs their services. According to Communities in Crisis, 77 percent of agencies reported "turning away people in need of emergency services ... Nearly all attributed this to a lack of resources.""It's truly heartbreaking to see the problem get bigger and bigger and not be able to provide enough food and shelter necessary to help everyone," Eileen Morse of Cathedral of St. Joseph Food Pantry in Hartford says in the release.Last year, 82 percent of Conn. agencies reported more food requests, and 58 percent reported increased requests for shelter. Over the past three years, the number of agencies reporting increased need has increased by 42 percent for food and 38 percent for shelter. Fifty-eight percent of shelters reported that people are staying at their shelter for longer periods of time.The nationwide release was carried by "over 150 media outlets," said Lemon. "The woman who wrote the report was on the 'O'Reilly Factor' ... Bill O'Reilly actually did not tell her to shut up," he continued. People have been "very excited about the report. It is something that hasn't really been done before - the amount of shelters looked at and talked to." http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-campaign-draws-attention-to-homelessness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/textbook-case http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/textbook-case Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-president-bushs-pell-grant-proposal-fails-to-make-higher-education-more-affordable On Wednesday an article was featured in The Daily Campus that discussed President Bush's proposal to increase the Pell Grant by $500. Though on the surface this seems to be a great step towards fixing the ever-growing problem of affordability for higher education, it still may leave students with an overwhelming bill.According to his plan, the Pell award will increase 2.5 percent each year for the next five years. This, however, does not keep up with rising tuition prices; last year the average increase for public universities reached 10.5 percent. At UConn, the tuition (excluding fees and other expenses) has increased by approximately $3,000 for in-state students in the past three years alone. Out-of-state students saw nearly a $6,000 increase. Given these increases and those projected over the next five years, "increasing" the Pell Grant will actually reduce its effect. While the maximum Pell award currently covers about 79 percent of a student's tuition, under the plan it will cover only 54 percent for students over the next five years. The most positive aspect of the proposal is that it includes funding the multibillion-dollar deficit existing in the Pell program. While this is a good step toward ensuring that the Pell Grant remains intact, it does little for the actual students it should be helping. The goal of the award is to provide students in financial need with assistance in paying for their college education. If the president's proposal doesn't do this, it really isn't a sufficient step toward ensuring higher education remains affordable.In 2001, President Bush pledged to make sure the maximum Pell Grant would be $5,100 by the year 2010. Yet the new proposal falls short of even this. Under the current plan the award may reach $4,550 by 2010. The bottom line is more needs to be done than the current proposal. The Pell Grant needs to be increased further in order to keep up with the rising tuition, and additional funding for other forms of financial aid should be implemented as well. Students should all be concerned about this matter, and I urge everyone to contact their representatives and let them know you want them committed to affordable higher education.For more information you can visit the State PIRG's web site for their Higher Education Project at: http://pirg.org/highered/ - Molly Palmer, http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-president-bushs-pell-grant-proposal-fails-to-make-higher-education-more-affordable Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-raises-hunger-awareness Imagine sleeping outside on a brisk November night in nothing but a cardboard box. The Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG) participated in the Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness this week, which included a hunger sleep-out on the lawn next to the Homer Babbidge Library. The awareness kicked off last Saturday with a goal to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness in the area. "We are one of the top awareness groups at any university in the nation," said Rebecca Powell, a 3rd-semester exploratory major and ConnPIRG intern. "We are known nationwide." The Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness is a nation-wide event. According to the ConnPIRG web site, millions of people throughout the world and the United States currently live without adequate food and shelter, even though the world produced 10 percent more than is needed to feed the existing human population. According to Powell, ConnPIRG's Hunger and Homelessness campaign has raised over $16,000 this semester. A little over $10,000 was raised through the Swipe For Hunger event a few weeks ago where students swiped up to two meals extra for the hungry. For every meal swiped, UConn donated $2."This week we only raised between $100 and $200 through money donations given at the events," Powell said. "We are OK with that though. This week was more to just create an awareness of the hunger and homelessness campaign and that students can do things to help in the area."The ConnPIRG web site encourages students to get involved. The organization reminds students that they must take the lead to create a sustainable future and society. They remind students to take action in the local community and demand action nationally to end hunger and homelessness. Students can work through education, service and action to solve the problems of hunger and homelessness. "The first event was a grocery store drive Saturday at Grand Union in Storrs and Stop and Shop in Willimantic," said Evynne Graveline, a 1st-semester exploratory major and ConnPIRG intern. According to Graveline, volunteer groups were located at both grocery stores. The students passed out a "wish list" to approaching shoppers of items for the needy for the upcoming winter and holiday season. All items are donated to the Covenant Soup Kitchen and Holy Family Shelter in Willimantic. "We just asked for them to pick up whatever they could afford while shopping in the store and then they brought them out to us at the end," Graveline said. "Our goal was 30 items an hour at each location. We actually surpassed that goal after we counted them all up."The next event of the awareness week was the Hunger Sleepout, which took place Tuesday night on the lawn next to the library. The event was designed to promote awareness about hunger and homelessness. About 45 students stopped by, but only 10 slept out overnight. According to Graveline, there were two speakers at the event who addressed participants. They included Sister Mary Peters from the Holy Family shelter and Tom McNally, who does a lot of work with homelessness in Willimantic. "Sister Mary Peters addressed everyone about what the Holy Family Shelter is doing to help out local families in the area get back on their feet so one day they can buy their own home," Powell said. According to Graveline, warm beverages and donuts were provided by Dunkin' Donuts and pizza was donated by Domino's and Red Rock Pizza. After the speakers, the students decorated cardboard boxes and slept in them. The event ended at 7 a.m. the next morning.Matt Palmieri, a 1st-semester communications major, was one of the students who spent the night. "It was a good time," Palmieri said. "I think more students should get involved next time though. Until you participate in something like this and actually live how homeless people do in nothing but cardboard boxes you don't understand what it's like." The final event of the awareness week was a hunger banquet at St. Thomas Aquinas Church Wednesday night. The event was free and open to all students. According to Graveline, over 80 students attended. As students entered, they picked a piece of paper out of a bowl. The papers were marked with the words First World, Second World and Third World. The students were served a meal according to which world they picked. Palmieri ate a meal from a Third World country. "We had to sit on the floor and eat rice and beans in a small bowl," he said. "Many students chose not to eat, rather then eat the rice. I chose to eat it though. It wasn't that good, but it was better then not eating at all. It makes you realize how good we have it here." Students who were served a meal from a Second World country ate at a table without much silverware. The women were served last, and only with a bit of pasta as a meal."The First World was served right away," Graveline said. "They got salad, a big plate of pasta, followed by chicken."Following the meals designed for each world, a buffet was served and everyone got to enjoy a real meal. Dining Services donated all the food."It was pretty interesting to see people get upset when they saw some of their friends eating a three course meal while they were sitting on the floor with a bowl of rice," Graveline said. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-raises-hunger-awareness Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-voter-turnout-reaches-80-percent The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) announced at Wednesday's meeting the university's strong youth voter turnout - the best in over a decade.According to Sen. John Jevitts, there was an 80 percent voter turnout of students who hit the polls in Mansfield Town Hall. Jevitts said the turnout was good, but he wants to reach for a higher turnout in the future. He also said more polling places on campus would allow better voting access for students. Jevitts also said Connecticut is on the verge of enacting same day voter registration."This means in the future we can cut out the voter registration period of our campaign and just strive for turnout from the start of school to Election Election Day, if you're not registered, you can still get your butt on the bus and vote." This year's voter turnout in Connecticut was 79 percent, according to the League of Women Voters web site.USG president Derek Olson also discussed the progress of the online syllabus database, which is scheduled to take flight next fall.At Wednesday night's meeting, Olson told to the senate to move forward with the project by establishing an ad hoc committee to help formulate the online syllabus database. According to Olson, the committee will be charged to organize a plan of action to implement the database online. The committee would then have to give a formal report to the senate by March."Our optimistic goal is to have it ready and willing to fly by fall of 2005," said Sen. Mike Tremmel, the chair of the Academic Affair Committee.The advising council met with some senators last Wednesday and was very receptive to the idea. According to Tremmel, the online syllabus web site can give students options ( rather than going to myprofessorsucks.com (to find out about a class or a professor before they register for classes. "You never know who is writing what comments on that," Tremmel said.Tremmel said this would also help out departments such as political science, where there is a shortage of classes. "Maybe if we had an online syllabus web site, a student can go in [the web site] that is not a political science major and see 'well maybe this class isn't for me' and they won't sign up," Tremmel said. "Whereas before they would have signed up because the title looked interested but then they get to class and they realize the first day of class, 'oh I hate this class I'm dropping it. If they [would have] dropped the class or not even signed up in the first place, that would of left a seat open for somebody."It would also help to reduce the add-drop rate, he said. With a syllabus, students can see the work ahead if they can juggle the reading or exams in the class. "You can pick classes based on your learning style," he said. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/uconn-voter-turnout-reaches-80-percent Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swipe-a-meal-to-end-hunger Students can help fight hunger and homelessness right in their own state Wednesday by doing something they do daily - swiping their meal cards.UConnPIRG will hold its semi-annual swipe-a-meal project today in all dining halls to support their hunger and homelessness campaign, according to Julianne Pisciotta, a 3rd-semester communications major and coordinator of the campaign.Students can swipe their meal cards up to two extra times during dinner and donate $2 of each meal to the Holy Family Shelter in Willimantic, the only homeless shelter in the area, Pisciotta said. Currently the shelter is running low on funds and cannot help those in need, she said. "The Holy Family Shelter is going through some rough times right now," Pisciotta said. "They can't afford to pay their bills and keep the doors open to the public when so many people in the area need their services."Pisciotta said that by swiping extra meals, UConn students are giving those less fortunate than themselves a place to go and a warm meal to eat."Everyone knows there's a hunger problem in the world, even in Connecticut," Pisciotta said. "Instead of being apathetic, students have an easy opportunity to go out and help."Pisciotta said PIRG hopes to raise $8,000 this semester through swipe-a-meal. The goal has been set so high because they raised over $8,000 last semester."We set our goal pretty high because we are positive we can get over $8,000 again," Pisciotta said. "We are really pushing for enough participation to help us reach our goal."Rachel Fazio, a 3rd-semester human development and family studies major and a second year participant in the hunger and homelessness campaign, said students have helped them exceed their goal every semester and she expects to see it happen again."With the help of students who eat in the dining hall, we can meet our goal just as we have every semester I have participated," Fazio said. The leftover money will go toward national and international campaigns to fight homelessness, Pisciotta said. PIRG decides which campaigns to support at their biggest event in April, the Hunger Cleanup. This is a day of service where volunteers spend time in places such as soup kitchens and family shelters, according to Pisciotta.Last year, UConnPIRG raised $20,000 for the Hunger Cleanup, the most raised in the entire nation. Swipe-a-meal is part of a series of events to raise money for the Hunger Cleanup, according to Evynne Graveline, a 1st-semester undecided major and intern for the swipe-a-meal project. PIRG will also host Hunger Awareness Week from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19, Graveline said. Throughout the week, they plan to hold different events focusing on raising awareness for hunger and homelessness, including a hunger sleepout. This is a night where volunteers sleep outside in cardboard boxes, Fazio said. In addition, PIRG also does "dorm storming," when volunteers circulate different dormitories and ask for spare change, according Graveline. Although these events help raise money as well, the swipe-a-meal project is the first event that really boosts funds for the Hunger Cleanup, Pisciotta said. "The Hunger Cleanup is really our biggest event of the year and swipe-a-meal usually brings in the most money," Pisciotta said. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/swipe-a-meal-to-end-hunger Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/pirg-fights-textbook-publishers Noting the painful chore of buying textbooks at the start of each semester, UConn students are in need of help now more than ever. The average student spends $450 per semester, only a fraction of which will ever be returned by the UConn Co-op's feeble system of book buy backs.Surveys by various state branches of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) have determined three key issues for consideration in the matter. In the 1996-1997 school year, college students spent $642 on average, a figure which increased by approximately $250 over the course of eight years. Textbook prices still continue to rise as the result of two major causes: "bells and whistles," such as extraneous CD-ROMs and bundled material (which on average more than double the cost of the same unbundled version), and the frequency of publishing new editions, which renders used books rare and obsolete.Students and professors are, for different reasons, together on the issue. A survey among professors concluded that "76 percent of faculty report that the new editions they use are justified 'never' to 'half the time.'" A University of Oregon professor backed that statistic, saying "new editions are driven by profit potential of publishers. There isn't that much new information in a field to change in an intro text."But in the field of business, profit potential rules all. When the number of used textbooks in the current circulation begins to depress sales figures, publishing companies see immediate solutions: bundle new editions, drive up prices.The trend however, will continue to sap money from students until solutions take hold against the process. PIRG, including our UConn branch, hopes to ally itself with faculty, in turn convincing colleges and universities as a group to lay pressure on publishing companies with a list of proposed solutions.First, books should be sold unbundled, new editions should not be published as replacements for the old and updated material should be published in paperback supplements. Furthermore, students should use online book swaps already in existence or student book swaps, which are in need of greater organization. Overseas buyer's markets have also saved students' money and should be increasingly publicized. Finally, and perhaps most effectively, PIRG proposes "low frills" editions, which are cheap paperbacks containing only black and white print - in essence, abolishing the "bells and whistles."In upcoming weeks, UConnPIRG plans to work with the Undergraduate Student Government to pass legislation making official the university's pressure against publishing companies. With luck, students may soon enjoy a little more liberty to spend their money in the absence of an expensive, forceful system. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/pirg-fights-textbook-publishers Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/getting-out-the-student-vote This fall, UConnPIRG has been campaigning across campus in an effort to register new voters for the upcoming National election Nov. 2.UConnPIRG's efforts are part of a nationwide youth voter registration, called the New Voters Project, sponsored by the state PIRGs to reach the goal of registering half a million new voters.According to UConnPIRG staff member Josh Litwin, a 3rd-semester ACES major, UConnPIRG has registered close to 1800 new voters this semester as of Oct. 13 and 800 new voters last semester, which is third in the country for student PIRGs. The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 19 and UConnPIRG has a goal of registering a total of 2,227 new voters this semester, said Litwin."Hopefully it is a realistic goal," he said. "Hopefully by next week we will be able to achieve that goal."According to Litwin, the New Voters Project is directed toward the 18-24-year-old age group. In the 2000 national election only 36 percent of that age group voted, while 70 percent of senior citizens voted."Right now politicians are talking about Medicare and social security," he said. "The project is for students on campuses nationwide to make politicians pay attention to us."The New Voters Project is PIRG's biggest campaign on campuses right now, said UConnPIRG staff member Molly Palmer, a 3rd-semester political science and history major. Students are registering to vote because they want the politicians to address issues concerning them, such as higher education loans, employment right out of college, and the war in Iraq, she said."Those are the biggest issues students worry about," she said. "Young people will play a role in this election like they never have."The university and professors have accommodated PIRG in their efforts to register new voters, said Litwin. PIRG has been going door-to-door, called "doorstorming" and RA's have been working with PIRG so they comply with residence hall solicitation policies and professors are allowing PIRG members to address their classes about the project, he said. "Professors are usually cool with us talking to students at the beginning of classes," he said. "There is an electricity in the air and people are helping in full-force to register."Along with "doorstorming," PIRG has been setting up tables in the student union lobby in a push to register students before the Oct. 19 deadline, but they will continue their efforts after the deadline to make sure those who registered show up and vote on election day, said Litwin."The big push is going to call up those who registered, and have them vote on Nov. 2," he said. "We want to make it as easy as possible."PIRG has also been working with other student organizations on campus, said Palmer.According to Palmer, PIRG is a non-partisan organization and along with USG they have been coordinating their efforts with both the College Republicans and College Democrats.Palmer said, the USG will be providing transportation by bus on Nov. 2 to the Mansfield Town Hall from 10am to 7pm and the polls will be open at the town hall from 8am to 8pm.Matt DeMartino, a 4th-semseter English major said, he notices the increased efforts on campus to register new voters and believes all the new young voters can make a difference in the upcoming election after they failed to show a strong turnout in the 2000 national election."Since my first time voting I see a difference on campus," he said. "It seems like there is going to be a good turnout. 500,000 voters will make a difference. Maybe there will be a little cut on education prices here and there."The last chance to sign up for the New Voters project before the deadline will be Oct. 18 from 10am to 3pm on Fairfield Way. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/getting-out-the-student-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-the-time-has-come-for-students-to-send-a-message-to-textbook-publishers The time has come for students to send a message to textbook publishersIt is important to draw attention to the rising cost of textbooks and how it concerns students as reported by Seth Harris in "Co-op Competition" (9/28/04). Textbook prices are outrages and students need to find cheaper ways of getting them. It was noted in the article that there is a desire among the student body to bypass the "middle man" that is the Co-op, and buy books directly from each other. UConn does in fact have a website that allows students to post and sell their old textbooks (Bookswap.no-ip.com). By utilizing this website, students can not only buy used books at cheaper prices than at the Co-op but make money by selling their own books. UConnPIRG is not only helping to put pressure on publishers to lower textbook prices in the long run but also to promote ways for students to save money now. By supporting a book swap, students are sending a message to the publishers that we will not take being ripped off and we will find alternative ways of getting our textbooks. Stephanie RosoffUConnPIRG http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-the-time-has-come-for-students-to-send-a-message-to-textbook-publishers Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/pirg-working-for-cheaper-textbooks Textbook affordability is a hot topic at PIRG and the Co-op. As the average Uconn student spends about 1,000 dollars on textbooks each year. PIRG's major goals include meeting with individual publishers, making certain there is a free market for students, and establishing possible alternatives (such as purchasing online textbooks and student swaps).Kyle Noonan, the chapter chair and textbooks project coordinator of PIRG, is interested in lowering the cost of textbooks over the next few years through several different strategies.According to Kyle Noonan, PIRG is trying to get textbook publishers to change their practices of book bundling, producing frequent new editions. He is encouraging students to find other means to get textbooks such as online or student book swaps."Ripoff 101: How the current practices of the textbook industry drive up the cost of college textbooks" was released by the State PIRGs Higher Education Project. It stated that, "The practice of bundling the required textbook with non required materials such as dictionaries, CD-ROMS and study- guides increased 21 percent between the consecutive editions surveyed (issued an average of 3.8 years apart)."One of the major publishing companies Thompson Learning has been targeted by PIRG in an effort to lower textbook prices."We are trying to get them [Thompson Learning] to change their practice, and then other textbook publishers will follow," Noonan said.According to Noonan, one strategy or consideration that will be put into effect will be a nation wide boycott by PIRG on Thompson Learning. Thompson Learning was targeted because their new Calculus textbook edition was an example of "bundling" and of creating new editions with no content changes. PIRG is also going to the Thompson shareholders meeting."Talking Points on the PIRG Report, 'Ripoff 101'" by the National Association of College Stores (NACS) stated that, "The use of 'bundles' (textbooks packaged with some combination of add-ons) is increasing, because of the number of faculty requiring these packages for their classes is increasing."According to the PIRG "Ripoff 101", of the 153 faculty who responded, 18 (11 percent) reported they always use the bundled material in their syllabi, 19 (12 percent) reported "usually", 16 (10 percent) reported "half the time", 43 (28 percent) reported "rarely" and 57 (37 percent) reported "never".The Co-op claims that Uconn students saved nearly $3 million on textbooks at the Co-op last year from the purchase of used books, buybacks, patronage rebate, and buyback pledges.Madeline Spata, the Educational Resources Division Manager, has been working with PIRG and Kyle Noonan."It's good that they're bringing this to people's attention and awareness. I know what they'd like to see happen," Spata said.According to Spata, the Co-op goes to the faculty members, and they decide on the textbooks that need to be purchased. They ask in spring so they are prepared for buybacks. The publishers send representatives to the campus to get the faculty interested, and there is competition between publishers."It depends on the faculty and which one they like best," Spata said.As for alternative markets Spata is convinced that the Uconn Co-op offers security as oppose to online sources."We've also heard stories of students getting burned," Spata said.According to Noonan, student "swaps" between two students gives the students more opportunities and a freer market to purchase books."We never said all new textbooks aren't necessary, but they can produce new editions less frequently, for instance in geography where changes are frequent," Noonan said.According to "Ripoff 101", new textbook editions are published frequently, and books that are sold bundled are rarely offered separately. Of the 33 textbooks surveyed, one indicated the option of buying the book bundled or unbundled. The bundled version was $130, compared with $60 unbundled.As for buy backs and used books, of the students surveyed, 59 percent were unable to find even one used book while buying their textbooks according to "Ripoff 101".The textbooks are becoming more expensive, according to Noonan and the survey done in 1996-1997 and again 2004."The average in 1996-1997 was 642 dollars a year, and now in 2004 the average is 900 dollars," Noonan said.According to the Association of American Publishers, the amount of money that college students spend on textbooks has remained relatively the same. For the academic period beginning in 1999 and ending in 2003, the average annual increase in student spending for new and used textbooks purchased at college bookstores has been 3.5 percent, according to Student Monitor, an independent market research firm.John Jevitts, the external affairs advisor at USG, is working with Kyle Noonan and PIRG to lower textbook prices."Textbook prices are way to high. We pay more for our textbooks than our Canadian or Western European counterparts do," Jevitts said.According to Jevitts, Thompson Learning came out with a new accounting edition, and the only thing that was changed was the cover and they charged $20 more."USG is definitely behind them [PIRG] in getting legislation," Jevitts said. "Students are a captive market. They have to buy the textbooks."According to Jevitts, PIRG and USG are looking for solutions such as promoting online book swaps, organizing a boycott just on Thompson, meeting with the Math Department, and working on the University's Senate resolution.  http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/pirg-working-for-cheaper-textbooks Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-pirg-usg-eager-to-lower-textbook-prices The Daily Campus was right to reprint Kent State's article about saving http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/lte-pirg-usg-eager-to-lower-textbook-prices Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/taking-up-the-cause-to-get-students-voting In continuing with the University's goal of sending more students to the polls on Election Day, a number of people and organizations at UConn are working to help simplify the voting process.According to Mary Stanton, Mansfield town Registrar, there are two ways in which to vote while away at college. The first is to obtain an absentee ballot from the student's hometown. If this method is preferred, an application will need to be sent to the hometown clerk of the student, and the clerk will then send an absentee ballot back to the student.Absentee ballots become available Monday Oct. 4, so applications should be sent in as soon as possible, Stanton said. If an application cannot be found for an absentee ballot, a student can download one from the Secretary of the State's web site at www.sots.state.ct.us. This must be sent to the town clerk in the student's hometown.If a UConn student is a first-time voter and registered through the mail or over the internet, the student will need to send some form of identification along with the application, according to Stanton. Identification must prove residency in the student's hometown. Absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls, 8:00 p.m., on Election Day. If there are any questions regarding absentee ballots, Stanton said she urges students to call their hometown clerk.The second way for college students to vote is to register to vote in Mansfield while at UConn. This is the process ConnPIRG and the New Voter's Project at UConn is encouraging, according to New Voter's Project Coordinator Josh Litwin. ConnPIRG, the New Voter's Project and the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) are coordinating this effort to register UConn students in the town of Mansfield.If a student switches their voter registration to Mansfield, the student is able to go to the polls on Election Day and actually pull the lever in a voting booth. On Election Day, buses will run all day to take students to the polling place in Mansfield, according to USG President Derek Olson.To switch voter registration to Mansfield, students must pick up another voter registration form, according to Stanton. A number of organizations, including New Voter's Project, are distributing registration forms around campus. A registration form may also be downloaded at the Secretary of the State's Web site. Once a registration form is obtained, students should select the box marked "new voter registration." The rest of the form should be completed as necessary, including hometown address and new UConn address. This form can then be sent to the Mansfield town registrar.Stanton said voter registration forms must be completed before Oct. 19, including first-time voter registrations. Once the registration process is completed, students are ready to vote on Nov. 2. When voting on Election Day, students must bring their ID cards with them.If any questions exist, students can attend an information session Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the African American Cultural Center Lounge. Stanton and Beverly Miela, also a Mansfield registrar, will answer questions on the process. There is also a Student Services Desk in the Wilbur Cross Building available to answer questions from students and provide voter materials. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/taking-up-the-cause-to-get-students-voting Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/rocking-the-students39-vote The election-geared activities sponsored by the Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG), the Political Science Department and the President's office, concluded last night with an MTV Rock the Vote event in Jorgensen Auditorium. The hosts for the event were former "Road Rules" cast members Shane Landrum and Veronica Portillo. Landrum was a cast member on "Campus Crawl," the 11th season in the "Road Rules" series. Portillo was on the eighth season, "Semester at Sea."Rock the Vote is a non-partisan organization affiliated with MTV that promotes and encourages youth voting. Last night's event was part of a National Day of Action sponsored by Rock the Vote regarding student voter rights.Students listened to Landrum and Portillo discuss the importance of voting."This is probably one of the most important elections that we will see in the near future," Portillo said.The event was not simply a lecture. The hosts went into the audience to talk to students about a number of different issues, including the war in Iraq, gay marriage, abortion and presidential candidate Ralph Nader.The event was the conclusion of a two-day political series sponsored by UConn students, faculty and administrators. The Rock the Vote portion of the activities followed yesterday's panel discussions in the Dodd Center. Wednesday night's debate between Bay Buchanan and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was also part of the political series. All the events were intended to attract interest from the student body in politics as the nation prepares for the November elections.Landrum and Portillo followed along that line in discussing the upcoming election."Represent our age group and yourself," Portillo said.Tables were set up in the Jorgensen Auditorium lobby to register UConn students attending the event. The Connecticut chapter of the Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), in association with the non-partisan New Voter's Project, compiled a table of voter registration forms and absentee ballots that was manned by student volunteers. The registration effort is part of the larger goal of sending more young voters to the polls on Election Day."The more 18-24 year olds that vote, the more candidates will listen to us," ConnPIRG volunteer Brittany Burke said.ConnPIRG has set a goal of registering 3,000 UConn students before the election. That effort has been greatly aided by the election events of the past week, according to Burke."The events brought up a good discussion with people from both sides talking," Burke said.Increasing political activism was the objective set forth by university President Philip Austin last spring when he called on the community to encourage student engagement in politics. A committee of students, faculty and staff organized the forums, debate and Rock the Vote event in response to that request.The audience was asked questions in which to respond and discuss and a number of students participated in the conversations. The event ended with a conversation about the "Real World / Road Rules Challenge" show, which both hosts are cast members of. Landrum and Portillo entertained the audience with behind-the-scenes stories and information about their experiences on television. http://www.connpirgstudents.org/connpirg-in-the-news/connpirg-in-the-news/rocking-the-students39-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/air-quality-a-major-issue-for-state http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/air-quality-a-major-issue-for-state Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/month-of-kindness-starts-off-strong http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/month-of-kindness-starts-off-strong Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/take-clean-air-into-your-own-hands http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/take-clean-air-into-your-own-hands Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/pirg-active-with-5-campaigns http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/pirg-active-with-5-campaigns Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/uconn-pirg-looks-ahead-to-river-cleanup http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/uconn-pirg-looks-ahead-to-river-cleanup Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500 http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/pirg-continues-to-make-a-difference http://www.connpirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/pirg-continues-to-make-a-difference Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:40:36 -0500