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WISPIRG adds new semester initiatives
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The Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group is expanding beyond its Big Red, Go Green campaign this semester to fighting homelessness, expensive textbooks and dirty politicians.
WISPIRG held its kickoff meeting in Birge Hall Tuesday, recruiting new members and spreading the word about the organization's new campaigns for the fall semester.
"The issues are huge and important to us," WISPIRG State and UW Chapter chair Jeff Rolling said. "We see these problems every day when we walk past the homeless on State Street or when we hear reports of global warming on the news."
Rolling said students also face similar problems when "reading our overpriced text books" and attending football games at a stadium that lacks recycling bins.
To address these issues, WISPIRG has outlined five campaigns including BRGG, Conservation and Recycling Efforts, Hunger and Homelessness, Affordable Textbooks and Clean Elections.
New Associate Dean of Students Argyle Wade and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz both spoke at the event.
Both Wade and Cieslewicz said the University of Wisconsin is known for its activism, as it historically produces a high number of peace corps volunteers.
Additionally, Wade said WISPIRG is an organization that is built on the "Wisconsin Idea," which encourages a commitment to making positive changes in the world.
"Activism is one of the reasons I took this job," Wade said. "This is exactly what we'd hoped. That you will come together to do meaningful things that will change society."
Cieslewicz discussed each of the group's five campaigns and explained how the city of Madison is working toward many of the same goals.
Regarding the campaigns, Cieslewicz voiced concern for the alarmingly high rate of homeless men in the city, which is up 30 percent since last year.
"What we have to do is put the Wisconsin Idea on steroids," Cieslewicz said. "We have to make sure that the benefits of the university really do get to the entire state."
This spring BRGG will be hosting an event funded by MTV, which awarded the group $5,000 to throw an "eco-party," BRGG coordinator Tony Uhl said.
Other major events on the WISPIRG slate include a nationwide energy conference during Earth Week this spring, which will feature expert guest speakers and weeklong events.
In addition, WISPIRG's Homelessness and Hunger campaign is hosting a national conference on Nov. 2 through Nov. 4.
"We are really, really excited to be hosting the 20th annual national student conference against hunger and homelessness," Homeless and Hunger conference coordinator Cathy Collentine said. “We're hoping to get 400 students from across the nation here in Madison talking about the issues that have to do with poverty."
Rolling, who oversees all WISPIRG campaigns, said the group's goals are relevant to all UW students.
"You go on campus, you go to class, you learn about global warming, you learn about recycling issues, and you come to our group and we say, 'Let's do a project, let's put what you know into motion,'" Rolling said.
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WISPIRG will never end homelessness, and given their budget, really hasn’t accomplished anything EVER. I’m all for their goals, maybe wish they’d take them farther, but their approach is pathetic and nothing but self-justification. Give me my $3 back.
…really? Never accomplished anything? Registering hundreds of thousands of young voters and helping increase youth voting rates to their highest levels since the 70’s so that for the first time we are seeing candidates talk about issues students care about. What about running a higher education platform that resulted in over 20 billion dollars being taken from the student loan industry and given to students? What about our efforts to expose the ripoffs in the textbooks industry that resulted in both congress and the board of regents using our research and testimony in their review of the problem? Or continually being a force in helping to protect the Arctic from drilling and passing strong state water runoff standards and helping to pass a renewable energy bill that will more than quadruple Wisconsin’s use of renewable energy? Or what about the money we raise annually for local poverty efforts? I mean I guess you can call this nothing… But what about all the students, including myself, who would never have bothered to learn the name of their state representative, let alone their phone number, if it hadn’t been for WISPIRG? Or the chance to learn not just how a bill becomes a law but how to make sure a bill becomes a law? Is that nothing? What about WISPIRG’s success in keeping me from becoming as cynical and jaded as you seem to be? That’s not only worth my $3 but if we ever have the chance to meet I’d be willing to buy you a cup of coffee so you can get yours back.
Vote Coalition 2006 was a joke. The College Dems registered more people than WISPIRG and ASM combined. Yet who takes credit? They begged the College Dems to copy their voter reg forms for them so they could count towards their totals.
Great! Good Job! Thanks for all your hard work! The Dems are great and so are the College Republicans and the Independents. Though I would like to ask who the Dems turned to when they needed bipartisan support to pass the College Cost Reduction and Access act. Was it the College Dems?