In regards to the ODE story “The OSPIRG you can’t see,” (Jan. 22) I ask where are the students you can’t see? For as much as OSPIRG is accused of not being effective… where are the students? The OSPIRG system is one of a mutually cooperative relationship, between students and the advocates. Anyone who thinks OSPIRG isn’t doing enough ought to get involved to achieve the level of change they desire. If anyone wants to complain about funds being used off campus, they ought to get involved in the group to ensure the funding is being used appropriately. If you want to talk about finances, then ask a ‘PIRG’er what they get out of it… information and real change.
Look at the campaigns OSPIRG is involved in, changing the policy on textbook exchange (which, incidentally, saves students more each term on books than the yearly OSPIRG fee), saving the forests, staving off/preparing for climate change and MORE! If there is an issue that students want to make happen, the PIRGs get it done, taking politicians to task and raising social awareness. The Advocate is like a library card, you pay a menial fee to get the card and the card allows access to volumes upon volumes of information. That is where the money goes, to allow students a database and to supply the tools of the trade, to make change. If students want more bang for their buck, they should get involved! That’s what OSPIRG is for.
Cimmeron Gillespie
University student