http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/bill-would-help-make-textbooks-affordable http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/bill-would-help-make-textbooks-affordable Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/textbook-resolution-passed Textbook resolution passed http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/textbook-resolution-passed Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/4000-turn-out-for-rally 4,000 turn out for rally http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/4000-turn-out-for-rally Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-preps-for-primary-elections Student leaders hope to increase student turnout at the polls http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-preps-for-primary-elections Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-students-join-effort-to-urge-safe-credit-usage By: Cody CalamaioStudents and http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-students-join-effort-to-urge-safe-credit-usage Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/wise-credit-card-use-by-students-urged-at-ua http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/wise-credit-card-use-by-students-urged-at-ua Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/a-7-foot-tall-man-eating-credit-card Look for a 7-foot-tall man-eating credit card out on the UA mall today.The vicious plastic monster is part of a new campaign by the Students http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/a-7-foot-tall-man-eating-credit-card Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/students-rally-against-global-warming-al-gore-to-speak http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/students-rally-against-global-warming-al-gore-to-speak Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/al-gore-at-asu http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/al-gore-at-asu Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/gores-asu-appearance-to-benefit-student-led-effort Although Al Gore may be getting the spotlight at Arizona State University today, his appearance is also drawing attention to a student-led environmental movement on campus.The student government is hosting Gore's 4 p.m. appearance at ASU Gammage in Tempe, where he will make a presentation on global warming that is featured in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth.     But that is just the flagship program of the student-led Sustainability Awareness Month on the campus. More than 20 programs will be offered during the month."It starts with one student," said Terra Ganem, a sophomore majoring in non-profit leadership and management. "They have the power to make decisions. We have set up this month with . . . events to serve as a catalyst for our future environment," added Ganem, chief organizer.All 3,000 tickets to the Gore event sold out at prices from $5 to $75. Some are being advertised on e-Bay for $300. Media are not allowed at the speech under Gore's contract, and there are no other planned appearances in the Valley, according to his office.Information on the month of programs: www.sustainabilityandyou.org. http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/gores-asu-appearance-to-benefit-student-led-effort Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/speaker-of-the-house-addresses-students-in-tempe Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House of Representatives, http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/speaker-of-the-house-addresses-students-in-tempe Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/pelosi-touts-college-costs TEMPE - Over storms of applause and standing ovations, House Speaker http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/pelosi-touts-college-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/group-helps-raise-awareness-about-student-issues ASU West's campus club, Arizona Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), has been holding events to broaden the student community's knowledge on problems within the community."Students for Arizona PIRG is a statewide student group working on issues relating to the public sphere - civic engagement, consumer rights and environmental issues, to name a few," said Imran Kirkland, student leader of the group.The club works with professional staff like scientists, lawyers and organizers who work for students. They help form research solutions, draft policies and run local, statewide and national campaigns.In PIRG's recent event - "How much did publishers rip you off" - students raised awareness of the price of textbooks."Students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks, and prices keep going up. Here at ASU West, students expressed rising textbook prices as their top concern this fall," said Robin Averbeck, ASU West campus organizer.Raising concerns about this problem could really help out the community and make college more affordable.This semester the program will be working on public awareness of the problem and work with faculty and administration to call attention to the issues that need solutions."We have big plans for the semester, but we can only make them a realitywith a lot of help," Averbeck said."I like emphasizing community, so working with PIRG has helped me further sharpen my leadership and organizational skills, which is pretty much invaluable," Kirkland said.PIRG is currently working on a project to raise awareness of global warming. It will start to put pressure on the new U.S. Congress to begin aggressive national power shifts on global warming, Averbeck said.Group members are planning to have a panel discussion that will address the problem at university and state levels.Panelists include Diane Brown, executive director of Arizona PIRG, and Jim Buizer and Bonny Bentzin, executive and assistant directors of ASU's Office of Sustainability Initiatives."Arizona has the largest potential for solar in the country," Averbeck said. "We get over 300 days of sunshine each year and have the ability to get all of Arizona's energy needs from solar. All we need now is the leadership to make it happen.""We are also working with the governor's office on statewide clean cars legislation," Averbeck added.Arizona PIRG is taking internship applications for campaigns they will hold. The group needs students to work with the professional staff to put its plans into action.Sarah Holtz, psychology senior and intern, said, "I am learning a variety of leadership skills and promotional strategies, and working with a great group of motivated individuals.""I believe in the causes. We are the future," Holtz said.Whether it is an internship, a position or volunteer work, Holtz said she believes that it is important to get the information out there that global warming, poverty and clean water are issues that need to be acknowledged and solutions need to be found.If you are interested in learning more about the internship program, please call the ASASUW office at 602-543-8151 and ask for Robin or Imran. http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/group-helps-raise-awareness-about-student-issues Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/on-election-day-one-final-push  The smell of poster paint and the chatter of a dozen phone calls http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/on-election-day-one-final-push Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-offers-voters-info-poll-shuttle-for-election-day College-age voters are expected to reach record numbers during today's http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-offers-voters-info-poll-shuttle-for-election-day Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/uas-early-polling-site-boasts-pima-countys-highest-voter-turnout With 362 voters, the UA's early voting polling station was the most used http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/uas-early-polling-site-boasts-pima-countys-highest-voter-turnout Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/students-urge-classmates-to-vote Politics won't fly under the radar on Arizona's college campuses this election season, as thousands of students are reading up on the candidates and 19 propositions on this year's ballot.Students at the state's three publicly funded universities say they are planning statewide voting rallies as the Nov. 7 election nears.Roughly 4,500 college students statewide have registered to vote since fall classes began, nearly half of them from Arizona State University. Students hope to send a message to politicians about how valuable their votes really are. "Getting them registered was one thing. Getting them to vote is the next step we're taking," said Imran Kirkland, director of the Arizona Students' Association at the ASU West campus.Each of ASU's students associations, including those at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, have been working with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group to beef up voter registration among their peers.Starting today, students will begin to see more booths on campuses where they can hand out and receive literature on political candidates and each proposition."Students have a lot going on in their lives and sometimes forget," Kirkland said. "This election is important."Research by PIRG has indicated that college-age adults register and turn out to vote in higher numbers if they are urged to do so by their peers.A chief concern for many students is the rising cost of higher education.NAU and UA, now the state's most expensive public institution, also have seen dramatic tuition increases in as many years. http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/students-urge-classmates-to-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-voter-sign-up-kicks-into-high-gear It's tough to get out the vote during a midterm election.In the 2002 midterm, Arizona's 11 percent turnout among people 18 to 24 years old was the nation's lowest.But state legislative races critical to students this year are pushing student leaders to get more young adults to register."These are the elections that affect higher education the most. We're really pushing that," said Erin Hertzog, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.UA students have joined the Arizona Student Vote Coalition in trying to register more than 10,000 young adults by Monday, the deadline to register for the Nov. 7 general election.Members of the coalition, which includes Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University student governments, the Arizona Students Association and the Arizona Public Interest Research Group, tend to be more in tune with political issues.They say rising tuition and textbook costs, school funding and work force pay are among the hot issues young voters should care about.But student leaders at UA have registered only about 1,400 of their 4,000-student share.Hertzog said she and her staff remain hopeful, especially because they are hosting a Voter Block Party at Main Gate Square, next to campus, on Friday night."Most of our registrations will probably come from the party," said Hertzog, a UA journalism senior.The event caps a monthslong effort to register UA students and young adults. Student leaders have set up booths on the UA Mall and visited dozens of classes, clubs and organizations."It seems students on campus care about a lot of things: health care, minimum wage, getting a job after graduation, whether they will be able to buy a house or pay off their student loans," said Serena Unrein, acting executive director of ASA, which is also a statewide lobbying group."Contrary to popular belief, they are the least apathetic people around," Unrein said.But they don't necessarily turn up at the polls, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reports.After 18-year-olds gained the right to vote in 1972 - a presidential election year during the Vietnam War - 52 percent of the nation's adults age 18 to 24 voted, the Maryland-based center found.And while the national young adult turnout grew during the 2004 presidential election, it was still about 5 percentage points lower than in the 1972 presidential election.The lowest turnout for the 18-24 group during a presidential election came in 1996, when 35.6 percent turned out to vote.The number is even lower for midterm election years, and it has dropped steadily since 1974. That year, 25.4 percent of voters age 18 to 24 turned up at the polls compared with 19.4 percent percent in 2002.The center also reported a 7-percentage-point dip in turnout among voters ages 18-24 in Arizona between 1978 and 2002. The slide was steeper than the national average.Nationally, that age group has the lowest turnout of any age group.Adults older than 35 have a voter turnout of about 45 percent or higher, the U.S. Census Bureau found.The bureau also determined that homeowners and those with more education, better jobs and higher pay - people who are likely to be older - were more likely to vote.But many are hopeful that this year will mean a higher voter turnout among young adults."They might be participating in their first election and just like any movement, you want to get somebody early on," said Garrick Taylor, spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party. "They're the voters of tomorrow." http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/ua-voter-sign-up-kicks-into-high-gear Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/asu-student-groups-work-to-register-young-adults-to-vote You won't see rap artist Diddy in a "Vote or Die" T-shirt or any other signs of MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign at Arizona State University in coming weeks. But Ross Meyer, president of the student body, says you can expect to see a concerted effort to register thousands of students in Tempe and at the college's other campuses as the Nov. 7 election nears.The Arizona Student Vote Coalition is a project of the Arizona Students' Association and the Arizona Public Interest Research Group, along with student government organizations from each of the state's public colleges. Their aim is to increase voter registration among young adults.Research has indicated that voter turnout among college-age adults generally is better if they are urged by peers to register, said Isaac Kimes, a statewide coordinator for student programs with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group.More than 3,000 ASU students have registered in the past few weeks. In 2002, 11 percent of voters ages 18 to 24 cast ballots in Arizona, compared with 50 percent of voters 25 and older, according to the research group. - Chris Ramirez http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/asu-student-groups-work-to-register-young-adults-to-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500 http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/state-house-candidates-get-out-the-vote Several local candidates running for the state House of Representatives visited ASU Wednesday to stress the importance of student voting at a meeting organized by ASU Votes."Voting is an integral part of being a student at ASU," said Isaac Kimes, student campaign coordinator for the group, which works in conjunction with Undergraduate Student Government to register voters."By increasing the number of young voters, we're making sure politicians address our issues," he said.The goal is to register 5,500 student voters - the number of votes by which Rep. Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe, won the 2002 election - and educate them on election issues from a nonpartisan stance, Kimes said."We wanted to show that student votes are significant because they could swing the election," he said.At Wednesday's meeting - the group's first since launching this semester - ASU Votes got a little help with getting their message out from local candidates.Five District 17 candidates spoke at the meeting, including Knaperek; Democratic candidates Angie Crouse, David Schapira, and Rhett Wilson; and Republican candidate Dale Despain.District 17, which covers parts of Tempe and south Scottsdale, includes ASU's Tempe campus.While some candidates spoke to students about why they should vote for their political party, all speakers stressed the importance of student voting."The future depends on your participation in the vote," Wilson said. "If you're not satisfied with the way the government is handling theissues, you should stand up and do something to change it."Crouse said it is not only important for native Arizonans to vote, but for the many students coming from out of state, as well."This is now your home," Crouse said. "What happens in the Arizona Legislature directly affects you."When Knaperek spoke, she added that students should do their own research when deciding whom to vote for, instead of listening to what other people tell them."Decide which issues are important to you, and then go do your homework," Knaperek said. "Go to campaign sites, the ArizonaLegislature Web site, or you can even check MySpace.com to get your information."So far, ASU Votes is making progress in reaching their goal of registering 5,500 students."We registered 50 people today, so that leaves 5,450 to go," Kimes said.The primary elections are Tuesday, and the general election is Nov. 7. http://www.arizonapirgstudents.org/arizonapirg-in-the-news/arizonapirg-in-the-news/state-house-candidates-get-out-the-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:37:43 -0500