As the United Students Government elections are underway, one issue students will be voting on is the referendum concerning funding for New York Public Interest Research Group.
Every two years, NYPIRG is up for a vote, leaving its existence on campus to be determined by the student body.
Although results of the vote could send NYPIRG packing, Ted Traver, regional campus supervisor for NYPIRG said he has no concerns about securing the votes of students.
“We’ve never had a problem here at Buffalo State because we have such an active chapter,” he said. “So many people are involved in the campaigns that we’re working on and they see the direct benefits to the campus that we’re providing them.”
Traver said that when NYPIRG was founded on campus, referendums were established to ensure that organizations have the support of students.
Patty Ceravole, project coordinator for NYPIRG said that one reason she isn’t worried about the vote is because NYPIRG has a board of directors made up of students.
“The campaigns that we’re working on and any issue that we take up goes through that group of students,” she said. “They make all the decisions, so typically, we’re very relevant to what is on the student body’s mind.”
Some of these campaigns focus on concerns students have with the environment, homelessness, higher education and several others issues.
“With NYPIRG, it’s students who are doing the actual work and we’re actually tackling issues that students are concerned about,” said Wilherne Benjamin, media intern for NYPIRG. “That’s the most important thing that it’s done by students and these are the concerns of students.”
Traver said that aside from the campaigns, NYPIRG is always striving to build student power and keep students informed with campus-related activities by setting up information tables around campus as well as class presentations.
According to Ceravole, NYPIRG registered 1,557 students to vote for the Presidential elections last semester.
“Our goal is to build student power on campus,” said Ceravole. “We’re a unique organization in that there are not really any other politically active organizations that offer the training we do on campus.”
Traver also said NYPIRG prepares students for real-world campaigning, lobbying and other political involvement through their internship program.
“They’re doing phone banks, they’re running meetings, they’re making class presentations,” he said. “Many of them will at some point sit down with a legislator or do some type of lobbying, so there’s many opportunities for students to gain skills that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Traver said any students who may be unsure whether to vote in favor of NYPIRG’s funding should get involved.
“Even if students do not get involved with us, they are still reaping the benefits of the work that we’re doing,” he said.
Katie Anderson can be reached by email at anderson.record@live.com.