http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/a-greener-future A greener futureEditorialArticle Last Updated: 03/09/2008 01:49:16 PM EDT http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/a-greener-future Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/drumbeats---massachusetts-campaign-and-our-power-shift http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/drumbeats---massachusetts-campaign-and-our-power-shift Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/the-heat-is-on---letter-to-the-editor The heat is on http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/the-heat-is-on---letter-to-the-editor Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/sga-in-brief  SGA- In Brief http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/sga-in-brief Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/fsc-students-encourage-state-to-make-energy-efficiency-a-priority-lte FSC students encourage state to make energy efficiency a priorityEditorial / Opinion Sentinel & EnterpriseArticle Launched: 03/06/2008 11:01:01 AM EST http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/fsc-students-encourage-state-to-make-energy-efficiency-a-priority-lte Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-dartmouth-students-spotlight-global-warming  UMass Dartmouth students spotlight global warming http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-dartmouth-students-spotlight-global-warming Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/mass-power-shift-is-heating-up http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/mass-power-shift-is-heating-up Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/boxford-resident-calls-on-senate-to-pass-global-warming-bill Boxford resident calls on Senate to pass global warming bill http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/boxford-resident-calls-on-senate-to-pass-global-warming-bill Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/global-warming-teach-in-to-take-place-at-local-campuses-today http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/global-warming-teach-in-to-take-place-at-local-campuses-today Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/challah-for-a-dolla-resumes-at-umass In September 2006, Mara Seidel, the Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/challah-for-a-dolla-resumes-at-umass Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/um-students-join-national-rally Several University of Massachusetts students attended Power Shift 2007, http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/um-students-join-national-rally Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-students-unaware-of-credit-card-company-scams Many credit card companies get college students to sign up for a credit http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-students-unaware-of-credit-card-company-scams Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-kids-hot-over-global-warming Young people from around the nation are gathering in Washington, D.C., http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-kids-hot-over-global-warming Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-works-to-be-a-part-of-power-shift-campaign Twenty-three students from the College will attend a national http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-works-to-be-a-part-of-power-shift-campaign Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-fights-for-affordable-textbooks The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, students, faculty and http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-fights-for-affordable-textbooks Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/bill-aims-to-lower-textbook-costs THE ISSUE: Proposal to lower textbook costs in Mass.WHAT WE THINK: Legislation good start, more neededOn http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/bill-aims-to-lower-textbook-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/closing-the-book-on-costs-of-college For the nearly 60,000 students who attend a college or http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/closing-the-book-on-costs-of-college Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-costs-cut-by-bill By: Lisa DeBenedictis and Shruti Sehgal http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-costs-cut-by-bill Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-protest-the-high-cost-of-college-textbooks Outraged by the cost of textbooks, college students http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-protest-the-high-cost-of-college-textbooks Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/beacon-hill-to-lower-textbook-costs On Tuesday, the state Joint Committee on Higher Education received http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/beacon-hill-to-lower-textbook-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-laud-cost-reduction By Jo-Ann Moriarty http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-laud-cost-reduction Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-to-hold-first-meeting-today Massachusetts public-interest group, MASSPIRG, will be starting off the http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-to-hold-first-meeting-today Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/putting-college-students-in-charge-of-their-finances By PATRICK IAN CLARKSTAFF WRITER http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/putting-college-students-in-charge-of-their-finances Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-favor-of-bill By: Lucas Correia http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-favor-of-bill Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/ralph-nader-comes-to-amherst A tall, graying man sits huddled in a corner of the Amherst Cinema. He signs book after book while his publicist tries to maintain his composure dealing with the old, burnt out refugees of the hippie generation. All of whom think their problems could be solved by the man. For our generation, he has only been known as the crazy old guy who keeps running for president despite almost no chance of winning, a candidate that even the Green Party found too "out there" for their tastes. And so demonstrates the fall of Ralph Nader, a once respected and revered champion of consumer rights known today only to some as the man who lost Al Gore the 2000 election.Nader was in Amherst this past Sunday to introduce the newly released documentary An Unreasonable Man, which chronicles his life's journey from his roots as the child of a blue-collar immigrant to a man once hailed by Time Magazine as one of the world's most influential people. The audience's political persuasion was evident early as his detractors on screen received hisses and boos throughout the film. After the movie, he walked on stage to a standing ovation and answered questions from the sold-out audience filled with both baby-boomer activists pining for the old days and students eager to learn a little bit more about what made the man so intriguing.The film itself was at the same time inspiring and saddening. His life as an influential public persona began in the early 1960s when he published a book titled "Unsafe at Any Speed" detailing the dangers of General Motors' Chevrolet Corvair. At the time, safety was not a factor in designing the "psycho-sexual dreamboats" (as Nader referred to them) of the time. In fact, when Ford released an optional safety package consisting of seat belts and a padded dashboard for one of its cars, GM pressured the company into dropping the option or risk being undercut into bankruptcy. So when Nader published the book GM was not happy, they tried everything they could to dishonor and discredit the man by paying women to solicit him in supermarkets and tailing him to try and reveal any moral indiscretion. They found nothing, and when the press caught wind of it, it turned into a fiasco.Not too far afterwards, GM President James Roche was before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee publicly apologizing to Nader for his company's actions. Nader used this and a subsequent breach of privacy lawsuit to catapult himself and his issues into the public arena. His work and the work of his followers, going by the name of "Nader's Raiders," eventually led to the regulation of the industry mandating things we take for granted today like seat belts, crash testing and airbags for all cars.For the next 30 years he would pursue more legislation in the name of consumer rights, all through legal action and never holding public office. When he was bumped from an overbooked flight and not given a replacement ticket he took his case all the way to the Supreme Court and won, forcing airlines to offer replacement tickets to those ousted off their flights. Warning labels on cigarettes and medication, and worker's rights to know that they are working in a chemically toxic environment were just some of many accomplishments that ensued.It is hard to imagine someone being such a driving force for progress without the aid of well-off parents or connections in Washington, but Nader maintains that he was just a kid who "lost a lot of friends in crashes" and was driven into action. And with regard to the movie, to which his only contributions were his interviews and a demand that his opponents be given the chance to speak their views, he spoke of the inspiration he hoped it would give up and coming students. He stressed that anyone could make change and all they have to do is, "want to want to do it." He played a big part in establishing MassPIRG at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and across the state in the 1973 and spoke of how big student involvement in groups such as MassPIRG could be in changing the world."There are a lot of solutions for global warming, poverty and accountable corporations but students have to ask themselves, how much time are they going to spend on their civic responsibilities?" said Nader.When asked about the perception of apathy in our generation he commented, "Students are making too many excuses for themselves... right now they are obsessed with computers, the internet, myspace, cellphones and they are devouring on their own time," Nader said. The solution? "Join MassPIRG or an environmental group or civil liberties student group, you really get educated in your extracurricular activity," Nader said.It is hard to separate Nader from his effect on the elections of the last decade but when you do it is difficult to deny his positive impact on the people of the United States. Oh, and as for 2008, he won't declare his candidacy yet, but don't be surprised if he does. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/ralph-nader-comes-to-amherst Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/gcc-aims-to-reduce-costs-of-textbooks GREENFIELD -- Karen Cole has been ordering textbooks for the Greenfield Community College Bookstore for about 16 years, and whenever she sees an especially pricey book, she calls the professor to make sure he or she knows how much the book will cost students.'I have a pretty good rapport with the professors. I tell them the price. Then it's up to them to decide if (the book) is something they really, really need.'Sometimes, they change the book,' said Cole.By her old standards, a $100 price-tag made a textbook worth a phone call to the professor. But now, she says, 'about half the textbooks are over $100. It's terrible.'And, if the book is bundled with a workbook, or a CD ROM, she says, 'I'll ask the professor: Are you sure that's really what you need?'Over the last few years, student public interest research groups or 'PIRG's, including MassPIRG, have been rallying against textbook prices, which they say have been rising four times faster than the rate of inflation.In a survey of 287 professors from Massachusetts colleges and universities over the fall semester of 2006, MassPIRG found that many professors were not given pricing information by textbook publishers' representatives. Also, only 50 percent of the professors who ordered textbooks that are 'bundled' with other materials, such as workbooks or software, said they used the supplemental bundled materials in their courses.'We do a lot more business in used books now,' said Cole of GCC. She says the used textbooks generally cost about 25 percent less than new ones. She said about 60 percent of textbook sales are in used books. 'When I started, there were practically no used books here,' she said.A cursory glance at the new textbooks on the GCC Bookstore shelves included 'Microbiology' at $154, 'Anatomy and Physiology,' $117, and a 'General Chemistry' book for $139. Cole said some of the books cover two semesters worth of material.Some textbooks can't be sold as used books if the workbooks have been used or if software packaged with the book is missing. She said a lot of publishers won't put out software or workbooks separately. And whenever publishers update an edition, the old edition is no longer marketable. According to Cole, some textbook publishers update their books about every three years, even when the changes are relatively minor.'We chose textbooks based on what we think is the best book,' said Norman Beebe, math assistant coordinator at GCC. He said the math department has been using the same math textbook for preparatory, beginning and intermediate algebra for the past four or five years. He said the publisher has stopped using the hard-cover version of that textbook, but that some students are still using them.GCC Library Co-coordinator Ellen Carey said some professors will put a textbook on reserve, instead of requiring the students to buy it. However, she said, it's not possible or practical for the library to purchase every textbook used. 'Textbooks change so frequently,' she said. 'Different professors use different books.'She said the library is trying to increase the online materials it has for reference and background information.'We hear from the students who come in wanting to reserve a textbook and finding it's not here,' she said. 'Sometimes, faculty get a complementary copy from the publisher, and have no awareness of how much the book costs.'Nikki Clark, a GCC student with MassPIRG said the group is trying to work with bookstores and college administrators to get textbook publishers to change their practices. She said GCC MassPIRG students have created a letter for professors with helpful tips to know when selecting textbooks for their classes.'Efforts are being made to sign more students up on our book-swap Web site,' said Clark. She said the group plans to bring teachers and students to the Statehouse, once a textbook hearing is scheduled in the Legislature. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/gcc-aims-to-reduce-costs-of-textbooks Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-hopes-to-maintain-funding While University of Massachusetts students place their votes in the Student Government Association presidential and Student Trustee elections, they will also be asked to support the continuation of the MASSPIRG chapter/RSO at UMass funded by an $11 per student, per semester waive-able fee.When filling out tuition forms, students must decide whether or not to check the box stating that they agree to donate $11 to the MASSPIRG chapter at UMass. Any student who chooses not to support the group may waive the fee.If the vote isn't successful, the University will remove the donation option from the tuition form altogether.The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) is a state-wide student-directed nonpartisan organization. The group conducts research, advocacy and public education in environmental preservation, consumer protection and hunger relief.MASSPIRG urges students to vote "Yes" in keeping the option to donate money toward the organization open. They argue that their existence allows students to keep control over their educational experiences and keep them involved in volunteering and engaged in issues on campus.Last year, MASSPIRG staff and students passed a law that made Massachusetts appliances more energy efficient, hoping to save the state over $8 billion over the next 20 years.MASSPIRG is currently working to fight local and national poverty by organizing their hunger and homelessness awareness week, their panel on the genocide in Darfur and their "Spare Change for Social Change" drives in which they donated the proceeds to local shelters and schools in Sudan.About two-thirds of the money that is donated goes towards hiring professional staff such as staff-advocates, lobbyists, lawyers, scientists and organizers. The rest of the funds raised goes to direct program work and campaigns, to office costs and materials and to national program work and outreach to other PIRGs across the country."We don't want our fee to be mysterious or misunderstood," said Jessica McGowen-Vanderbeck, MASSPIRG campus organizer. "It is simply the way in which we are able to have a larger impact on social environmental issues because it allows us to hire professional staff who work full time on students' behalf."In 2006, MASSPIRG staff and students registered over 6,400 new Massachusetts voters, over 1,600 of which from UMass.The Student Government Association (SGA) elections will be held today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in all dining commons and the Campus Center. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-hopes-to-maintain-funding Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/how-to-right-sudan In 1945, we said "Never Again." In 1994, we said "Never Again." Now, in http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/how-to-right-sudan Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/spring-break-exploits-and-exploitation While thousands of Boston University students are gearing up to jet set http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/spring-break-exploits-and-exploitation Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/sga-discusses-recent-alleged-campus-hate-crime The Student Government Association's meeting yesterday marked its http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/sga-discusses-recent-alleged-campus-hate-crime Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-publishers-accused-of-deception A communication gap between textbook publishers and professors http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-publishers-accused-of-deception Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/senator-to-watch-documentary-on-campus Senator Benjamin Downing will show his face at the College, tonight at 7 p.m., for a special screening of the 2-time Oscar nominated film, “An Inconvenient Truth.”Students involved in the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) group located at the College are sponsoring the event in Sullivan Lounge. Though Downing does not post global warming as a high priority, he will be sharing his views during a discussion after the film. The discussion will be based on solutions to the global warming problem.MASSPIRG had an invation that was signed by over 200 students requesting Downings prescence that the event.“He is a really nice guy,” said MASSPIRG Campus Organizer Lauren Vining. “He had time in his schedule and was more than happy to join us.”“An Inconvenient Truth” documents former vice president Al Gore’s campaign to educate about global warming by exposing the myths and lies that surround the science. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide that builds in the atmosphere and traps solar heat. Most scientists agree that this will have detrimental effects on the planet, yet no firm conclusion on how to prevent it has surfaced. Gore’s campaign to find viable solutions begins with screenings of the film. Information about how to help is available on film’s website (www.climatecrisis.org). The site provides a personal carbon calculator, which allows viewers to find ways to reduce carbon dioxide levels on a smaller scale. The national average is 7.2 tons per year.“Global warming is the biggest crisis facing out generation and a lot of students are concerned about it. So, that is why we are working on it on this campus,” said ViningDowning was elected Senator on Nov. 7, 2006 for the Berkshire, Franklin and Hampshire county districts. He grew up in Pittsfield and went to school at Providence College. He is currently finishing his master’s degree at Tufts University.“I am a product of western Massachusetts.  I was born here, I grew up here, and this is where I learned the values that guide and inform my priorities. Each day I have the honor to represent western Mass, these are the priorities that drive my efforts,” said Downing on his website (www.bendowning.org) .Downing also worked in the offices of U.S. Representative William Delahunt and Richard Neal before joining the staff of U.S. Representative John W. Olver.  Downing appeared at the college last on Oct. 26, 2006 for one of the multiple debates that led to the Nov. election. He held a phone interview with students on the campus station, WJJW, shortly after the debate.MASSPIRG is an organization established to fight environmental threats.“We work on a variety of issues including inform my priorities. Each day I have the honor to represent western Mass, these are the priorities that drive my efforts,” said Downing on his website (www.bendowning.org). http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/senator-to-watch-documentary-on-campus Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/state-legislators-step-in-as-textbook-prices-climb Students filling up classrooms at the beginning of this semester were http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/state-legislators-step-in-as-textbook-prices-climb Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-balking-at-book-bills PITTSFIELD — Tanya Weeks spent $125 for a math book for her Berkshire Community College class and then another $250 for a physics book. The insult turned to injury when it turned out that her math text hadn't come with a CD-ROM she needed, and she had to dig into her pocket for another $30."That's a lot of money," Weeks said yesterday.A Massachusetts consumer group yesterday issued a report that said Weeks' pain, as with that of thousands of students statewide, is the fault of the textbook industry, which it argues uses unfair trade practices to drive prices up.The report, prepared by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, or MassPIRG, found that practices such as frequently issuing new editions and "bundling" books with a CD-ROM, are eroding the used-textbook market, depriving students of access to less expensive books.The result, said Lauren Vining, MassPIRG organizer at BCC and at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, is that students pay an average of $900 a year for books, making it harder to finance their education."A lot of students are already spending thousands of dollars for their education. The last thing they need is to shell out hundreds more for books," Vining said.The Association of American Publishers, a national trade association, blasted MassPIRG for recycling old arguments that the AAP said have been long discredited."They don't let facts get in the way of their political arguments," J. Bruce Hildebrand, AAP's executive director for higher education, said.MassPIRG surveyed 287 professors in Massachusetts. It concluded that professors believe that they don't get solid information about textbook prices from publisher's Web sites or from sales representatives.Meanwhile, MassPIRG said, professors want the option of selecting "unbundled" textbooks that would exclude CD-ROMs and similar "bells and whistles," making the books cheaper for students.And, MassPIRG said, professors want to see fewer new editions of books: 71 percent said new editions in their field "are justified only 'sometimes' or 'rarely.' "But Hildebrand said that a quickA new microbiology textbook on sale at the BCC Bookstore costs $159.59, while the used version still runs $119.75.Internet search will turn up dozens and even hundreds of places where students can now order used books at discounted prices. Likewise, he said, it has never been easier for professors to find and compare prices.Meanwhile, professors are choosing the books that are bundled with CD-ROMs and that have access to Web sites because they are good educational tools."Textbooks are a classic case of supply and demand," Hildebrand said. "If there were no demand for the bundled items, they wouldn't sell. If they didn't sell, publishers wouldn't produce them. This is a specious, fake argument that PIRG uses to get publicity and prey on emotions."State Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton, questioned whether textbooks are really governed by supply and demand: Professors choose the books, while students pay for them. If a book costs more than a student wants to spend, they still have to buy it."Textbook publishers have used this captive market to exploit students," he said, creating a "barrier to affording higher education."BCC has already taken steps of its own to try to alleviate the high cost, said Peter Roming, the school's spokesman.Publishers send professors free copies of new books for their review, in the hope that they will adopt them for their courses. Roming said the professors now pool these books and sell them to used-book dealers. The proceeds are placed in a scholarship fund that helps students in need. In three semesters, the school has raised $1,972 with the program and has used those funds to buy 37 books for 30 students. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-balking-at-book-bills Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-want-law-to-keep-down-rising-textbook-costs SALEM - Michelle Flear is lobbying college textbook publishers to lower costs, saying she and other students shell out as much as $500 per semester for books.Flear, a senior at Salem State College, is among students across the state getting behind recently filed legislation and a report released this week by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, which says the price of textbooks has gone up four times the rate of inflation over the last decade."I think that students receiving an education from a public institution should be protected," said Parker Jones, a freshman at Salem State. "One of the main draws to attend a public college or university is its lower tuition. ... (But) the cost of tuition at these schools doubles and sometimes triples (due to books)."Students and legislators say they want publishers to stop the common practice of shrink-wrapping supplemental materials with textbooks; students are charged for the extra materials but generally don't use them in their classwork. The practice is called "bundling," and it will often include a workbook and a CD-ROM packaged with the textbook."I showed up the first day of classes with a pile of books the teachers didn't even recognize because they were bundled," Flear said. "Then they were flabbergasted when we told them how much they cost."Flear, who is majoring in business at Salem State, traveled to the Statehouse Thursday with one of her classmates to meet with state Rep. Steven Walsh, D-Lynn, who is sponsoring the Affordable Textbooks Bill. The bill calls for textbooks to come unbundled and would also require publishers to disclose the cost of books when marketing them to professors.Of the faculty surveyed, 94 percent said prices aren't made available to them when they are ordering books, so they can't take cost into consideration, according to the report."They are taking advantage of a captive market, and purchasers aren't actually able to make choices," said Flear, who is also calling on publishers to stop putting out new editions every year or two."They're putting (new editions) out in every class, whether it's Intro to Economics or Advanced Biology," Flear said. "And the material isn't changing enough to warrant a new edition every other year."Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said he supports the new legislation."Rising http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-want-law-to-keep-down-rising-textbook-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-price-regulation-bill-gets-masspirg-backing A bill submitted last month aimed at combating high textbook prices is gaining momentum in the commonwealth.Massachusetts Public Interest Group gave its support yesterday when it released a report titled "Exposing the Textbook Industry: How Publishers' Pricing Tactics Drive Up the Cost of College Textbooks," which reports the average student spends $900 per year on textbooks.MassPIRG Campus Program Director Saffron Zomer said the report shows a growing discontent with publishing tactics that result in unjustified textbook prices."The textbook industry is taking advantage of a captive student market," she said.This is the first time such a report has been done locally, she said."It was something that everyone had always known, but that no one had ever documented before."Seventy-one percent of professors surveyed for the report said the new editions of textbooks are often printed without changing more than a few words."We do not need the 27th edition of the Civil War," said Rep. Kevin Murphy (D-Lowell), brandishing a book.Similar bills have been put on the dockets of 14 other state legislatures for 2007, according to the National Association of College Stores. Many of these bills have received support from other state PIRGs.The American Association of Publishers has voiced strong opposition to MassPIRG's support of the legislation, arguing it violates intellectual property rights."PIRG has tried in states all over the country to introduce legislation similar to this," Bruce Hildebrand, executive director for higher education at AAP, said. "It has failed in every instance because it's unconstitutional."He said universities largely support a large number of publishing company policies, including bundling books, CDs and DVDs together and making students pay full-price."Faculty are the professionals that we entrust and pay to educate our students," Hildebrande said. "Part of their role and their job is to use their knowledge to pick the best materials available."Rep. Steven Walsh (D-Lynn), who submitted the docket item last month, said the bill - which would require textbook publishers doing business in Massachusetts to adhere to several new regulations, including disclosing a list of all its products and proving 10 to 15 percent of the material in their books has changed before publishing new editions - will be met favorably in the House."Some members are always afraid of over-regulating," he said. "But we looked for something that would be palatable in the legislature, and I think we found it."The publishing industry has been largely unregulated," he said. "At least publishers will know we're watching them." http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-price-regulation-bill-gets-masspirg-backing Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/expensive-textbooks-have-some-students-up-in-arms Paying for college is tough and then you have to buy http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/expensive-textbooks-have-some-students-up-in-arms Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/textbook-trouble http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/textbook-trouble Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/student-fights-to-ease-college-debt http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/student-fights-to-ease-college-debt Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/salem-state-student-takes-complaint-to-washington http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/salem-state-student-takes-complaint-to-washington Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-amherst-hybrid-car-show http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-amherst-hybrid-car-show Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/voter-registration-deadline-nearing   The window of opportunity is rapidly closing to be part of the process that will determine the state leadership for the next four years.With the looming Oct. 18 deadline in Massachusetts to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election, the rush is on to sign up people across the commonwealth.Fall River Board of Elections Director Maureen Glisson said anyone in Fall River looking to register should contact the city Office of Elections at 508-324-2630.To ensure people have time to register, Glisson said the office will be open until 8 p.m. on Oct. 18. Mailed in applications must be postmarked by that date.The effort to register voters has also begun at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. During the past week, members of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group have actively attempted to register as many students as possible."We want to get politicians to hear from the student population," Fowler said. "Our main goal is to get students heard on both the state and national levels."She added that getting the students - especially freshmen - registered in Dartmouth is important because that is where they will be in September and November for the next four years when elections take place.To entice students to register, MassPIRG set up a table at the entrance to the student dining hall and gave participants a chance to play a game of Identify the Candidates, where students were asked to name the four Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates. Free cookies, pins and armbands also sweetened the deal.MassPIRG volunteer Paige Thompson, a sophomore from Belmont, said it is important to hold such registration drives to ensure young voters have a voice.  http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/voter-registration-deadline-nearing Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg39s-new-voters-project-registered-400-umb-voters MassPIRG's New Voters Project registered 400 UMB voters by http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg39s-new-voters-project-registered-400-umb-voters Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/vote-because-you-can I would like to commend Domenic Poli's article, "No excuse not to vote," for encouraging students to register to vote, both locally and by absentee ballots. It is wonderful to see a student encouraging peers to vote and offering instructions on precisely how to do so - especially in this day and age.In 1972, when the voting age was lowered to 18, 50 percent of 18-24 year olds voted. It hasn't been that high since, but the numbers are growing quickly, and we could break the record this year. Candidates don't ignore us because we're students; rather, they ignore us because we don't vote.If our generation can be fully mobilized, we can take charge of our common future and tell politicians that we want them to care about issues that affect students at UMASS, such as affordable higher education and textbook rip-offs. Furthermore, Domenic is spot on when he argues that it's so easy to vote - especially when numerous student groups, faculty members, and administrators are currently sponsoring a non-partisan effort to register students to vote here, on campus, over the next few weeks.In fact, up until the October 18 Massachusetts registration deadline, these groups are not only tabling, but are also making class presentations and going door-to-door in dorms to encourage students to register. Registration at your door - it couldn't be any easier. They will even mail the forms for you.So, you can eliminate the trekking home, or having to ask a relative to go to City Hall, and just come down to the Student Union or Campus Center and find a group registering people to vote. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to have your voice heard here at UMass.Thomas CoonUMass Student http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/vote-because-you-can Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/can-you-hear-us-now http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/can-you-hear-us-now Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/study-publishers-drive-up-text-costs For sophomore Kara Pavone, the cost of textbooks was a hefty part of her educational investment."I spent $600 on books my first semester as a freshman," said Pavone, a biochemistry major. "I've probably spent about $1,500 so far."With prices so high, students are quick to blame their college bookstores, Jennifer Libertowski of the National Association of College Stores told the Washington Post last January. However, Libertowski said that the publishers of the textbooks make a much bigger profit from textbook sales than college bookstores do. The publishing companies, not the bookstores, are to blame for the high prices, she said.In January 2004, the California Public Interest Research Group, (CALPIRG) issued an extensive report entitled "Ripoff 101: How the Current Practices of the Publishing Industry Drive Up the Costs of College Textbooks."Student public interest research groups (PIRG) from 13 states, including Massachusetts, started the Make Textbooks Affordable campaign, as a way of publicizing the findings."One of our big priorities is to reveal the tactics that publishers are using to artificially inflate prices," said Sabrina Case, campaign coordinator of Make Textbooks Affordable.One such tactic is "bundling," the packaging of textbooks with extras such as workbooks, study guides, or CDs. Packages are shrink-wrapped so students are forced to buy all of the materials."The chemistry department just likes draining us of every dime we have," said sophomore physics major Ben Hutt, who paid more than $200 for a brand new bundle of chemistry materials. "And they actually had a speaker from the publisher come in and basically tell us that our book is awesome and is worth the money.""Ripoff 101" findings state that "bundles" cost nearly twice as much as a textbook would cost if sold individually, and 65 percent of teachers surveyed by the interest groups said they rarely or never use the extra materials.Case said publishers are also to blame for the poor results students encounter when bringing in their old textbooks for buyback. On average, he said, a new edition of a textbook is printed every three to three and a half years, but some are updated as frequently as every year and a half.Digital textbooks are becoming a promising, cost-efficient alternative to printed books, according to the "Ripoff 101" report. But Case warns against the downloadable "e-books" offered by some publishers."The downloadable versions usually cost less than the print versions, but some of them have severe restrictions on how they can be used," Case said. "Some come as subscriptions, so that after about 100 days the student can't access them anymore. Some only allow you to print out a few pages at a time, or they can't be printed at all. And at the end of the semester, the student can't sell them back, so they end up spending more on the whole."Recent legislation in Connecticut placed textbook decisions more in the hands of professors. Last spring, the state passed the first bill in the nation that requires all publishers to release the prices of their textbooks to college faculty members.Faculty members are able to choose which textbooks they would like to use. For some, cost is a factor in the decision. Psychology professor Richard Gramzow researches the costs of potential textbooks, he said."Part of the reason I use this book is because it's one of the cheaper ones I could find that's still a good reference for the course," Gramzow said. "And just because I chose it doesn't mean I'm satisfied with the cost." He said the cheaper book still costs $100 when purchased new.Senior environmental geology major Jason Turgeon investigated the world of digital textbooks a few years ago when the price of his physics book was too high for him to justify. He considered buying his books online for lower prices but soon found an even more cost-effective option: Online books he did not have to pay for at all."I found two basically top-quality physics books online for free, and even though it wasn't exactly the book I'd been told to buy, I thought, 'Why can't I just use this one?'" Turgeon said. "I started trying to make it easier for people to save money on books, and it turned into this huge thing."Turgeon's "huge thing" is Textbook Revolution, a website he started to offer fellow students free access to textbooks. He corresponds with textbook authors who are willing - and often eager - to make their books available for free. On textbookrevolution.com, links to the digital texts are divided up by subject. Some are available for online purchase, but all can be accessed for reading free of charge, and Turgeon attests it is completely legal."Everything on the site is something that the copyright owners have said they wanted to be free," he said. "It's not stealing; it's not pirated stuff. Some people don't care about making money, they just want their books to be out there."Textbook Revolution currently lists close to 300 books and links, but Turgeon is optimistic that the collection will expand quickly. He recently sold Textbook Revolution to Freeload Press, an e-textbook publishing company that provides free downloads of its collection for students."Hopefully by the end of next year, we'll have close to 1,000 books," Turgeon said. "They rip us off for everything in college. I can't control my tuition, but at least I can try to control my textbook costs." http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/study-publishers-drive-up-text-costs Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-takes-aim-at-student-loan-debt DARTMOUTH - As many University of Massachusetts Dartmouth students attend class, eat lunch or even sleep in their dormitory rooms, they are racking up debt that will follow them well after they have received their diplomas.But with the U.S. Department of Education holding an open comment period on student debt, a group of UMass Dartmouth students in the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group held a student debt awareness event on campus Thursday to create a Student Debt Yearbook that will be hand-delivered to the DOE as their public comment.UMass Dartmouth sophomore Kerrin Forgette said research has shown the average student is graduating college with more than $20,000 in debt, a number that has tripled since 1994.She said those type of numbers are having an effect on the career paths students are choosing as they enter college, because students have to consider employment options that will not only pay a livable wage but also allow them to earn enough to pay back student loans."Twenty percent of college graduates can't afford to pay off their debt with the salary they earn after [graduation], so this is making them shy away from public service jobs after graduation," Forgette said.For the yearbook, MassPIRG representatives randomly stopped students, asking them to fill out a short questionnaire about their potential debt as they head toward graduation. The students then had their photos taken holding a dry erase board showing the amount of debt they expect to graduate with.Those photos, along with the questionnaire answers, will be compiled to form the yearbook.Forgette, who estimated she will accumulate $10,000 worth of debt just this school year alone, said nationwide students are graduating with $7,500 worth of debt. She said she didn't know how much debt the average UMass Dartmouth student faces."This is something that is personal to me," Forgette said. "I'm at a public school because I can't afford to go elsewhere."Along with Forgette, two other students filled out surveys during the first half hour of the group's two-hour campaign. Those students revealed estimated debts of $10,000 and $19,000.To help students, Forgette said MassPIRG is asking for colleges, universities, the DOE and lenders to help.To do so, they are proposing interest rates be reduced while penalties for late payments be adjusted. They also suggest that schools be given government incentives to control tuition costs."Students have no control over this," Forgette said. "Education should be a right, not a privilege. You shouldn't have to be at a full-time job to pay for your loans in addition to taking a full class load. It's ridiculous." http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-takes-aim-at-student-loan-debt Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-debt-kills-decent-job Some of you might have heard the story last week about a 30-year-old Boston woman who was denied a full-time job because her credit report, which was checked by her potential employer, showed $18,000 in deferred student loans.Not only are parents and children piling up huge debts in student loans, but it is possible that they won’t be able to get jobs if they are having difficulty making payments on those debts.I laughed out of relief when I read the story. It made me realize that it is indeed true that I am crazy.I have had my suspicions before, but a lot of parents were acting like me — pushing college education on their children — so I figured it was just my imagination.Now, I know the truth. I am crazy, and if you have children in college, or are thinking of putting your children through college, you are crazy, too.Just consider the following:The median hourly wage for American workers has declined 2 percent since 2003, while productivity over the same period has risen steadily. Basically, we are working harder, but making less money.For many of us, that means there is not a whole lot of our income we can put aside for college tuition, and if you have children, you have to think college, because if your children don’t get a college education, the chances of them making a decent life are not very good.That is what we are being told, anyway.Now, according to the College Board, the 2005-06 average total costs (including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses) were $11,692 for students attending two-year public colleges, $15,566 for students attending four-year public colleges and universities, and $31,916 for students at four-year private colleges and universities.College costs increase at about twice the inflation rate, I am told, and recent increases have averaged 5 percent to 8 percent.That means that if you have a child in preschool, by the time he or she is ready to enter college the tab for a four-year degree at a public institution will be more than $178,000, assuming a 7 percent inflation rate.If your child entered kindergarten this year, the projected cost for a four-year public college education would be $166,549.So, if you are thinking college, think loans, think large debt.According to a report by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, student loans are rising significantly faster than the cost of living, even eclipsing the dramatic growth in the cost of health care over the past decade.For example, the average borrower graduated in 1993 with $9,272 in student loan debt. By 2004, the average graduating borrower carried $19,210 in undergraduate debt, an increase of 107 percent (This does not include the loans parents take out on behalf of their children).Let me wrap up my ranting with a few don’ts.Don’t expect your child to significantly reduce that debt upon graduation.According to the MassPIRG report, for example, the “rapid rise in student debt comes while real median income of younger Americans has only modestly increased. The Federal Reserve found that between 1995 and 2004, the real median income for households with income earners under 35 increased by only 4.4 percent, compared with a 23 percent increase for those in the 45-54 age range.”Don’t encourage your child to get into any critical public service careers, such as teaching and social work, because that will prolong their misery and yours.The state Public Interest Research Group found “23 percent of public four-year college students graduate with too much debt to manageably repay as a starting teacher. Thirty-seven percent of public four-year college graduates have too much debt to manage as a starting social worker.”Most importantly, don’t get laid off or divorced. Those experiences can impair your ability to keep up with your loan payments, which, as a result of this increasing practice of employers checking the credit reports of their potential employees, would make you unemployable.After all I have said here, I know you are ready to tell your children to get college out of their minds; that it is not going to happen.No, you say?Well, you are crazy like me.Contact Clive McFarlane by e-mail at cmcfarlane@telegram.com. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-debt-kills-decent-job Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/new-sga-president-discusses-his-intentions  In his first speech to the senate as president of the Student Government Association of the University of Massachusetts, Elvis Mendez announced his intentions to create a new cabinet specifically to improve the relationship between the student body and senate.Mendez intends to appoint the current secretary of registry, Jaimie Corliss, the current secretary of finance Chinedu Okongwu, and Gigi Arguello, who sits on the public policy and relations committee, to this cabinet."I hope that these are seen as the first steps in a process to rework the power dynamic in the SGA and make sure students are placed first," said Mendez.Mendez's speech, which he said was addressed to the student body, stressed the importance of the SGA in inspiring students and helping them understand how their school functions. He also talked about the role students play in shaping policy and the direction in which their school is headed."I'm here to make sure that students are engaged and are involved in the decision-making process on policies that affect them. It's about time their concerns more directly influence both SGA and administrative policy," said Mendez. "The power of students lies in the numbers, not in economical figures per se, but in the number of people that we can amass, and in the number of people that we can inspire and awaken to the reality of student life."Mendez encouraged the SGA to become more inclusive by listening to people other than senators."I said this at the beginning of this senate year and I will say it again; we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously and start taking the issues more seriously," said Mendez. "You are responsible and accountable for at least 250 people and they are your superiors, they are who should be seen as important."We cannot blame the student body for being apathetic if our work ethic is simply pathetic," said Mendez.MassPIRG, along with the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, will be having the 22nd- annual Hunger Cleanup this Saturday, April 8, on the Amherst Green. The campaign aims to address the most immediate needs of the homeless and to create a society that demands making an end to hunger and homelessness a national priority.The campaign also supports operations to construct latrines, provide clean drinking water and food, and offer medical supplies and treatment for thousands of refugees living in camps in Darfur, Sudan and countries ravaged by civil war.Speaker Sean Bliss was excited to announce yesterday's launch of UMass' new, free music downloading Web site, Ruckus.network.com, at that over 1,100 students had already registered."It's a project we've been working on all year, so we're happy to see it come to fruition," said Bliss. "The site gives access to a wide range of quick, virus free music downloads, and we're excited to see that so many students are already using it."Bliss added that the SGA is also planning to hold a promotional concert for the site in late April.  http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/new-sga-president-discusses-his-intentions Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-39rock-to-block-wal-mart39 Students gathered Thursday night to "Rock to Block Wal-Mart" at a MassPIRG-sponsored event designed to inform students about the issues relating to the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter.Speakers from the Hadley Neighbors for Sensible Development and Stop SprawlMart lectured between musical performances from Jay Mankita, the Ski Boot Mafia and Sampling Chinese Nationalists. Mike Pease, a senior history and economics major and a member of MassPIRG, opened the event by discussing MassPIRG's concerns with the Supercenter."What we are most concerned about is the impact it will have on our environment," said Pease.The environmental factor is one that many residents of Hadley and surrounding areas have expressed concern about. The new Wal-Mart has been designed to cover land that has been petitioned to be regarded as a wetlands area. The local conservation commission upheld the petition and now developers and residents are waiting for a ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before the plans can proceed.If the EPA upholds the commission's ruling, Wal-Mart developers will have to make several changes to their plans to make them fit for the new regulations that will surround building on or near wetlands.Concern for the environment, however, is only one reason that Wal-Mart would be bad for Hadley, according to Aaron Goldman, the founder of stopsprawlmart.com and the first guest speaker at the event. Goldman asked students how they felt about a variety of issues. He asked if they were for the preservation of wetlands and agricultural history, if they liked to keep open space and rare species. All of these things, he said, could be in jeopardy with the building of the Wal-Mart Supercenter. He also told students that the Supercenter would more than double traffic."You don't have to be a radical to protest, you just have to not want to sit in traffic all day," said Goldman.However, Wal-Mart is not just a problem for Pioneer Valley, according to Goldman. "It's an international issue," he said. He explained that even people in other countries were affected by Wal-Mart's continued growth in the United States, citing examples of sweatshop workers in other countries working to make Wal-Mart's products.Goldman then encouraged students to take action against Wal-Mart."It doesn't matter if everyone is opposed to Wal-Mart," he said, "If we don't actually do something about it, they'll just come in...We are not their pawns, we are not their victims. [The Wal-Mart developers] are counting on apathy."David Elvin, a speaker from the Hadley Neighbors for Sensible Development, also called on his audience to stand up against Wal-Mart. Elvin says that Wal-Mart has the power and resources to drag their case for a Supercenter on for a long time, and that they are likely hoping that eventually people will give up and allow the Supercenter without protest.Elvin also defended protesters against accusations some have made of those opposed to the Supercenter being "environmentalist wackos.""We're just asking this company to comply with the law, and they won't do it," Elvin said. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-39rock-to-block-wal-mart39 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-loan-cuts-shock-many-students AMHERST - Most students at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst had no idea this week that Congress had just slashed $12 billion from student loan programs.The news didn't settle well with some."If I wasn't able to get student loans, I wouldn't be in college," said Kina N. Dean, a 21-year-old senior from Pennsville, N.J., as she left the financial aid office on campus Thursday morning. "Despite having all these loans and grants, it's still been pretty stressful. You graduate with a bachelor's (degree) and you're in debt."The $12 billion in cuts to student loans was included in a $40 billion deficit reduction bill first passed by the Senate in December. The House approved the measure by just two votes, 216-214, on Wednesday. The legislation now goes to the President George W. Bush for his signature.U.S. Reps. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, and Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, both voted against the bill, as did the state's two Senators, John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy, both Democrats."By slashing federal student aid programs by $12 billion - the largest portion of the cuts in the budget bill - we are forcing students and parents to pay unwarranted and in some cases higher interest rates on education loans, and risk making college out of reach for many students," Olver said in a statement yesterday.According to Olver's office, the interest rate cap that parent borrowers pay on their college loans will increase from 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent. Also, lenders will be required to collect a 1 percent "insurance fee" from borrowers on all college loans or to raise this fee from other non-federal sources.Springfield Technical Community College President Ira H. Rubenzahl said the student government and others on campus sent letters to Neal, Kerry and Kennedy's offices letting them know the cuts weren't welcome.Even though many students don't take out loans to attend the two-year college, many do when they transfer over to four-year institutions, Rubenzahl said."We actively opposed them (the cuts) on campus," Rubenzahl said. "More and more students are taking loans to get through college. It's going to increase their debt."On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group chapter at UMass-Amherst organized 50 students to make calls to their congressional representatives asking them to vote against the bill. Since the fall, the campus group has placed more than 400 calls to legislators about the issue."I think it's a real shame," said Arianne E. Macy, a UMass senior from Madison, Conn., who is also a member of MassPirg. "I really think this is a huge problem. A lot of students don't even know it's happening."Neither Dean nor Anna Y. Han, a UMass freshman from Boston, knew about the cuts to student loans."My mother is a single parent raising three children," Han said. "I don't think it's right when people say children are our future and you don't give them resources."According to MassPirg, there are about 172,640 student borrowers in Massachusetts. While the majority of cuts will negatively affect college students, $3.7 billion of the bill will be spent on grants for students pursuing degrees in math, science and foreign language. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/college-loan-cuts-shock-many-students Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/hybrid-vehicle-a-hit-at-umass AMHERST - Whether it was taking a spin in a brand-new hybrid vehicle or signing a contract promising to reduce global warming pollution, students at the University of Massachusetts yesterday were giving energy-saving measures a shot.Around 11 a.m., Shane S. Clark stepped out of a shiny black Ford Escape hybrid with rave reviews."It was really nice," said the junior computer science student from Housatonic. "It's completely silent. All you hear is the wheels spinning. Even if you're not worried about environmental concerns, you save money on gas."The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group organized the visit from Northampton Ford and officially launched the local "Campus Climate Challenge," a project of 30 leading environmental and social justice organizations that aims to eliminate current global warming pollution by 90 percent before 2050.Students making their way to the Worcester Dining Commons stopped to sign the Campus Climate Challenge, which asks students to buy more fuel-efficient cars and drive less, to switch off lights when they leave their rooms, to choose energy-efficient light bulbs, to switch off their computers at night, and to wash clothes in cold water."In order for it to make a difference, you have to get everyone to do it," said Cory S. Devonis, a freshman engineering student from Falmouth who signed the contract.At certain points, students were standing in line to test-drive the Escape. Hybrid vehicles run on engine and battery power, which conserves gasoline."We want them to switch over to more clean energy, and we want to educate the students in what they can do to help," said Kate E. Gilbert, the MASSPIRG campus organizer at UMass. "Students can think about driving a hybrid car. They can turn off the lights. They can put their computers to sleep at night." http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/hybrid-vehicle-a-hit-at-umass Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/smith-green-team-promotes-sustainability By including members of the faculty, the students and the staff on its board, The Green Team has taken a collaborative approach towards sustainability at Smith College. As a new coalition at Smith, the team seeks to implement the recommendations made by The Sustainability Committee, another coalition of Smith faculty, staff and students.Directed by Gary Hartwell, project manager for the Physical Plant, The Green Team began this fall in an effort to support and educate the Smith community in the efficient use of its natural resources. According to Hartwell, "Our work has included, the web page, the sale of energy efficient light bulbs at central check-in, installation of vending machine misers, added insulation in new and renovated buildings and systems, larger scale lighting projects, changes in cleaning chemicals, changes in lawn chemicals and changes in food procurement to name a few."Included on the Green Team are David Smith, associate professor in Biology, and Joanne McMullin Benkley, program coordinator for the Environmental Science and Policy Program. "The members on the Sustainability Committee are appointed by the President," said Benkley. "The Green Team is a volunteer organization...people are there because they're interested, not because they're appointed"Also a member of The Green Team is Gaia President Katherine Thompson '07. "I was on the sustainability committee with [Hartwell] last year...he's really sincere about environmentalism and sustainability," Thompson said. She continues, "he really and sincerely cares [about the cause]."Another member of the Committee, and co-founder with Hartwell, is Todd Holland, energy manager of the five college area. According to Thompson, "Todd is very sincere about what he does, and very knowledgeable...this is his second year working for Smith."Other members of the Committee include Anne Finley, area manager for Smith Dinning Services, Carole J. Fuller, director of Strategic Marketing, and student Ilona Jhonson of the Smith Environmental Coalition.According to the mission statement, "Through incremental changes in everyday activities, we [The Green Team] seek to transform the college's practices so we can achieve the greatest possible efficiencies in preventing pollution and using natural resources."The Green Teem encourages students not only to recycle, but also to use personal water bottles and travel mugs in lieu of paper cups and bottles. Changing sleep settings on computers, the Green Team suggested, "can save 200 kilowatt-hours of energy a year and avoid 300 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions."The Green Team also suggested that students purchase compact florescent light bulbs rather than incandescent. According to The Green Team website, "If every student bought one 20 watt compact fluorescent, we could avoid 120 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save the college more than 30,000 a year."During orientation week, the Green Team debuted with a table that included free mugs for students as well as information regarding previous success the college had had in recycling and efforts towards sustainability. The Green Team was also responsible for selling lights and other electronic devices made by Energy Star. According to the Green Team Website, Energy Star is a qualification used to suggest more efficient energy use by the product to which it belongs.In their first big initiative, The Million Monitor Drive, The Green Team hopes to apply the Energy Star power management features on all the computers connected the Smith network. Potential savings for this campaign include $60,000 and the prevention of 520 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere this year."A short term challenge is implementing as many energy/materials saving projects as possible...[This would include] the complete elimination of incandescent lighting...as well as the million monitor drive," said Hartwell.The Million Monitor Drive will be a collaborative campaign, including the student organizations Gaia, MassPIRG and Clean Energy for Smith within its membership. For more information about the Drive and for volunteering opportunities, contact Katherine Thompson, (kthomps2@email.smith.edu).According to Hartwell, "From my perspective getting people to really understand global warming and what that implies, to accept the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource and linked to all kinds of environmental calamity and then take action; it is a task best done with many." http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/smith-green-team-promotes-sustainability Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-groups-skip-a-meal-to-help-hurricane-victims http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umass-groups-skip-a-meal-to-help-hurricane-victims Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/homeless-hungry-exceed-capacity-of-shelters-pantries http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/homeless-hungry-exceed-capacity-of-shelters-pantries Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/homeless-hunger-rates-soar http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/homeless-hunger-rates-soar Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/survey-confirms-hunger-rising http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/survey-confirms-hunger-rising Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-case-of-price-gouging http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/textbook-case-of-price-gouging Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/students-prepare-tsumani-relief-efforts On Dec. 26, an overpowering undersea earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami, a massive wall of water that hurtled thousands of miles, reaching speeds of 500 miles per hour. The tsunami has resulted in over 200,000 deaths.Aid organizations worldwide are contributing to the relief efforts, delivering food, clothing, shelter and health care to victims of the tsunami. Over Interterm, students at the College also began organizing tsunami relief efforts. The student response was immediate and continues to play a role in many students’ lives. “As soon as the tragedy happened we began talking about what responses would be appropriate,” said President Anthony Marx.Though still in the planning stages, the student efforts will gain momentum on campus as students settle in for the semester. Viet Do ’06, one of the organizers of student efforts, described the brainstorming process. “We are having a meeting ... to determine the specific ways to raise awareness and money on campus, as well as establish a short-term and longer-term plan on how to use that money,” he said.Do is enthusiastic about initiating a campus-wide effort. “I am also hoping to work with the administration so that this becomes a true Amherst College project which involves every member of the community,” he said.Marx also encouraged input from the Amherst community at large. “We will be as responsive as we can be and look forward to people’s suggestions,” he said.Laura Kim ’06 is working with Isuru Seneviratne ’04 and Chanin Changtor ’06 in an attempt to put together a delegation of Amherst students to volunteer in the southern and southeastern regions of Asia. Seneviratne and Changtor are from Sri Lanka and Thailand, respectively, countries both hit hard by the tsunami.With the help of other students, alumni and other resources on campus, the three are currently searching for aid organizations willing to host such a volunteer delegation.“We’re still in the midst of searching, keeping in mind that the affected countries are currently in need of immediate, large-scale, professional help,” said Kim. “We’re waiting for things to settle down. When the effort becomes more organized, we students hope to be able to give a helping hand.”Marx urged the need for earnest efforts and compassion in the coming months. “We need to be responsive ... and to recognize the common humanity of everyone affected by the tsunami,” he said.Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities and the Campus Center Samuel Haynes heard of students’ ideas to aid in the relief effort and came up with a plan of his own. One of his staff members suggested that the proceeds from this year’s Casino be donated to tsunami aid organizations. The idea was met with approval among the Campus Center staff. Haynes then contacted the student organizers of this year’s Casino to see if they would support the idea. He found that they did. “Thus our plan is to make Casino the big event and hope that others come on board with the idea,” said Haynes.Changtor said that students plan to set up donation jars across campus and ask people for donations at major events. The students involved in this effort say they are also planning a tsunami victims weekend in coordination with local restaurants. If Amherst students dine at participating restaurants during the scheduled weekend, the restaurants will contribute 10 or 15 percent of their profits to tsunami victims.“This involves me personally because my country was affected, so I really wanted to be part of the relief effort,” Changtor said. “There is still a lot that needs to be done towards addressing victims’ needs for food and clothes, and Amherst can help fulfill those needs.”It is important to Changtor to maintain awareness of the disaster. “After the initial relief efforts, the momentum seems to have waned. It’s very important to keep awareness going because rebuilding the community is important.” http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/students-prepare-tsumani-relief-efforts Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/the-most-dangerous-games FALL RIVER -- While the majority of toys will bring happiness to the faces of children this holiday season, there are a number of toys that could bring injury, harm and, in a few cases, death.The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group announced its list of 2004’s most dangerous toys during an afternoon press conference at Bristol Community College."We want to make sure that parents are aware of what to look for," said Lisa Augusto, a MassPIRG campus organizer. "There are a number of products that present a potential hazard."The report focuses on toys that fall into four categories: choking hazards, strangulation hazards, dangerously loud toys and potentially toxic toys.Augusto said that those toys that fall into the choking hazard category are there because objects would fit a tube that measures 1.25 inches in diameter, the average throat size of a child 3 or younger.Objects in the choking hazard category can also include toys that are generally safe but labeled incorrectly. One toy that Augusto specifically out in this category is balloons."Most toy-related deaths come from balloon-related products," Augusto said.Augusto backs up that statement by pointing to MassPIRG’s report "Trouble in Toyland," which states that 44 percent of choking fatalities reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission since 1990 have involved balloons.While balloons have been a problem for a number of years, Augusto said, there is one product in particular this year that the group is targeting and hoping to get off store shelves.The Yo-Yo Water Ball, a liquid-filled ball on a stretchy plastic cord with a finger loop at one end, is meant to be bounced, swung and squished around. While it may seem harmless enough, MassPIRG officials said, there are a number of dangerous components to the toy.MassPIRG’s report says that since the Yo-Yo Water Ball began selling in 2003, the CPSC has received almost 400 injury reports with suffocation and strangulation accounting for almost three-fourths of the reported injuries. Reports also involve the ball bouncing back and hitting children in the eye, releasing noxious liquids and odors and catching on fire easily.Augusto said the toy has already been banned in countries such as France and Canada. It also became the first toy to be banned in the United Kingdom in more than a decade."If we had to focus on one toy to give it the ‘Worst Toy Award,’ this would be it," Augusto said. "We’re calling for a ban of it on all shelves."Since the release of last year’s report, Augusto said, 17 toys in the report can no longer be purchased.Sometimes, Augusto said, the products are not generally dangerous but just mislabeled or not labeled at all.For example, Augusto pointed to the variety of small balls and rings that are typically sold in unlabeled assortment bins at stores.Among the problems related to these toys is the difficulty in keeping young children from putting objects in their mouths.That’s one of the reasons why the MassPIRG report involves a number of play cosmetic products. Many of the products are labeled for children younger than 14 but contain substances that are considered dangerous. Among those products are Hello Kitty Nail Polish and Princess Pouch Makeup Kit.While the "Trouble in Toyland" report lists more than 50 dangerous toys, Augusto said, there are likely a number of toys, included those that are handed down, that are also not fit for young children."Even one toy-related death is too many, because these deaths are preventable," Augusto said.She said parents need to look at labels and use common sense to ensure that the gifts they give this holiday season are appropriate for children."Be aware of what you’re buying," Augusto said. "Look at the labels on toys, and if something happens, report any injuries to the safety commission."To view the full report visit www.toysafety.net. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/the-most-dangerous-games Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umd-rocks-the-vote DARTMOUTH -- Eight bands brought their loud music to University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Friday, but the message they and a number of organizations wanted to get out was even louder.Bands like The Horse Flies and Boy With a Fish descended on the UMass Dartmouth campus to implore students to vote. The event was held under sunny skies on the university’s quad."We want students to have a say in what is going to be done in this country," said Juli Parker, the director of the UMass Dartmouth Women’s Resource Center and organizer of the Rock the Vote concert.She said that along with the music, state Rep. David Flynn, D-Bridgewater, would also join the festivities to remind students about the importance of voting.To register students to vote, the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group sent a small army of volunteers into the crowd and armed them with pens not only to register but also pledge that they would get to the polls on Nov. 2.MassPIRG campus leader Lisa Augustino said the initiative was part of a nationwide New Voters campaign that aims to register 500,000 people to vote."It’s the largest youth-to-vote campaign ever," Augustino said.Already, she said, 500 UMass Dartmouth students had registered since the beginning of the school year. The goal she added to have at least 300 more students sign up by the end of the night.Early in the event, the goal looked as though it would be reached, as MassPIRG volunteers were registering voters roughly every minute and a half."It’s real easy to do," said Fallynne Rodriques, who was working the MassPIRG booth. "It’s just a name, address and phone number. It’s like filling out an envelope -- it takes two minutes, tops."Augustino said that targeting college students is important because they are often an unheard voice in the world of politics."Politicians don’t spend enough time listening to what students want," Augustino said. "But you can’t blame them, because not enough of us are voting. The only way to get them to listen is to register and vote."Freshman Danielle Duarte said she wants politicians to know that school and textbook expenses are getting out of control, and that’s why she is heading to the booths this year."We have to put out the information that we want to hear about," Duarte said while manning an NAACP booth.Ryan Cady, a member of Boy With A Fish, said that one reason the band traveled from Ithaca, N.Y., to take part in the event was because voting is an important issue that many young adults gloss over."We’ve got to make a change in this country," Cady said. "It’s important that everybody gets out and voices their opinion. ... And it’s not just about national politics, but also local politics. That’s just as important."For anyone interesting in registering to vote, MassPIRG has set up the Web site www.newvotersproject.org. In addition to registering voters, the Web site also includes links to other voter information and statistics about voting. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/umd-rocks-the-vote Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/students-give-up-their-meals-to-fund-soup-kitchen MassPIRG sponsored a “Give Up Your Meals” day today as part of a combined five-college effort to found a soup kitchen in Northampton. The initiative is organized jointly by MassPIRG and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (NSCAHH).Three hundred twenty-three students gave up their three Valentine meals. Dining Services will donate the cost of these meals to the project. “If Val gives at least $3 per person, then we have close to $1,000 already,” said Cristina Morales ’06, one of the organizers of “Give up Your Meals” day.The proceeds from today will supplement funds that will be collected on Hunger Cleanup, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 3. On that day, students at the College, along with students from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Smith College, will be called upon to donate money and volunteer for community service.According to Morales, MassPIRG hopes the funds will benefit a diverse array of groups and organizations.“The money from Hunger Cleanup gets divided up like this,” Morales said. “Fifteen percent goes to International Projects through the International Development Exchange, which sponsors grass roots community-based projects [around the world]. Thirty-five percent of the money raised will be allotted to national programs maintained by NSCAHH. The remaining fifty percent will go towards establishing a soup kitchen in the local Amherst area.”Morales indicated that the soup kitchen will most likely be in Northampton, although the organizations have yet to establish an exact location.“Our end goal is to have the soup kitchen provide meals every day but we may have to work up to that,” said Morales. “In the beginning we hope to provide hot meals on days when there are few other places for people to go [for meals].”MassPIRG members hope to establish the soup kitchen soon. “If we raise enough money this semester, we hope to get it started in the fall,” said Morales.As part of “Give Up Your Meals” day, MassPIRG is sponsoring the Voices of the Homeless panel tonight at 8:00 p.m. in Converse’s Cole Assembly Room.According to Zeke Phillips ’05, a member of MassPIRG, the panel will feature two women who are living in shelters now. Both women are from Arise for Social Justice.Arise is an organization based in Springfield, Mass. which aims to increase political power in the hands of oppressed individuals.Students involved in today’s initiative hope the events will make the student body more aware of homelessness and hunger issues.“I think it is a really great idea so that students can get involved, raise awareness and, of course, provide hot meals,” said Phillips. “It would provide a really great service.” http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news2/students-give-up-their-meals-to-fund-soup-kitchen Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/state-could-set-example-on-mercury I learned about the problem of mercury in seafood at Salem State College while doing an internship with MassPIRG ("2 agencies urge limit on eating tuna," Page A1, March 20). Power plants, especially those that burn coal, are the largest single source of mercury pollution in the country.There is a large coal-burning power plant in Salem fairly close to the college. Exposure to mercury during brain development can lead to problems ranging from learning disabilities to autism. As a student with nonverbal-based learning disabilities, it pains me to think of another child having to bear this burden unnecessarily.Right now technology exists to reduce mercury emissions 90 percent by 2008. President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative would weaken the policies of the Clean Air Act, sacrificing our children's futures for industrial profit. In Massachusetts, the Department of Environmental Protection is finalizing regulations that would reduce emissions in Massachusetts. It is essential that they do so promptly, and without a loophole that would allow for off-site credits trading. We have the opportunity to set a model for the rest of the country and send the message that we are not willing to trade away our children's futures.JON DAVIDSLynn http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/state-could-set-example-on-mercury Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-work-to-end-frequent-releases-of-new-text-editions Members of the MassPIRG chapter at the College are working on a national campaign to urge textbook publishers to end their current policy of frequently publishing new editions of books with additional, often extraneous materials that cause students to spend large sums of money on new textbooks. The campaign is led by the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) and the Oregon Students Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG).CalPIRG and OSPIRG surveyed students and faculty and with the help of the State PIRGs, the group which oversees each state’s PIRG organization, prepared a report of the data. They are also reaching out to math professors to address the frequent release of new math text editions.CalPIRG and OSPIRG conducted a survey of students and professors at their public universities regarding textbook prices and used-text availability. The data indicated that professors do not usually utilize additional text materials in their courses and that minor changes make “the less expensive, used textbooks obsolete and unavailable,” according to the State PIRG report.According to the report, students in the University of California system spent an average of $897.88 on books for the 2003-04 academic year. Furthermore, 59 percent of students looking for one or more used books failed to find any.Some students and professors indicated on the survey that a book-swap program would help solve the problem of a lack of used books. At the College, the psychology department has such a program.“The [psychology department] book exchange was started to help students buy used copies of books used in our courses and thus pay lower prices,” explained Professor of Psychology Buffy Aries, chair of the department. “It also enables our students to sell books they no longer want. Since we have so many majors ... and other students taking psych courses, it seemed there would be enough students interested in both buying and selling.”Luke Swarthout ’04, chair of the MassPIRG student board, explained that at colleges and universities nation wide, there are often not enough used texts for all students who want to purchase used books.“A noticeable problem is that there never are enough used textbooks to fill the need for students at the beginning of each semester [as a result of professors often requiring the new edition],” explained Swarthout. “Publishing companies … say they [create so many new editions] because faculty want it. The survey said, really, that’s not the case.”According to the State PIRG report, most faculty do not use the additional materials that are often come with new editions. Eleven percent use CD-roms or workbooks half the time, while 65 percent rarely or never use the materials.In the survey, faculty also indicated that new textbook editions are often unnecessary. According to the report, 36 percent believe the new editions are justified half the time, while 40 percent believe the new books are rarely, if ever, justified.Swarthout said that when publishers release a new book, faculty members have no choice but to use it. “The real problem is that because faculty want to guarantee that all of their students have the opportunity to buy the book, they are at the mercy of the publishers,” he said. “If publishers produce a new book, [faculty] can’t guarantee a large enough used book selection [and then must require students to purchase the newer, more expensive version].”David Schaich ’06, one of the students involved with the textbook campaign at the College, believes there are a number of things publishing companies can do to avoid such high textbook costs.“Publishers can wait longer before issuing new editions, can end the practice of ‘bundling’ texts with CDs and workbooks that are often unused and can offer cheaper versions of the texts—paperback or electronic versions, texts printed in black and white without fancy graphics—for students to purchase if they wish,” he said.The State PIRGs decided to focus on calculus texts, since the subject material has not changed in a number of years. In particular, the organization targeted an introductory calculus textbook published by Thompson Learning. According to the State PIRG report, calculus professors who use the book say there are few significant changes from one edition to the next.“We wanted to target one of the major publishing companies which is an egregious example of this type of behavior in publishing that really is driving up the cost [of books] … things like producing multiple editions with [few] substantial content changes thereby undermining the market for used textbooks as well as combining those textbooks with workbooks and CD-roms that are often unused and drive up the costs for students,” Swarthout explained.Members of the MassPIRG chapter at the College are working with CalPIRG and OSPIRG to encourage Thompson Learning to stop publishing new editions of texts so frequently. “In our experience at Amherst … there are a lot of professors who clearly, in response to … increasing costs, don’t mandate the book, allow students to use multiple editions and offer the page numbers, but for many professors, that’s a significant trouble … so it winds up really forcing students to pay more for their textbooks every semester as the costs [of books] go up,” said Swarthout.Schaich believes that student action is the first step in the process of changing publishing companies’ policies. “Students can not only pressure the textbook publishers to take these steps, but can also develop the used book market and other cost-reduction programs,” he said. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-work-to-end-frequent-releases-of-new-text-editions Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-target-global-warming DARTMOUTH -- Students with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, MASSPIRG, are gathering hundreds of signatures to give Gov. Romney in an attempt to stop global warming at the statewide level as part of a statewide Global Warming Awareness Week."Global warming can no longer be debunked as a scientific myth," said Rachel Boehr, MASSPIRG campus organizer. "We know that greenhouse gas emissions are endangering our health and environment. One has to wonder, when will it be time for the governor to stop putting off stopping global warming? Today, students are sending a loud and clear message that the time is now."Global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions released into the air by power plants, motor vehicles and from burning and burying trash. Massachusetts contributes more global warming pollution than 110 countries around the world."By curbing these emissions at the statewide level," said Boehr, "Governor Romney could lead the nation in stopping global warming."MASSPIRG's 23 campus chapters across the state held events last week to bring attention to the problem. The group is urging Gov. Romney to release a strong climate action plan by Jan. 1 that includes promoting cleaner transportation, cleaner electricity and cleaner government.The event on campus last week generated 200 comments to the governor, and by semester's end the UMass chapter plans to gather 400 signatures. Statewide, the organization plans to collect 10,000 signatures before Jan. 1."The climate action plan needs to have strong provisions of reducing our emissions in order for the state to make an impact," added Boehr. "The governor has already promised to embrace a plan that will accomplish this, but the longer he waits to release it, the longer we continue to release pollution that threatens our environment and public health."Students will present the signatures they've gathered to the governor at an event at the Statehouse in Boston. Working with UMD Recycles, the students are also promoting on-campus recycling as a solution to the harmful effects of global warming. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/students-target-global-warming Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500 http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/campus-short-on-political-awareness-but-masspirg-and-political-science-club-push-voter-registration-and-issues In the recent gubernatorial primary, which is the process that determines the candidates for governor in the state of Massachusetts, the city of North Adams witnessed an 11 percent voter turnout.Interest in politics may be minimal within the community and here on campus, but a growing number of students are working to change the entrenched apathetic attitude.Campus groups such as Masspirg and the college's Political Science Club are trying to bolster political awareness through raising the number of students who are registered to vote."I think that we have a huge concern right now with people not taking any interest. Everyone on this campus should wake up and realize that unless they want tuition to go up they need to make a statement and go out to vote," said Joseph Solomon, Treasurer of the Political Science Club.The approaching elections are serving as the focal point for the push to increase voter numbers on campus. Democrat Shannon O'Brien, Republican Mitt Romney, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Libertarian Carla Howell and Independent Barbara Johnson are vying to replace Jane Swift as governor in the Nov. 5 elections.Senate seats are up for grabs, and issues surrounding personal income taxes and English language teaching in public schools will be voted on as well. The last day to register to vote in the current elections is Wednesday, Oct. 16.What is it that leads many students to turn a blind eye to local and national political arenas? The reasons vary from a lack of time, to the idea that one's vote does not count, and others simply detest the thought of picking up a newspaper in order to become informed. Jacob McKim, a student representative of the college's chapter of Masspirg offered another possibility."People aren't educated on how to get involved. Even more though, our generation seems to have a false faith that everything will be ok, and that it's not their job to get involved."The Political Science Club plans to help educate people on the importance of voting by working with Masspirg on its "youthvote" campaign and scheduling elected officials to speak on campus. The club is also planning on working with politically motivated students at Williams College to promote the vote.Next on the agenda is a visit to all of the residence areas to influence people to register to vote by supplying all of the paperwork and picking up the postage tab.The club has also scheduled State Representative Shaun Kelly to speak in the Alumni Suite at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.Regardless of actions taken to stimulate campus interest, the decision to be an informed citizen and voter falls on the individual.Not all students are benevolent to political issues and the coming gubernatorial race. Senior Lauren Mauriello spent her summer interning for Republican State Senator Richard Tisei who acts as assistant minority leader at the statehouse in!B_ston. Mauriello worked as the senator's media relations intern for a period of 12 weeks."When I walked into the Statehouse on the first day I was so nervous. I had been an English/Broadcast Journalism major and I thought I was in completely the wrong place. When I left there in August, there was no place I'd rather be in this world than in politics," said Mauriello.The experience gained at the statehouse has led Mauriello to continue her work in politics, as she is currently involved in the Romney campaign for governor.Although Mauriello has a slightly different perspective than the groups seeking to increase awareness on campus, her assessment of the voting public is similar."People just don't seem to care. They say it isn't their concern. It really is more our concern than anyone's though because we are the future. I think most don't know what their political preference is to begin with."Political awareness goes well beyond state borders, and opinions can be heard on campus concerning national and global issues, especially a possible war against Iraq."There's a certain amount of denial. You don't want to think that the president of the United States is going to put you in a situation that is dangerous for you. I feel that a lot of students feel we are in that situation, where things are being made worse by words that have been coming out of the administration," said senior Ben Gitelson."If we go over there, we've got to do it quick and not get bogged down. Until we get Saddam the threat isn't going away," said junior Courtney Tebo.Whether the campus will become a bastion of political awareness is unknown, but a few local issues are sure to stay on the forefront."Right now the campus is disabled in their ability to retrieve information. Until the Internet is fixed within the residence halls how can we be expected to get up to speed on anything?" said sophomore John Licitra. http://www.masspirgstudents.org/masspirg-in-the-news/masspirg-in-the-news/campus-short-on-political-awareness-but-masspirg-and-political-science-club-push-voter-registration-and-issues Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:07 -0500