OhioPIRG takes one day to reach reaffirmation goal

Student irritation kept to a minimum by efficient petitioning

Forty brave petitioners took on Oberlin pedestrians last Wednesday in an effort to reaffirm Ohio Public Interest Research Group's (OhioPIRG) funding system.

OhioPIRG garnered its reaffirmation, picking up almost 60 percent of the student body's signatures. OhioPIRG is funded by a $6 waivable fee on each student's tuition bill. Student Senate approved OhioPIRG's proposal pending the student body's authorization via signatures.

"We set a goal of 60 percent, even though we needed 50 percent. We got within 10 signatures of 60 percent," said the chair of OhioPIRG, Margaux Shields.

Senate was responsible for verifying the signatures that OhioPIRG members gathered. Senate reserves the right to check the signatures randomly through telephone calls or e-mail.

OhioPIRG assembled 40 petitioners to scour the campus for signatures. Armed with clipboards, they set up outside dining halls, libraries and popular walking paths. In order to save people from harassment from multiple petitioners, some students who signed received a piece of green yarn. This warded off any aggressive petitioners from those that had already plunked down their name.

OhioPIRG made an effort to keep the reaffirmation from turning into a popularity contest. Each petitioner went through one hour long orientation on OhioPIRG's activities.

"A lot of people at Oberlin will just sign something, but we really tried to have people informed about OhioPIRG," said Shields.

First-year Devon Gualtieri said, "If it's a waivable fee, than why not sign it."

"It was windy, raining, I was hungry, and it was one of my friends that asked me," said first-year Mary Moran on her signing of the OhioPIRG petition. When informed about the funding policy, Moran said, "They didn't tell me anything about a fee."

OhioPIRG must reaffirm its funding procedure every two years. The last time they applied for reaffirmation they needed two-thirds of the student body's signatures because they were also increasing the funding fee. In the past they received $4 rather than $6. The fee had not been increased since 1982, and OhioPIRG felt an increase was necessary. It took them a week to receive two-thirds of the student body's signatures. OhioPIRG eclipsed this mark with ease this year, compiling the needed signatures in just one day.