Although the elections are over, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) is just getting started.
NYPIRG is a non-partisan, statewide, student-directed organization that works on college campuses to engage students in a wide array of political issues such as environmental protection and consumer rights.
Binghamton University’s chapter met on Wednesday in the Fine Arts Building to discuss the recent election and the changes it will incite for NYPIRG, students and all New Yorkers.
“We wanted to reach out to people and inform them as to who won, what policies are to come,” said Eli Weissman, NYPIRG president and junior double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and history. “Even to those who voted, maybe they didn’t follow up. We want them to know what’s happening, and how they can help.”
Wednesday’s program featured Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG. Horner delivered a breakdown of the local, state and national elections, and their implications on policies that will affect both college students and the state at large.
“We wanted to put the election results into some context, and what impact [they] will have on policy for young people in Binghamton, or anywhere in New York state,” Horner said. “The 18-to-22-year-olds are the ones that will one day be running the country. The sooner they get engaged and learn how the process works, the more effective they’ll be as citizens.”
After the presentation, the heads of the four main committees of the BU chapter — higher education, hunger and homelessness, environmental policy and consumer protection — outlined their goals for the semester.
“NYPIRG has a stake in many issues and the separation of the campaigns serve to focus our efforts and make them as effective as possible,” said Sam Clark, head of the consumer protection committee and a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “Working in smaller teams promotes student leadership and allows students to get involved exactly where they want to.”
BU’s chapter has undergone some changes of its own this semester; due to a decrease in funding, the Binghamton NYPIRG chapter can no longer afford a a full-time campus coordinator. Horner, NYPRIG’s legislative director, will take over campus coordinating duties.
“One of the advantages of having someone with 30 years of experience is I can help them think through the details of the projects that they’re interested in,” Horner said.
Vice President Ayla Alvarez, a senior majoring in environmental studies, said that members of the BU chapter were looking forward to using Horner’s expertise to implement new programs and grow.
“I really hope that we’re going to be able to be less all over the place and focus in on some key groups, like fracking and higher education,” Alvarez said. “Blair is a big inspiration; he brings a lot to the table.”
Horner said he was happy with the presentation, and hoped members walked away with a better grasp on how to influence the politics of the world they live in.
“You hear a lot about higher education making a ‘skilled workforce’ for the future, you can make a very good case that if you want a 21st century democracy to work, it needs to have educated and informed citizens,” Horner said. “Tonight is a way to add some context, so young people can start to think of themselves as future leaders.”