WashPIRG In The News

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BioTour encourages new thinking on fuel - The Daily of the University of Washington (new window)
The UW chapter of the Washington Student Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) booked the bus for a tour stop and invited the student band Old Technology to play a concert on top of it. Though WashPIRG members were a majority of the audience, the curiosity turned more than a few heads and attracted Tukwila School District students who were touring the campus.
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WashPIRG chapters fight for energy efficient bills - The Daily of the University of Washington (new window)
Students from WashPIRG chapters around the state, including the UW and Evergreen State College, met on the front steps of the capitol building in Olympia to hold a press conference with state legislators on Friday.
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WashPIRG challenges Olympia for climate change - The Daily of the University of Washington (new window)
With climate change a hot political topic, one group of students is advocating legislative change in Olympia regarding environmental policy.
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The youth are still in it - Seattle Politicore (new window)
WASPIRG, a non-partisan group on campus, who runs campaigns like The New Voters Project, said that students are more engaged than they ever have been before.
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Colleges Asked to Crack Down on Credit-Card Marketing - Seattle Post-Intelligencer (new window)
With small incomes and big bills, college students make a prime market for credit cards. But critics say the card companies take unfair advantage, luring students with free T-shirts and food -- then snaring them with high interest rates.
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Electric autos help drive message on global warming for UW students - The Seattle P-I (new window)
University of Washington freshman Lauren Lamb started planning in February to display a half-dozen electric or hybrid cars in the middle of campus, teaching students about technology that can curb global warming.
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Improved design, safety prompts new legislation on electric cars - The Daily (new window)
As early as Aug. 1, Seattleites can look forward to seeing electric cars speeding down the streets at 35 miles per hour. This week, the governor is expected to sign House and Senate joint bill 1820, which would increase the speed limit of electric vehicles from 25 to 35 mph, the normal maximum speed limit on many city streets. Original legislation passed in 2003 allowed electric cars on the roads, but limited their speed to 25 mph for safety concerns. Now, it seems that the cars have improved design and safety measures.
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New bill gives students a break on textbooks - The Daily (new window)
From tuition to housing, college students have a variety of rising financial burdens. However, now textbooks are one cost that will be reduced. Last week, state legislators unanimously passed a bill that will help decrease the cost of textbooks.
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Non-profits clean up with volunteer help - Seattle P-I (new window)
Kelsey Getz, 19, paused for a moment Sunday, scrub brush in hand, to survey her handiwork -- disappearing grime from the shower mat she was scrubbing on the pavement outside Roots, a homeless shelter for young adults in the University District. Getz, a University of Washington sophomore and president of the student chapter of WashPIRG, helped coordinate nearly 100 volunteers who fanned out around Seattle on Sunday to help about two dozen non-profit organizations with their spring-cleaning chores. The effort was part of the 23rd annual nationwide Hunger Cleanup day sponsored by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.
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Students participate in the call for global warming action - The Daily (new window)
An estimated 2,500 people participated in the Step It Up rally Saturday. Participants rallied for action on the issue of global warming, calling for an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050. UW students led a march from Pioneer Square to Myrtle Edwards Park on the waterfront to hear speeches by Mayor Greg Nickels, Congressman Jay Inslee and King County Executive Ron Sims.
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Textbook Battle’s New Frontier - Inside Higher Ed (new window)
In Washington State, a bill that would require publishing companies to disclose both the price of textbooks and change-of-edition information when presenting material to faculty passed the full Senate this week and is awaiting the governor’s approval.
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Textbook Bill Advances to Governor's Desk in Washington State - The Chronicle of Higher Education (new window)
Textbook publishers will have to disclose their book prices and edition changes to college professors in Washington State if the governor signs into law a bill the state’s Senate passed unanimously this week.
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New law may help college students cut book costs - The Seattle P-I (new window)
College students in Washington may pay less for textbooks next year, thanks to the passage of a bill that requires publishers to disclose book prices and other information to faculty members.
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Text revision disclosure could cut student costs - The Seattle Times (new window)
Textbook costs should drop for Washington college students next fall after the state Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring publishers to disclose prices and revisions to faculty.
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Textbook prices no secret under WA bill - KEPR (new window)
[VIDEO] The legislature passed a bill that would require publishers to disclose book prices and edition changes to professors before they choose to assign it.
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New Bill Could Make Textbooks Cheaper - The Daily (new window)
PODCAST: We've followed WashPIRG's efforts to make textbooks cheaper. New legislation may help them achieve that goal.
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Summit Spotlights Climate Change - The Daily (new window)
The Northwest Climate Justice Summit was held last weekend, with more than 130 students from all over the Northwest gathering to discuss the ongoing issue of climate change. The weekend event featured a number of discussions on how to approach the changing climate and what students can do to help.
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Textbook Rentals - A Better Alternative? - The Daily (new window)
PODCAST: Students often struggle with the high price of books, but WashPIRG hopes to set up a textbook rental program to help curb this problem. Find out more...
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Loan interest rates lowered - The Daily (new window)
Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of lowering interest rates on student loans to alleviate college financial burdens on students beginning during the 2007-08 academic year. Also known as the College Student Relief Act of 2007, this bill will gradually reduce college loan rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent within the next five years, affecting almost 48,000 students in the state of Washington, according to the Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). HR 5 is expected to save the average UW student starting college in 2007 about $2,310 over the duration of his or her loans.
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Student Loan Study Shows Savings - KPLU (new window)
A new study by WashPIRG shows a proposal to cut interest rates for subsidized student loans could save college students in Washington thousands of dollars. KPLU's Liam Moriarty has more.
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Voter Registration Push Intensifies - The UW Daily (new window)
The Washington State Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) and the ASUW are asking students to register to vote this week as they launch their Voter Registration Blitz. By Friday, the two groups hope to get 3,000 unregistered students to fill out voter registration forms. Already, they've registered 1,000 students, said WashPIRG campaign coordinator Lucas Olson.
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In the pursuit of youth, each vote counts - Seattle Post-Intelligencer (new window)
Lucas Olson is used to rejection. When he tries to talk with people, they avoid eye contact, suddenly have to make a call on their cell phones or are just too immersed in the music playing on their iPods to listen. The University of Washington student isn't trying to get a date or make new friends. He's trying to persuade his peers to register and pledge to vote.
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Evergreen Students Protest Proposed Loan Cuts - The Olympian (new window)
Students at The Evergreen State College are calling on members of Congress to vote against a federal budget plan that would slash almost $13 million from student loan programs. Evergreen student leaders, including some involved with the college’s chapter of Washington State Public Interest Research Group, plan to stop their peers on campus today and encourage them to call their congressional representatives.
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Students Facing Harder Times Getting into College - The Olympian (new window)
Admissions standards are shifting. Tuition costs have outpaced inflation. Students, parents and state agencies have tried to find ways to cope with the changes in higher education.
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Car Show Revs Bill Support - UW Daily (new window)
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Seeing the Homeless - KPLU (new window)
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Textbooks at Any Price - UW Daily (new window)
College students today can spend as much money on a textbook or two as some of their parents would have paid for a decent used car. Even amid the high inflation that marks higher education, textbook prices are becoming a serious problem. According to the activist State Public Interest Research Groups, students today spend about $900 a year on textbooks.
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Textbook Prices Artificially Inflated, Study Says - UW Daily (new window)
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WashPIRG, Greeks Aim to Collect $10,000 for Tsunami Relief - UW Daily (new window)
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Hunger and Homelessness Week Aims to Raise Awareness - UW Daily (new window)
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