INPIRG needs student support

The Indiana Public Interest Research Group has existed on the Bloomington campus for four years and has contributed tremendously to IU and the Bloomington community. Every year, volunteers stand up for the public interest, to speak up for students and to improve the campus and community. INPIRG volunteers have accomplished great things.\nWe were the force behind getting four major apartment complexes in Bloomington to implement on-site recycling collection last year. Every year, we work to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness. And just last year, we raised thousands of dollars in food, money and supplies for local shelters. We have also been involved in campaigns to curb air pollution, clean up toxic waste, protect consumers and preserve our remaining wilderness areas.\nThis fall, another group came to give their time to the various causes INPIRG has taken on. We are working to protect the last wilderness areas in our national forests, to fight hunger and homelessness, to get students registered to vote, to educate them on issues and candidates and to ban the ATM surcharge on campus. Already, we, along with members of several other student organizations, have registered hundreds of students on this campus to vote. We have generated hundreds of calls, signatures and letters to the White House urging President Bill Clinton to protect wilderness areas in national forests and we have been volunteering at local hunger relief agencies.\nYou can decide whether you want INPIRG to continue to impact this campus and Bloomington. Every semester, students can pledge INPIRG and add $5 to their bursar bill. These pledges give INPIRG volunteers the resources they need to keep fighting for students' rights, to continue providing valuable services to the community and to stand up for the public interest.\nI urge all students, when they see INPIRG volunteers on campus next week, to take a minute, fill out a pledge card and support public interest advocacy on campus.\nNalini Ravindranath\nINPIRG Wilderness Campaign Coordinator