page eight
NC-PIRG takes an active role
By Kathy Neckerman
Staff Writer
The Public Interest Research
Group (PIRG) is unique .among
student organizations at Guil
ford for its state and national
affiliation and its full-time staff
members.
It is also remarkable for its
rapid growth at Guilford at a
time that many complain of
student apathy. In the year and
a half since the first PIRG staff
member came to Guilford to
organize, the group has gained
a core of active members, with
thirty to forty students being a
least marginally involved.
PIRG as a National organiza
tion began in the early 1970's as
an off-shoot of a Nader-type
consumer group. Founded to
use student energies on con
sumer and environmental
issues with guidance from a
professional staff, the group
was welcomed by many college
administrations who saw it as a
way to channel students' efforts
in positive ways.
During the 19705, the idea
gained popularity. PIRG event
ually took hold in twenty-six
states.
NC-PIRG is one of the smaller
state-levels PIRG's. Its annual
budget of about 540,000 is
dwarfed by that of NV-PIRG,
which spends $1.5 million a
year
But recently, NC-PIRG has
been growing rapidly. Its four
member staff is the largest ever
in North Carolina, and a new
state office was opened last
August on the Guilford College
campus.
Guilford College Notebook
The French House will be
selling carnations for Valentines
Day. So start thinking of that
special person you've always
been afraid to confront head-on
and stay tuned for further
details.
Anyone interested in working
for the Carl Stewart for Lt. Gov.
Campaign, please contact Bry
an Taylor (294-5232) or Cynthia
Dixon (292-9627).
"L'Ardeur" will be presen
ted by the NC Dance Theatre at
Wake Forest Jan. 16-19 and
23-26. Tickets are available by
calling (919) 723-1666.
GREEN HILL ART GAL
LERY: "N.C. Invitational Fi
ber", until Jan. 27.
The Guilford, Rockingham,
and Alamance County Demo
cratic Party, along with the
county's Young Democratics
Clubs, will co-sponsor the first
North Carolina Governor's Re
ception on Jan. 26, at the
Carolina Theater. Tickets are
$7.00 for the reception, film
("Casa Blanca"), and speech
es. Special reception afterwards
will be included for $15.00.
Contact Patty Eckard (852-2068)
for more information.
Why is PIRC growing so
quickly? Are students more
aware of and concerned about
the environmental and consum
er issues that the organization
tackles? PIRG staffer Art
Donsky characterized today's
students as disillusioned with
big government frustrated by
the feeling that they have no
influence on social and econo
mic problems. PIRG is a chance
for these students to join forces
and do something.
Student involvement is what will make or break
a PIRG chapter. PIRG offers students what
Donsky called "the real world connection," or
contact with the world outside the college campus
north Carolina
But Elisa Wolper, another
PIRG staffer, attributed the
growth to hard work by previous
organizers. She and Bill Des
Jardins, active PIRG member,
aren't as optimistic about the
80's as a time of increased
student activism.
While PIRG is unique among
student organizations at Guil
ford, staff members agree that
Guiford is not typical of colleges
and universities they have
worked with. Wolper observed
that faculty and administration
here are very supportive of
student efforts, and that many
students were already involved
I am interested in forming a
support group for students
whose parents are divorced or
are in the process of getting
divorced/separated. The pur
pose of the group would be to
offer the students an opportuni
ty to share with others in a
similar situation and to learn
ways of coping with what is
often a difficult and painful
situation. Contact Paula Swon
guer, Center for Personal
Growth, Bryan Hall, ext. 128
Nuclear Plant Tour: Energy
Awareness is sponsoring a tour
of the Catawba Nuclear Power
Plant on Feb. 6. All those
interested should attend the EA
meeting Jan. 27, or contact
Steve Lowe (292-3590) or Mar
tha Meyers.
RECRUITING SCHEDULE:
Greensboro City Schools, Jan.
29; Newport News City Schools,
Feb. 4; Wachovia Bank and
Trust Co., Feb. 5.
INDOOR BADMINTON: If
you are interested in getting
together to play badminton in
the gym, please contact Linda
Jesse, ext. 182, at the Informa
tion Desk, Founders.
Guilfordian
with environmental and con
sumer issues through Biophile,
Energy Awareness, and other
student groups. Perhaps for
these reasons, Guiford's PIRG
chapter is one of the most active
in the state.
PIRG's staff members are
part of the key to the group's
success. Art Donsky and Elisa
Wolper in the Greensboro office
are both hard-working and en
thusiastic about their jobs.
Donsky is a recent graduate
in Political Science trom
UNC-G; he has done community
organizing with Carolina Action
and Georgia Action. Wolper has
an Economics degree from Har
vard. Both value their work as
an important learning experi
ence as well as an opportunity
to work for social change.
But both staffers and stu
dents are quick to point out that
the students are the ones who
run the organization. Students
make the decisions in local
chapters and on the State Board
of Directors. The staff mem
ber's role is strictly advisory.
Student involvement is
The Dance Studio, located on
Battleground Ave., is now offer
ing classes in Classical Ballet,
Modern Dance, and Jazz
Dance. Special rates and college
credit are available to Guilford
students. For further informa
tion, contact Mary McGehee,
272-8484.
Country music's Statler Bro
thers at Greensboro Coliseum,
Jan. 26, 8 p.m.
Steve Rosenberg will present
a concert of Renaissance and
baroque music with harpsichor
dist Webb Wiggins and Carol
Marsh Rowan, and music in
structor at UNC-C, who will
play the viola de gamba. Aycock
Aud., 8:15 p.m.
Iran! Afghanistan! Energy
Crisis! Inflation! Pollution! Ar
mament! Russia and China!
Elections! Are you really inte
rested in how your government
is dealing with these issues?
Would you like to attend com
mittee meetings and meet with
Congressmen? Join the Wash
ington Seminar this March.
Register NOW at the Center for
Off-Campus Education, Frazier
21.
what will make or break a PIRG
chapter. PIRG offers students
what Donsky called "the real
world connection," or contact
with the world outside the
college campus.
With PIRG, students can get
experience with research, writ
ing and publishing reports,
press releases, press confer
ences, and work with govern
ment officials, gaining skills
that will be useful both in and
out of college.
PIRG also offers personal
satisfaction to students who
want to work for constructive
change in our society. Suzanne
Sullivan, active in PIRG for over
a year, said that the most
important thing about PIRG for
her was the chance to really do
something about problems she
saw every day. Bill Des Jardins
agreed, adding that a rational
argument about an issue can
actually have some impact.
Full-time staff members and
the network of chapters across
the state give PIRG more con
tinuity and power than a typical
student organization might
The Bill Taylor Trio will join
the N.C. Symphony in the High
Point Theatre at 8:00 p.m.
Admission will be by season or
by single concert ticket ($6 for
adults, $3 for students, mem
bers).
Space and Shape , the third
FILM FOCUS: DANCE offer
ing, will be shown Sunday, Jan.
27, 2 p.m., Sternberger Audito
rium. The Murray Louis Dance
Company is featured.
The Guilfordian has informa
tion concerning the Second
Annual Kennedy Fellowship
Competition. Those interested
in graduate work in public
affairs contact the Guilfordian,
Box 17717.
Do you say yes when you
want to say no? Do you have an
anxiety attack whenever you
have to return something? Are
you afraid to put your feelings
into words? If you answered
yes, you probably need to be
more assertive. Learn what this
means and how do do it.
Contact Paula Swonguer, Cen
ter for Personal Growth, Bryan
Hall, for information. The pro
gram will consist of 6 Vi-hour
sessions starting Jan. 23.
January 22, 1980
have. One example of the
effectiveness of this type of
structure is the generic drug bill
action. Last spring, PIRG coor
dinated a survey of 69 pharma
cies in five different cities to
compare prices of name brand
and generic drugs.
This evidence was used to
convince legislators to vote for
the generic substitution bill,
which passed in North Carolina
last summer. Now PIRG is
distributing brochures providing
information about generic drug
substitution.
PIRG has been critized by
some as negative, one-sided,
and even radical or left-wing
Wolper has observed that many
think PIRG has only one stand
on some issues such as nuclear
power.
She points out that the topics
of PIRG research reflect the
views of the students involved.
In a few cases the State Board
may vote to endorse a particular
position, but generally students
in local chapters have autonomy
as far as issues are concerned.
In addition, she and others add,
PIRG's role is first to provide
information on subjects of pub
lic interest, letting others de
cide for themselves what they
think.
PIRG aims at balancing re
search and advocacy. The orga
ization works within an orienta
tion that can be best described
by four areas of concern: con
sumer protection, environmen
tal quality, corporate responsi
bility, and government respon
siveness.
Time is running out! If you
wish to study abroad this sum
mer with the Summer Schools
Abroad, please send or bring
your registration to the Center
for Off-Campus Education, Fra
zier 21. You may get this form
from the faculty leaders of the
program of your choice, or pick
one up at our office. We want to
enjoy your company this sum
mer.
The High Point Chamber
Music Society opens its third
season by bringing the Marlbo
ro Trio to the High Point
Theatre on Tues., Jan. 29, at 8
p.m.
J anus Theatre presents
"Korda at the Janus" through
Feb. 14, featuring 19 Sir Alex
ander Korda films in 35 mm.
splendor. For information and
show times, call 272-1200.
HUMAN WRONGS IN
SOUTH AFRICA: The public is
invited Wed., Jan. 23, at 3 p.m.
in Founders Gallery, to hear
Motlalepula Chabaku speak
from her unique vantage point
on Third World problems.
Chabaku is a South African
expatriate active with human
rights issues.