I admit I didn’t know much about the Iowa Student Public Research Group, except that it was zero-funded last year, until I began working with the group this fall with the New Voters Project.

With great leadership from our organizers and head interns, the project was an overwhelming success.

We more than doubled voter turnout on campus, garnered a list of more than 200 core student volunteers and 17 credited interns and worked with student groups of all types.

Now that the project is over, those of us who were heavily involved with the project are eager to begin another campaign.

Iowa State has a history of successful PIRG campaigns. Iowa established one of the first student PIRG chapters, and this chapter existed at Iowa State from 1972 to 1981.

During this time, PIRG has helped pass the so-called “Bottle Bill,” which mandates a bottle deposit to fund recycling programs, and helped protect the Ledges as a state park, among other initiatives. We still reap the benefits of these campaigns today.

Student-directed local campaigns are what this campus needs. With the transient life of a student, I have my doubts that any well-organized group could effectively initiate and implement a campaign with lasting effects in only four years.

With a well-organized PIRG chapter working in cooperation with other student groups and with a full-time staff member, a campaign can be monitored and managed from start to finish, even with the high turnover rate of students.

It worked from ’72 to ’81, and, if the success of the New Voters Project is any example, I’m sure it can work again.

Katie Petersen

Senior

Plant Health and Protection