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Volume 8
April 9, 1986
Issue 26
CoPIRG: Funding of new group co·ntroversial dents have a right to organize and voice an opinion. Sinel said she also objects to the funding because, "the individual student does not have any say where the money goes." Meyer said this is not true. "Students have a lot more control with this than with other fees," he said. "The students have a choice. They don't have to pay at all." In addition, Meyer said, every student has the opportunity to vote every other year and any student may run for a CoPIRG office. Sinel further accused CoPIRG of using "subversive methods" to elicit student support. She said the group, which petitioned twice as many signatures as necessary, did not accurately portray itself to the students when petitioning and did not explai.>1 the waivable fee. "It was very, very misleading, she said. "Joe student would take a look and say, 'Every group has a right to be established,' and sign it. "If I didn't know anything about the group, I would have said, 'It sounds terrific.' " Jodie Gibson, a member of the MSC CoPIRG organizing committee who collected signatures, denied Sinel's claims. "We did mention the fee," Gibson said. "No one signed the petition with.o ut me explaining everything to them." Meyer said the waivable fee was mentioned more than once in the petition which all signers were free to read. "It's in our best interest to let people know about the fee because it's going to be on the ballot," he said. Another "subversive method," Sinel said is the way CoPIRG will collect the waivable fee if students vote in favor of the group's establishment in the April 30 through May 2 election. A "negative check-off" will be included on class-registration forms. Students will have to indicate they wish
Lisa Arndt Reporter
Gramm-Rudman takes toll
College to lose $1 million Nancy Jarrell Reporter
Metropolitan State College will lose approximately $1 million in federal funds during fiscal year 1987-88 if the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act is implemented, according to a study just completed by David McDermott, MSC controller in charge of contracts and grants. Minority and low-income students
Jim Manuel Reporter
Metropolitan State College's most common nickname - Metro - may sound like a cross between a sewer system and a French subway, but, to cast-off 19 years of name recognition is foolish, John Spradley, MSC professor of English said. "It has taken 19 years to establish some name recognition with the public. There are still some who are confused, but it's not the name's fault. A name
would be the biggest losers, he said. Though the full force of the bill wouldn't be felt in 1986-87, the fundcuttinsi; act would affect Pell ~ants. McDermott said. He predicted MSC will suffer a 10.3 percent loss in Pellgrant monies or as much as $165,000. In 1987-88, the cuts will rise 25 to 30 percent. If the act is implemented, MSC would lose approximately $1,165 continued on page 2
The establishment of a student organization that would · add $3 to MSC tuition has become the target of a student government member who calls it "wholly repugnant to the dignity of this institution." Maria Sinel, a judicial board member of the associated students of MSC, stated in a letter to members of the senate that CoPIRG (Colorado Public Interest Research Group) should be barred from campus because of unfair funding practices, misleading methods of obtaining student support and a faulty campus organization staff. If enacted, CoPIRG, a non-profit, non-partisan, state-wide organization which sponsors projects to benefit students and consumers, would raise tuition $3 though the fee could be waived if students indicate on their class registration form that they do not support the group. Sinel said CoPIRG is not entitled to this type of funding. "I don't think any pqlitical group has any right comandeering student funds," she said. "This is a blatant attempt to jockey Metro State College in the position of being their personal collection agency. "In no way, shape or form should a business use a campus to collect money." John Meyer, CoPIRG chapter organizer, admitted that CoPIRG is political in nature, but stressed that it does not affiliate with any political party. "All kinds of programs are funded through fees: student government, the newspaper, the gay and lesbian alliance. To extent or another, all those groups are political. "If we were Democratic orRepublican, no way should we get on campus or get this kind of funding," Meyer said. Meyer said CoPIRG's ideology is not political. It is merely that the.stu-
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Prof says name change won't help - calls it foolish change won't help." Spradley said a school's name doesn't need to have a regional indentification - like Denver State - to gain national recognition. "The reputation of a school depends upon the quality of the school. Harvard, Yale, Brown, are good examples,
I think."
with Metro having a national reputa· tion like Michigan State or Cornell. "Metro is not designed to be a national institution. Its purpose is to serve the metro area, financially, geographically and academically. A national reputation is not our goal." Though Breckel said he has never heard one complaint from anyone outside the school about the name, he realizes it is an ongoing problem. He suggested malting a fonn or ballot available at next fall's registration for
Andy . Breckel, assistant vice president for off-campus programs, has a similar view. "A national reputation is good, but it comes from the performance of the students and the faculty - if they do something worthy of national recognition... Breckel said he is not concerned ......
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