Personal Essay: NYPIRG benefits city of Syracuse, its funding must be restored |
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As of early April, Syracuse University’s Student Government Association cut New York Public Interest Research Group’s $95,000 in funding to $0 without prior notice. Alongside the cut, our contract was terminated, effective July 2026.
As a student board member representing the SU chapter, and as a member of SGA, I believe it’s imperative to advocate for restoring NYPIRG’s funding and contract.
NYPIRG was founded in 1973, when SU, Queens and Buffalo students collaborated to develop a statewide organization directed by students. The group hired staff such as organizers, researchers and lawyers to train students how to effectively advocate for change. Currently, NYPIRG has 14 chapters across New York state, many of them at State University of New York and City University of New York institutions.
By cutting NYPIRG’s funding, SU and the broader community will lose an organization that has shown great impact.
Last year, I participated in NYPIRG’s hunger and homelessness campaign, distributing bags to collect food and supplies for Syracuse residents experiencing homelessness. We used our office on Marshall Street to count and sort donations, which would’ve been a difficult task........