Student lobbying group
struggles to find consensus

By Jesse Stephenson
The Metropolitan

Last year it happened at Metro.

This year itâs happening at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Though the players change, the theme is always the same: Students question whether itâs worth it to keep buying membership to the Colorado Student Association.

The CSA is a legislative lobbying group meant to represent the interests of college and university students in Colorado.

But figuring out how to keep 130,000 students from 14 institutions happy is a treacherous task.

ãWe try to focus on issues that affect every student such as financial aid and tuition costs,ä said Tony Young, a Metro student and director of campus affairs for CSA.

The platform is built on basic student interests, though that doesnât prevent CSA from entering the line of fire from some of its members.

Nathanael Koch, a CU-Boulder student and CSAâs director of legislative affairs, said no member has jumped ship in the past six years, yet many have threatened to sever ties with the organization.

ãUsually the school feels like weâre not specifically addressing their issues,ä Koch said.

The most recent rift between the association and a university appeared in October after CSA delegates voted to oppose any legislation that would outlaw Affirmative Action policies at state-supported colleges and universities.

Koch said Greg Benn, a CU-Boulder delegate to CSA, opposes that stance and might ask CU students to vote on whether the university should stay in the organization.

Benn did not return phone calls to The Metropolitan.

Metro also has a history of conflict with CSA.

During the 1996-97 school year, Metro student John Saiz, a member of last yearâs student government, led an unsuccessful drive to end the collegeâs CSA affiliation.

Saiz said CSA did not do enough to represent the needs of people on commuter campuses.

Other people, however, say CSA membership is a boon to students.

Metro Student Government Assembly President Karmin Trujillo said she credits CSA for convincing lawmakers to vote down Metro President Sheila Kaplanâs proposed 4 percent tuition hike during the 1997 legislative session.

Trujillo said the proposalâs failure has since saved each Metro student an average of $130.
Rep. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, a member of the House Education Committee, said CSA is a well-respected lobby group known for doing its homework on proposed legislation.

ãI think theyâve got a lot of clout down here,ä Tupa said. ãSo when they advocate a bill one way or another, itâs a lot more powerful than just a single student.ä