Prevent the City Student Tuition Tax!

Sign our online petition here: http://www.gpsa.pitt.edu/studenttax.php

GPSA, in coordination with student body organzations across Pittsburgh, urge you to get involved and stop the Student Tuition Tax in Pittsburgh.  As you well know, this is a very serious issue with a host of negative economic implications not only for all students and many families, but also for a wide range of local businesses and the employees that depend on them. 

This site is your resource for getting involved.  Below, we have listed a number of ways you can make a difference; many of these options will only take you 5 or 10 minutes. 

We are asking that every student take just a few minutes and send letters to our representatives (see the first item below). PLEASE email and let GPSA know when your letters have been sent, or bring them to us and we’ll cover the cost of mailing them. 

Next, please read through these options carefully and contact us at pittgpsa@gmail.com to tell us what course of action you plan to take.  Each of the items below is very important in its own way, so feel free to consider more than one!

Write a Letter (10 minutes)

To be successful in fighting this Student Tax, we need to be heard by our local City Council members. The most effective way to do this is through letters, both via e-mail and physical snail mail.

Use the templates below to create your letter, ideally with some thoughts and ideas of your own at the beginning. Below are letter writing resources the Student Governments have put together.  Feel free to use and adapt these as much as you’d like, and remember, the more unique the better!

Sample letter from a student (PDF)
Sample letter from a student (DOC)
Sample letter from a staff/faculty member(PDF)
Sample letter from a staff/faculty member(DOC)
Tuition Student Tax talking points
Council office contact information (PDF)

If you want, you can E-mail your personalized letter to all of the Council members (again) by copying and pasting the addresses below into the "To:" field in your e-mail program:

Darlene.Harris@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Theresa.Smith@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Bruce.Kraus@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Jim.Motznik@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Doug.Shields@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Tonya.Payne@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Patrick.Dowd@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Bill.Peduto@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, Ricky.Burgess@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

The important thing is to print out a copy of your letter for physical mailing.  People pay more attention to actual letters!  If you bring it to the GPSA office, 825 in the Pitt Student Union, we’ll mail it for you!  Closer to CMU?  You can bring it to the University Center Information Desk and ask them to put it in Box 46 (Student Senate) and they’ll mail it for you.  The councilmembers’ addresses are listed here:
Council office contact information (PDF)

Make a phone call (5 minutes)

Hearing personally from students makes a big difference - and we need to let the Council know that we each have personal stories to tell. Using the resources and talking points below, or your own experience, take five minutes to call your councilmember's office!

Tuition Student Tax talking points (PDF)
Council office phone numbers (PDF)

Find your Councilmember (see below) or just pick any member's office to call.
Review the talking points and suggestions below, and decide what you're going to say.
Pick up the phone and call!

City Council Information

Council members and their districts are listed below. What district do I live in?

Who's supporting the Student Tax?

According to Thursday's PG, there are five council members who have announced their support for the Student Tax: Council members Harris, Motznik, Payne, Smith, and Burgess. Please make a special effort to contact their offices!

D1: Darlene Harris (supports Taxing Students)
E-mail: Darlene.Harris@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2135

D2: Theresa Kail-Smith (supports Taxing Students)
E-mail: Theresa.Smith@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-8963

D3: Bruce Kraus
E-mail: Bruce.Kraus@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2130

D4: Jim Motznik (supports Taxing Students)
E-mail: Jim.Motznik@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2131

D5: Doug Shields
E-mail: Doug.Shields@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-8965

D6: Tonya Payne (supports Taxing Students)
E-mail: Tonya.Payne@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2134

D7: Patrick Dowd
E-mail: Patrick.Dowd@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2140

D8: Bill Peduto
E-mail: Bill.Peduto@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2133

D9: Rev. Ricky Burgess (supports Taxing Students)
E-mail: Ricky.Burgess@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
Phone: 412-255-2137

• If you live in North or West Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield, or northern Squirrel Hill, you're probably in District 8.
• If you live in parts of South or East Oakland, you're probably in District 3.
• If you live in West Oakland, the Hill District, or the Strip, you're probably in District 6.
• If you live in South Squirrel Hill or Greenfield, you're probably in District 5.
• If you live in East Liberty, Homewood, or Point Breeze, you're probably in District 9.

Confused? Check out this map of districts.

Attend a City Council Meeting!!

The council members have been saying that students aren’t involved in this issue.  We need to show them that we care and that we’re paying attention!!  GPSA will be posting more information as the dates get closer, but it's important for us to have a good presence at all of these meetings. Please mark the following dates on your calendar, let us know if you'll be attending, and try to wear something (appropriate) that identifies you with your university! 

5th Floor City-County Building
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA

November 20, 2009 @ 1PM (no public comments)
November 23, 2009 @ 10 AM (3 minutes of public comments at start)
November 24, 2009 @ 10AM (3 minutes of public comments at start)
November 30, 30, 2009 Tax Hearing Citizen Participation Meeting (Must RSVP to 412-255-2138 in order to make comments)
December 1, 2009 @ 10 AM,
December 7, 2009 @ 1 PM
December 8, 2009 @ 10 AM

Click here for the full meeting schedule

How do I get to the meeting?

Click here for Google Maps directions

You can take the Port Authority bus - 61 A, B, or C, or the 71A (among others) to get downtown. Get off the bus at 6th Ave at 5th, and head southwest on 6th towards 5th. Take a right at 5th, then take a left at Grant - the City-County building will be on your left. (Closest intersection - Forbes and Grant)

5th Floor Cit-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA

It's very important to make your presence as a student known.
Many city council meetings allow public comments at the start of the meeting, so speak up! Be sure to wear something identifying your affiliation with your university - a t-shirt, sweatshirt, hat, etc. You should also look over the talking points listed on this website. The most important thing is for us to make our presence known at the meeting! 

Volunteer your time

We want to get as many people as possible involved in this initiative, and it starts by spreading awareness and gathering signatures. Will you volunteer over the next few weeks to help yourself, your fellow students, and the city?

Please consider:

• Gathering signatures & telling all students and faculty you know about this site (please use our Petition Form)
• Speaking about the Student Tax in class (Best with Petition forms, and takes 5 minutes!)
• Table or poster to promote awareness and gather signatures
• Take signatures in your Apartment, Dorm, or a local shop or café (with their permission!)
• Come to City Council meetings in November/December
• Speak to local residents and business owners about supporting students

Who's organizing all of this?

Student governments from across the City of Pittsburgh are coming together to fight this Student Tax. At GPSA, this effort is being led by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Student Government Board.  Across the city, student leaders at CMU, Point Park, Carlow, Chatham, Duquesne, and CCAC are collaborating to make sure that the city passes a fair budget and tax plan.  The faculty and administrative leaders at these and other institutions are also coordinating their own oppositional campaigns against this ill-conceived Student Tax.  For example, see the PCHE’s Statement on City’s Proposed Student Privilege Tax.

Resources

Feel free to use the resources presented below to encourage others to get involved with this issue and the City of Pittsburgh!

• Tuition Student Tax talking points (PDF)
• Council office contact information (PDF)
• Sample letter (PDF)
• Sample letter (DOC)
• Petition Form

Please email pittgpsa@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions.
Special Thanks to the CMU GSA and USS for their efforts organizing this information.

Pitt Graduate Students Recognized

The GPSA would like to congratulate three members who have recently been recognized for their accomplishments: Jared Knickelbein, Christi Kolarcik, & Bartholomew Roland. With specific membership in the Biomedical Graduate Student Association, these students have demonstrated outstanding achievement in research and service. Congratulations from the GPSA!

Jared Knickelbein, Ph.D. Dr. Knickelbein has recently awarded the Stephen L. Philips Scientific Achievement Award. His research on preventing the reactivation of the herpes simplex virus type 1, entitled "Noncytotoxic lytic granule mediated CD8+ T cell inhibition of HSV-I reactivation from neuronal latency," was published in the prestigious journal Science last year. (Science 2008, 322, 268-71) Advisor: Robert Hendricks, PhD Coauthors: Kamal M. Khanna, Michael B. Yee,Catherine J. Baty, Paul R. Kinchington, Robert L. Hendricks	Christi Kolarcik She is the recipient of two pre doctoral training grants, has been selected to present at a number of forums, including the Experimental Biology, Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Neuroscience, and the International Symposium on ALS/MND, and has published a review paper with other manuscripts in preparation. In addition, Christi has received several awards, two of the most recent being her selection as the 2009 Abraham David Sobel ASP Education Fund Scholar and the 2009 BGSA Most Well-Rounded Student Award. Christi remains an active member of the BGSA Council as well. She has been the CMP representative and the Events officer, helped plan the 2007 BGSA Symposium, organized teams for the Relay for Life, Race for the Cure and Walk to Defeat ALS, and many others. Advisor: Robert Bowser, Ph.D.	Bartholomew Roland Roland was recently selected as a recipient of the 2009 Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation Scholar. the ARCS foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to fostering and rewarding student scientists conducting outstanding medical research. Roland has been researching how sodium-potassium pumps in the brain (important mechanisms for the functioning of neurons) supply themselves with energy. This is important work for the understanding of many neuro-degenerative diseases.

Know someone you think GPSA should recognize? Email us at pittgpsa@gmail.com!

The Pan-African GPSU Presents: The Neo-African-Americans

Three Rivers Film Festival – FREE TICKETS!

Three Rivers Film Festival –

Free Tickets for Grad Students courtesy of PittArts!

Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Now Through November 21

Celebrate the art of motion pictures! This showcase for independent filmmaking is a liberal mix of narrative storytelling, documentaries, international films, short subjects, experimental, and regional work. Visiting artists will present their work in the theaters and in our second annual symposium "Is Film Dead?"

For tickets: Stop by PITT ARTS at 929 WPU with your valid PITT STUDENT ID for two free admission tickets to any Three Rivers Film Festival Screening.  Office Hours: M-F, 8:30 AM – 5 PM.

Visit http://3rff.com/ for schedule.

If you weren't one of the 170 students at the GPSA November Happy Hour at The Alto Lounge in Shadyside on November 6th, where were you?!? We packed the place!

Pictures from the event are available on our Facebook Page.

Suits and Scrubs Dance this Weekend!

On Saturday, November 14th, the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Students and Law Students have teamed up to throw a ball! Come out to the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (corner of 5th and Bigalow) from 9pm - 1am. Tickets are $10, and there will be dancing, free appetizers, a cash bar and lots of fun networking and socializing with grad students! You don't have to be in the Medical School or the Law School; everyone is welcome to this fun, Semi-Formal event! Tickets can be purchased at the door, and checks should be made to the Pitt School of Medicine. Hope to see you there!

CSSA Discount card now available!

Wednesday Nov. 11th though Tuesday Nov. 17th, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association will be distributing their 2009-2010 Chinese Reward and Discount Cards. The printing fee is only $3 per card per student ($5 for faculty and staff) and can be purchased 11:30 - 1:30 each day in the Jazz Room across from the information booth on the main floor of the William Pitt Union. (Thursday the 12th's distribution will be from 11:50-1-30.) Cash only, please!

These cards provide great discounts at many Chinese restuarants and stores all over Pittsburgh; for a complete list, please visit the CSSA website at www.pittcssa.net or their facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2232892153&ref=ts. More business are joining all the time!

Current cyle Travel Grant funding allocated

As of November 4th, 2009

 GPSA can no longer accept new Pre-Approval applications
for conferences occurring between
October 1st and December 31st, 2009. 

All of our funding has been allocated for this cycle and our waitlist for this cycle is full.  GPSA encourages all students to submit their Pre-Approval applications as early as scheduling allows for the appropriate cycle. 

GPSA apologizes for this inconvenience.

Upcoming GSPIA Blood Drive

The GSPIA Student Cabinet is pleased to announce that it will be hosting
its first GSPIA Blood Drive on Wednesday, November 18th from 11am-3pm on the first floor of Posvar Hall.

You can schedule an appointment in advance by clicking on the link to
www.centralbloodbank.org; please enter CU190076 as the Sponsor Code.

Please contact the GSPIA Student Cabinet at stcab@pitt.edu if you have any questions.

Donating only about a half hour of your time can save up to three lives here in Pittsburgh! Please come out to donate life and ensure a successful drive!

FREE FOOD and a drink!!

We're heading to what is probably your backyard this time!

FREE FOOD includes appetizers of pizza, wings, fruit, cheese, chips, and salsa.

And your first drink is on us!

See you there!!

Congratulations to the Turkish American Student Association!

Congratulations to TASA and all Turkish Americans in Allegheny County for the pasage of Turkish Republic Day. The Turkish American Student Association, which is a GPSA Assembly Group member, lobbied specifically for this honor for Turkish Americans in the county.

October e-Bulletin, Issue 3 now Available

The current GPSA e-Bulletin can now be found at http://www.gpsa.pitt.edu/bulletin.php. This issue contains:

• GPSA Night at the Movies Thursday October 29th
• Nominations for Provost's Excellence in Mentoring Award due Soon!
• GPSA Masquerade Ball Date Moved
• Mandatory New Pitt ID cards for Graduate and Professional Students
• GPSA G-20 Resolution
• GPSA and PUMP Health Care Forum Recap

Due to circumstances beyond our control, The GPSA Masquerade Ball is postponed. Another appropriate time to hold such an event occurs during the time year when the Carnival of Venice, which popularized Masquerades, is traditionally held, several days before Ash Wednesday. Save your masks, then, for our Valentine's Masquerade Ball.

What will you be doing this Friday night?! GPSA recomends picking up the free food along 5th and Forbes at 5pm (wristbands and maps can be picked at the corner of Forbes and S. Bouquet St courtesy of Oakland Tailgate Taste Fest), weighing in on this important debate at 6pm, attending GSPH's reception at the Athletic Association for more food, drinks, and food for thought at 7:30, and catching the Fireworks at 9:30pm!

The University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly & the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project present

The 2009 Pittsburgh Healthcare Forum

DC Policymakers discuss health care legislation with Pittsburgh students & the community

Reception for Pitt students, faculty, and alumni to follow at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association

Why should young people care about Healthcare Reform? On October 23rd the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate & Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) and the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) will host an educational forum giving people of all ages a chance to be part of this controversial conversation.

This event will afford attendees an inside-the-beltway view of this pressing national and international issue.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask these key legislators questions while critically assessing ways to relieve the problems in our national healthcare system as legislation nears completion in Congress.

Representative Jason Altmire (D - PA 4) Co-chair of the New Democratic Coalition’s task force on healthcare reform and a subcommittee chairman on the Small Business Committee. Prior to his election to Congress in 2006, he served as a Congressional Health Legislative aide and UPMC Vice President for Governmental Relations.	Paul O'Neill 72nd Secretary of the Treasury, Co founder of the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative, Founder of Value Capture, LLC. Former CEO Alcoa, Former Chairman RAND Corporation. During his government service, Mr. O'Neill helped to shape many of the policies which define the American health care system today.	Representative Tim Murphy PhD (R - PA 18) "Dr. Tim", Co-chair of the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus, Mental Health Caucus and Men’s Health Caucus, and currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He is a former Pitt Psychology professor and a former health care expert for KDKA.

Moderator
Dr. Beaufort Longest
M. Allen Pond Professor of Health Policy & Management, Director Pitt Health Policy Institute

This information can be downloaded as a Flier and printed here

Senator Arlen Specter to speak with students at Pitt

Senator Arlen Specter will be visiting Pitt Monday, October 19, 2009. The Senator will hold an open-to-the-public Student Town Hall Meeting at the Alumni Hall Auditorium 7th Floor from 2-3pm.  The Senator will speak briefly and then take questions from the audience.

The Student Town Hall Meeting is not a campaign or fund-raising event, and though the event is focused on college/university students, it is open to the entire university community and to the public.