A Radio Shack pocket tape recorder in your backpack would do just fine. Make sure to use fresh tape and write the date and time of the class. Also, write down any specific information about the instructor, any other organizations they belng to (ie. NOW, GLAD, GLARP etc.). Make sure to ask the questions during class so they can be recorded and do not under any circumstances voice your opinions until you have documented what has been said.
Might see if any talk radio hosts would help me get the proper equiptment to do it without getting noticed(example, give me one of those things news anchors wear and I'll pin it on the inside of my jacket.)
Those ar high functioning pieces of audio equipment.
Radio shack used to have some stuff that is priced in your range and would work. Sound acutated tape recorders and the like that fit in your pocket and are made to pick up "faraway" sound sources with less echo.
There is also a DAT (digital audio tape) stereo microphone (mic) that looks like eyeglasses or fits into a hat. These can be gotten for less money today because DAT is getting old. People used to use them for recording concerts and such. They work with battery powered DAT decks.
Talk to your parents about it--it may be illegal!
A regular micro-cassette recorder from Staples or Office Depot should work fine. I used them to record lectures. They worked fine, certainly good enough for transcribing purposes.
What you are doing is moral, but probably illegal. It would be best to make a recording, make copies or transcribe it, and then distribute it to the media. Then they can't ignore it.