Byron Kimball | Freelancer
A large student turnout and multiple meetings with state legislators were just a few defining factors of this year’s University Lobby Day on Feb. 15.
Advocates from seven Oregon universities and colleges, including Western, Portland State, Oregon State, University of Oregon, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and Oregon Tech joined forces to advocate for increased state funding for higher education at the state capitol.
“Ensuring that we have an accessible, affordable education is something we can agree on. It’s why we’re all here today,” explained Ryan Hagemann, Vice President and General Counsel at Western.
The early hours of the event on the capitol steps featured performances from university pep bands and cameos from each university’s mascot.
Students later filed into the capitol building’s Senate hearing room for briefings on the day’s proceedings, which included afternoon meetings with senators and representatives, panels by faculty members from each university, music performances by university choirs and a group photo.
A first for this year, students were paired into small groups based not on university, but on their legislative district and who their state representative is. According to Hagemann, this change was designed to help students understand the value of engaging with one another as constituents. And, as the intermingling of students and faculty from across the state soon demonstrated, build community between all seven universities.
The buzz of student and faculty voices was hard to miss when trawling through the capitol halls and chamber rooms. For Hagemann, who has been involved with University Lobby Day since 2013, the turnout was bigger than he remembered from years past.
It was clear that students involved were passionate about the endeavor. ASWOU, who helped organize the event, worked to ensure what Hagemann described as “excellent engagement.”
ASWOU President Jessica Freeman was quick to express the importance of lobbying to have student voices heard. “The legislators care about student experiences, and they want to hear student voices,” Freeman explained. “I would highly recommend any and every student attend at least one University Lobby Day in their college career.”
Contact the author at bkimball16@wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
