Want to get involved, learn more about elections, or get information about local government? The REP can help!
By Josh Hughes
With Voter Registration Day coming up on October 7, it’s important for students to not only know how to register to vote, but also what role Western has in representing the student body on a political and civic level. The Representation and Engagement Programs (REP) on campus push to get students involved on campus legislatively and politically through committees and other means. They organize a giant voter registration drive each year as well, which makes it important to get information about the organization this time of year.
Last year Western registered more students to vote than all other public universities in Washington combined, and this year the REP has a goal to register 3,000 new voters before the deadline on October 10. The statewide goal for students is 9,000, and thanks to student volunteers and workers on campus, Western has already registered 2,000 students. If you ever see someone on campus with a clipboard and a ream of “I Voted” stickers, odds are they’re working through the REP to get students to vote. If you’re unaware of how to register to vote, the REP office is located at VU 435, and in the next week expect to see pop up spots on campus where students can easily register to vote.
Beyond their voting programs and drives, the REP is also home to roughly 60 committees that any student can serve on and get involved with. Some of the notable committees are the Legislative Affairs Committee, the AS Structure Review Committee, and the Food Systems Working Group.
The Legislative Affairs Committee helps create the student local, state, and federal legislative agendas each year, and includes a yearly Viking Lobby Day in which about 100 students travel to Olympia to lobby for our state legislative agenda.
The AS Structure Review Committee looks at the Associated Students itself and is currently working on a three year project to assess and restructure the AS.
The Food Systems Working Group is a new committee that looks at how to incorporate more locally and ethically grown food on campus.
These are but a few of the committees that the REP oversees, and any student can apply to join one by filling out a form at https://orgsync.com/56414/forms/200141.
While a portion of the REP is dedicated to political programs, the committees range from academic policies to sustainability to transportation as well as nearly everything in between. Students are welcome to email the committee coordinator Octavia Schultz at AS.Committees@wwu.edu if they have any questions or inquiries about the committees offered.
Beyond the committees, the REP also hosts Western Student Lobby Day, Ethnic Student Lobby Day, Environmental Lobby Day and the AS Elections that occur in the winter and spring. Regardless of their voter registration status, all students can campaign or vote in the student elections; students can essentially get involved at almost any level of the Representation and Engagement Programs.
The overall goal of the organization is to not only influence the community of Western, but also the broader Bellingham area and even across Washington state, says REP director Henry Pollet. Whether it’s getting students registered to vote (which the REP also helps out with as students move into the dorms each year) or organizing and structuring any number of on campus committees, the REP is an accessible platform for students regardless of their interests. To get more involved, go to their office or check out their website.
