The Associated Students

Representation and
Engagement Programs
media kit
table of contents.

3. media backgrounder
7. faq
10. logo with tagline
11. potential story ideas
12. media clips
13. photos

Created by:
John “Elias Olson, Emma Kivlin, Coel Cabel
media backgrounder.

Western Washington University Associated Students

Representation and Engagement Programs (REP)
Press Contact: John “Elias” Olson | (703)951-7334 | olsonj57@wwu.edu

overview.
The Associated Students Representation and Engagement Programs (AS REP) is an
students organization at Western Washington University. The REP’s purpose is to provide
support and resources to equally represent student voices in local, city, county and national
issues using different strategies like community engagement and political action.

Since 2009, the REP continues to value student representation in current issues,
civic awareness and responsibility. REP works to make students more aware of the roles
they play in their communities and how they can use these roles to create change through
civic engagement. The AS REP currently has six student employees who serve as liaisons or
coordinators for different positions within the organization. AS REP’s current director is
Nora Harren.

current activities.
AS REP currently has five major components that the organization focuses on:
• Western Votes: an organization that helps students register to vote, organizes trips
to Olympia, hosts political events and advocates voting and political involvement in
students.
• Committees: AS and WWU elect students for committee positions that make decisions
around campus.
• AS Elections: AS hosts an election for the AS Board of Directors every year.
• AS Legislative Liaisons: this is a position for a student employee who is in charge of
representing the student body to Olympia. They communicate with local government
and relay information to students.
• AS Local Coordinator: this is also a position held for a student employee who represents
the student body to city and county governments.

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facts.
the numbers.
• 40% of 18-to-24-year-olds are in college. (Bennion and Michelson, 2018 )
• Only 42% of people aged 18-29 said they were registered to vote in 2014 (Campus Vote
Project, 2017).
• Only 17% of people aged 18-29 cast a ballot in 2014. (Campus Vote Project, 2017.)
• In 2016, less than half of eligible college undergraduates voted (in a presidential
election) (Bornstein 2018).

for students, by students.

• In a study of over 200 U.S. universities, only 27.4% of student government officers have
speaking or voting rights at their public institutions governing board. Having those
students at the table can increase feelings of making a positive impact on behalf of the
student body (“2018 SVI Report” 2018).
• In the most recent student body elections at Western, only 15.1% of students voted
(Murphy 2019).
• The average reported voting rate of the full student body in student government
elections is 22.13% (“2018 SVI Report” 2018)

millennials matter.
• Civic engagement is on the rise. According to the UCLA, “39.8 percent of incoming
freshmen said they want to become community leaders and 22.3 percent of students
hope to influence the political structure” (Higher Education Research Institute 2016).
• Students are aware of what’s happening around them. Today, keeping up with political
affairs is very important to incoming college freshman. 46.0% of the 137,456 incoming
freshman surveyed across 184 universities and colleges across the United States report
that “keeping up with political affairs is ‘very important’” according to a 2016 annual
review by the UCLA (Egan et al. 2017).
• Voting is habit forming. When young people have information about how, when and
where to vote they’re more likely to vote once and then keep voting (“Youth Voting,”
n.d.).

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more info.
Nora Hansen / AS REP Director
Nora Harren was involved with AS REP her first year at Western, and as a sophomore,
Harren is the current director of AS REP. She is planning to continue this position through
academic year 2019-2020.

boilerplate.
Western Washington University’s Associated Students Representation and Engagement
programs is in the business of civic engagement and raising student voices to meet
lawmakers at all levels of government since their founding in 2009. The REP’s director
is Nora Hansen and their office houses five other student employees. They are located
in Viking Union 435 — just under the stairs — near the Wellness Outreach Center. Their
emails is as.rep@wwu.edu and their phone number is (360)650-4267.

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sources.
Bennion, Elizabeth A., and Melissa R. Michelson. “How to Get More College Students to
Vote.” The Washington Post. September 18, 2018. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://
www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/09/18/how-to-get-more-
young-people-to-vote/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.84f0d3eafde3.

Bornstein, David. “Getting Student Power Into the Voting Booth.” July 04, 2018. Accessed
April 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/04/opinion/getting-student-power-
into-the-voting-booth.html.

Eagan, Kevin, Ellen Bara Stolzenberg, Melissa C. Aragon, Hannah Whang Sayon, and Ce-
cilia Rios Aguilar. “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2016.” 2017. Ac-
cessed April 16, 2019. https://www.heri.ucla.edu/monographs/TheAmericanFresh-
man2016-Expanded.pdf.

Higher Education Research Institute. “College Students’ Commitment to Activism, Political

and Civic Engagement Reach All-time Highs.” UCLA Newsroom. February 10, 2016.
Accessed April 16, 2019. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/college-students-com-
mitment-to-activism-political-and-civic-engagement-reach-all-time-highs.

Murphy, Colin. “Associated Students General Election Decides New Executive Board,
Passes Two Referendums with 15.1% Voter Turnout.” May 05, 2019. Accessed
May 6, 2019. http://www.westernfrontonline.com/2019/05/03/associated-stu-
dents-general-election-decides-new-executive-board-passes-two-referen-
dums-with-15-1-voter-turnout/.

“Why Student Voters Matter.” Campus Vote Project. July 24, 2017. Accessed April 2019.
http://campusvoteproject.org/why-student-voters-matter/.

“Youth Voting.” The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engage-
ment. https://civicyouth.org/quick-facts/youth-voting/

“2018 SVI Report | Student Voice Index.” National Campus Leadership Council. Accessed
April 16, 2019. https://www.studentvoiceindex.org/report.

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faq.
What is the Representation & Engagement program (REP)?

We’re glad you asked. REP focuses on civic engagement and student representation in
decisions that impact you —from here at the university to Olympia.

Where is the REP office?

We are located in Viking Union 435 — just under the stairs — near the Wellness Outreach
Center. Stop by and chat in person, or reach us by email at as.rep@wwu.edu and by phone
at (360)650-4267.

What does the REP do for me?

Two words: civic engagement and student representation.

Elections can be confusing and there are lots of questions — who’s running, what do they
stand for and why should I care? We work to make it easier to answer those questions. We
hold panels, voting drives, rallies and protests — all for your benefit and our democracy.

We’re also in the business of representing you. We manage over 200 student committees,
run the elections that elect your student representatives and represent the interests of you
and your peers in legislative matters at the university, local, state and federal level.

Who works for the REP?

The REP has six student employees:

• Our Program Director —Nora Hansen: as.rep@wwu.edu
• AS Legislative Liaison — Henry Pollet: as.legislative.liaison@wwu.edu
• AS Committee Coordinator — Cora Cole: as.committees@wwu.edu
• AS Local Liaison — Patrick Kissinger: as.local.liaison@wwu.edu
• Organizing and Outreach Coordinator — Nicole Ballard: as.voting.coordinator@wwu.
edu
• AS Elections Coordinator — Alec Willis:as.elections@wwu.edu

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faq.
I want to get involved — how do I get on a committee?

That’s awesome. We’re excited you want to help make Western a better place. No matter
what you’re passionate about — academics, accessibility, sustainability, political
engagement — we’ve got a committee for you.
Check out as.wwu.edu/committees/ for details, then click “Apply for a committee” to start
your application.

What’s the difference between the REP and Western Votes?

Good question. Western Votes is under the umbrella of the REP but is more focused on civic
engagement and citizenship than advocating for specific policies. Voter registration drives,
candidate debates and forums as well as some legislative agenda drafting happens under
Western Votes.

Where can I register to vote?

You can register:

• Online: Click here (or copy and paste: sos.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx) to register
online.
• Print: Printable voter registration forms can be found online or we would be happy to
print you one in our office.
• Mail: You can request a voter registration form to be mailed to you at https://www.sos.
wa.gov/elections/register-mail.aspx
• In-person: You can register to vote in person in Whatcom County at the Election
Division Auditor’s Office located here in Bellingham at 311 Grand Ave., Suite 103.

What are lobby days?

Lobby days are annual opportunities for students to meet with their elected officials. There
are two lobby days each year. Local Lobby Day allow students to meet with officials from
the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County. State Lobby Day is in Olympia. Check out our
Facebook page or the Western Engagement Network to see when the next one is.

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faq.
How big of deal is the AS Legislative Affairs Council?

This committee is our most popular. 6–8 students-at-large (unelected individuals from
the general student body) as well as our AS REP Legislative Liaison and Organizing and
Outreach Coordinator work with others on the committee to create, review and propose
legislative and administrative agendas to the AS Board of Directors.

This is a big deal because this group of students comes together to advocate on behalf of
you and the entire student body on a range of policy issues from local to state levels.

I’m interested in running for office— how do AS elections

work?
Great — here are the basics.

The AS Board of Directors is elected by the students every year in spring quarter. The
positions include: AS President, VP for Business & Operations, Student Life, Diversity,
Government Affairs, and Activities.

To run:
• You must have a minimum of a 2.50 cumulative grade point average at the time of
election.
• You must also be enrolled as a student at the main campus of WWU, and be taking a
minimum of six (6) credits as an undergraduate or four (4) as a graduate student.
• You must file a petition with the AS with a minimum of 100 signature.
• You must attend a Mandatory Election Meeting.

For a complete understanding of AS elections, head to as.wwu.edu/elections/

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assets.
logo.

tagline.

vote. engage. advocate.

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potential story ideas.
director profile.
• Director Nora Harren has been involved with AS REP since her first year at Western. She
is now going on her third year involved with AS REP, and is planning on becoming even
more involved with the organization and Western’s community in the future. Featuring
Harren and the work she does through AS REP would demonstrate how the organization
is run by students, for students.
Contact: (360) 650- 4267

member/volunteer profile.
• AS REP is a unique organization as it relies heavily on volunteers and activists. Many of
these activists and volunteers are busy students juggling classes, activism, work and a
social life. Doing a feature story on any of the students who work and benefit alongside
AS REP would showcase the intense amount of passion and hard work that students put
into AS REP daily.
Contact: (360) 650- 4267

mission issue story.

• AS REP plays a huge role in the Bellingham and Western Washington University
communities. As a student run organization, it is the voice of the students themselves,
a voice that reaches far beyond the boundaries of campus. AS REP impacts politics and
government at Western, as well as at city, county and state levels as well.
Contact: (360) 650- 4267

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media clips.
student lobbyists prepare for olympia.
Students at Western Washington University prepare to head to Olympia to participate in
the AS REP’s Lobby Day. These students are meeting with legislators to move forward
agenda items set by the Associated Students.

local gov. candidates speak on campus.

The local candidate forum hosted by AS REP brought over 100 students and community
members to ask questions of those running for elected positions within Bellingham and
Whatcom.

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photos.
(Left) Students participating in a rally
hosted by Western Votes, stand on the
steps of Olympia’s legislative building.

(Right) Student drops off their ballot

in an offical Whatcom county ballot
drop-box, set up by the REP.

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