Over a hundred Cougs gathered on the frozen capital grounds on Monday January 27th as part of Coug Day at the Capitol, their annual day of legislative advocacy.
Cougs from campuses in the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Pullman, Spokane and WSU Global returned in force before dawn. Top agenda items for the 102 meetings with lawmakers and staff included codifying the Washington College Grant at 70 percent, supporting legislation to provide resources for students who have experienced sexual assault, and funding for the WSU Native American Coug Scholars program.
After serving in the Legislature for 24 years, Sam Hunt, a member of the WSU Class of 1967 who was recently appointed to the WSU Board of Regents, spoke to the Cougs who braved the cold and encouraged them to share their stories and the impact those stories can have.
Students separated into groups to speak with lawmakers along with meeting with the Secretary of State’s office and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. WSU’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional student bodies are represented by three full-time student lobbyists from the Pullman and Vancouver campuses, whose efforts are bolstered by these visits.
Washington State University’s Student Government Council organized the event, which was a collaborative effort between Associated Students of Washington State University and the Graduate and Professional Student Association. This effort is intended to provide WSU students with the opportunity to meet with state legislators and discuss higher education priorities.
