Strength in numbers.
Hello Coug fans (and potentially some Beavs as well).
Lately more and more news has been swirling about how things are going to fare for Washington State University and Oregon State University. As many of us know by now, the conference realignment goes deeper than just what schools WSU and OSU will play in the upcoming seasons- it impacts state revenue, enrollment, Pullman and Corvallis businesses, and more.
If you’re like me, with the general state of the world, you’re feeling helpless. We have been living through an onslaught of culturally debilitating events, things that are shaping our world socially in ways I cannot begin to explain.
It is why we want to hold tighter to the things that are dear to us: our community, our social interests, our hobbies, our passions.
I am in no way wanting to compare the conference realignment to that of the severity of events happening around the world, which I will not be using this specific platform to comment on. But, I believe it’s important to hold space for that.
Frankly, asking you to contact your representatives about this feels dystopian to me. I’m not trying to start anything in the comments, I am not opening the floor for a dialogue on world events, I am merely saying that if you feel like there are bigger fish to fry and you want to talk to your representatives about that as well, be my guest! Here is how! I agree with you!
It was suggested to us by DeutscheCoug on our friend Nate Dahl’s recap of Washington State Football falling apart against Stanford that we should put something together here about a way for Washington residents and Oregon residents to actually contact their representatives, and push for something to be done for WSU and OSU.
So! Here we go! I’ll put the links to contact first, and then some suggested things to say (written by myself) after.
If you’re a Beav, don’t worry! I’ll have all your reps linked as well. You can take the girl out of Oregon, but you can’t take the Oregon out of the girl. As a born-and-raised Oregonian, I’m with you as well.
Washington Representative Information:
If you want to send Governor Inslee an e-message, click here!
If you’d like to call, the number listed is (360) 902-4111.
If you want to contact the Washington State Legislature, click here. How to find your Representative / how to email them is listed here. Who represents my district? Check here.
Washington Script:
Dear (Representative),
My name is (Your Name), and I am contacting you because I am passionate about the future of Washington State University. WSU is a pillar for state revenue, an esteemed institution for education, and most importantly: it is the heart and soul of a broad, global community.
The dissolution of the Pac-12 Conference will negatively impact not only the University, but the state as a whole. It is imperative that Washington State gets financial priority in terms of the assets of the conference, but in your investment as well.
Any way you are able to intervene and advocate for Washington State would speak volumes.
I appreciate your time, thank you for hearing my voice as a member of the community you were elected to represent.
Best,
(Your name)
Oregon Representative Information:
If you want to send Governor Kotek an e-message, click here!
If you’d like to call, the number listed is (503) 378-4582.
If you want to contact the Oregon State Legislature, click here to find who represents your district. You can then find the list of representatives here, and scroll to find yours!
Oregon Script:
Dear (Representative),
My name is (Your Name), and I am contacting you because I am passionate about the future of Oregon State University. OSU is an essential part of state revenue, an esteemed academic institution with investments across the state, specifically their involvement in the health of our Ocean and Coast- but most importantly, Oregon State is the center of a community that spans not just throughout Oregon, but across the globe.
The dissolution of the Pac-12 Conference will negatively impact not only the University, but the state as a whole. It is imparative that Oregon State gets financial priority in terms of the assets of the conference, but in your investment as well.
Any way you could intervene and advocate for Oregon State would speak volumes.
I appreciate your time, thank you for hearing my voice as a member of the community you were elected to represent.
Best,
(Your name)
Putting this out at 5pm on a Friday is perhaps not the best time, but there you have it.
Once again, if you feel the need to contact your representatives about anything at all, but in this case, WSU athletics, now you have the info!
Go Cougs, and Go Beavs.