Young Democrats of

WWU
Media Kit
Samantha Frost, Samantha Newland, Hoi Ying Go

Table of Contents
Media Backgrounder...
2
FAQ.
..6
Logo (with tagline)......................................................8
Potential Story Ideas...9
Media
Clips..10
Photos...
.11
 Young Democrats of Western Washington University
Media Backgrounder
Press Contact: Samantha Frost (509) 531-0231 frosts4@wwu.edu

OVERVIEW SECTION:
The Young Democrats of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. is
dedicated to getting more students involved in the democratic process and to give them space to
grow. They focus on giving young Americans a voice in politics and creating sustainable action.
The club welcomes all people of all backgrounds to discuss politics in a safe space and learn how
to create change within our country and the Democratic Party.
The club formed in March 2017. Current President Claire Devine and Vice President
Blaire Murphy began inviting friends to make phone calls to representatives which sparked the
idea of beginning the Associated Students club. The organization has 150,000 members across
the country. Today the Young Democrats of WWU consists of approximately twenty-five
members.
https://www.facebook.com/YoungDemsofWWU/

CURRENT ACTIVITIES:
The Young Democrats of WWU meet at 6 p.m. on alternate Mondays in Academic West
303. These meetings are opportunities for Democrats ages fourteen-years-old to thirty-six-years-
old to discuss democratic values, current politics and future plans in a safe space designed to be
thought provoking and inspiring.
The startup club attends Bellingham Town Hall Meetings, speeches by politicians on
campus and around the county, protests, and biweekly political discussions hosted by the club.
 They find ways to create political change on campus and within the United States. This
includes bringing politicians to campus as guest speakers, protesting injustices on campus and on
the streets of Bellingham, debating other political groups at WWU and partnering with other
clubs like Western Votes and the Blue Group to change policies on campus.
Upcoming Community Events:
Voices of Planned Parenthood. 7 p.m. on Oct. 19 at Mount Baker Planned
Parenthood.
Statewide Doorbell Day with Whatcom Democrats and Washinton State
Conservation Voters at 10 a.m. on Oct. 22.
Associated Students Candidate Forum at 6 p.m. on Oct. 25 in Acedemic West.

FACTS:
Young Democrats of America
"The Young Democrats of America mobilizes young people under the age of 36 to
participate in the electoral process to elect Democrats, influence the ideals of the
Democratic Party, advocate for progressive issues, and train the next generation of
progressive leaders." (About the Young Democrats of America 2017)
With 150,000 members making up the organization, the Young Democrats of America is
the biggest partisan political group led by youths in the United States. (About the Young
Democrats of America 2017)
The Young Democrats of America was founded in 1932. Since then, it has officially
become the youth arm of the Democratic Party. (About the Young Democrats of
America 2017)
"Since 2002, the Young Democrats of America has operated independently of the
Democratic National Committee (DNC) as a nonfederal 527 political organization, while
maintaining 3 positions on the DNC." (About the Young Democrats of America 2017)
Voter Demographics
In the 2016 general election, Millennials and Generation Xers cast 69.9 million votes out
of the 137.5 million votes cast, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census
Bureau data. (Fry, Richard 2016)
According to Pew Research center, the millennial generation is anticipated to have a
larger vote in the 2020 presidential election because the millennial generation is larger
than Generation X. (Fry, Richard 2016)
Millennial generation is larger than Generation X and is anticipated to have a larger vote
in the 2020 presidential election, according to Pew Research center. (Fry, Richard 2016)
"Millennials (those ages 18 to 35 in 2016) reported casting 34 million votes last
November, a steep rise from the 18.4 million votes they cast in 2008. But, despite the
larger size of the Millennial generation, the Millennial vote has yet to eclipse the Gen X
 vote, as 35.7 million Gen Xers (ages 36 to 51 in 2016) reported voting last year." (Fry,
Richard 2016)
"63% of Gen X eligible voters reported voting in 2016, versus 49% of Millennials." (Fry,
Richard 2016)
Facts about Democrats:
According to the Pew Research Center, surveys conducted in 2015 showed, "41% of
Democrats describe themselves as liberal, 35% say they are moderates and 21% say
theyre conservative. In 2000, 43% were moderate, 27% liberal and 24% conservative."
(Doherty, Carroll, and Samantha Smith 2015) This trend shows that Democrats are
becoming more liberal.
According to the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of all Americans identify as Democrat
and 44 percent of Americans identify as Republican. (Maniam, Shiva 2016)
Western Washington University:
15,574 students attend WWU. (About Western, 2017)
WWU is located in Bellingham. The population of Bellingham is 85,000 people. (About
Western, 2017) Western students make up approximately 18 percent of Bellingham's
population.

SHORT BIOS:
Claire Devine - President
Claire Devine, President of the Young Democrats of WWU is a Junior studying political
science. She became interested in politics in 2012 when she began to develop a passion for
women's rights. She interned on a democratic campaign, Washington State Democrat's
Coordinating campaign. Inspired to bring change to WWU, she began a group with Blair
Murphy, Vice President of the Young Democrats of WWU. The group called representatives to
demand change in our healthcare system. They realized that WWU had a great lack of
representation for Democratic students and desired to create a space where they could meet and
discuss politics. They started the Young Democrats of WWU in Spring of 2017.
Contact information:
Claire Devine: devinec2@wwu.edu (206)841-8541
Blair Murphy- Vice President
Blair Murphy, Vice President of Young Democrats of WWU is also a Junior studying
psychology. She desires to create change for people, which is her greatest influence. Angry with
the election of President Trump, she desired to channel her anger into positive change. After
feeling helpless due to the current state of the country, and feeling afraid for marginalized
groups, she felt she had to do something. Blair then approached Claire about hosting one event to
show Democrats they are heard. They then realized that Young Democrats of WWU was
necessary for campus.
Contact information:
Blair Murphy: murphy70@wwu.edu (253) 820-7918

BOILERPLATE:
Young Democrats of Western Washington University was founded in March 2017 by Claire
Devine and Blaire Murphy at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. This
Associated Students club, which is dedicated to giving young Americans a political voice and
turning that power into sustainable action, has approximately 20 members and meets biweekly in
Academic West 303. The current club president is Claire Devine.
https://www.facebook.com/YoungDemsofWWU/

SOURCES:
"About the Young Democrats of America." Young Democrats of America. Accessed October 16,
2017. https://www.yda.org/about.
"About Western." About Western | Western Washington University. Accessed October 16, 2017.
https://www.wwu.edu/about/quick-facts.
Doherty, Carroll, and Samantha Smith. "5 facts about Democrats." Pew Research Center.
October 12, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2017. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2015/10/12/5-facts-about-democrats/.
Fry, Richard. "Millennials and Gen Xers outvoted Boomers and older generations in 2016
election." Pew Research Center. July 31, 2017. Accessed October 16, 2017.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/07/31/millennials-and-gen-xers-outvoted-
boomers-and-older-generations-in-2016-election/.
Maniam, Shiva. "2. Party affiliation among voters: 1992-2016." Pew Research Center for the
People and the Press. September 13, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2017.
http://www.people-press.org/2016/09/13/2-party-affiliation-among-voters-1992-2016/.
Young Democrats of Western Washington University,
an Associated Students Club Top Ten FAQ
1. What is the Young Democrats of WWU?
The Young Democrats of WWU, located in Bellingham,
Wash. are a chapter of the largest youth-led partisan political
group in the country, the Young Democrats of America. The club focuses on giving
WWU students a voice in politics and the ability to create change in the local and
national government.

2. What does the club do?

The club meets biweekly to discuss current events, policies and solutions that can
be implemented in our government. Topics are discussed in a safe space designed to
be thought-provoking. The club also attends events together such as Town Hall
meetings, protests, speeches, and conferences. The Young Democrats of WWU
invites members of the community to join meetings and educate the club about
political issues in the United States, especially Whatcom County.

3. What does the club stand for?

The club is a group of like-minded individuals who lean towards democratic
values. However, every individual has a unique perspective and background,
meaning that not everyone agrees. Young Democrats of WWU encourages discussion
so that students can educate ourselves better in politics.

4. Do I have to be a Democrat to join?

No, you do not need to identify as a Democrat to join the club. Young Democrats
of WWU encourage everyone to check out a meeting because they might learn
something, especially if they are a fence sitter in politics.

5. Why should I join?

Young Democrats of WWU makes it easy to get involved in local politics. Politics
is fast paced. It can be daunting and overwhelming. The club collaborates to form an
open forum to talk, educate and learn about topics important to the Democrat
platform. The club wants to make political discussion educational and fun. Young
Democrats of WWU is also a great networking opportunity for students who would
like to get involved in politics someday.

6. How can I get involved and who should I contact?

Subscribe to our email and get weekly updates on events going on in the
community. Join us at events like Town Hall meetings, protests, speeches and
anything else political that is happening in Bellingham. The best way to stay updated
on what we are doing is to like us on Facebook. If you have specific questions, you
can reach us at youngdemsofwwu@gmail.com.

7. When and where does the club meet?

The club meets at 6 p.m. every other Monday in Academic West 303. Like us on
Facebook to stay updated on when our next meeting is. Or follow us on Instagram.

8. What is the commitment level?

Your commitment level is entirely up to you. We have a large list of ways you can
get involved: attend our meetings, join a committee, meet us at events, subscribe to
our email, or follow us on social media. We understand that sometimes you get busy
and can't attend activities in person but that doesnt mean you should have to miss
out on local politics. We live stream as many events as possible so you can stay
informed on your own time, in the most convenient way for you.

9. Who are Young Democrats of WWU members?

The members of the club are WWU millennials. They are a diverse group and
encourage people from all different walks of life to join.

10.When was Young Democrats founded and why?

Young Democrats of WWU was founded in spring of 2017 by Claire Devine
and Blair Murphy. After the 2016 Presidential elections, Murphy was frustrated and
upset by the results. She felt that she needed to channel those feelings into
something positive that could create change. Murphy approached Claire Devine who
had worked on the Washington State Democrat's Coordinating Campaign. They
began making phone calls to representatives to demand change in our healthcare
system. They quickly realized that there are a lot of students who want to make a
change in our country through politics but didnt have a good place to start.
Together, they created the Young Democrats of WWU in order to help students find
their voice in politics.
Logo:

Tagline: Heard from campus to Capitol

Potential Story Ideas:
1. President Profile -- Claire Devine
Devine has a passion for getting people involved with politics. She has previously
worked with the Washington State Democrats campaign, giving her first-hand
knowledge about the heart of the issues on the democratic platform and what it
takes to run a political campaign. Devine is dedicated to encouraging young
people to register to vote and educating them about current political issues. She
continues to work directly with the Democrat party, as she is currently working
on a city council campaign in Bellingham, WA.
Contact Claire Devine at devinec@wwu.edu

2. Member Profile -- Young Democrats of Washington State Conference

As a member of the Young Democrats of Western, the networking opportunity
arises for all members to attend the YDWA conference. They will attend workshops,
lectures and meals, all focused on Democratic issues and networking amongst the
Democratic Party.

3. Mission/Issue Story
In 2016, less than 50% of eligible young people voted. Yet, millennials are
currently the largest generation in the United States. Young Democrats of WWU
are working to combat this issue by informing students about political issues and
encouraging young people to register to vote. Young Democrats regularly host
open forums to discuss issues on local ballots in order to inform students about
what is going on in their community and to reinforce how important it is to
participate in local elections.
Media Clips:
SENATOR DOUG ERICKSEN HOLDS TOWN HALL MEETING AT WESTERN
Republican Senator Doug Ericksen spoke at a Bellingham, Wash. Town Hall Meeting.
The Young Democrats of Western attended, asking him questions regarding his
decisions and leadership that they disagree with.
http://www.westernfrontonline.com/2017/10/19/senator-doug-ericksen-holds-town-
hall-meeting-at-western/

WHATCOM COUNTY BALLOTS IN STUDENTS HANDS

The Young Democrats of WWU contributed to encouraging students to vote in
upcoming local elections.
http://www.westernfrontonline.com/2017/11/07/whatcom-county-ballots-in-students-
hands/
Photos:

Club member Skyla Sorenson raises her hand to ask a question during an open forum.

A club member submits her ballot outside of the bookstore on campus.

Liam Moser listens during the Jail Tax Forum.