Organizing for action to get out the vote

Election season can be nerve-wracking, stressful, or just plain exhausting - but not for Suzan Nuri BA'27, a Politics, Policy, Law and Ethics major who is developing a passion for political organizing at Willamette as the Office of Civic Engagement's first Catalyst for Democratic Engagement.

As a Catalyst - a student worker position dedicated to foster relationships between Willamette and the community - Nuri is at the center of efforts across the Salem and Portland campuses to encourage voting and engagement with the 2024 election.

Partnering with nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters, Nuri and other students are organizing voter registration and education events on campus and around Salem. You can find her most days at a table in Goudy or by the Mill Stream, reminding students to commit to civic engagement by signing the Bearcat Pledge to participate in the upcoming election. She also helped educate the community about Ranked Choice Voting by organizing a fun election to name the mascot for the Office of Student Engagement & Leadership (SEAL). Her work is especially valuable for students navigating absentee voting in their home states and those voting for the first time.

Nuri has gotten creative in her voter outreach efforts. She recently organized students to volunteer with the League of Women Voters for a mock election at the Salem Art Fair to teach children about the democratic process. She also trained the community to use Oregon's proposed Ranked-Choice Voting system. These experiences have taught her valuable lessons about the power of political organizing.

"Willamette provided me with the opportunity to organize," Nuri said. "That skill, paired with my passions, allows me to unlock the world because if you know how to organize, you can do anything."

As an immigrant who came to the United States from Saudi Arabia at age four, Nuri finds the work deeply personal.

"Voting is important to me because I come from a place where I wouldn't always have a voice," Nuri said. "You can create real change with your ballot and by going out and supporting people or issues you care about."

Nuri has learned that talking to strangers and her peers about politics can be challenging but rewarding. Her secret? Approaching people with kindness and asking them about issues rather than candidates.

"You can connect on meaningful issues in a way that crosses party lines," Nuri said. "If we both care about an issue, then it doesn't matter which party you support - we can work together."