When Chris Edwards was a student at Oregon State University in the mid-1990s,he worried about the increasing tuition rates and student fees he and his fellow students were subject to. He served as the Student Fees Chair at OSU then, and his focus was on the issues students faced more than the problems plaguing state government.
Now Edwards is a member of a small group of young Oregon legislators tackling those larger state problems – and the group hasn’t forgot about student issues. They want to give a voice to the new batch of college-aged Oregonians.

The group calls itself the “5 Under 35.” The legislators involved are Democratic House members all under 35 years old who want to get feedback from students on the critical issues that are most important to them.
Starting at the University of Oregon today, the group will go on a tour of five college campuses throughout the state with the goal of stimulating conversation and addressing the questions surrounding the generation of Oregonians they most relate to.
“We’re not here to preach to students the problems of the state, but we want to hear from students about their issues and problems. We want to engage them to help find out how to solve those problems,” said Rep. Edwards, D-Eugene.
The group’s speaking engagements were also set up by the Oregon Student Association, and OSA spokeswoman Courtney Sproule said the issues students bring up could influence what lawmakers talk about in the state’s future legislative sessions.
Edwards’ tour mates include Tobias Read, D-Beaverton; Ben Cannon, D-Portland; and Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis. They will kick off their college campus circuit tonight at 7 p.m. in the EMU Rogue Room.
“We’re not a rock band. But we can promise you a good show. We hope students take advantage of this opportunity to come help us shape the future of Oregon,” said Cannon, the state’s youngest representative, in a news release about the tour.
What makes this group of fresh, young faces different from its older colleagues on Capitol Hill all lies in a name, Edwards said.
“I’m not sure a whole lot has changed from (when I was in school) to now, but what has changed is the differences in how the baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y all handle government,” Edwards said. “We didn’t come into government with as many axes to grind as (the baby boomers) did.”
ASUO President Emily McLain, who helped organize the tour, said the event will include a question-and-answer session, and then students will break into smaller groups to meet with the representatives individually.
“This is a great opportunity to talk with our young representatives in Salem,” McLain said, “and to talk to them as a student about student issues.”
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