![Game, set, and match. Corbin Atchley, sophomore, high fives Sanam Sidhu, freshman, after a rally with other club members. “I just joined [the club],” Sidhu said. “[I heard about it] on Instagram, they always post about it, I’ve been wanting to come. My parents used to play [net sports] too and they taught us, and then I learned from my brother.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MG_7715-2-1200x800.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
The Lobby Club will send 10 students to Salem, Ore. on Thursday, March 7 to participate in Opportunity Day, a rally for Oregon students hosted by the Oregon State treasury.
“I’m excited for students to discover first-hand that they can impact the legislative process,” Todd Jones, social studies teacher, said.
The goal of this rally is to establish the Oregon Student Opportunity Fund, a fund whose goal is to provide low-income students in the state the opportunity to have two years’ worth of post-secondary education.
According to The Opportunity Initiative, the cost of college education in the state of Oregon has risen 50 percent, while per-capita income has only increased by 20 percent. But the fund will create a permanent fund that will be invested to generate income and increase student aid grants in the short-term.
The fund will be supported by bonds; the state treasury will create bonds which will be available for purchase. The entire Act anticipates an issue of $500 million in the next two years and continuing smaller contributions over the next 30 years.
“Students generally think that government is the realm of adults, and I want them to realize that they have powerful voices,” Jones said. “I am inspired when I see students empowered to make a difference in our community, our state, and our world.”
To learn more about the initiative, visit www.buildingoregonsfuture.org. Join the Lobby Club at Salem from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
