Through this year’s programs, workshops and partnerships, the UW-Madison Working Class Student Union wants the campus community to consider how class affects every aspect of life, according to the organization’s finance director Hong Trinh.
WCSU formed in 2007 to support first-generation, working-class and nontraditional students, Trinh said, while also educating all students about the benefits of class diversity.
One in six UW-Madison students are first-generation college students, according to Trinh, and she encourages others to think about how recent events like rising tuition and increasing prices of textbooks hinder working-class students’ success.
Trinh said the organization holds many events throughout the year, like bringing in keynote speakers, holding educational workshops and putting on a cultural showcase where students participate in community-building exercises.
“We try to create safe spaces for students to come together, get to know one another and learn about class,” Trinh said.
This year, WCSU looks to partner with UW Housing to develop emergency housing resources for students who identify as homeless. Trinh said these students have come to WCSU in the past looking for support, and she said the organization is “passionate” about creating partnerships and compiling resources that would benefit them.
WCSU also hopes to work with the Associated Students of Madison on the upcoming campus food pantry.
Trinh said WCSU spoke out in favor of the food pantry during a budget hearing, and she hopes the organization can eventually provide sensitivity training to pantry employees on how they deal with working-class students and students who identify as food-insecure.
WCSU members are working to improve their impact on campus, Trinh said, by getting more students to take advantage of their resources and understand their mission.
“Even if people don’t realize it, class touches every part of their lives,” Trinh said. “I would love it if we could get more students to recognize how we can help them.”
The ASM Student Services Finance Committee approved WCSU’s budget for the 2016-’17 fiscal year, totaling $56,715.50, during their meeting last week.
