First-Gen, Working Class and Proud of it

“Well you must be making a lot of money at least.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that line. Of course, out of context it’s relatively harmless and maybe even a little hopeful, but in reality it simply hammered home the disconnect between middle class and working class.
On one of my 11-hour days I stopped by a Regina’s (names have been changed for privacy reasons) place for dinner during my break and we were discussing why I couldn’t stay longer. I explained that I had to go back to work and listed off my typical Wednesday schedule. She was taken aback to say the least, and positively replied, “Well you must me be making a lot of money at least.”
I wasn’t and I still am not. I’m making rent each month, but I had to take on another side job to have any sort of spending money and I’m unbelievably grateful that my parents offer to pay for groceries each month. The comment truly stung; I held at least one job, usually two, throughout my college experience and she was oblivious to the fact that I would still have a pile of debt when I graduated.
This exchange yet again opened my eyes to the misunderstandings between the middle and working classes. She could afford to cook dinner for friends, and even offer wine, without asking any of us to contribute. She could afford new outfits whenever her heart desired. She could afford to completely refurnish her new apartment. It was never a necessity for Regina to have a job during college, and she never did. Much of her life was relatively unfathomable to me.
While I sometimes longingly wish I were a trust fund kid after moments like these, it can be very empowering to be a first generation and working class student from time to time. I have the strongest work ethic of anyone I know, besides my dad. It was instilled in me through comments from him such as, “Keep studying hard, you don’t want a job like mine,” which were usually said when his hip acted up and he had to limp a bit to comfortably walk.
My work ethic motivated me to quickly gain experience too. While the money was important, building my resume was far more imperative. I knew that if I wanted something, I had to go out and get it, truly show that I longed for it, that I craved it. If you were to compare Regina’s resumes and mine today, you would see the difference, and I’m proud of that.
It can be a challenge to feel pride in being working class, but during a time when many older generations peg my generation as ‘entitled,’ I can proudly say I work for what I earn. Just the other day I explained my previous line-painting job to a recruiter. He was quite surprised that for two summers I shoved around a 300lb. machine from 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. He quickly understood that I didn’t think I was entitled.
It’s uplifting when I interactions like this occur; it reminds me that someday my hard work will pay off. So keep your head high my fellow first-gen and working class students, and never stop reaching for the stars.

Join Our Team - Help Our Cause!

The Working Class Student Union is hiring! Our organization supports and advocates for working class, first-generation, and non-traditional college students. We do this by helping members of the UW-Madison campus to embrace class diversity. If you are interested in working for our organization and promoting our cause, you can apply to be our Communications Director or Outreach Director.

Our Communications Director position includes managing our organization’s publicity. The Communications Director serves as the main media contact and prepares press releases. The position also includes responsibility for promoting WCSU’s events through various modes of advertising. The Communications Director keeps track of the organization’s history and past work and prepares agendas and other necessary materials for officer meetings.

The Outreach Director is responsible for sorting and distributing the organization’s mail and sending a weekly listserve style email to members. Also, the Outreach Director fosters relationships with other campus organizations, as well as University Housing, private housing, the Greek system, and other organizations to schedule WCSU’s events and educational workshops.

Both positions are required to hold at least ten office hours per week. The total time commitment for both is about 20 hours per week. Both positions pay $9.19 an hour. Applications are due this Friday, March 25^th at 5:00 PM. Those interested should contact wcsu.president@gmail.com for an application form.

These positions are a great way to get experience for a selective program or professional school and look great on an application or resume. They are a great way to earn some money while making a difference, doing something interesting with flexible scheduling. If you are passionate about helping others and helping better your campus community, consider applying for one of these positions!

Through a Different Lens

The Sunday morning edition (2/22/2009) of the Wisconsin State Journal features part one of a series it calls "Rebuilding Wisconsin."

It says:

"Some of the state's infrastructure has been virtually ignored since the New Deal or before because we haven't been able, or willing, to spend on repairs. And the billions included for Wisconsin in the stimulus bill won't come close to fixing all the problems with roads, sewers, and other facilities."

Ok, no argument there.

The picture the State Journal so prominently used to illustrate its point about the state's infrastructure, however, needs to be examined through a different lens.

It's not that the WSJ's staff used this picture in a malicious fashion. They didn't. But, when examined through a 'working class' lens, this picture takes on a different meaning. The caption says, "Aging infrastructure in Wisconsin means more frequent breakdowns, such as this valve failure on a water main on Midvale Boulevard in Madison last week. Madison Water Utility worker Bob Kempfer had the cold, wet task of making the repair."

Out of all the pictures that could have been used for this article, WSJ chose this one. Symbolic connections can be drawn between the photograph and the caption ("aging," "breakdowns," "failure," "worker"). Though we know that many will accuse us of being "too sensitive" in our discussion of this photo, we challenge you to see it from our perspective. For many working class students, the first reaction we have to the photograph comes from our personal connection to it--we picture our fathers or uncles in place of Bob Kempfer and suddenly its not a nameless worker on the frontpage of the paper, but rather a very personal attack on our class, our culture, and our family.

--Working Class Student Union Communication Team

On 'Working Class' and the 2008 Election

Throughout the election, and as the economy veered into deep recession, citizens undoubtedly noticed each candidate's rhetoric turned to what's best for the "working class" and "working families." While these words certainly overlapped with "middle class" in much of the rhetoric, it's worth thinking about how the candidates pitched to the working class and also how the media covered their rhetoric about it.

For example, a Washington Post article from July 1, 2008, gave the transcript to an Obama ad, in which Howard Kurtz noted:

"The key image here is the last one: Barack Obama throwing his arm around
one of several older female workers in hairnets and aprons. The picture conveys
the message that the senator from Illinois cares about working-class folks and,
in particular, women over 50 -- a demographic he had little success with in the
primaries.The commercial, like an earlier biographical ad, is designed to
neutralize perceptions of Obama as an Ivy League elitist by playing up his
background as a Chicago community organizer. Obama did, however, work as a New
York financial consultant before that, and by his own admission he had little
success helping Chicago neighborhoods cope with plant closings."

Or, consider how the media talks about "working class folks." Here is Chris Matthews as he characterizes the working class:

"What's the Republican route to the regular Joe or Jane—the person who didn't go
to college for four years, may have ended up going to community college, maybe a
craftsperson, who's not elitist by any definition. What's the Republican
trick for getting the non-country club vote?"

Or, take this Reuters article from June 12, 2008. Here, working class is juxtaposed with trade policy. Is there a fundamental misunderstanding and/or stereotyping at work here? Does it matter?

--Working Class Student Union's Communication Team

Moving Toward a Solution?

In early January, Newsday reported Sen. Charles Schumer’s proposal of a $4,000 tax credit for college tuition and fees. See the full article here.

"There's almost nothing else that could come out of the stimulus package that is as important for middle-class Long Island families who tremble at the thought of those high tuition bills," Schumer said yesterday.

The article goes on to explain the tax credit:

The proposed tax credit would allow families to deduct from their tax bills up to $4,000 per child, to a lifetime maximum of $16,000 per student. Families could claim up to three students annually, a maximum credit of $12,000 a year. The credit could be used toward tuition, books, room and board for undergraduate or graduate studies.

This compares starkly to President Obama’s plan, in which he wanted to tie a tax credit to 100 hours of public service.

In that sense, it seems Schumer’s plan beats President Obama’s. Many working class students, who will pay their way through college with jobs and loans, cannot afford—in time or money—to dedicate 100 hours of unpaid service. In fact, it could be a set back, despite the tax credit that would be attached.

Is Schumer’s plan moving toward a solution?

--Working Class Student Union's Communication Team

Welcome Back! Check out our spring updates!

First off, welcome back to another semester! I want to say thank you for reading our blog and learning more about our organization! Given our current economic situation, I am sure we are all facing additional stress within our families and academics, so please know that the Working Class Student Union is here for you and anything that you need! Please e-mail me at wcsu.president@gmail.com with any questions or to set up an advocacy meeting. Also check out our website for more information on our programs and services.

Second, I want to let you know all the new ways for you to get information about WCSU and stay connected to our work.

1. Read our blog, which is what you are doing! Be sure to refer your friends to our blog and include us on your own blogroll!
2. Check out our website (http://uwwcsu.org/)--we are working on a revamp of our site, so it is getting better everyday! Be sure to let us know if you have any suggestions!
   
3. You can add UW-WCSU as a friend on facebook. We will be using this profile to post events, updates, and interesting links. You can also view our office hours and our bookshelf.
4. Follow us on Twitter! Check out our status updates and stay in the loop about what we are doing and what we're thinking.

Third, here are a handful of announcements regarding what WCSU is up to for the spring semester.

• Our kick-off meeting is this Wednesday at 7 PM! The meeting will be held in our office, which is located in room 3153 of the Student Activity Center. I hope to see you all there!
  
• We will be hosting our first cultural even this March. It is called "Class Matters: A Working Class Celebration," and will include music, dancing, art exhibits, spoken word, and food. Please come to our kick-off meeting or e-mail me if you are interested in getting involved!
• I am pleased to announce that Jerid Dickman has just been elected to the position of Finance Secretary for the Working Class Student Union. Jerid has worked tirelessly as our Finance Volunteer since last June, helping us receive eligibility with SSFC, secure a budget of over $63,000 for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, and obtain an office in the new Student Activity Center. You can now e-mail Jerid at wcsu.finance@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading! Please continue to check our blog as we have many great posts on their way!

In solidarity,
Chynna Haas
WCSU President
wcsu.presient@gmail.com

WCSU Looks Ahead to Spring Semester

As we ring in the New Year, the Working Class Student Union is looking ahead to the rapidly approaching spring semester. We are excited to have an office in the new Student Activity Center (SAC), which will allow us to hold more office hours and offer a wider range of services to UW-Madison students. Below is a list of the services and programs that will be available from WCSU beginning Tuesday, January 20.

1) ADVOCACY

Are you nervous about talking to a difficult TA? Need to meet with a financial aid officer about paying for tuition, but don’t know what to expect? Have a professor who makes offensive remarks or promotes stereotypes that make you uncomfortable? Having trouble talking to your parents about changing your academic plan? WCSU is here for you!

The Working Class Student Union has an Advocacy Program that is here to help prepare you for difficult conversations. We can also have a WCSU advocate accompany you to your actual meeting, if it would be helpful. Visit the Advocacy page on our website (http://uwwcsu.org/advocacy/) to fill out a brief intake form that helps us know more about your situation and what services would be most helpful to you. Once your form is submitted, it will be sent to WCSU’s president, who will then schedule your meeting with one of our trained advocates. This service is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL! Only the WCSU president and your advocate will see the information you provide on the form.

2) LIBRARY

The Working Class Student Union has a growing resource library available for students to use! Our library not only contains books about class issues, but you can also find books to assist with writing at college and textbooks for a handful of introductory courses!

3) “Does Class Matter at College?” WORKSHOP

Schedule this new Working Class Student Union workshop devoted to discussing class issues in higher education. This 80-minute workshop will allow participants to explore how they define class and believe it plays out in America, while discussing leading researchers’ definitions of key terms relevant to this topic. Utilizing the extensive research of a New York Times correspondent, participants will then delve into how class differences play out in higher education through looking at the increasing college dropout rates, universities that are exploring new tuition increases and financial aid distribution, and class-based affirmative action. Finally participants will be able to engage in discussions with their peers about hot-button topics facing our nation regarding class differences and issues of affordability and accessibility. Participants will leave this workshop with the language and comfort to discuss class on a whole new level!

Like all WCSU services, this workshop is free! We would love the opportunity to facilitate this program with your organization, department, residence hall, or any other group at UW-Madison. Simply e-mail wcsu.president@gmail.com with all pertinent information about your organization and days/times that are convenient for your group.

4) RESOURCES

With our new office comes the opportunity to provide in-house resources and brochures to the UW campus! Our list of available resources is growing every day! Regardless of the topic, we will help you find the appropriate and necessary information to help you. The Working Class Student Union office is friendly to all identities—regardless of your class, race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, immigration status, family structure, age, health, political affiliation, or any other aspect of your identity, WCSU is a safe place for you to access resources, services, and support!

Be sure to visit our website (http://uwwcsu.org/) for our current office hours. If you are unable to make it to our office hours, please e-mail wcsu.vicepresident@gmail.com with your question and our Vice President send pertinent information!

5) DEMANDING HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABILITY

Obviously the economic downturn and the predicted $5.4 billion state debt have many students worried about the looming tuition increase that is sure to hit University of Wisconsin students, but many working class students will take the tuition increase even harder than their peers. For this reason, the Working Class Student Union is committed to advocating for all UW students against any tuition increases. WCSU’s Activism Committee will be doing extensive work around this issue in the spring semester, including lobbying the state legislature, contacting UW’s Board of Regents, and working collaboratively with fellow student organizations on this issue. If you are interested in participating in this campaign, please e-mail WCSU’s president at wcsu.president@gmail.com.

6) FUNDRAISER: “This is what home tastes like!” Cookbook

The Working Class Student Union has created our very own cookbook called “This is what home tastes like!” It is full of recipes collected from our families—everything from meatloaf to refrigerator pickles to raspberry cherry pie! We will be selling our cookbooks for around $10 ($10-$15, depending on printing costs) and the profits from the cookbooks will help WCSU bring its services to the UW-Madison campus and greater Madison community. Visit our website (http://uwwcsu.org/fundraiser/) to fill out a pre-order form or e-mail wcsu.vicepresident@gmail.com with your order.

As I said before, these are the opportunities that are currently available for the spring semester, but we will be adding more as the semester progresses! If you have any questions, be sure to e-mail me at wcsu.president@gmail.com or stop by our new office (#3153) in the Student Activity Center.

I wish you all a joyful new year that is filled with exciting opportunities! I also encourage you to get involved with the Working Class Student Union!

In solidarity,

Chynna Haas

WCSU President

wcsu.president@gmail.com