In February 2011, when the budget repair bill threatened the wages of our University of Wisconsin educators as well as the university budget as a whole, students and educators activated en masse. Their goal: to put a stop to what they deemed an attack on their institution and their education. Thousands walked out of classes in a coordinated attempt to show that students, when united, can effect great change. The Associated Students of Madison Student Council supported the walk-outs because they believed this act of civil disobedience was symbolic of student power and what it could accomplish for our campus.
The Associated Students of Madison still believes this. The United States Student Association Legislative Conference brought together students from around the country to unite on issues that affect us on a national level. Through cooperation, we can succeed on a far greater level on our own campuses. It is for this reason that Student Council unanimously approved sending students to this conference.
At the five-day conference in Washington, D.C., the individual stories spoke the loudest, particularly those of students greatly affected by student loans. The UW delegation heard from people suffering from the decision to pursue higher education in pursuit of their dreams. The suffering hit home for our delegation because UW students have more student loan debt than the national average. Higher education is an investment that many families are choosing to forgo because they no longer see it as an option. Many Badgers do not know what awaits them after graduation, aside from accumulating interest, unreasonable loan payments and likely unemployment.
It is shameful that the country allows this injustice, but even more shameful that it allows corporations to profit from it. Sallie Mae, with many other predatory lenders, makes a business out of policies that harm students. The USSA recognizes this as fundamentally wrong and a barrier to higher education for all. That is why students of UW and many other campuses met with legislators Monday to voice concerns and attempted to meet with Albert Lord, CEO of Sallie Mae. When Lord refused to meet, students decided to publicly demonstrate their frustration and disappointment. Hundreds of students protested outside the building. Thirty-six students blocked the entrance to the building and were subsequently arrested.
We are proud to say that we stood united in front of the doors of Sallie Mae, as leaders of the students of UW. The arrests are indicative of our dedication to helping our fellow students. They draw much-needed attention to what thousands of UW students already know: The blatant exploitation of students seeking an education is just not fair. We are proud to fight diligently for students on our campus as we were elected to do. Standing up for students at UW and across the nation was the purpose of sending us to Washington, and we hope the Associated Students of Madison continues to do so in the future.
Allie Gardner ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in sociology and educational policy studies. She is the chair of ASM.
Tia Nowack ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in environmental studies and strategic communication. She is the rules chair of ASM.
Maxwell Love ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and African American studies. He is a representative-elect of ASM.
