Last week, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse held its fifth annual Social Justice Week. The theme was ‘Spaces, Places, and People: The Urgency of Intersectional Environmentalism, Unified Communities, and Mutual Networks.’ The university hosted three different keynote speakers and several different panel sessions, led by various faculty members and students. 

Dina Zavala is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Diversity & Inclusion. This was her first experience with organizing Social Justice Week, as COVD-19 delayed this event last year. 

“We were able to merge disciplines with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in a way that we never have been able to before with any other event. We have also had many faculty-led presentations that showcase the work they’re doing; other faculty, students, and community members can come to see a diverse range of work that they may not otherwise be able to see.” 

 Presentations took place in the Bluffs room of the Student Union, Centennial Hall, and virtually over Zoom. Additionally, a ‘Networking Social’ was held in the E-Café in the Student Union, which featured the Mayfield Experience Jazz Band. 

When asked what she would tell someone who has never been to Social Justice Week, she said the following: 

“There is something for everyone; even if you don’t agree with some topics or feel that some topics are too heavy, try to attend at least one. We showcased fantastic scholars, and they are here at UWL to help teach.” 

 The Green Fund gives the UWL community the means to make large steps towards a more sustainable campus. UWL junior Andrew Ericson has been the Green Fund on-campus Coordinator for the past two years. Ericson talks about why Social Justice Week was an important event for him to take part in. 

“As a College of Science student, there is not much education we receive, beyond Gen Eds, that allows us to diversify what we learn about. These out-of-classroom opportunities to engage in topics and discussions that are different from what we’re generally learning are really the reason why people are in school. To learn more and be a well-rounded citizen by the time we graduate.”

 Ericson spoke about this year’s ‘Green Fund Grant’ that went towards students who helped organize Social Justice Week. 

“Each year we focus on how to integrate environmental sustainability into campus life, such as LED lights or solar panels; and that’s great and all. Efficiency projects and clean energy are some aspects of sustainability, but there is an entirely different aspect of sustainability that is truly holistic to environmental, financial, and social aspects. I’m really happy that we were able to put money towards something that holistically represents sustainability.” 

Dana Sheehy has been the Diversity & Inclusion Project Manager, as well as the on-campus Sign Language Interpreter, for 3 years. Sheehy said, “It’s been really fun, we’ve had a wide variety of topics. The committee this year was new to the project, and I’m really pleased with how the Diversity & Inclusion division took it on. As someone who was on the back end of planning it, I’ve also really enjoyed being a participant.” 

Sheehy says she is very passionate about issues of social justice and was able to direct her passion toward this event. When asked why she believes why Social Justice Week is important for UWL to put on, Sheehy said the following: 

“We are in this little pocket of the Midwest, and as a straight, white, female who grew up here, there’s a lot of things that ‘we,’ [the white community] are ignorant to. La Crosse is a small town, and we definitely have a lot of learning to do. This is the perfect place to have an event like this because it’s free to learn about these big issues that are happening one block away, two blocks away, in Madison, etc. All these topics are relevant to La Crosse, whether we acknowledge it or not.” 

If you would like to show your appreciation, send your thanks to the Green Fund, UWL Diversity & Inclusion, the Institute for Social Justice, and the Center for Transformative Justice for sponsoring this event.