Have you heard about the UCWbL’s social justice team? We’re a brand new group started by our very own Erin H., and we have some great plans for the UCWbL this year! If you’re looking for a fun and welcoming space to learn more about social justice and how to apply it to your work as a tutor, this might just be the team for you! Below you can get to know our members and more of what the team is all about:
Name: Erin H.
Role at the UCWbL: Associate Director
Why did you decide to create the social justice team? My past experiences in writing centers have included social justice initiatives, so I have been excited to engage in justice-oriented work within the UCWbL. In my first few years at the UCWbL, I have collaborated with UCWbLers on various projects and observed others’ interests in social justice, which motivated me to organize a formal initiative through a team.
I deeply value being present to and with others, and I believe we are stronger through collaboration. By having dedicated space and time for social justice at the UCWbL through our team, I believe we are enacting the value of being present to one another, which allows us to support one another and also hold one another accountable to our values and goals.
What is a social justice issue you’re passionate about and why? One particular interest I have is about prevention and advocacy around sexual assault and harassment. I am interested in learning more about trauma-informed care practices, especially in how those practices align with and could enhance writing center pedagogy and community dynamics within the UCWbL.
What are you most looking forward to doing in the social justice team this year? I am excited about building the team collaboratively! Through this first quarter, we have drafted a couple of team SMART goals, and I am eager to collaborate to see these goals to fruition as we develop and support opportunities for tutors to engage with and learn more about topics of social justice.
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? Tutors might consider joining the social justice team if they want to learn more about and perhaps even have ideas they want to explore related to aspects of identity, advocacy movements, or other social justice topics.
Name: Page G.
Major: English
Why did you decide to join the social justice team? This work is just so important and always relevant, which is what motivated me to join the team. I’ve worked previously with a couple of different spaces on campus which focus on social justice, like the former Center for Identity, Inclusion, and Social Change and the Office of Multicultural Student Success. I actually gave up my job in OMSS when I got hired by the UCWbL, which was a tough decision for me. When I found out that the social justice team was forming, I knew that it would be a great opportunity to apply some of what I’ve learned in those spaces to our own space here at the UCWbL.
What is a social justice issue you are passionate about and why? I’m really invested in queer liberation because I’m navigating the world as a queer person. I’m not straight or cisgender and that informs so much of the work I do. To be more specific, though, I’m particularly invested in interrogating white queerness and how the centering of white queer folks in LGBTQ+ activisms and media is really just another iteration of white supremacy.
What are you most looking forward to doing on the social justice team this year? I think that what is so exciting about being a part of this new team is that we will be laying the foundation for where this whole thing goes. There is so much work to do and so many possibilities to explore, so I am really looking forward to being a part of that process. I’m excited to potentially collaborate with some of my friends over in OMSS to facilitate workshops or events here. I also think that it’s really important that our team is in conversation with the rest of the staff, so I look forward to engaging in those conversations as well.
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? Social justice is so central to what we do in the writing center, and we really need a more diverse collection of people contributing to these efforts. None of us exist outside systems of power and oppression, so we all have an obligation to take action in any way that we can. The social justice team is a great place to begin those efforts!
Name: Amanda N.
Major: Psychology
Why did you decide to join the social justice team? Being on a team is something I always wanted to experience here at the UCWbL, and when I found out Erin was creating a social justice team, I knew I had to join! I think it’s so important that the UCWbL is opening up its very own space for tutors to deeply discuss the issues that people with marginalized identities face every day. At the UCWbL we strive to create a safe space for everyone, and having a group with that specific goal will definitely help to further that effort.
What is a social justice issue you’re passionate about and why? I’ve always been very involved in reproductive justice. It’s a topic that I feel personally connected to but is hard to open a dialogue about because it’s such a touchy subject for so many people. More than anything I want to advocate for equal and affordable access to reproductive health services, especially towards those with lower SES.
What are you most looking forward to doing in the social justice team this year? This is unfortunately my last quarter at the UCWbL, so I won’t be able to return to the social justice team. However, I’m so excited for my peers to move forward with the goals we’ve brainstormed for the rest of the year. From creating a social justice statement to conduction a professional development workshop, it’ll be a fun year for our team!
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? We have a really amazing group of passionate and welcoming tutors on this team. I’ve had the opportunity to really get to know the people I’m working with and collaborate on projects that we’re all very excited about. Whether social justice is something you’re super into or just a little curious about, there’s a place for you on this team. It’s a really wonderful space to learn and grow as both a tutor and a social justice advocate.
Name: Riley O.
Major: Philosophy + English
Why did you decide to join the social justice team? I joined because I believe that writing centers can play a huge role in social justice work, and I want to encourage that work at the UCWbL.
What is a social justice issue you’re passionate about and why? I’m passionate about queer rights, theory, and ontology, because, as several other identities do, queer theory works to dismantle suffocating societal systems.
What are you most looking forward to doing in the social justice team this year? I’m most looking forward to attending the meetings and having discussions on social justice topics, both for my own education and the deconstruction of my ideas and biases.
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? If you have any interest in the role of a writing center in social justice work, or you don’t know that much about it, I think joining the team will educate you and push both your own boundaries and the boundaries of the writing center itself.
Name: Sahi P.
Major: Journalism and Women’s & Gender Studies
Why did you decide to join the social justice team? I decided to join the social justice team because while the writing center has a general commitment to social justice, I think it’s important to put it into uncertain terms and to be able to address issues regarding social justice as they come up. Having the infrastructure to do this—like having an entire team dedicated to it—is really important, and I’m excited to be building that infrastructure with other members of the team!
What is a social justice issue you’re passionate about and why? I’m really passionate about issues surrounding criminal justice reform. As a journalist, I’m passionate about reporting on issues of over-policing and criminalization of marginalized groups, and I think that it’s one of the most pressing issues that we need to address right now before it gets even worse than it already is. I also think there is some really exciting activism and organizing happening surrounding issues of criminal justice, and it’s energizing to be able to report on and be a part of these movements.
What are you most looking forward to doing in the social justice team this year? I’m excited about writing our social justice statement! I think it’s important that there is some place that we can point to in order to hold ourselves accountable. When we say that we are committed to social justice, that can have a really nebulous meaning, and I think it’s important to make sure that we define what we mean by social justice and make sure that we are holding ourselves and each other accountable to that definition to make the writing center a safe, accessible, and inclusive space for everyone.
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? Other tutors should join the social justice team for a ton of reasons. One, everyone who is on the team is already excellent and brings so many interesting and new ideas to the table every time we meet. Also, because we are a new team, this is a great chance to get in at the ground floor for something that I think is going to be a great asset to the UCWbL and make the environment one that everyone can utilize and enjoy. On top of all that, Erin is a gem and hanging out with her every week is a treat!!
Name: Ryan Z.
Major: English (Literary Studies)
Why did you decide to join the social justice team? I decided to join because I think it is importantly that I continually think about social justice. Addressing social justice in the writing center is a powerful way to make social justice more actionable and identifiable in my daily life. I also wanted to learn more about social justice from other tutors and scholars who have experiences and identities different than my own. This also a time for me to think critically about my own privilege and collusion in my dominant identities.
What is a social justice issue you’re passionate about and why? I think it is important to always be thinking and acting intersectionally, so there are a variety of issues that I’m passionate about. However I am currently educating myself by reading and listening to trans activists and scholars. I think that discrimination facing trans and non-binary people is one of our biggest social and political issues in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.
What are you most looking forward to doing in the social justice team this year? I am looking forward to our social justice statement! This paragraph or half-page statement involves a lot of intersectional thinking.
Why should other tutors join the social justice team? Other tutors should join the social justice team because every week you can both think seriously about issues of justice and equity in our society but also brainstorm ways of making change within your workplace.
If you want to learn more about the social justice team, feel free to get in touch with Erin, Page, Riley, Ryan, or Sahi! We would love to have you join us!