Home Away From Home

A Home Away From Home

SAFE SPACES ON THE UW-MADISON CAMPUS By Elizabeth Karnowski, Culture Staff Writer Photographed by Brendan McFadden, Contributing Photographer

Historically, BIPOC, AAPI and LGBTQ+ students have been largely underrepresented at UWMadison. As of Oct. 2020, only 11.7% of all undergraduate students identified as part of a minority group.1 UW-Madison needs to address this lack of diversity, but it also needs to make sure that when these students are one campus they feel at home. One of the important ways to address this issue is supporting community-building and making space for people to feel safe and welcomed, no matter their identity. To do this, the school has created safe spaces for people to find others who share their culture or identity and have a home away from home at UW. The Red Gym is home to a variety of centers that were made with these interests in mind.

The Multicultural Student Center This center offers an educational, as well as social environment. They have tables for studying, but also supply funding to help with any school-related financial needs and are affiliated with multicultural student organizations in order to promote a more inclusive community that celebrates every student and what they uniquely bring to this campus.

Their website states, “The primary mission of the Multicultural Student Center is to collaboratively strengthen and sustain an inclusive campus where all students, particularly students of color and other historically underserved students, can realize an authentic Wisconsin Experience.”2

Identity Centers Within the Multicultural Student Center there are specific identity centers, such as the Black, Latinx and Asian-Pacific Islander Desi American Student Cultural Centers. In these cultural centers, students can participate in cultural events and find community support systems led by staff members that share their identities.

International Student Services Another service that comes out of the Red Gym is the International Student Services. They serve international students at UW-Madison to help them with school and post-graduate advising. It supports students by filling out any documents related to their F or J visa, which allows them to study in America. International Student Services also offers information about social justice movements, inclusive student organizations and financial aid.3

Gender and Sexuality Campus Center Lastly, The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center is located in room 123 of the Red Gym. They provide a

1 University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Diversity Forum”, University of Wisconsin-Madison, October 2020. 2 Multicultural Student Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Affairs, 2021. 3 International Student Services, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Affairs, 2021. safe space for the LGBTQ+ community by having staff that are part of the community, as well as giving students the opportunity to meet people who identify with them. They offer information to keep students informed about topics that pertain to the community.

They also offer discussion groups on gender exploration, fluid sexualities, LGBTQ+ questioning students, and LGBTQ+ identifying students who talk about substance abuse, sobriety and recovery.4 The Gender Sexuality Campus Center is a safe spot for those who identify as LGBTQ+ and students who are questioning. There are many resources available in order to make students feel at home.

The Women’s Health Clinic The Women’s Health Clinic is provided at University Health Services. This clinic offers STI testing, gynecology appointments and other services that pertain to the health of women.5 This is a great place for female-identifying and menstruating students to receive medical attention.

The Student Inclusion Coalition of Madison Madison offers centers and clinics available to students, but it’s also important to recognize the student organizations on campus that are actively striving toward a more inclusive campus. The Student Inclusion Coalition of Madison advocates for the social, academic and emotional wellness of all marginalized students on campus. Students in this coalition fight for the rights of students who are underrepresented on campus in order to make their voices heard at UW, not just to other students but to faculty and staff.6 They have put together protests, but the most notable was their video made to retaliate against the original 2019 Homecoming video.7

Having safe spaces is beneficial to make all students feel included on campus. Studies have shown that imposter syndrome is common among African-, Asian-, and Latino/a-American college students and that imposter feelings are negatively associated with poor psychological stress during their educational experiences.8 Having spaces on campus where people can feel comfortable no matter what helps with students’ mental health, which ultimately gives them a more positive college experience. ■

4 Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Affairs, 2021. 5 Women’s Health Clinic, University Health Services, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2021. 6 @SICofUW, Student Inclusion Coalition of UW-Madison, Twitter, 2019. 7 @SICofUW, Student Inclusion Coalition of UW-Madison, Twitter, 2019. 8 Dena M. Bravata, Divya K. Madhusudhan, Michael Boroff, Kevin O. Cokely, “Commentary: Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Imposter Syndrome: A Systematic Review”, Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology”, August 24, 2020.