Members of Northwestern’s Living Wage Campaign and student leaders from the campaign’s co-sponsoring student groups invited prospective students to Willard Residential College’s common room Monday night.
“It’s a recruiting event,” said Living Wage Campaign co-coordinator Matthew Fischler. “We understand this campaign’s probably going to go on for the long term.”
Representatives from Students for Ecological and Environmental Development, Associated Student Government, the Global Engagement Summit, NU Community Development Corps, Freshman Urban Program, For Members Only, GlobeMed at NU, Spectrum Theatre and Alianza attended the event.
The students introduced themselves and described their student groups’ roles on campus. About 20 people, including NU students, prospective students and parents attended the event.
The Living Wage Campaign has spent each Wildcat Day reaching out to prospective students, Fischler said.
“The heart of our campaign is to build a community,” the Weinberg senior said. “We’re trying to reach out to incoming students.”
The program painted the Rock Sunday night and handed out flyers advertising the event Monday, Fischler said.
One prospective student’s father asked the NU students whether they were involved with their respective organizations as high school students.
“The beauty of college is the fact that there are so many things that you can try out,” said Megha Agrawal, co-director of GES. “You’ll find something where your niche is and create your community in college.”
“Engagement is a really big, central thing here,” said Beth Lynk, For Members Only’s vice coordinator of external relations.
Kellyn Lewis, co-chair of the campus and community outreach committee for the Living Wage Campaign, said staff from the NU admissions office barred the group and removed flyers advertising the event from the Activities Fair/Open House in Norris University Center’s Louis Room on Monday.
The event’s flyers called the event “NU Uncensored: What You Always Wondered But Couldn’t Ask Admissions.” It said the panel would allow prospective students to hear about the “Real Northwestern.”
“I am entering into the Louis Room and a lady from admissions says, ‘Can I see what’s in your hand?'” the Weinberg sophomore said.
The Living Wage Campaign is “co-sponsored by a multitude of student groups,” Lewis said, and is authorized to attend the event. Due to the late hour of the event, the admissions office could not be reached for comment.
The staff “stifled” the group’s publicity, Lewis said, and affected the number of prospective students attending the event.
“There are so many ways to get involved,” Fischler told the prospective students at the conclusion of the event. “Thanks for coming.”
