Wall: Helping workers means more than just talk

As is probably apparent from the repetitive mention of Norbucks in my columns, the Starbucks at Norris is one of my favorite places and in my daily visits I have become well-acquainted with some of its employees. One is a woman named Lisa.

Lisa, a bubbly, 30 something woman whose energy would still surpass mine after consuming 2 of her espresso shots, acknowledges my friends and I as the "half and half crew." We've bonded over our love of French (she served my coffee last week "with all the accoutrements") and through brief discussions of Lisa's life aspirations which often tellingly follow the question of "how are you today?"

Many times this quarter I have left Norbucks, five-dollar drink in hand, feeling warm and fuzzy — as if I have done a good deed by learning a little about Lisa  — humanizing the laborer in a Marxist way. But after a recent conversation with Lisa, I've realized that I shouldn't stop with the contented feeling I get upon learning about her two children or hearing about a course she took in school and instead should seek to make a change in a society where wealth disparity is astounding. 

The other day Lisa told me of her plans to go back to college and her interest in theatre with hopes to begin freelance writing in the near future. She mentioned an invitation she received to try out for the cast of Rent here at Northwestern, to which she responded that she was more concerned about when she would have time to buy groceries for dinner for her children, her shift ending at midnight.

These comments, related in a light-hearted, conversational way, struck me.  Plenty of my friends are theatre majors with everything lined up to ensure their success: they've got a $200,000 education, unpaid internships, connections with talent agents, Broadway directors and four years to perfect their skills. Employees at many of NU's facilities, on the other hand, spend their days serving us coffee or cleaning our dishes, usually making less than a living wage.

Though Lisa calls hers a "success story," having risen from homelessness, other employees are still in dire straits. According to the NU Living Wage Campaign, some are currently homeless, spending the night in shelters but making it into work in time to mop our floors with a smile.The reasons that support this disparity are complicated and confusing and often not agreed upon.

However, one would be naïve to ignore the implications of race and class that lie at the heart of this privilege gap. It's clear to me the ability and potential to achieve one's goals often depends upon where and to whom one was born. While this is a generalization to be sure, it can't be denied that many of the students here have been poised to succeed from a young age, prepared to become or remain part of the wealthy 1 percent so prevalent in the news right now.

My column this week is in appreciation of the Northwestern employees who serve us, often without thanks, as we pursue our goals. It's a call to consider their goals, too.

This week, let's start with asking "how are you" and receiving our lattes with a smile. But then let's go further, taking action to create living wages for everyone and lessening the disparity between the rich and the poor in the United States.

Here's a list of ways to take action:

1. Occupy Chicago

While this movement has been criticized by some for its grassroots nature and vague demands, the fact remains that more people than ever are thinking about America's greed, making this the perfect time to work for change.

2. The Roosevelt Institute

According to the Website, the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network is a national student initiative that "engages young people in a unique form of progressive activism that empowers them as leaders and promotes their ideas for change." The Northwestern chapter is one of more than 85 chapters at campuses all over the U.S. You can get involved here with weekly meetings that focus on a range of policy issues from urban development to environmental policy.

3. State of the Black Union

At 6 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 17, Keynote Speaker Hill Harper will discuss the notion of a Postracial Society at For Members Only's Fourth Annual Black State of the Union. This is a great place to begin or continue to consider the role of race and other marginalizing divisions in society.

4. Greater Chicago Food Depository.

To help directly reduce the effects of poverty in America, volunteer with this food bank, which distributes to a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

5. Ask questions

We all have witnessed the benefits of learning outside of the classroom here, whether in office hours, student groups, or from experiences with friends and dorm mates. I encourage you to consider Northwestern employees as priceless assets in the wealth of knowledge available to you here and speak to them about these issues if you get a chance.

Maeve Wall is a Weinberg junior. She can be reached at MaeveWall2013@u.northwestern.edu.