Four Bellevue College students traveled to Washington D.C. during Spring quarter to attend the United States Student Association’s (USSA) spring event, LegCon, in which over 300 students from across the country travel to D.C. to learn about grassroots organizing skills and then put them to use on National Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.
USSA, the country’s oldest, largest, and most inclusive national student-led organization, believes that education is a right and should be accessible for any student regardless of their socio-economic background and identity. The association is dedicated to training, organizing, and developing a base of student leaders who are developing the necessary skills to engage in expanding access to higher education and advancing the broader movement for social justice.
Lessons From The Trip
By Joy Hoang, Office of Student Legislature Affairs (OSLA)
The USSA Legislative Conference was an amazing experience. It was truly inspiring and motivating to be among so many student leaders, all of whom stand for a common social justice goal. The conference provided the necessary training to prepare us to testify at the state and federal level. We participated in a series of workshops that ran from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. The conference also included keynote speakers representing leadership from national social justice organizations and movements, unions, universities, and The White House.
On the last night of the conference we all prepared for our day of action – a peaceful march towards the capitol. We broke out into groups and divided duties. The groups consisted of chant leaders, social media leaders, photographers, press liaisons, police liaisons, lawyers, spokespersons, speakers, intersection team, time keepers, leaflet team, and runners. We all were given specific duties and rehearsed to ensure a successful day of action. We did not head back to our hotel rooms until well after midnight. Of course many of us went to bed very anxious and nervous for the following morning.
Although I have participated in lobbying organization in the past with OSLA, I have never been a part of efforts on a federal level. The idea of speaking with the policy advisors and aides of our federal congress men and women was frightening, but I was prepared to be brave. Then Mother Nature dampened our spirits: it snowed! We were informed that the meetings were canceled. The Federal offices had closed for the day due to inclement weather. I was truly sad because I and many other students who attended the conference had put so much work and effort into our movement and it took only a few inches of snow to change the agenda.
We decided to remain positive and use our time in D.C. to our advantage and we contacted the offices of three Washington officials we’d hoped to meet during our trip. While we were unable to meet in D.C., I plan to connect with Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Congressman Adam Smith here in Washington State to discuss our concerns and ideas on access to higher education in our state.
During our trip we also had about half a day to go sight-seeing. We visited the Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam War Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, The Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial, The White House, and the capitol building. I felt as though I had walked through a huge encyclopedia and history book. There is so much information and history to take away from a trip to our nation’s capital!
For myself and the other Bellevue College students who went, I can definitely say it has been a life changing experience. We are more driven and motivated to reach for our goals and believe anything is possible as long as the effort and confidence is there. I learned that organizing is not an easy job but following the correct method and recruiting the right student leaders can make the job easier. I truly recommend that Bellevue College continues to participate in the USSA’s conferences. The conference has broadened our minds and is a big motivator towards all our future endeavors.
– by Evan Epstein
Last Updated October 3, 2016