By Maggie Attridge

Students called for raising the university minimum wage at an informal question and answer session with the Stamp Student Union Director on with students on Monday, Oct 28.

Stamp Director Dr. Marsha Guenzler-Stevens met the students’ critiques with praise, applauding their self-advocacy.

Stamp sponsored the “fireside chat” in hopes of receiving student feedback and answering questions students have about the resources it offers. 

One student raised a question about student workers’ minimum wage. Currently, the minimum wage in Prince George’s County is $11.50. However, the university pays student workers less than that. 

“Financial resources are what they are,” Guenzler-Stevens said. “More of our student employees make a higher wage than that because of longevity or technical skill. Minimum wage is the starting wage for student employees and Prince George’s County and the university were slow to come to a minimum wage that was livable.”

She also stressed that an $11.75 minimum wage will go into effect in January 2020, with 75 cent increases every year until the minimum wage reaches $15 in 2025. 

However, some students were not impressed with the answers Guenzler-Stevens gave.

“She did not address [the minimum wage issue] adequately,” said senior business major John Rogers. “I don’t really know the context of that too well. I’m not sure what the justification is for paying us less than most workers. It seems like it’s just budget savings for the school which is 

incredibly unfair.”

Rogers, along with other students attending, believe that Guenzler-Stevens should use her influence to raise the minimum wage for students without being legally forced to.

“I don’t think it’s quite fair for a person of power and organization here to say she is doing everything she can when the workers are still not being paid the minimum wage,” Rogers said. “Even though it may be legally compliant, it’s still wrong.” 

Guenzler-Stevens applauded students attending for pressing her on the issues that matter to them, citing her own experience helping students fight for what they want as one of her proudest moments.

“I am exceptionally proud of pushing. You gotta push. So whether that is for a living wage, we should all push. In some ways, doesn’t it make organizations change and try to grow? I am who I am and we are who we are in many measures because students are on the insides or they were pushing us to a new direction,” she said.

The back-and-forth dialogue between an administrator and students is not common. Calls for transparency in university administration can be heard across campus. 

“I would really like it if other administrators did this, such as the new president that’s coming in, or even departments that help students,” said Jacorey Patterson, a first-year student affairs masters student. “Students don’t get to connect with the higher-ups if they aren’t super involved, so having this opportunity for students to come would be great.”

Jessica Valvo, a freshman government and politics major, agreed.

“I 100% think more events like this should be held,” Valvo said. “Saying all the stuff she’s working on it’s really interesting. I know she actually cares about the students.”

Guenzler-Stevens emphasized investing in students so that one day they could pay it forward and help the next generation, just like she did. 

“I am constantly engaged in the lives of students at my undergraduate institution and have served in leadership roles there because I am paying it back,” Guenzler-Stevens said. “People cared for me lovingly when I was a student. So, I am paying the debt of what they did, how they invested.”

Guenzler-Stevens also talked about her vision of Stamp Student Union and why inclusion is important to making students feel at home. 

“I think we are the center of campus,” she said. “This should be a place where you feel really warmly welcomed and a place where you feel like there’s a chair with your name on it, or an event that sings to your heart, or a person who actually knows your story. Maybe we can’t make it all happen for you, but we should know the people on campus who could make it happen.”