Student government leader Tia Nowack told an Associated Students of Madison committee the Thursday before spring break that she stands by her decision to protest and ultimately be arrested in Washington D.C., on a trip funded in part by student segregated fees.
Nowack, along with ASM Chair Allie Gardner and three other student leaders were arrested March 26 for protesting student loan debt in Washington, D.C. outside of Sallie Mae, a student loan corporation.
ASM Rep. Richard Rolland told the Student Services Finance Committee that Gardner and Nowack could have violated the ASM constitution by violating the law while on a trip funded through segregated fees.
But Nowack said the protest was not the purpose of the trip and took place in her free time after the conference the group traveled to D.C. for was over.
“I think one of the really big issues with student loan debt is that people aren’t talking about it and they need to be,” Nowack said. “If this is a way to get them to talk about it, I really think we need to do that.”
Some SSFC representatives said they did not believe Gardner and Nowack violated the ASM constitution.
“Conducting a non-violent act of civil disobedience and advocating for students while at a conference where the entire purpose is to advocate for students and you get a whole bunch of press coverage, mostly positive, highlighting the issue for thousands of people around the country what you’re advocating for, I think that’s a pretty good use of student funds,” Rep. David Vines said.
Also at the meeting, SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart told the committee she appealed UW-Madison Chancellor David Ward’s decision on the Recreational Sports and Wisconsin Union budgets to UW System President Kevin Reilly.
Neibart said the groups did not provide enough information about where student segregated fees would be spent in their budgets to be funded at the requested amount.
