Article by UAI student staff made it to WSU news

The annual Empty Bowls fundraiser took place on November 14 at the Student Center, organized by the Urban Action Institute in collaboration with Chartwell’s and the Student Government Association. The event aimed to raise awareness about hunger and provide resources for students in need. The fundraiser featured a soup lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with proceeds benefiting Thea’s Pantry on the Worcester State University campus and the Chandler Magnet School Food Pantry. Over 80 participants, including students, faculty, and the public, attended the event with a "Throwback Tuesday" theme, adding a nostalgic touch. Attendees enjoyed two soup varieties, beef stew, fresh bread, and desserts from local businesses. The event showcased community collaboration, with Worcester's business community contributing to address food insecurity. Beyond ticket sales, participants donated directly to the pantries, emphasizing the community's support for one another. The fundraiser also marked the culmination of months of student work as part of the Urban Studies SNAP practicum.

You can read more about the event on the article written by Judy El Houssami, Edianys Beltres, and Ricaury Pascual Vazquez at: https://news.worcester.edu/empty-bowls-fundraiser-combats-food-insecurity-fosters-community/

Comments

New Article by Urban Studies Faculty Member, Professor Shiko Gathuo

Not in This Together: COVID-19 and People of Color by Shiko Gathuo, Ph.D. Shiko Gathuo, Ph.D. Professor and Graduate Program Director of Urban Studies Presidents, prime ministers, royalty, celebrities. These and other rich, powerful and famous people have contracted COVID-19. When the pandemic first took hold, it was easy to throw around phrases like “we are in this together,” “the pandemic does not discriminate,” and “united in the fight.” These warm and comforting sentiments quickly became hollow as it became apparent that, in fact, the pandemic does discriminate and it has negatively affected the poor and people of color disproportionately and in many different ways. People of color are experiencing the health aspect of COVID-19 including infection, testing and treatment differently. The virus has also exacerbated other already existing conditions such as economic deprivation, food insecurity, and the education achievement gap. COVID-19 has also had a significant negative effe...

Students Present Research at a National Conference in Washington DC

front, l-r: Elizabeth Stone, Abigail Holden back, l-r: Dr. Conroy, Kael Briesacher, Dr. Briesacher WSU students Elizabeth Stone '24 (Urban Studies/Environmental Science) and Abigail Holden '24 (Sociology) presented their recent research at the Eastern Sociological Society national conference in Washington DC. Their qualitative project is a deeper look beyond an earlier quantitative report on Advanced Placement Exam participation and performance at Worcester Public Schools that showed since AY 2007, and amid a 300% increase in AP test taking, WPS students fail more than half of their AP Exams. On average over that period, 62.2% of students outright failed their exams (scored a 1-2) with some years reaching 68%. Furthermore, another 20.6% of test takers earned scores of 3, which are also not worth college credit at a growing list of the nation's higher education institutions. Supported in part by a Summer Undergraduate Research Grant from the WSU Foundation, Liz, Abby, and ...

Fieldwork for "Worcester: A City & Its People"

Students in Dr. Conroy's Worcester: A City & Its People class ( UR 312) took to the city for a second time this semester to do some fieldwork. The first trip was to North Main Street -- this one was to Coes Pond and Webster Square. Here they are on the eastern edge of the pond along the boardwalk. The student field packets contained old maps and images of city buildings and spaces at various historical points. For example, the packets contained plates from the 1896 and 1911 Worcester Real Estate Atlases as well as pictures of the "old" Webster Square Cinema when it was in operation, the "old" Stop'n Shop that's not the Asian Market, the Coes Wrench Factory, and the Roller Skating Arena that is now called Arena Plaza (where a Little Caesars is located). Students located the sites along the way and compared the old images and maps to what remains of them today. Then they were encouraged to speculate about the changes before they dug into source mat...

WSU Urban Studies Blog

Search This Blog