Well here we are once again! This is the 25th anniversary of The Diva Lessons! My, how time has truly flown and now, we are just about at the end! This semester had been a whirlwind, and finals are starting to approach very quickly! But luckily, my schedule isn’t too bad, so I think I’ll make it through okay. Since I won’t be headed home for another two weeks or so, my parents came up and visited this weekend! It was lovely to see them. Before I elaborate any further, I now bring you Diva Lesson #25: Family Visitation!

The weather has been getting really nice as the warm weather of summer fast approaches. The temperatures have been fluctuating a bit, but overall it has been really warm and beautiful. There have been tons of events going on all around campus outside in celebration of this wonderful weather. This includes barbecues and a bunch of other types of festivities. It also presented the perfect opportunity for my parents to come up and visit! Yesterday, I got the pleasure of having my parents spend the day with me. They came up from Long Island, and simply spent the day hanging out with me. In the afternoon, I also had to work a short shift at the end of the year celebration for the first-year students on campus. We had ice cream for all of them, and some fun raffles as well, which included raffling off the Orientation Leaders to do different activities with. It was actually a lot of fun and we gave out some free gifts to everyone to. A bunch of students showed up and it was a big success which is always great to see.

My parents and I spent some time in the morning before the event walking around town, and exploring. It was so beautiful out, so we thought we would take advantage of it. Then, we hung out around the Student Union Building, and did some other things around the campus as well. After that, we took a trip to the nearby town of Gardiner, and drove around some. Then, we headed to a restaurant right outside of New Paltz called The Mountain Brauhaus. If you couldn’t tell by the name, this was a German restaurant. The place was pretty crowded, and the whole place was buzzing with activity. The waitresses all wore these long dresses and white dress shirts. I suppose it was supposed to look like some kind of traditional German garb. The food came out, and we all enjoyed it a great deal! It was really delicious and I would seriously recommend the place to anyone who was interested.

After we left, we saw a hawk flying around outside which was pretty cool. Then, we headed back into town and went to Stop and Shop, where I picked up a couple of things that I needed. Following that, my parents had to drop me back off at campus because it was getting late in the day and they had to head home. It was really great to see them! I spent the rest of the day relaxing, and getting some homework done. Later on that night, I went with Rose to get some ice cream at Stewart’s. It was excellent! Then, we went back to Gage and hung out for the rest of the night.

Oh! I forgot to mention something highly essential. When my parents came to visit, they gave me a card and gave me a gift card to Starbucks! I was super excited and appreciated it a lot because, as I hope all of you know, this week is FRAPPY HOUR! This means that between 3 and 5 everyday, all frappuccinos are half off. This is one of the golden weeks of the year where all the planets align and everything is right in the world.

Anyway, I think that’s just about it for this lesson. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to see my parents, and I was so thankful that they could take the time to spend with me this weekend. I look forward to the summer and being able to spend some time at home, relaxing and enjoying the time away from school. My family is great! So, now I leave you more informed than you were before, with Diva Lesson #25: Family Visitation.

Hi once again everyone! I hope you’ve all been well in the last week. Here we are once again, serving up another addition of The Diva Lessons! The end, sadly, is near. So study up while you can, because you don’t wanna mess up your final examination. How embarrassing that would be! So take a sit (if you’re not already in one) and be prepared to take some notes! I now present Diva Lessons #24: Dude Ranch Realness!

Recently, it was my friend Jen’s birthday. She had a week long celebration which took her all across New Paltz. On two of the days, I went on a journey with her and our other friend Rose to a Dude Ranch in the area. It’s called the Pine Grove Dude Ranch. Before I went there, I had never heard of the place. It’s located in Kerhonksen, New York. It sounds really bizarre, I know. But trust, it was a lot of fun. Our first visit there was short, and we didn’t get to look around much. However, we went back the second day and got to experience more what they had to offer. Jen’s mother and her brother were there and so we got to spend some time getting to know them. We got to explore all around. We got some free food from a little snack shack, and then after that, we explored the grounds of the place. We were able to play some games like shuffle board, and we went into some open fields and went into a teepee too, which was a lot of fun.

We spent most of the afternoon there, and ate dinner with Jen’s family. There was so much food! It was great. Rose, Jen, and I all shared desserts too. After that, we went outside where they had a campfire with marshmallows and everyone gathered around singing. There was this weird giant bouncy pillow thing outside too. Jen and Rose went on it and started bouncing around with all of the little kids that we there. It was so funny. Rose really enjoyed it! She didn’t want to get off. After a while, it was sadly time to leave. Rose wanted to stay, so we told her that we would try to come back as soon as possible! The day was super long, but it was a really great time.

After our time at the Dude Ranch, later in the week we had picnic back in New Paltz to continue the celebration of her birthday, and did other fun things too. I think the lesson for this week is that you’re never really too old to have a wonderful week long birthday celebration. Even though we’re in college, it’s still nice to have those amazing special times to celebrate yourself and your day! It belongs to you, so enjoy it as much as possible. And let’s face it…a true diva knows how to draw out the celebration for at least a week, if not longer! That’s all I have for you this week. So until next week, enjoy this edition of Diva Lessons, Diva Lesson #24: Dude Ranch Realness!

Hello all! Lovely to have you back here for another addition of The Diva Lessons! This week, we’ll be discussing being lucky. How timely for this lesson to come up, too! Just in time for Zac Efron’s new movie, The Lucky One! This past week, my friends and I decided we would be spontaneous and go to a midnight showing of The Lucky One. My friend Rose has a car, so it was no problem getting to the theater. There is a movie theater right in town which is pretty close to campus, but instead we went up to the mall in Poughkeepsie, the Galleria, and saw the movie there. So, Rose, Amanda, Jen and I got ready on Thursday night and headed out for the theater! My favorite part of the trip is always going over the bridge to Poughkeepsie near Marist. The bridge has pretty lights at night and they’re always fun to look at and watch as you drive across the bridge. So, we went to the theater and luckily it wasn’t crowded at all! The movie was just okay. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Zac Efron was totally flawless, as he always is and possibly even more so because he was in the military. The movie itself was just okay though, and I had read the book and it was pretty different, so that made me kind of mad. Sometimes I wonder why people who make movies based off of books choose to change things so much. It probably makes a lot of people mad when things, especially important things, are different from how they were in the book. Oh well, the world may never know. It was fine that the movie wasn’t that great, because we got to have popcorn which is always the best part of going to the movies, and we simply had fun being all together, too!

Over the rest of my weekend, we had a Buzz Karaoke, which was all themed for Relay for Life, which was held here on Saturday. Karaoke is always a lot of fun and people were able to get free shirts and prizes! That’s always a great bonus. Saturday was a really beautiful day for the most part, and so I took the oppertunity to walk around town and enjoy the fresh air. I also stopped at my favorite place to eat, The Bakery, for some lunch! It was wonderful. Then finally, on Sunday, I had to help host a student leadership conference here at SUNY New Paltz. Students attend the conference with their Hall Governments, and different people host programs for individuals to go and learn from. There’s also always lots of free food, cheering, and fun! My own hall, Capen, won the award for being the most spirited hall, and we won for having the best roll call, which is basically a fun little act of some kind which every hall who attends has to perform. We did a lip sync (of course!) with all different celebrities because the theme was STARStruck. It was a long, but wonderful day!

Okay, that’s all I have for now! Over the course of my weekend, I was able to reflect on how lucky I am to have great friends here, and access to wonderful groups on campus which strive to help other students, and provide them with chances to grow and learn from each other. I would also say that I’m pretty lucky for being able to see Zac Efron in that movie! Can I get an Amen?! So, that’s it for this edition! Until next time, this has been Diva Lesson #23: The Lucky One!

Hello hello! Here I am once again, reporting to you with another Diva Lesson to help you through your everyday life. Sometimes, all ya need is a touch of Diva to brighten your day, and everything gets a little bit easier. So have no fear, I’m here to inform you all! This week, I’m serving some presidential realness for my post. Without further delay, here it goes! Diva Lesson #22: Inaugural Realness.

On Friday, SUNY New Paltz held a special ceremony for the inauguration of our new preisedent, Donald Christian. There was a huge walk across the campus for faculty, and then people could watch from various locations on campus while the new president of our school gave a speech, along with other people. After, there was a procession to the Student Union Building, where there was food. It was really funny to watch many of the professional staff members of the college walking across campus, some of whom were all dressed in robes and scholarly attire.

Later that weekend, on Sunday, the Residence Hall Student Association was holding their end of the year barbeque along with a carnival of sorts to also celebrate in tandem, the celebration of the inauguration. Since I was elected as the new National Communications Coordinator for next year, part of my duties are to assist at all of the events for the rest of the year to help with training. The forecast was calling for rain, but luckily the weather held up, and it was a pretty clear day for the event.

As part of my job, I had to help set up, and then work different stations. I got to work the cotton candy machine, the snow cone machine, and at the inflatable obstacle course which was called The Wild One. My favorite part was working at the cotton candy machine. Even though it got sticky, and by the end of my shift I was totally covered in fluffy blue sugar, it was so much fun to make by swirling the paper cone around inside of the device. So many people attend the program it was amazing! About 1,100 people got food, which means we had a really high number of people who attended, and that doesn’t include people who just walked through for a little bit and didn’t eat. Apparently it was the highest attended barbeque ever! It was very exciting.

After the event was over, RHSA also held a movie showing in the middle of our campus, on Parker Quad, where most of the corridor style residence halls are located on campus. We showed the movie on a giant inflatable movie screen so that a lot of people would be attracted. Again, the weather was so nice, so a bunch of people came to our showing of the final Harry Potter movie. It was wonderful to see so many people come out on a Sunday night. We also had free popcorn for people to eat, and I was one of the people working the popcorn machine during the showing of the movie. Overall, it was a wonderfully successful day.

I love being part of organizations such as RHSA, and helping to put on these large scale events for students to enjoy, because it’s so rewarding for me to be able to give back to the campus community, and promote a way for students t have fun and be engaged on campus. During the movie, a lot of students came up to me to get popcorn, and expressed their appreciation for us for putting on events such as these, which are mostly free for the students, and also telling me what a wonderful time they had earlier in the day at the barbeque. So, even though these events can sometimes be long and exhausting, I get so much pleasure out of the way that it helps other students, and provides them
with fun and different experiences on campus.

That’s it for now! It was a busy weekend, but at the same time it was a lot of fun and really rewarding. It also made me really excited to see what will be in store for me next year, when I am a full member of the RHSA Executive Board and will have to be fully in charge of events such as these. So until next time, enjoy this Diva Lesson, #22: Inaugural Realness!!

Hello hello my children! Welcome back to my domain. I’m so glad that you’ve chosen to stick around and read some more of the Diva Lessons which I have to share with all of you. Especially now that we have reached the point where the Diva Lessons are in their 20s, to stick with an education this long shows a lot of dedication to this subject area, and I commend all of you for sticking around! Now, with that being said, the lesson I have for this week has to do with productivity. In all things, it is important to be productive and take initiative. Only when we do so, can we assure that steps are being taken in the right direction, and truly ,making progress occur. That’s why for this lesson, I will instruct all of you with Diva Lesson #21: “It’s Always About Productivity!”

This week, I feel as thought I’ve been striving as hard as possible to be productive. Even when I haven’t felt like it, or when it seems like something small, I’ve made the extra effort to work towards something in particular. Whether it was using my time to get work done, or simply preparing myself for a long day of activity, I feel as though this week I’ve really tried to stick in that particular mind frame of being truly productive. Of course, it doesn’t always work, and at times, I have fallen short and therefore have some things to work harder on or catch up on, but on the whole, I have really tried to strive towards this goal and push myself to attain it this week.

I think for myself, one of the truest examples of this fact can be seen in my activity today. This weekend, there was a retreat for the Associate Council members of the Residence Hall Student Association. This retreat would take place over the course of today, staying over night somewhere, and engaging in some further activities tomorrow as well. As much as I would have like to have gone on this retreat, like I’ve stated before, I’ve really tried to stick in that mindset of being productive, and looking at my week ahead, I knew I would have to take as much advantage as possible of the weekend which I had ahead of me. Originally, I had planned on sleeping pretty late today, as a way of taking advantage of not having class to go to. However, that did not really work out, and I woke up somewhat earlier than expected. Also, I kind of initially planned on just taking today to myself, meaning laying in bed and not doing much. However, once I had laid there awake for a few minutes, I realized how silly it would be to simply lay around and waste the day.

So instead, I forced myself out of bed, got dressed, threw on shoes, and went to get coffee and an egg sandwich from Seattle’s Best to start my day. With my food in hand, I returned to Capen, and started up my computer. Almost right away, I started working on an extensive paper for my Feminist Theory class. Although it was only supposed to be five pages, there was so much information to incorporate and be thorough about, that mine went a little longer. Although it took much of the afternoon, I managed to get this all done today, leaving only some editing and making up a page for my references to do before the paper is due on Tuesday. I might also add that I did this while rocking out to some RuPaul jams, and some classic J-Pop from Morning Musume. When I was done, I went and hung out with Jordan for a while. We went and had a late lunch in the dining hall, and then returned to her room where I caught up on some other works which I’ve been meaning to do. Tomorrow, I plan on getting even more work done, and pushing this wave of productivity even further into the weekend to make the most of it. Although it can be hard not to slack off on the weekends, taking advantage of this time to get work done can leave us at the end of the day with time to do more of the things that we want to do for ourselves.

This weekend, if I had simply chosen the easy way out, and taken the weekend off, I would have been slammed early next week with a lot of work to get done, since this week coming up is easily one of the busiest of the semester thus far. However, I have tried to implement my policy of trying to be the most efficient with my time, and getting that paper done today, along with the other work has truly showcased how important putting productivity first can be. Even more so, now that I have gotten all of these things done, with a plan to get even more work done tomorrow, I can take pleasure in calling it a night from working, since there is some Chinese food and old episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race calling my name. So, there you have it. That’s really all I have for this time. For this week, remember Diva Lesson #21: “It’s Always About Productivity!” You think Divas like me or Aretha, or Cher got anywhere with some other mindset? Think again!

Extra Credit!!

There have been rumors circulating that Snooki is pregnant! It turns out that if she is, she might get her own reality show based on her experience of being pregnant! Fingers crossed, because no shade, I would love to see that.

I have 2 midterms due in the middle of this week, and I’ll need to do a lot of work to get them done, but I think I can do it. Also, if I get selected to go, I have group process day for RA this Friday. I hope I get to move on to the next round. Further, I have my election on Monday to see if I get to be the next National Communications Coordinator for RHSA next year. Wish me luck in everything! It’ll be a showdown of a week for sure.

And finally, last Sunday, Meryl took home the Oscar for her role as Margaret Thatcher in the film The Iron Lady. I’m so proud of her! She’s still the queen. Don’t mess with the best.

That’s all I have for you this time, so until next time, as always, holla for a dollah!

Well, here we are once again! Here I find myself once again bringing you another lessons from my life in all things related to being a Diva. I think one of the main tenants of being a Diva is knowing how to use Karma. Karma is so important as a Diva because it keeps good things comin’ to us, and bad things flowin’ towards other people (aka: the haters!) Not that I wish ill on other people, but sometimes, Karma has that roundabout way of working, you know? It’s not me, it’s the universe! That’s all there is to it. I don’t dish it, I just teach it! So here we go, strap yourself in for another exquisite Diva Lesson, and be prepared for a test on it later. Without further adieu, I give you Diva Lesson #20: “Snow Days Can Be Good Karma!”
As I’m sure many of you know, this winter season has been very abnormal. For so many of the days this winter, we’ve had unseasonable warm days, or just in general a lack of snow! I think this has made my excessive wearing of shorts more acceptable to some people. Little did they know that even if it was snowing everyday, I would still be wearing shorts! Hey, what can I say? You’ve always gotta show some skin, right? But that’s for another lesson. Anyway, in the forecast this week, there was something very unusual for the season that we’ve been having. It was a winter weather advisory! Apparently, it was going to snow a lot, and then turn into more of an icy mix which would further complicate the roads and driving situation, making it unsafe to travel. Initially, I thought that the snow was going to come on Thursday, which wouldn’t have too much of an effect on me, because I only have one class.

However, as the fates would have it, the weather came on Wednesday, early in the day. It just so happens that Wednesday is my busiest day for classes too! so, I went to my 8am class, which ended about a half hour early, and during that class, my professor informed us that her afternoon class, which I am also enrolled in, would be cancelled because of the expected bad weather. So, after I got out of class, I headed to Starbs for some coffee and a casual scone, and then when I returned to campus, which by now was being encompassed by crazy amounts of snow and wind, I got an e-mail from my afternoon professor which informed me that my 4:30 class would also be cancelled that day. I was so elated to find out that my two classes for the afternoon of my longest day would be cancelled! What were the chances that of all of the days for it to snow in this crazy winter season, it would fall on my only truly busy day for classes? I hit it big, this week.

However, I did not fully slack off that day. Instead, I tried to take advantage of the day and got some homework done so that I would be in better shape for the rest of the week. this would help me to alleviate some stress, and keep things under control. After getting some of that much needed work done, I spent the afternoon simply laying around and enjoying the snow day. I hung out with Jordan and Soraya during the day, and then later in the night my friend Steve and I went off campus to get some pizza, and then of course, we watched RuPaul’s Drag Race. Following that, I had a Hall Government meeting, and then I spent the rest of the night just relaxing and hanging out.

The next day, a Thursday, I didn’t have class until 3:05. When I went to class finally, I was expecting for it to be a normal, full class. However, at the beginning of the class, my professor informed us that the weird weather had complicated his own schedule, and he would have to pick up his daughter early from preschool that day, which meant we would have to end class 20 minutes early! Once again, it was another wonderful surprise which added to a truly great week. What luck I was having.

In total, I only had to go to 3 full classes this week, which was highly unusual. Overall, I think the biggest break of the week would have to be from the snow day, which cancelled my busiest day of the week. I think this is a lesson for us all! Who knows what I did, but clearly, I must be doing something right, because I think this was an example of some great good Karma coming my way! Karma always acts in mysterious ways, and you always have no idea when it’ll come back to repay you, in a positive or negative way. So, you should always try and ensure that you have good Karma comin’ your way, because sometimes, it’ll come back in a big way, and give you a serious break, like it did for me this week! That’s why I think this is an essential lesson that I’m bringing to you this week, in Diva Lesson #20: “Snow Days Can Be Good Karma.” That’s all for now, so till next time, keep your good Karma comin’!

Wow! Is it that time already? Well, I guess it is! It’s time to inform all of you in the ways of being a Diva once again! It’s crazy how many components there are to being a diva when you think about it, isn’t it? But, what can I say? A Diva’s work is never done, so naturally there’s always going to be more to learn! I think this week’s lesson is an extra essential one for all people to learn! Before we really get into it though, break out those notebooks and pay attention, because here comes Diva Lesson #19: “Own Your Voice!”

I think when reflecting about what I wanted to teach all of you, this lesson stood out prominently as one that I needed to take advantage of. It’s something that has really been present in my life of late, and like I said earlier, I think it’s important skill that many people could really take advantage of learning. This past week, we had elections for the President of the Residence Hall Student Association for next year. As an Associate Council Representative, it is part of my responsibility to represent the opinion of my Hall Government, and vote on the candidate that we feel is the most qualified to take the particular position which we are voting on in a particular week. Along with this, I think it’s important to be an advocate for the candidate that one chooses to vote for, and show just how strong of a candidate you think a particular individual is.

That being said, this week’s election spoke directly to that point. We had two strong candidates that were up for the election, but I felt that one candidate was stronger than the other, and wanted to support that individual. So, when it came time for discussion, I spoke my opinion, bringing up the relevant points, and counter the points that were made by other people. In order to be successful in a debate, or anything along those lines, it is so important to not be afraid to use your own voice, and feel the power behind it to articulate in a clear and concise way the strengths of your case. Time after time (thank you, Cyndi Lauper), I found myself speaking in the defense of the candidate I wanted to see elected, and eventually he won the election! It was a very rewarding experience, and after it was over, other commended me on the way in which I stuck to my points, and debated in a fair and relevant way. Getting commended for such traits is always a reward in itself.

Later in the week, I found myself in a different situation where I would also need to make effective use of my own voice. This week, I had to take part in a first round interview for the position of Residence Assistant here on campus. It’s a position that I’ve wanted since last year, and a long process with many different steps to it. One of the first of these is an interview with a current RA and Resident Director (RD). Going into the interview, I felt somewhat nervous, but I knew that I would be prepared for any questions that they asked me. In the interview, it was only up to me to prove how prepared I was, and that I knew exactly what I was speaking about. Question after question, I feel as though I was able to articulate my points in a clear and concise way, which conveyed my knowledge and experience for the position. At the end of the interview, I was told that I had done well, which again, was highly rewarding and left me with a feeling of being accomplished, like I had shown the strength of my own voice, by being able to showcase the various skills and traits which I had to offer for this particular position.

Finally, there was one more example of this point which I experienced in the past week. As a Women’s Studies major, I often find myself being the only guy, or one of two or three guys in some of my classes. Sometimes, especially when it comes to particular topics that we discuss, this can be intimidating, because so much of Women’s Studies is about trying to deconstruct patriarchy, and systems of oppression which are often implemented because of male privilege. Anyway, that’s a bit of a rant on Women’s Studies for ya. So anyway, I am in fact, the only male in my Feminist Theory class this semester, a class which is required for my major. I haven’t ever really spoken before in the class, because like I said, it can often be intimidating to speak in such a setting, even thought it obviously isn’t set up to be this way. However, this week, I started off the class by raising my hand and making an announcement about an event that would be going on on campus which pertained to Women’s Studies. After that initial point, I suddenly felt as thought I had found my voice, and I participated multiple times that class, and my professor told me that I said things rather well, and raised some good points. Once again, I found this support to be uplifting, and in the future, I am going to try and participate in that class more, because I now feel as though my own voice, and my own perspective on issues have been validated.

Throughout this week which had to do so much with being vocal in highly articulate ways, I found myself arriving to the occasion ready to take on the challenge, and using my voice to my advantage, highlighting my own strengths and the various things which I have to offer. I found this to be so rewarding, so it made me realize overall in life what an important skill this is to have, and how  important it is in so many different ways. Owning your own voice and using it to your advantage can help you in so many different ways, and can help you to attain the things you want most in life. So, don’t be afraid to use your voice. Speak out, use it, and own it. That’s why the lesson for this week is Diva Lesson #19: “Own Your Voice.”

Well hello there once again! I’m glad that you’ve decided to join me once again for another installment of the Diva Lessons! Each of these lessons is just as important as the previous one, and each one has the chance to be applied to your life, so it’s important to take them all in, process them, and use them as you need to! You’ll never know how much there is to gain from a Diva Lesson until you sit down, read ‘em, and learn ‘em! That’s how we obtain personal growth, y’all! So this week, I’m servin’ up a new lesson for all of you entitled Diva Lessons #18: “Take yo’ time!”

When moving through each day, it can be easy to get lost in all of the motion that goes on. Especially when you have a busy schedule, like many college students have. Often, I find myself running to different activities, or trying to squeeze in time for homework during the day, while still trying to find it possible to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. I think more than anything, the key to this is time management, and being effective about how one spends his or her time. This is a useful tip that was especially brought to my attention by one of the RDs on campus, Kristen recently.

As I was sitting down with her and musing about life and different things, we began to talk about next year and there different activities that I would be involved with. Through our conversation, we got onto the topic of how important it is to be involved with things outside of school work that you truly enjoy doing, because that’s how you’ll get the most out of the time that you’re spending and investing into these activities. But again, the most important part when getting involved with different sorts of opportunities or activities is to remember that first and foremost, we are here to be students, and obtain good grades through our classes and studies. But there is a key to this, which Kristen brought to my attention, and I think it’s something that one of my classes has helped me to keep in mind lately as well. Kristen told me “You’d be surprised how much time people waste in a single day.” I think this is one of those statements that everyone knows is true, but it’s hard to actually see it and realize it until it’s pointed out in such a plain, straightforward way. We then went on the discuss how to implement realistic, and fundamental ways to manage time. In particular, we focused upon being conscious of wasting time in places on campus like the Student Union, where it can be easy to waste time because there’s always so much going on, and so many people always moving about. The key here is to be mindful of this time, and stop wasting it, and use it in a constructive way.

Instead of being used to sit around, this time could be used to get work done, or could be dedicated to other activities in which I invest my time in. That way, I either have the time later in the day to either put into other activities, spend with friends, or even just go to sleep earlier since getting a lot of sleep is always important when taking proper care of one’s self. This is something that has been reiterated to my many times, yet something I have just started to try and implement in my life more recently. In addition to this essential use of time management, there is also the important consideration of taking time to simply relax and take care of one’s self. This involves simply taking down time, instead of trying to get one more obligation taken care of, or trying to get one more piece of homework done. I think for me, the most important ways to go about this are to get off of campus, and simply take a walk around town. I find myself going to Starbs a lot (I’m guilty of having a caffeine addiction I think), or just going other places as well. It’s nice to be able to take that down time and explore my surroundings. It’s nice to take alone time too, because I have found of late that it can be highly relaxing and helps me to become more centered and relaxed.

As I said earlier, I enjoy just going about town, finding different places to eat off campus or things like that, and then enjoy simply being. Simply walking around and experiencing the world around me as it comes. In addition to this, I do other things too. I simply adore watching RuPaul’s Drag Race (for obvious reasons, I think) so sometimes I simply like to take some time to myself and watch shows like that and really just relax, take time to myself, and recharge. I think that’s what it comes down to. Finding that time to get everything done that you need to, while still embracing and enjoying that time to simply relax, and simply be.
I think that’s the main argument for this Diva Lesson. The overbearing theme is the essential point of slowing things down. Slowing life down, and taking things as the come to you. Trying to be in a singular moment, and enjoying it. I think things are so much less overwhelming when you break them down this way, and everything in life takes on so much deeper meaning. Anyway, I don’t mean to get so philosophical on y’all, but I think it’s true. Just slow it down, and remember how important it is to take time to yourself. That being said, I think that’s all there really is to this Diva Lesson, #18, “Take yo’ time!”

Well hello there once again everyone! The time has come for another Diva Lesson. It’s like I always say, there’s more room to grow, and room to learn constantly. Therefore, one can always pick up new tips and tricks through a careful reading of the Diva Lessons which I provide each week! So, that being said, I think it’s just about time that we hit the books, wouldn’t you say? Get ready for it, cause here it comes: Diva Lesson #17: “Snowy Realness”!

The first week of classes seemed to fly by. My schedule is a little more relaxed this semester than it has been in previous ones, with the exceptions of Wednesdays, which have me running around the clock. Other than that though, I have the chance to sleep late most days, and only have one or two classes each day, always late in the afternoon. Due to this, I have time during the day to get work done, and do other things which I need to get accomplished. I think it also helps the weeks to go by rather quickly too, if you ask me. I’ll update you more on my classes in a later post. They’re all pretty legit for the most part. So anyway, like I said, the first week of classes seemed to go by very quickly.

Since the week I came back to school, I had been looking forward to the first weekend of the semester after classes had started. Student Development was having a Welcome Back Weekend trip on Sunday for the first-year students, and they needed some of the Orientation Leaders to go on the trip and supervise everyone who was on the trip. The trip was a day trip to Hunter Mountain, a little north of New Paltz, where the students could go snow tubing! I don’t even remember the last time that I had gone snow tubing, so I jumped at the chance to be one of the people who got to go on the trip. Plus, it was free! How could I possibly say no? The trip was very popular and filled up before the middle of the week, so we knew that there was going to be very high attendance for the trip.

So, that Sunday afternoon, I got my things together, and prepared for my trip with OLs Stef and Jon. We loaded up our bus with the students, and headed off. It’s a very nice trip, especially when it’s nice out because you can see all of the beautiful mountain views, and driving through the town of Hunter was also interesting in its own right, because it’s a quirky and unique town that’s very colorful and vibrant. I think the scariest part of the trip was when we were driving up the side of the mountain, and the bus seemed to stop and like it didn’t want to move forward. But no worries, because our bus driver was great and she of course managed to get us safely to our destination!

Once we arrived, we met our guide or liaison for the trip, and he led us to a booth where we could get our tickets for going snow tubing. It turned out that the tubing works in various sessions, and Student Development rented out one entire session, so that it would just be the New Paltz students riding on the hills and tubing without other people there. This was a nice surprise, and I think it made the students even more excited for the trip as well. Once we gave out the tickets and everything, the students ran to the slope with their tubes, and began heading up the hill, before racing town. Going tubing was so much fun! We were able to go in groups, and there were a few times when Stef, Jon and I all went down together. We would fly down the hill really quickly and spin around, and Stef recorded some of it too. It was wonderful! The only bad part was that of course, I decided to wear shorts for the occasion and my knees payed the price, getting kind of scraped up (there’s still some scars, but it’s my own fault hahaha). When people were cold, or didn’t feel like tubing any longer, there was a great little cabin area that they could go in and buy food, or just sit around with their friends. This was also really nice, since it was dark and therefore it was getting colder.

But, I think the best part of the trip was when, on two particular runs towards the end of the trip, the staff for the snow tubing section of Hunter Mountain let everyone go down together in one giant mass, all holding onto each other. I was put in charge of filming, so I didn’t take part, but it was really hilarious to watch it all happen. I think the total amount of people they sent down at once was 32. When I was filming it, everyone started out very small at the top of the mountain, and then suddenly they picked up speed, and flew by the front of the camera very quickly, and I could heard everyone laughing and screaming. I think everyone had a fabulous time, and I think that Student Development is considering doing the trip again because so many people signed up to take the trip with us.

Overall, it was a very fun time, and it was a great trip. Being a student can be a lot of work, but at the same time, there’s a big reward for staying dedicated and working very hard. That reward is getting to be involved with different organizations and departments here on campus which work towards providing students with an array of fun things for them to do. That’s why I love being involved with departments such as Student Development, and I look forward to other involvements in the future as well. Sometimes, it just comes down to letting loose, letting go, and enjoying the ride. Especially when it means enjoying the snowy realness of winter! That’s why this Diva Lesson, #17, is entitled: “Snowy Realness!”

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new year of Diva Lessons! A new year means that there’s so much more to learn, and I know you’re all very excited to bask in the glory of all new diva lessons cause let’s face it, we could all use a little more education! So let’s get it poppin’ and get back up to speed here at Diva Lessons! It’s what we do best.

The first week I was back at school, I had the pleasure of coming back early to work with the International Orientation students. It’s just one of the many perks of working with Student Development, and working as an Orientation Leader over the summer. As part of that process, we get to come back early for the spring semester, and help the new international students get acquainted with their surroundings here at New Paltz. I came back rockin’ a new look, with pink hair! It was fierce and everyone loved it.

First things first, we had to bring in the international students from buses once they arrived from the airport, and we get them all checked in. We found their names on a list, and then we helped them get temporary meal cards, and room keys until they had their full ID cards working, which they would get later in the week. That was it for day one. The next day was an early start, and we had a welcome for them to attend, along with other small meetings. Then, we were able to take them to the Galleria, a mall a somewhat local area, so that they could shop for all of the things that they needed. I always love taking the international students to the mall because they buy so many things, and it’s always crazy to see how they manage to fit it all onto the bus. I also love these trips because the OLs all get to do shopping of their own, and of course I purchased new sunglasses (because you can never have enough!), along with gummy bear rings, and a candy necklace that  I could wear the next day. Edible fashion is the best type of fashion, as they say!

The next day was a lot of business and taking care of things, so I had to do some running around from different offices, and just in general, act as a resource for the students whenever they needed information about where they should go for testing, or getting other things taken care of. Then, at night, we took them on a walking tour of the town so that they could further get acquainted with their surroundings, and see what stores or general things all of the town has to offer. It was snowing that night, so things got a little messy and I almost fell a few times! But it was all good. The next day was more of the same, except that night, we got to go to the movies! The schools sets up a bus to run on a 6 hour loop which goes between the campus and the Stop and Shop shopping center, which has a diner, a movie theater, and other features right in the area. We all went to see “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” which was a great, and moving film. It was filmed very beautifully, and I love anything that involves Sandra Bullock! So it was a win-win for sure.

The next day, it was snowing and we were supposed to go to the mall, so the trip got moved to the following day. Instead, that day was used for taking care of more business, and then we had a pizza party in one of the residence halls on campus. In addition to the pizza, many of the international students went and played in the snow because for some of them, it’s summer where they came from, so they wouldn’t see the snow otherwise! It’s always interesting to think about the different climates around the world and how in some places, the seasons are opposite of what it is here. That night, when I went back to my room, I also took part in some snow play with some of the Resident Assistants who live in my building! They were out enjoying the snow as well, so I ran outside and played around with them. It was a lot of fun, and a wonderful time was had by all.

The next day was the final day of International Orientation. On this day, we went to another mall, the Palisades. The Palisades in one of the largest malls in the country. It’s four floors of craziness and it’s a lot to take in at one time! We took four buses of students there, and let them loose inside of the mall once again. It always amazes me how the students can find their way back to the buses and be on time and everything when for some of them, this is their first time in a new country. While all of the students were shopping, the other Orientation Leaders and I went and ate at IHOP, got some casual shopping done, and then we went to the movies. We saw this awful action movie that I honestly can’t even remember the name of. It was just that bad. But it was nice to spend some more time with the other OLs and just enjoy the company of one another. After we were done, it was time to leave and then the whirlwind week came to an end!

It was totally a crazy and action-packed week, but it was a lot of fun too. I think that working with the Center for International Programs is a very interesting experience, because you get to be involved with all of these students who are getting to live in another country and who are experiencing a new cultural, and other things as well. Being involved with orientation and getting to see this side of things has really made me consider going into International Programming after I graduate because I find it so rewarding. The Diva Lesson for this week comes from this point as well. In working with International Programs, we get to have so much contact with students from all over the world, and all different countries. In doing so, I got to learn things about these people who I wouldn’t have contact with otherwise. I think that we should all try to have experiences similar to this, in any capacity, and strive to have contact with people from other cultures, countries, or backgrounds, because it helps us to become better, and more well-rounded individuals. In this way, one can truly become more cultured, and in turn become a TRUE cosmopolitan, also known as a citizen of the world! That’s why Diva Lesson #16 is entitled “Be a Cosmopolitan!” Muse on it. Trust.