Tag Archives: Capen

Diva Lesson #7: Give Back.

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Well hello hello once again everyone! For all of your returning readers, I am so glad that you have decided to continue on in your journey to becoming a true Diva. It isn’t an easy road, and there are so many lessons to learn! But each lesson is a chance to gain some new knowledge and maybe learn about yourselves as well! For any of you who might be reading for the first time, feel free to look at my previous posts and read through them to get back up to speed! It’s never too late to start on your journey to become the best Diva you can be. That’s just a life lessons for y’all. So moving on and talking about the current lesson at hand, this week we’ll be talking about some charity realness! To be a Diva is a blessing in itself, and sometimes, we need to remember to take the time and thank those who have either helped us along our journeys or simply to help out a worthy cause that could use the help of a fabulous Diva! That’s why this week, I’m servin’ up philanthropy realness in Diva Lesson #7: Give Back.

A few weeks back, I was asked to volunteer some time this week and help out at a campus wide event set up by an organization known as Up ‘Til Dawn. Basically, Up ‘Til Dawn is a charity organization which raises money for Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital, which is primarily funded by donations, which is why these large charity events are held. Every fall semester, there is a big letter sending party, where people from all over campus can come and send out pre-written letters to family members and friends asking them to donate to this wonderful cause, which helps fight cancer. Of course, I immediately agreed to help them out for a number of reasons. Primarily, I believe that Up ‘Til Dawn is a phenomenal group and anything that people can do to help out is wonderful. Other than that, many of my friends here on campus are involved with the organization as Executive Board members. Primarily, the advisors of the organization, Kristen and Christina, are amazing and I had the chance to work for them over the summer. I love them both so much, and wanted to show them how much I appreciate them by helping them out with this event. Also, my friends Faith, Brittany, and Stephen are some of the Executive Board members and since they are all important to me, I wanted to make sure I was there when they needed me to support them and lend a hand. As a Diva, it is important to recognize those who are important to you, and show them you appreciate them by giving time, energy, and whatever else you can to them when they’re in need. Wouldn’t you want them to do the same?

Moving forward in the story, last night after my class let out at 5:45, I went over to Jazzman’s Cafe and got myself a caramel latte and then went back to my room to get ready for the event! At about 6:30, I went over and helped them prepare for the event. During the letter sending party, I would be helping to direct the entertainment and have them fill out letters just like everyone else who was simply attending the event as a regular attendee. Once the event got started, I also was put in charge of giving people stamps after they had filled out three letters so that they could get the free food and things at the event itself. We had a lot of pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, and other snacks. The best part of the food was probably the free cupcakes they had! Moxie cupcakes, who has a small store in town, donated a bunch of little cupcakes of all different flavors. They were super cute! My favorite would probably have to be the peanut butter and jelly cupcake. It was probably one of the greatest cupcakes I’ve ever had.

As soon as the event started, it was so amazing to see all of the people who came. There were a ton of sports teams such as the basketball team who came together and filled out a bunch of letters. The cheer leading team came as well, since they were one of the performing groups. Residence Hall staffs all came together as well, and it was really nice to see them all sitting together at different tables bonding with each other, and coming together for this wonderful cause. Over the course of the night, I really enjoyed walking around the room, giving out stamps to people, and just seeing everyone all together. So many professional staff members, including the President of the school came as well, and it was also great to see all of them come out to support the Up ‘Til Dawn organization as too. Beyond this, I really loved that Up ‘Til Dawn gave different performing groups the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of this large audience. All of the A Capella groups were able to perform, some of the slam poets (my friend Bre included!) performed, Epic Glee!, and Shades (a stomp group here on campus) all performed along with the cheer leading team to help keep everyone entertained while they worked hard filling out letters to send. I really loved all of the different performances that were put on throughout the night because they really showcased the wide variety of activities the students here on campus can get involved with, and the diversity on our campus as well which is something that sets New Paltz apart from other schools and really makes it a unique and special place.

As the night went on, people began to hand in their letters and head out. After the event was over, I helped to clean up by taking out garbage with Lil’ Fabz (who left a trail of soda/water which leaked out of her trash bag and then covered my shirt in this mystery liquid as we tried to hoist the bags into a dumpster!), and I took a trip to the library with Stephen to give back some laptops that they were using to register people at the event. Once everything was all cleaned up, Lil Fabz and I went back to Capen. I stayed around there for a little while, and then Jordan and I went out for a late night walk. We started off on campus, and then ended up going around town. It was really interesting to see how different the town was late at night when it was all deserted and there weren’t many people around. We talked about our lives, and all of that deep nonsense that people usually talk about on those long, clear, quiet nights. There were so many stars and the moons were beautiful. It was such a lovely way to spend the night.

When a Diva sees the opportunity to give back, a Diva should take it. It is important, as a Diva, to realize how blessed you are to have all that you do in life, and then make note of the fact that other people may not be as fortunate for a variety of reasons. Up ‘Til Dawn’s Letter Sending Party was such a perfect example of this. Not only was I able to give back, and support an amazing event on campus, but so many other people were doing the same thing. I got to see so many of the Orientation Leaders who were helping out or volunteering in various roles throughout the night, as well as all of the other students who were generously giving of their time to help make this event the huge success that it was. Most importantly, I was able to help support my friends and people who I care about by giving back to them, and giving my time and energy to them when they need it. In life, having support is essential, especially when it comes to people who care about you. One of the best ways that you can show your appreciaition is by giving back to them, and helping out when they need you. I suppose this is the key of this week’s lesson. It’s not just about giving to organaztions which seek to create greater amounts of good or positiviity in the world, but also giving to those who support and care about you. It all comes back to love, y’all. Learn it, use it, and spread it! That’s it for this lesson, so enjoy, and always keep in mind, Diva Lesson #7: “Give Back.”

 

Extra Credit! This week, I had a lovely Starbs date with Jen. She’s the best. Also, I’m considering applying for a job at the Welcome Center. We’ll see what happens. There’s an opening on Capen Hall Gov, and I’m not a part of Hall Gov currently, so I’m thinking I might need to take advantage of this oppertunity which I passed up the first time around. I’m pretty sure the universe is trying to tell me something. And finally, Willow Smith came out with a new song this week called “Fireball” featuring Nicki Minaj, AND the pinnacle of it all, Beyonce’s video for “Countdown” came out this week. I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m sure it’s flawless and I can’t wait to see it.

Diva Lesson #6: Make It Work.

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My, my, my, readers. It’s been quite the week! Even though it was a short one, I felt like so much was crammed in all at once, in just a couple of days. Thankfully the four day weekend has arrived just in time. I certainly plan on taking advantage of it and doing some much needed relaxing. So, as I’m sure many of you know, things do not always work out the way that you plan them to. In times such as these, this next Diva Lesson becomes the most important! Yes, we all know that Tim Gunn uses the phrase all the time, which alone qualifies it as a key diva lesson, but “Make it Work!” means so much more.To be a true diva is to be adaptable, and able to think on your toes. This week was a perfect example of this lesson, which is why I figured this week would be the perfect one to bestow this lesson upon all of you!  So, without further adue, let class begin. Open your notebooks, and be prepared to take some notes! Now here we go: “Diva Lesson #6: Make It Work.”

Towards the end of last week, things already started to get a little wacky. I was casually using my computer, when all of a sudden, I heard this weird noise coming from the charger, and suddenly it stopped working. It was very weird, and I started freaking out because I had no idea what was going on. I tried unplugging and plugging the charger back into the computer, or into different outlets, but nothing worked. So, my computer charger had died. At first, I didn’t think was going to be a problem. But then I remembered that I had to facilitate a meeting with the advocacy committee on Sunday via AIM chat, and I also had a short paper due early in the week. Well snap. I called my dad right away and let him know, and he found a new charger very quickly. However, it was going to be the weekend and the mail room isn’t open, and I still had many things I needed to get done! What was a diva to do? Well of course, make it work! But more on that as the rest of my week unfolds.

As I mentioned previously, this week I had a short paper due. That paper was for my Feminist Art and Culture class. For the paper, we had to go and see feminist art work, and write a reaction paper to it. But, it can be hard to find feminist art work in general, and then on top of that, traveling around without a car also raised some worries for me. But of course, other divas come through and once again, it was another “make it work” moment! On Sunday, Jen, Jaz, Lil Fabez, and I all took a road trip! Lil Fabez was kind enough to drive, so she brought all of us to this museum our professor had told us about, called Dia: Beacon, located in the town of Beacon. Basically, Beacon is a center for modern art in the region. It was a beautiful day, and we drove over a bridge at one point blasting music from Hercules which was really hilarious and yet very cool at the same time. Dia was amazing. As soon as I walked inside, I fell in love with the place. There’s art work located both outside and inside of the main building, which is an old warehouse made of brick and painted mostly white on the inside. The large open areas make you feel so small, but it was such an inspiring space and when you walk in, you see these large colored shapes hanging on the wall. The array of shapes and colors was phenomenal. It’s hard to even describe the feeling that being inside of Dia gave me. As we walked further in, I saw other works that were just as flawless. One of my favorites in particular was a pile of shattered glass, which had shards pointing out at tons of different angles. It was so unique, and it was part of a series of similar pieces, one of which was seemingly a mound of dirt with shiny flecks in it. It was so simplistic, yet I could just stare at them forever. I wanted to just walk around for a while, but we were in a bit of a rush because it was a busy day. So we went upstairs and looked at the work of Louise Bourgeois, a feminist sculpture artist. Her work had a lot to do with natural shelters, and biomorphic shapes, while also using ideas of feminist and masculine themes. It was pretty interesting, especially because it was presented in a very secluded, quiet space. She had one sculpture in particular, a giant spider piece, which was very striking. We spent a while there, and when we had to leave, I wasn’t ready to. Dia:Beacon is definitely one of my new favorite places, and it reminded me of why I want to go into higher education, either in student affairs or admissions, at an art school. I loved the surroundings and the atmosphere. It was all excellent.

Following that, the four of us wanted to go and get something to eat since we all hadn’t eaten yet that day. We tried to go to Panera, but it was packed because it was a Sunday I suppose. Once again, it was another “Make it work” moment. So, we went next door to Coldstone Creamery and ate ice cream. Sure it was weird to eat ice cream first, but that’s what we did and it was perfect. After that, we went into town once we were back in New Paltz and we got Chinese food. Then, we made our way back to campus and I tried to get some work done. I had to rush to the print lab since my computer wasn’t working and I couldn’t use my printer, then I wrote my Japanese composition, and then it was off to the magazine meeting to plan the launch party which would take place the following day. After that was my next “make it work” moment. I had to rush back to Dubois, where a bunch of my friends live to use Lindsay’s computer for my chat with the NACURH Advocacy Committee. The chat was very successful. We were able to get everyone going on a couple of project ideas, and it’s nice to finally have that forward momentum. As the Vice-Chair, I was even able to take control and lead the discussion for a couple topics which was also very cool. I love working with the Advocacy Committee because all of the members come from all over the nation, and it’s really interesting to see all of these people come together in one setting, working towards a common goal or idea.
Monday finally arrived and I went to my classes. In Japanese, my professor surprised all of us and said we would be having a test on Wednesday, along with a guest speaker who would talk about studying abroad in Japan. None of us were expecting to have a test on Wednesday, so it turned into another “make it work” moment. The rest of the day went by pretty smoothly, but my professor for Intro to Law sprung another surprise on us, letting us know we would have to type up the briefing of a case and hand it in on Wednesday. Yet again, I couldn’t believe I didn’t have a working computer for this week. This was truly a week to end all weeks. Later that day, I yet again returned to my friend’s room in Dubois to use her computer to type up my paper for Feminist Art and Culture, and then I spray painted a pair of glasses gold because it just felt needed, and I prepared myself for the magazine launch party. The party went surprisingly well. It was a lot of fun and it was great to have the whole staff all together. A lot of people came which was also very exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Tuesday morning came around and I headed off to Feminist Art and Culture, my only class of the day. It was time for class to begin, yet my professor hadn’t shown up. Sure enough, she called one of the students in my class and let her know there was an emergency so she wouldn’t be in. Instead, we would hold class ourselves. We were told to talk about the work of a particular artist and relate it to the Slut Walk (which it taking place this Saturday, conveniently enough!) So, as you can probably guess, this turned into another “Make it work” moment. My week was really full of them through and through, I wasn’t kidding. It was actually a very interesting discussion filled class and it was really awesome that we were able to operate without the professor. It was a unique class to say the least. For the rest of the day, I took care of little business things that needed to be done, and did some more computer hopping. My charger arrived that day, but it was the wrong one so I needed to have my dad order yet another computer charger for me. So, I used Jordan’s computer to type up my Law homework, and then studied for my test the next day.

Wednesday came quickly, thankfully, and I went to my morning classes, the second of which was Japanese. We listened to the guest speaker, and then took the test which was kind of difficult, but short. I think it went pretty well overall. After that, I had my staff meeting for OL, and went to lunch with Stephen, Soraya, Christie, Jon, and Marissa. The rest of the day was spent waiting for my last class so that my four day weekend could begin. When I went to class, there were only twelve people there. This was expected because it was a late afternoon class right before a long weekend. We had class anyway, because even my professor knows the “make it work” rule and held a smaller, more intimate class. Once it was over, I was relieved that I had weathered my way through the week, and I went to reward myself with a caramel latte. It was my second latte of the day, but don’t judge! It’s National Coffee Week! What else would you expect?

So with that, the weekend began. Last night, I went to dinner with Jen and Stephen, and then we met up with Allison and hung around Espous before going to Stewart’s for ice cream. Our favorite worker, Robin, was there and I had pumpkin pie ice cream in a waffle cone. It had crust in it and everything! Then I returned to Capen and had a sleepover with Jordan in Sam’s bed since she went home for the weekend. Today, I got up at 12, and I had an e-mail from mail services. I had a package and it was my lap top charger! At last, I could use my own lap top once again. Clearly, this was a sign that the “make it work” week was coming to an end. Later on, I went to the mall with Stephen and Jen and we just walked around from store to store. We went to a Halloween costume store and a teacher’s store where I bough cute French stickers too. Then we went to dinner and Panera and closed out the evening with Starbs where I bought a pumpkin spice latte, despite ridiculous rain and lightening. Hey, it’s National Coffee Week! Sometimes coffee is just that important and clearly, this is one of those weeks. It’s been a great and relaxing day, and I’m looking forward to enjoying the remaining days of my long weekend.

Despite the fact that oddities or curveballs may arise in any given week, it’s always possible to handle them and navigate accordingly. Dealing with not having a computer was certainly a challange this week, especially when I had so many things going on which I needed it for, and then a kind of surprise test was another unexpected element, along with of course, probably the finest example of this week’s lesson, holding class without a professor. The key is to always remain calm and in control. A true Diva is one who does not crack under pressure, but finds a new path, and navigates anew in her own way. Although this should be saved for another lesson, and probably will be its on at some point, this lesson is similar to my favorite saying, “Fake it till ya make it!” Always remember that you can accomplish whatever tasks lie ahead of you, just remember what you’ve been taught here in this lesson, and the next time you have to deal with some sort of strange, random, or seemingly daunting situation, turn it around, make it fun, make it you, and take control. In closing, I want you to close your eyes and picture Tim Gunn standing before you, saying his favorite phrase (no, not “What’s all this flotsam and jetsam?” or “It looks like faux-bois.”), and then repeat after him, this week’s lesson, Diva Lesson #6 “Make it work!”

 

Extra Credit:  Upon reviewing my life choices since coming to New Paltz, I decided that I am more than likely going to add an Asian Studies minor onto my double major. I’m already a decent way into the program, so it would make sense to take advantage of that. I also really enjoy Japanese, so it would make sense for that reason as well. Political Science, Women’s Studies, and Asian Studies. What a combination.

Also, one of my best friends from home is coming up this weekend to take a look at New Paltz and get a feel for it to see if he wants to apply or possibly come here next year! I’m very excited to show him around because he’s never been here before and I also haven’t seen him in some time.

Finally, I really want to go to the Deadmau5 concert next weekend, but I still don’t have tickets, a way to get there, or someone to go with. This is a situation. Oh well, I guess we’ll just see how everything ends up playing out.