Yesterday, the day we were waiting for – May Day! – went off with huge success. The rally followed many others taking place across the country in celebration of International Workers’ Day, continuing the fight for the best working conditions in higher education and beyond. We had great attendance, sustained for a solid hour by incredible speakers discussing adjunct compensation & job security, lecturer workload, student & union activism, the WGS program, Family Leave provisions, immigration reform, diversity, and so much more. All of these topics and more center on us as students and future workers, our higher education experience and beyond. Absolutely loved it! Want to find more updates throughout the year? Check out our Facebook page: SLC at SUNY New Paltz!

I discussed it a bit last week, accompanied with a flyer, and about my worries promoting the event. The day of, that worry dimmed in comparison to my MC responsibilities. I hosted! I had my list of speakers, giving them introductions and whatnot, adding praise and my own two cents all around. Although I did public speaking since freshman year of high school, I’ve never quite gotten the hang of effective delivery and timing. I constantly worried about how I would be perceived, and that fear diminished my bravado and confidence. At the rally, I simply just went with the flow, rehearsed nothing and let my proud self shine. At least I got plenty of compliments on my MCing which made my day.

When I told one of my friends that I MCed the rally that night, it was the first time she smiled – and really bright – at our family dinner. As finals approach, we’re all pretty beat and exhausted, but everyone at family dinner knew how crazy it was that I effectively spoke in short spurts and engaged the audience between incredible speakers. Most of them were on the same RHSA Executive Board with me last year, and knew about my difficulty keeping my speeches clear and concise (why it’s become an inside joke between us). Still on the adrenaline rush of my event, with the red UUP hat on my head and Mayday $5K button on my chest, I could not hold back my overwhelming delight at the response. These people were always there for me, and now they’ve seen me grow.

On a special note, although the school sells class rings to graduating seniors (in coordination with an outside company), I wanted to buy a less expensive, personal ring found in New Paltz and with a symbolic connection to this thriving community. The chance came the day before the rally. I passed by a table in the Lecture Center, where one of the local sororities hosted a jewelry maker, Aggie Keith (Coconut Row). A blue crystal ring caught my eye, but turned out too big. The woman said she makes jewelry on the spot, fitting one into a ring or wrist size and then crafting the accessory from there. She sized me (3 1/2 inches on my ring finger; yes, I am that small) and went to work, choosing a turquoise stone, wrapped with stainless steel. Not only is turquoise close to New Paltz colors (blue), but it’s also my birthstone (December & Sagittarius). Within the cracks of the stone, one could also see bits of orange, the other New Paltz color. Small, classy, and hand-crafted; I successfully found my “class ring.”

Also, these past two days were elections for Student Association, the largest organization representing the full student population through academics, clubs, food services, etc etc. I’ve linked you to their page before, but you can learn more about them at newpaltz.edu/sa. Elections are pretty important at the end of the year because they not only determine who will be in the Student Senate, which is a small governing body modeling the US Senate and other senatorial offices, but also the Executive Board of Student Association, which organizes the Senate and many other bodies under SA that carry out governmental and programming functions. As a campaigning strategy, Upstate Rubdown (you know how much I love them!) played in Old Main Quad today to promote one of their singers, Mary Bacorn, in her Executive VP election. I caught them on video, and I’ll close with “Soothe Me.” Enjoy!