A Thank You to University Union
- cspanos5
- Jun 1, 2017
- 2 min read
I was introduced to Syracuse University’s student programming board, University Union, two weeks into my freshman year after attending its fall music festival. I still remember how I felt leaving the field that afternoon. I was filled with excitement and anticipation at the prospect of joining an organization that brought joy to so many people. University Union screens movies on the weekends, brings hilarious comedians to campus every semester, and provides students with unique concert experiences. I had to be a part of it, so I spent my first semester hoping to make a positive impression within the organization by hanging up posters around campus and tabling in our student center to promote shows.
Hanging up posters and tabling could be considered the grunt work of University Union. It was clear that the upperclassman thought tabling wasn't worth the time, they rarely volunteered for shifts and didn't seem to be the most welcoming towards the freshmen that did. While promoting events by talking to strangers in our student center was an awkward task at first, those shifts allowed me to fully understand every aspect of the organization and then share that knowledge with others. Tabling also introduced me to Jeremy, a junior that continued to table alongside the freshmen long after he held a director position. In a time where I felt discouraged about where my place was at Syracuse, Jeremy encouraged me to apply to an elected board position. After working as an usher for the fall Performing Arts show, “University Union Presents: The Girls of SNL” with stars Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer, I quickly rose within the organization to talent booker and later vice president. As my responsibilities grew from promoting events, to booking comedy shows, to managing the team that both plans and promotes all of University Union’s events, I never stopped tabling alongside the freshmen.
That first year made me realize how important it is to truly get to know the students interested in making a difference. As vice president during my senior year, I found myself recruiting and mentoring the future leaders of University Union—a task that proved to be both challenging and rewarding. I am so grateful to have had experiences that encouraged me to take on roles that I didn’t necessarily foresee myself in originally. I was put in positions where I had to be open-minded and open to constructive criticism in order to grow, and, looking back, I don’t know who I would be today without the feedback I received. Since I was serving as part of an organization that was constantly evolving, it was so important for me to be accountable of my own actions and empathetic yet firm in how I managed others. Those are just a few of the skills I fostered through my time with University Union, and I look forward to fostering them further in my future career.
I owe a huge thank you to University Union and the people that worked alongside of me. My college experience wouldn't have been quite the same without them.
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