My Best Summer School

To My Sisters,

I am sitting in my (thankfully) air-conditioned living room, thinking about Summer School.  I know I should be doing other things, getting ready for my August vacation, catching up on the news, but it is hard to leave the Summer School "bubble."  

I want to thank our students for being at the Labor Education Center this week.  I know it wasn't easy for many of you to leave your jobs or your families.  I want to thank everyone, students and instructors, for being so patient with all the technical problems in the LEC and the dorms.  As Dale says, "It wouldn't be Summer School if there wasn't a heat wave."  

Here are some of my favorite moments:  

- Arrival.  Arrival is always a fun day.  There is a great feeling of excitement and expectation.  Returning students and instructors greet friends.  New students are confused.  This year, everyone was confused after navigating the Rutgers campus, but that was quickly put aside as students received their name tags and workshops.

-  Opening Session.  It was very important to me to dedicate my summer school experience as coordinator to my mentor, Barbara Wertheimer, the founder of the NE School.

- The Log Cabin Picnic - Well, what can I say?  I have never before been surprised by 100-plus women singing Happy Birthday to me.  Now, whenever I visit Rutgers Gardens, I will remember that happy moment. 

- The Panel on the Attack on Collective Bargaining.  I work with brilliant people, and I was very proud to show some of them--Jeff, Janice, and Adrienne--off to you. 

- The Book Fair, author signings with Brigid and Jane, and Book Lottery.  In real life, I am a labor librarian, so it was important to me to create an opportunity where the Summer School sisters could meet real-life writers and buy (or win) books about labor.

- Labor History Night.  Bev had rewritten parts of our show to reflect the dedication of the school to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.  Seeing these photographs, hearing the testimony of the people who were there, I thought about Rose and Pauline, and then about Jessica Govea, my friend and colleague.  It's good to have a legacy of strong women.  

- Meeting Sandy Pope and Clayola Brown.  Greeting Karen See.  I felt like I was throwing a great big party, and the best women in the labor movement--including you--were in attendance.

- Graduation - An incredible feeling of achievement emanated from every student AND instructor. And--I received such lovely gifts.  (Picture me smiling as I write this.)

Thank you all for coming to our week-long "party".  Come again next year--Massachusetts bound!

In Sisterhood & Solidarity,

Donna