2015 Convention Stories

Serendipity

Emily Spangler
Eastern Region Associate Student Representative
Secretary, Alpha Gamma Kappa Chapter
Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV

Clutching my mother’s hand as I experienced a plane take off for the first time in my entire life, all I could think about was the ground. The ground was beautiful; it was solid and had kept me safe for 20 precious years. Now, I felt like I was betraying it with the air. When we finally touched down in Albuquerque, NM, I couldn’t help but kneel and pat the cool stone in the wonderful Albuquerque airport, because I felt like I had taken advantage of the ground; it needed to be properly thanked for not hovering in the air for hours at a time. This made me think about the 2015 Convention theme: Borderlands and Enchantments. I had flown over many borders to get to Albuquerque, and I felt as if my introduction to flying was similar to both crossing a border and letting a doctor give you a shot. That first day was exhausting and terrifying, but I felt as if I had worked hard to get to this convention, and that this was where I belonged.

I was the only one from my chapter to submit to the 2015 Convention, and consequently I was attending the convention alone. I didn’t think that would be odd until the first day of the convention. Shrill laughter escaped from friend to friend, teachers lovingly wished their students good luck before presentations, and best friends held up T-shirts for the other to see, asking “Should I get a medium or a small?” I found myself feeling lonely and wanting convention companionship too. Thankfully I found it in Crystal Stone, the outgoing Student Representative for the Eastern Region. The first night, I came up to her and introduced myself. She immediately invited me to eat dinner with her, without knowing me at all. The kindness continued from other chapters. No one wanted me to feel alone, and I strongly believe this trait is specific to the Sigma Tau Delta convention because there is such a sense of English camaraderie. It seemed like for those few days that I will never forget, Sigma Tau Delta only had one chapter, and for that, I will be eternally grateful.