5th Note: Labor Labor Worker

The early American Labor Movement was a tool for the worker to speak out about the poor conditions they had been forced to work under. Joe Hill was song writer, dreamer, but most of all a poorly conditioned worker, he made it his duty/ privilege to find a way that he and his fellow workers could express to the somewhat cynical companies and the outside community just how bad, horrible, and unjust the conditions and terms they wrangled into working. His songs voiced the anger, concern, and worry of all the workers who had become tired of the companies n0nchilant attitudes towards the daily injuries and deaths the workers had become accustomed to.

In memory of Joe Hill, the singer, Paul Robeson told his story through his song titled “I Thought I Heard Joe Hill Last Night”. The song entails of a dream Robeson experienced one night in which Joe Hill appeared to him orating to him that “I will never die”. This vision led Robeson to tell all that even though Hill may be dead his songs live on and what he did for his fellow workers and those to come will remain, echoing throughout our society. Joe Hill remains a messenger for the workers and his fight lives on within every one of them.

The early American Labor Movement represents the need and importance of solidarity. Joe Glazer expresses the ideals of solidarity and necessity of it to the people of any defining group. Glazer goes on to tell that labor music is a universal message to all people whether you’re a worker, a bossman, politician, or pedestrian. Labor music uses words, contracts, and connections to spread and develop the meaning of their cause. Courtney Brown chimed that the power of music to validate a cause was exactly what the poorly conditioned workers needed during their callous times.

Joe Hills song “Should I Ever Be a Soldier” because it give another perspective to the poorly conditioned workers and labors. Soldiers experience the same hardships just slightly lessened because they are soldiers but they are held to I higher standard when their work is being surveyed.  I don’t believe that the soldiers should be paid more or get better benefits for their labor job because the non-soldiers work just as hard if not harder to compare to the soldiers and they face the same worries, concerns, and fears in the work place.

4th Note: Staten Celebration

To many people America is known as “The Potluck of Cultures” and that’s just what we should embrace. With so many different cultures collecting in one singularity it’s important for us as a nation to take advantage of the opportunities that such a diverse group may bring.  If we can learn to appreciate that diversity we can achieve a much higher sense of community and unity. If we can’t come together as a nation, community, or family we will cease to grow and develop which will cause us to wither, become distant, and crumble as a society.

The neighbors and families of Staten Island have found a great way to appreciate, understand, and embrace “The Potluck of Cultures” that we call home. After September 11 the inhabitants of the Island were torn between feelings of fear and anger which eventually led to a chauvinistic life style. The NYCID organized a meeting, to happen once a month, which would “Celebrate Diversity!” with the leaders of the civic, religious, and political communities. After several meetings they decided to spread these meetings for peace out to the community to help build relations between them and strengthen the communal ties. This event at Wagner College brought several opportunities for anybody willing to give good participation to local growth and development, teach their children how to grow diversely and complexly, and spread and understand the stories of their neighbors.

Westminster could learn a few things from the families of Staten Island because the student, faculty, and staff bodies here are so diverse and made of so many different people from so many different cultures. Knowing that we have such a small campus we have the potential to connect with those who don’t come from the same background that we do. Learning how to accept, understand, and embrace the lifestyles, religions, and quirks of our campus can enlighten us on how to become a community. Westminster College needs find some way to get its inhabitants involved in connecting with each other.