2008 Woodie Awards
Maya Angelou enlightens hundreds of Union and Schenectady community
Erika Schnitzer
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
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Over 1,000 Union students, faculty, and members of the surrounding community came to hear Maya Angelou speak at Memorial Chapel Monday night.
Lines formed over an hour before the event began, and 200 seats, reserved for members of the Union community with IDs, were opened at 6:45. They were full before Angelou walked on stage at 7 p.m.
The Chapel, which has a maximum capacity of 936, was overflowing, and several hundred people were unable to get in at all. Some students stayed close to the front door, while others hoisted themselves through open windows, desperate to hear Angelou speak.
Christa White, '08, was one student who did not get the opportunity to hear the talk. "We couldn't get in... It was disappointing to see all of the interest from the community who were turned away. They were obviously as disappointed as we were."
The event was open to the public, as are all speakers brought to campus. The press release sent to local newspapers stated that the Union community would get first priority, explained Director of Media and Public Relations Phil Wajda.
"Obviously, we would have liked to accommodate everyone…The hundreds of people who got to hear her message enjoyed an intimate moment with a cultural icon," stated Wajda.
"I am elated that so many people wanted to see [Angelou], and I wish that more people could have," said Director of Student Activities Matt Milless of the tremendous turnout.
Due to Angelou's contract, which strictly prohibited video recording and allowed flash photography for the first five minutes, her talk could not be broadcast to another location.
Milless explained that the only location which could have accommodated a greater number of people is the Field House, where the acoustics are not as high quality.
The crowd who did hear Angelou was not disappointed by her talk. Angelou entertained her audience for an hour, singing, reciting poetry, telling jokes, and offering words of wisdom. Some described it as enlightening and soul-lifting. Others left teary-eyed.
Lines formed over an hour before the event began, and 200 seats, reserved for members of the Union community with IDs, were opened at 6:45. They were full before Angelou walked on stage at 7 p.m.
The Chapel, which has a maximum capacity of 936, was overflowing, and several hundred people were unable to get in at all. Some students stayed close to the front door, while others hoisted themselves through open windows, desperate to hear Angelou speak.
Christa White, '08, was one student who did not get the opportunity to hear the talk. "We couldn't get in... It was disappointing to see all of the interest from the community who were turned away. They were obviously as disappointed as we were."
The event was open to the public, as are all speakers brought to campus. The press release sent to local newspapers stated that the Union community would get first priority, explained Director of Media and Public Relations Phil Wajda.
"Obviously, we would have liked to accommodate everyone…The hundreds of people who got to hear her message enjoyed an intimate moment with a cultural icon," stated Wajda.
"I am elated that so many people wanted to see [Angelou], and I wish that more people could have," said Director of Student Activities Matt Milless of the tremendous turnout.
Due to Angelou's contract, which strictly prohibited video recording and allowed flash photography for the first five minutes, her talk could not be broadcast to another location.
Milless explained that the only location which could have accommodated a greater number of people is the Field House, where the acoustics are not as high quality.
The crowd who did hear Angelou was not disappointed by her talk. Angelou entertained her audience for an hour, singing, reciting poetry, telling jokes, and offering words of wisdom. Some described it as enlightening and soul-lifting. Others left teary-eyed.
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