My year as chair of the Tang Student Advisory Council

In fall 2020, as the world grappled with COVID-19, I embarked on a new chapter of my academic journey as a transfer student to Skidmore College. When I arrived, the campus was quiet, its usual buzz subdued by the pandemic.  
 
One of the few groups I was able to join was the Student Advisory Council (SAC) at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum. Under the supervision of Tom Yoshikami, the assistant director for engagement at the Tang, the SAC’s biweekly meetings allowed me to connect with other creative students who were also interested in art and museum work. Together, the members of SAC, an all-volunteer group, brainstormed innovative ways to engage our peers — such as talks and tours conducted on Instagram — when the pandemic made in-person activities impossible. I never would have guessed that two years later, I would become the leader of SAC, in charge of running meetings and planning events.  
 
When I was offered the role, I was both excited and apprehensive; I never considered myself a natural leader, which I thought required a certain level of extroversion and confidence. My trepidation increased as we received a record number of applications; SAC grew to 68 students.  
 
Because of this unprecedented size, one of the first things I did as chair was elect vice chairs to help run meetings and plan events. I chose people with different strengths, so SAC could benefit from a diverse and well-rounded leadership.  

We started the 2022-23 school year with a burst of activity: welcoming new members, conducting icebreakers, and planning for events that have become Skidmore traditions, like ROOM•MATE: Living with Tang Art, the student art loan program developed by SAC in 2018. That September, we held a preview party, in which students could see the 75 works available to borrow (it now features 100 works), and a pickup day in which students lined up ahead of time to make their picks, with many camping in line overnight. 
 
Before we knew it, it was time to plan one of SAC’s biggest fall events: Skele-Tang, a Halloween-themed craft-making extravaganza open to the entire Skidmore community. I organized the event by having SAC divided into small groups, with each group brainstorming craft ideas and writing supply lists. Crafts included dried-flower bouquet making, T-shirt dying with bleach, and ancient Greco-Roman vessel-inspired pumpkin painting. While planning Skele-Tang, I learned that the set-up of the chairs, tables, and materials, and the clean up once everything was over was just as important as organizing the crafts themselves. Plenty of people took part and made the event a success; however, I realized in hindsight that if we had fewer crafts, we could have put more effort into improving the experience of each station. So, I also learned not to prioritize quantity over quality. 

One of my goals for SAC was to plan more activities for us to do as a team. I planned a field trip to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in the fall. It was an opportunity to learn about another museum and how it is run. It also gave SAC members a chance to get to know each other and brainstorm ideas to implement when we returned. In the spring, I organized a field trip to a local historic wallpaper manufacturer, a trivia night, a collections tour with the museum registrar, and a screen-printing activity, during which we made SAC tote bags in the Idea Lab.  
 
Also in the spring semester, the SAC organized the Valentine’s Day event, Tang ❤️ Students, welcoming students back to campus with crafts, a photo booth, live music, and food. Later in the semester, I organized a SAC behind-the-scenes event in which we previewed the 25 new artworks that were added to the ROOM•MATE program for fall 2023. It was exciting to see how this Skidmore tradition continues to grow and endure. 

When I think back on my year as SAC Chair, I feel a little bit of disbelief that I was able to organize such a large group of people, lead meetings, and plan school-wide events. I became more at ease talking in front of big groups, and coordinating and collaborating with people and groups within and outside our community. Of course, I didn’t do it alone. I thank my supervisor and all the SAC members for making the year so successful. Although I was neither the loudest nor the most exuberant — traits I once thought were necessary to be a good leader — I developed a set of leadership skills in my own right. The Tang entrusted me and gave me the opportunity to lead SAC. For that, I am grateful.