By Jacqueline Hlavenka
On the last day of classes for the spring semester, students made their way out of the halls of Breslin, Brower and Dempster to join a University-wide celebration of global peace on the Calkins Quad.
With the help of the Progressive Students Union, senior Michael LaFemina organized the University’s Day of Peace festival, celebrating a universal, non-political promotion of peace, featuring music, dancing and eco-friendly vegan food.
“I was in the Student Center and the idea just came to me. I talked to Eric Dubinksy and the Progressive Students Union, and we did it all together. With all the help of different organizations, everyone was like ‘yeah I’ll help’ and contributed money,” LaFemina said.
The event, sponsored by about 20 to 25 campus groups-including the Professional Organization in Speech Education (P.O.I.S.E.), Hofstra Civil Liberties Union, Hofstra’s Organization for Progressive Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) and various fraternities and sororities-left political affiliations behind to establish a common bond between all University students, as well as global communities around the world.
Advertisements for the event cited that students should wear white or a bright color to symbolize support for the entire day.
At common hour, students began to sing “This Little Light of Mine,” along with the opening drum circle, dancing and clapping. Inside a tent on the quad, the University’s Events Management team displayed flags for many countries in the world to set the scene.
Inspired by various free speech days on campus, the president of P.O.I.S.E., Sid Nathan, encouraged students to speak openly about peace as a social and cultural necessity.
“We are all part of the same team,” Nathan said, as the crowd cheered.
Adam Wasser, a freshman. was another student who took advantage of the microphone.
“This is not a matter if you’re liberal or conservative. Peace is about improving yourself and how one can become a better person,” Wasser said. “We learn from each other.”
Closing out the ceremony, the Hofstra Jazz Ensemble played a repertoire of classic jazz standards while students danced, ate free food and enjoyed a relaxing day in the sun.
Being the first of its kind, LaFemina and P.S.U. hope to turn Day of Peace into an annual University tradition due to the high turnout of the event.
“It’s truly amazing. Good things happen when people work together,” LaFemina said, smiling.

(Jacqueline Hlavenka)

(Jacqueline Hlavenka)

(Jacqueline Hlavenka)