I’m looking forward to it. It was a lot of fun with vendors and games and music. I remember back in elementary school there’d be a pop-up bookstore, and we could bring money in from home to buy books. There was one of those too.
One of my favorite things about this upcoming one is that Dean Stommer has created a community hours payment program where you can earn ‘money’ to be spent at any booth for anything at the festival in trade for performing some kind of help from any number of tasks on a list that he has posted online. All you need is someone to sign off when you’ve done your task.
It’s little things like that why I love RDU so much. The festival is meant to be fun for everyone—all the students and staff, as well as the community—all while raising money for the school. But for those who don’t have money to spend on fun, it felt a little… sad. Isolating. In the fall, I was able to buy cotton candy. That’s it.
I think enough people shared this thought and Dean Stommer found a way to make sure everyone has a chance to have money, even if it’s fake money that will be reimbursed by whatever means Dean Stommer has set up to pay those vendors accepting the fake money tokens earned by community service efforts.
The effort that everyone at RDU puts forth to make sure all the students are on a level playing field has always felt very humbling to me.
When we’ve finished breakfast, we climb into the shuttle for the six-minute drive to þórðargleði University. I’m surprised at the appearance of booths and games when they weren’t thereyesterday afternoon. Not even a hint of them was there when we left.
“The shuttle leaves at 3:15 for Reykjavík. You don’t have to be on it if you choose to stay longer, or would rather go back to the domes. Or enjoy another activity,” Byndley calls as we get to our feet. “Did you all take a picture of the map for where you can find the shuttle once in Reykjavík?”
I nod as others agree verbally.
“Good. The shuttle will go back to the domes every hour beginning at 4:30 through 10:30. There are tons of excursions and explorations of the local area if you choose to do something other than check out downtown. Have fun and be safe,” she concludes and turns to climb off the shuttle.
The group of students we’d hung out with yesterday is there waiting for us. Einar meets me with a big smile when I get off the shuttle and hands me a hot cocoa. “This one is amazing,” she promises. “My favorite.”
I take a sip, and it’s hot, creamy, and with a hint of toffee. “Wow. I might need eight more of these.”
She beams. “Right? You want to walk around?”
“Yes, show me your Community Day. I want the þórðargleði experience.”
Einar laughs. “Don’t you have community events like this?”
“Yep. In the summer especially, there are always a lot of fairs and stuff. County fairs and small-town fairs. This year at RDU, we had our very first campus festival with another planned for the end of April.”
“Yeah? Is it like this?”
We pass kids making snowmen and two snow walls set up with people throwing snowballs at each other. “Well, to start with, there’s no snow, so those activities are different.”
She snorts.
“But yeah, kind of. The idea is the same. Promoting community and support.”
“I’m looking forward to the changes you guys are going to help us make.”
There’s something about the way she says it that makes me feel guilty. For a minute, we walk in silence, and I watch as Wendy gets to feed a reindeer.
“You know, I don’t think we should be changing what you have at all.”
“Isn’t that the point of this, though?”
“I think maybe we’ve been using the wrong words. You have a solid foundation already in place. Actually, in some ways, you’re further along than we are because your government enforces equality in so many ways that ours does not. I don’t think we should be changing anything. I think we should be expanding and growing what you already have. Like your Community Day. This is absolutely breathtaking. There’s magic in the snow, and I love how you embrace that with your activities. You know what I see missing?”
Einar looks around. “Warm tents to take the edge off.”
I laugh. “Yes! But what I’m referring to is that I see most of the signs and banners all boasting that they’re brought to you by þórðargleði and clubs within þórðargleði. You’re lacking community involvement. Does that make sense?”
She looks around. “You’re a really cool guy, Brevan.”
My cheeks heat and I take a sip of my cocoa to hide it.
“I get what you’re saying. You don’t think we need to redesign this entire event. It just needs to grow.”
“Yes, that’s what I mean. I get that these events are about promoting community, but they’re also about making money, and if the school and its clubs are sponsoring the whole thing, I don’t think you’re making the money you should be.”
