I have been working with the CBE for the past five years and, in my second year, I was approached by two individuals in my school who were active in Local 38 and asked me to be a school representative.  Since that time, I have served as a school rep and am now in my second year working with the Local Communications Committee.  I find the committee meetings to be quite enjoyable as the focus of the committee coincides with many of my interests, such as social media, videography, and web-based communication. 

As for why I chose to be active in Local 38, the answer is fairly straightforward.  As a social studies specialist, I tell students that one of the great opportunities and obligations of democracy is that one should take part in the democratic process (and they told me there would be food at these CSR meetings).  Through being a member of a democratic society one gains great freedoms, but these freedoms come with a price.  It is our duty to speak up and have our voice heard. (Also, there was food at the first introductory meeting - a nice chicken dinner).  We are not forced to participate in the democratic process, but it just makes sense to work to be a part of the process that impacts your life (even though, at most of the other meetings, we just had juice and coffee).  We gain the benefits of life in a democracy, and we are able to shape these benefits if we choose to be active in the process.  It just makes sense to become involved in the decision making process when those decisions are going to have such an impact in your life (I’m so hungry!).