Ephemera from Elizabeth Crowley, UAlbany First Year Student, Fall Semester 2020

1. A Lump of Coal
This bracelet contains my most prized possession. An authentic lump of coal from the Titanic. I have been so infatuated with the Titanic since I was in third grade and have a huge collection of books and memorabilia, but this is by far my most rare and favorite.

2. Baby Picture with my Grandma
My grandma has been my best friend since I was born. We do everything together. Her main goal is to raise me, in this messy world, to be a good and happy person while being educated and well cultured. I think she has done one hell of a job. I love my mema so much, I would do anything for her. I can’t wait for Covid to disappear so we can travel and party together again. 

3. Monticello Spoon
I have an entire spoon collection of maybe 50 spoons, but this spoon from Monticello is one of my favorites. My grandma took me on a trip to all the famous spots in the show Hamilton, and it was absolutely amazing. Monticello was so beautiful, I cried.

4. Hamilton Ticket
Hamilton has been a big part of my life, and the music has just helped me through so much, and I was so fortunate to be able to see the show, thanks to my grandma. 

5. My Four-Legged Friend
This is Ophelia, my English Mastiff puppy, who is nowhere near that size anymore. We adopted her during the beginning of quarantine and she is one of the reasons I did not lose my mind during lockdown. She is now eight months old and 95 pounds, and according to the vet, she is going to double in size. 

6. Corsage
These flowers are from my junior year prom, which was probably the most boring prom, but the flowers were beautiful. I went with my friend, who lives two hours away from me, and we had matching flowers and wore matching colors. Due to college, we do not talk as often, but I think about her every day. 

7. Little Stegosaurus 
I love dinosaurs sooo much, and I also collect little animals, and this Stegosaurus I carried around with me for years. It is so tiny and it just gives me so much serotonin when I see him. 

8. EMT Badge
I am a registered NYS BLS (basic life support) EMT, and this badge was the one I was given when I first started training, about a year and a month ago. I never realized how much this career would impact my life, but I have loved (almost) every minute of it. As I get older, I intend to become a paramedic and continue to save lives. 

9. Yellow Ribbon
My childhood stuffed bunny, Baby, had this yellow ribbon around his neck for years. I fidgeted with it so much that it ended up ripping and falling off. Now I carry the ribbon everywhere as a comfort, because apparently it is frowned upon to have a stuffed animal at 18!

10. My Ship of Dreams
This is a boarding pass I received at a Titanic exhibition when I was in sixth grade. I was practically bald, so they thought I was a little boy, which is why I was given Benjamin Guggenheim. I am not complaining, though, because Guggenheim is one of the most famous passengers on the ship, and it must be very rare to receive his boarding pass!

11. Impeachmints
I think the name of the mints is story enough…#DumpTrump!! Also, do not open the can and smell it, you will regret it. 

12. The Reason I Stayed 
This is a copy of part of a section of a letter I was given in 6th grade, by my science teacher. She had my back that whole year, with family and mental struggles, and she continued to love me as her own daughter through the end of middle school and beginning of high school. She sadly passed away in March, due to stage 4 stomach cancer. I miss her every day, and it is really hard being here without her, but I know she would want me to fight like crazy for her. 

13. The Mosaic Lizard 
My grandma bought this lizard for me while we were in Barcelona together. Traveling to Spain was my high school graduation present, though we luckily went in the summer of 2019, not 2020, and “Lizzard” was my childhood nickname. Mema had been to Barcelona before, but she loved it so much, and she was so eager to take me on a trip to see the city. 

14. The Key to My Heart
This is the key to a lock my grandma and I left on the fence outside Notre Dame, in Paris, two years before the cathedral burned down. One day I plan on going back to Paris, just to find this lock so I can open it and move it somewhere else. 

15. A Love Note
This card was sent to me, by my now ex-girlfriend, on Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of flowers. The message got messed up by the florist, which is why it is so weird. Every time I see it in my room, it reminds me of her, and I get so overwhelmed with happiness. She has moved on to someone new, but my heart will always belong to her, which totally makes her upset. Although, it is physically impossible to fall out of love with someone. She is such an amazing and strong person, every day I aspire to thrive just like her. This card gives me the slightest bit of hope that maybe one day, everything will be how it once was between us again. I have hope that we will grow old together, like we promised we would. 

16. Pride Flag
I received this little flag at the first Pride I attended. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, and I have never felt more loved. 
 
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