As I noted in my last post, the 62nd annual USSA Congress kicked off yesterday.

Final registration numbers aren’t in yet, but it’s already clear that the Congress is bigger and more representative of the nation’s students than it’s been in quite a while. There are something like two hundred students here, from all corners of the United States — research universities and community colleges, urban and rural schools alike. It’s a good, robust, dynamic crowd.

The first item on the Congress agenda was an afternoon meeting of the 2008-09 USSA Board of Directors, followed  by a dinner at which the Association’s officers and David Barrow, the president of the Australian National Union of Students, spoke. Barrow gave a strong speech on the need for global student solidarity, which I’ve invited him to publish on this blog.

After dinner the delegates split into five groups for informational sessions on USSA, the Congress, and how to run an organizing campaign back on campus in the fall.

Today begins with regional meetings, and continues with workshops and meetings of the Association’s largest caucuses, which known as affiliates: the State and System Student Association Coalition, the National Women’s Student Coalition, the National People of Color Student Coalition, and the National Queer Student Coalition.

For the last three of these, “allies spaces” in which students who are not part of the affiliates but identify as allies of their organizing will be held while the affiliate meetings are going on. (I’m going to be co-facilitating the allies space of the National People of Color Student Coalition, and I’m really looking forward to it.) Officer nominations are also today, at lunch.

Update: Obviously I can’t be everywhere at once, so if I’ve missed anything, Congress participants should feel free to post about their own experiences in comments.