National Convention Journal – Day Four

by Christy Berry

Let’s hear it for the end of #NACA2012!!!! It was a great last day, and of my 3 conferences thus far, it has topped all expectations! The day started bright an early with an ed session conquering the dysfunctions of a team- this session was great and very helpful to bring back to Maryville’s board. As I deliriously continued on to the next ed session, I played a great game of Telestrations that helped the students and myself learn about the importance of transitioning. We also discussed ways in which to complete this process effectively. From here, it was on to the first showcase of the day!  We saw several comedians and an amazing performance by Nuttin But Stringz that blew the crowd away! After listening to my stomach growl all morning because the line to Starbucks for breakfast was too long, it was finally time for lunch! Now, this was no ordinary lunch- it was also the School Showcase: World of Ideas. It was great to see schools and delegations from all over the country coming together to share ideas and collaborate on different promotional techniques that work on different campuses. From there it was the last ed session of the conference where I learned how to build up an organization at a small, liberal arts college. And then came probably the most anticipated moment for some: the keynote speech by Raven Symone! It was awesome listening to her life story and realizing that she is not that different from any one of us. We then headed to my personal favorite part of NACA- CAMP, the Campus Activities Marketplace!! Here I made connections with agents, got information on all the wonderful acts that we were seeing, and completed a CAMP challenge given to us by our awesome advisor, Brian Gardner- the future Vice Chair for Programming at NACA! WHAT WHAT?! It was then time for another showcase, dinner, and yet again- another showcase! This showcase was my personal favorite! South Jordan won the on-site showcase and was truly amazing! To top it all off, the Maryville delegation won a photo Sojo Mojo contest that we were participating in to promote South Jordan! We are definitely going to enjoy our free cd, iTunes giftcards, discount on their booking price, and a surprise they are including in the package!! The last CAMP was a chance to do last minute business and say goodbye to all of our wonderful agents before heading to block booking to observe the intense work of saving $$!! Now our delegation is preparing to head back to STL bright and early by pulling an all-nighter!! WOOT!

These conferences never ever let me down! I leave each time with more resources, more ideas, and more relationships than I had coming in! After attending some of the best ed sessions that I have been to over the course of 3 conferences, I leave here very inspired to present one of my own at next year’s Regionals (maybe even Nationals!!!) I can’t wait to see what NACA has in store for me!

I must give a shout out to my wonderful delegation: Jordan, Carter, and Kevin! Their blogs have been great and their company over these past few days even better! And we can’t forget the most important person in all of this- Brian Gardner! Without him, we wouldn’t have this opportunity! So, thank you Brian for bringing us here and allowing us to write this blog for everyone! Thank you for supporting us in everything we do and being there to help pick up the pieces when things get rough! We love you! (and we can’t wait to meet your new baby girl!!)

National Convention Journal – Day Three

Kevin O’Gorman
Maryville University in St. Louis
Core Student Involvement Team

Well, another day of the NACA National Convention has come and gone, and that means that there is only one day left!  Although, our time in Charlotte is coming to a close, we made sure to spend our day as best we could!  The first thing on the agenda was an educational session on risk taking in programming and how to plan ahead for the positive and negative results of such risks.  Then I went to the club showcase that featured the A Cappella group Overboard, Comedian Trevor Boris, and other very entertaining and unique acts that would be great to bring back to campus.  After our lunch break we went to the Ballroom for another great showcase of, again, such unique and entertaining talents, ranging from artistic to comedic.  Following this, I went to my second educational session that covered the topic of how to create and uphold traditions in an institution that might not have strong traditional programming at the moment.  The sampler showcase came next, which gave the spotlight to even more individuals with such diverse talents.  The showcases closed out with a bang with the final showcase of the night.  This group of performers, once again, was SO varied in talents which provided for an evening of nonstop entertainment, finishing up with the one and only Andy Grammer who brought down the house, or conference room if one wants to be literal.  The last part of the night was dedicated to the Diversity Dance Party that was, as always, the place where such dance moves as the electric slide regain their everlasting popularity.  All in all, the day was a success!  We saw some great acts, made some connections with agents, continued our photo challenge for South Jordan, and learned about effective programming!  I can’t wait to see what’s in store for our final day of the NACA National Convention, but until then it’s off to bed!

National Convention Journal – Day Two

by Carter Harbert
Maryville University
Campus Activities Board and Core Student Involvement Team

We are here in Charlotte, North Carolina at the National Association for Campus Activities Conference and we have just finished day two of another one those grand and unforgettable moments in our lives.  We have already met celebrities like Matt Roloff from Little People, Big World and are even becoming celebrities in our own right, teaming up with Auburn Moon Agency’s South Jordan in their attempt to occupy NACA, which you can check us all out at occupynaca.com.  This is my first conference but I’m extremely lucky to be traveling with an amazing team and advisor that make all the new information, along with the unanimously decided “wow factor” that is NACA, extremely easy and enjoyable to digest.  I’ll give a shout out to the newly elected Vice Chair for Programs to the NACA Board of Directors and our Campus Activities Board Advisor, Brian Gardner.  And one more to our amazing Block Booker, Christy Berry, who also happens to be my girlfriend of 4 years, and I can only imagine how thrilled she’ll be upon reading this, haha!  Maybe you can all look forward to her responding when she blogs in the next couple of days.  Anyway, as we close down another day in preparation for the next, I know we are all excited about getting a little sleep before we are assaulted with another 20 hours of programming heaven.  Peace everyone!

National Convention Journal – Day One

by Jordan Mazuranic
Maryville University, St. Louis

Today was a great start to the NACA National Convention! Our day started with a morning flight from St. Louis to Charlotte. Once settled into our hotel, we briefly explored our part of town to get the lay of the land. After a light lunch, we headed to the initial kick-off to the convention, and it was great! The first performers were entertaining and provided a great first look at the week. The Campus Activities Marketplace was a great experience talking with the various agents and performers. The main stage showcase had so many talented acts that kept us going after our long day. Grant Lyon was great with the jokes, while Fools for Rowan was a great ending act to the showcase with everyone on their feet rocking along with the band. The final CAMP of the night made for great connections between agents and delegations. We can’t wait to see what the rest of our convention adventure is filled with!

It’s Almost Time!

We are less than one week away from the 2012 National Convention! In just a few days, thousands of you will descend on the city of Charlotte, NC to see great showcasing acts, learn from a wide variety of educational offerings, listen to well-respected featured speakers, and book entertainment for your campuses!

This year, we are proud to have a student delegation blogging about their experiences at the convention. The students of Maryville University in St. Louis, MO will chronicle their journey to Charlotte, and you can read all about it right here.