Get Goosebumps Everyday.

NACURH at Colorado University was one of the best experiences I have ever had!  I have learned about things to bring home to Lubbock, shared knowledge from my own experiences, and have made new friends with people all over this nation (and a new pal in Canada!)  In this blog, I will share the details of my favorite programs I attended so that they can be used in the future!  Speaking of programs, Amanda McCatherine and I are excited to go home with bronze medals after being recognized as one of the Top 40 Programs out of about 300 presented this past weekend.  I enjoyed the first presentation, however it was much more fun to present the second time.  The energy in the room is very inviting during the second presentation.  The volunteers and participants were very eager and excited.  It just made me so gosh darn happy to combine my love of presenting (as a typical theatre major) and my love of RHA.  At the end of my presentation, an audience member told me she was passing me the leadership torch and handed me a pin.  That was terribly sweet!  If I am blessed with the opportunity to present again, my goal is to be ranked in the Top 10 Programs by the time I graduate from Texas Tech University.  I was in the audience of OSU's program that was ranked in the Top 10 this year and it definitely gives me some tips and ideas to reach the winner's circle!

I'd have to say the delegation I got along best with was Oklahoma State University.  They are very kind and excited to share ideas and I just know that SWACURH is going to be fantastic with OSU as a host!  I attended one of their programs titled "All Around The World."  I definitely foresee me utilizing this program as a CA in the fall.  Tyler Brezik from OSU has already emailed me detailed instructions and resources to use this program!

Basically, the program utilized olympic rings to accommodate the theme, but it is easily adaptable.  Each student was encouraged to collect all five of the olympic rings.  To obtain these rings, there were different culturally inspired challenges like The Amazing Race.  You could complete these challenges to collect all five rings in any order you'd like.  However, if you felt the task was impossible, you are allowed to take a roadblock.  The first challenge was a riddle that left many stumped.  In the next challenge, with paper, string, scissors, and a hole-punch, I had to recreate the Japanese paper lantern.  After that, I had to speak a phrase of Tok Pisin which is common in Papua New Guinea.  Following this challenge, there was a phrase in Arabic I had to replicate in writing on my own paper.  (Apparently the easy trick is to write right to left.  Say that one three times fast.)  In the last challenge, an instructor shows you the Salsa dance.  To pass, you must perfectly replicate the steps.  If you simply cannot get the steps down you can take a roadblock in which you must conduct the popular well-known American dance (Brad, you may have heard of this) called "The Wobble."  OSU explained how these challenges simulate the experience of an international student coming to America.  As Americans, The Wobble is fairly simple to the average American teenagers.  However, if you ask us to attempt the Salsa, our feet become confused.  If you put yourself in the shoes of a student coming to Texas Tech University from Seville, Spain, the Salsa will most likely be second nature to them.  However, The Wobble may look like an awkward foreign sequence of lazy steps.  (Heck,  I'm used to it and I still occasionally feel that way.)  I really like the perspective this program offers as well as the introduction to other cultures.  They also suggested inviting international students to run the stations and teach their own culture.

I also went to a program that I enjoyed titled Leadership Through Improv!  This was instructed by Clayton Anderson from University of Colorado Boulder.  I will do my best to explain the games utilized in this program.  However, these games are easier to physically show in person.  I am a member of Alternative Fules, TTU's Improvisational Comedy Troupe.  I was excited to learn how to incorporate improv into programs.  There were three basic rules Clayton implemented from the start that I admired.  1.)  Support:  You must work as a team. 2.)  Yes and...:  Never deny your partners. 3.)  Have Fun!!!  This one speaks for itself.  The first name game was fairly simple but looked like a whole lot of fun.  Everyone stands in a circle and says their name.  Then, the group says everyones name in unison as you continue to repeatedly go around in this same circle.  You speed this process up to what sounds like a chant within the circle.  This allows everyone to quickly learn each other's names.  In the next game, there were three specific rules.  1.)  Only one person can move at any given time.  2.)  No talking is allowed.  3.)  At least one person has to be moving at any given time.  This really got everyone warm to each other.  In the third game, the object is for two people to look each other in the eye and say the same word at the same time on the count of three.  Once again, the group is in a circle.  Two people who are next to each other start the game off.  Each student has their right hand on their partner's left shoulder and stares directly into their eyes.  On three, they say the first word then enters their mind.  The first words to be said are nearly always random like "Hamburger!" and "Horses!"  Then, the goal for the next to people is to find a common denominator from the last two words.  Hopefully the next pair might look into each other's eyes and on three unanimously say "Cow!"  I hope that all makes sense.  Just ask me and I can show you these games sometime!  The purpose of these games are to instill a sense of teamwork, trust, problem solving, and as it was reinforced many times...fun!!!

Cupcakes:  A History is a program presented by a lovely gal from the University of Tulsa.  She spoke about the do's and don'ts of utilizing cupcakes in programs on campus.  One of the most interesting points I foresee taking home is that even calorie counting girls on campus will indulge if you offer mini-cupcakes!  You can also give more cupcakes with the same amount of batter.  Also, an issue with cupcakes is that people will happily grab a cupcake, but it might not be useful for making people stay to socialize.  A way to solve this problem is bake cupcakes and leave them un-iced and un-sprinkled so that in order to enjoy the dessert, the student must stick around to decorate.  I loved the way she described meeting someone by simply asking them to pass the dinosaur shaped sprinkles and how that can start a conversation.  She said that in the residence halls, there is no reason we should be ashamed of using a box mix.  Most of us do not have room for heavy duty kitchen equipment like a Kitchen-Aide of hand mixer.  She recommended using a blender to efficiently mix your concoctions!  I thought that was very clever and I will certainly use these tips as cupcake-baking CA.

This was not constructed into a specific program, but I learned much from Udi's Gluten Free Foods on being aware to resident's unique needs.  I know that before I have any programs involving food I will be sure to know if there there are any allergies or vegans or vegetarians or things relating to that nature.  It might be interesting to have a "Gluten Free" program to not only accommodate the special residents, but show the average eater how a gluten free eater lives.  I think this would be an efficient diversity program!

Speaking of food, the dining at CU was absolutely amazing!  I appreciated the organic milk and fresh fruit and veggies.  They are also a fantastically sustainable university.  All the paper plates and forks were compostable and waste was minimal.  Perhaps I can seek out compostable things of that sort to use at my programs and teach the girls about how it's simple to be sustainable!  (If alliteration if possible, I can't help myself.)  I also am now a fan of On Campus Marketing.  Their water bottle from our goodie bag kept my water cold all day!  I called the number on the bottom of my Polar Bottle and it is indeed dishwasher safe!

I thoroughly enjoyed Corey Ciocchetti's words during closing ceremonies.  He said to seek contentment in your heart and relationships with other people.  He encouraged us to befriend those who rush into your life when everyone rushes out.  He spoke of character meaning maintaining integrity.  He wants us to hustle (try harder than we are currently trying.)  He wants us to fight for things that matter and leave the place better than we found it.  Listen twice as much as you speak.  Laugh, for those who laugh at themselves live longer and happier lives.  Think, laugh, and have your emotions stirred...get goosebumps everyday.

In conclusion, I am honored to be apart of SWACURH's region and gained so much from NACURH 2012 at CU!  It is more magnificent and wonderful than I could have ever imagined!  I am so grateful to Texas Tech University's RHA for allowing me the opportunity and supporting me on this terrific journey!  Wreck 'Em and Texas Tech 'Em!

Run Your Own Race...with a smile on your face.

Today Amanda and I presented Holiday Relay!  I think it went swell!  Everyone was very receptive, participated cheerfully, and cared enough to ask some fantastic questions!  I hope this program gets spread to schools across the nation.  The idea of that is just spectacular.  Fingers are crossed to make Top 40 programs!  However, Amanda and I also learned a very important lesson today.  During the Olympic Games, we volunteered to partner up and participate in the wheelbarrow race.  (If you are not aware this is when one person holds and guides the legs of another whom is supporting themselves with only their arms in an upside-down fashion.)  Amanda was the first to be legless bear crawling in the magnificent Boulder grass while I held her legs.  Half way through her turn she began to feel it.  As her arms buckled, I tipped and rolled over her.  Our abs were probably getting the most workout from this entire ordeal because we were laughing so hard.  But I picked her back up and we persevered!  It came time for switch and for me to become the human wheelbarrow when I realized we were the only team left competing and only halfway through.  We smiled and laughed and in that moment nothing mattered but staying positive and getting the task completed.  Amazingly, we still had cheerleaders from not only our own school, but other's as well.  Our muscles were burning and we couldn't stop laughing, but we pushed until the end!  Just like the keynote speaker suggested, we were really running our own race.  We didn't quit when we noticed we were the only ones left.  We took it at our pace with huge smiles on our faces.  That is precisely what I plan to do about the results of our program.  Amanda and I have had a lovely experience with our first year at Texas Tech University and we will run our own race.  If our program is not selected, we will, with big smiles on our faces, take the evaluation advice and work harder to produce a more effective program to present in the future until we cross that winner's finish life.  If the program is selected, I guarantee our smiles will be just obnoxiously large as always.  We will run our own race with a smile on our face.

Wreck 'Em & Texas Tech 'Em!

I'm really excited because I just got out of opening ceremonies and an amazing first full day in Colorado!  The energy is fantastic and I am ready to make friends from across the nation!  The national anthem sang from a girl from South Africa was absolutely amazing.  It warmed my heart and I can't exactly express into words why.  I just feel it.  The warmth.  It's the community I can already feel surrounding me, by school, by state, by region, by nation, and now by the world.  I am all jazzed to present tomorrow and pass my torch of leadership with Holiday Relay!  Wreck 'Em & Texas Tech 'Em!

Soooo excited!!!

First day of conference = a great day!! Our delegation is having so much fun and meeting so many new people.  We had a blast with the parade of schools and touring Boulder.  There are mountains here!!  I'm really glad to see soooo many awesome delegates from SWACURH here to show some regional spirit!!  It's going to be such a fun time.

Call Me Maybe

When NACURH came into my life I missed it do bad! I missed it so so bad! Can't to wait get to NACURH! So day we have another general meeting and it just means we are that much closer to our destination! I hope I can get started working on our pins for the conference. I can already tell they will 1.) be amazing and 2.) everyone will be fighting for them! I know that our delegation will be the one that everyone will be talking about and looking forward to meet. Well it's meeting time so until then, bye!!!

Planning in Progress

I'm really excited about the upcoming NACURH conference!  The delegates are doing a great job with planning the activities for while we're in Denver!  They've also spearheaded the display, banner, and mascot competition.  I'm really proud of being the NCC here at Tech, and I'm really glad I'll get to be the NCC next year, representing Tech at the regional and national levels again!

Fingers Crossed

We are in another NACURH meeting and in just totes excited!!!! Our fingers are crossed hoping our programs get excepted for the conference. Other than that... Things are rolling. Outfits are being planned, banners are being digitalized, and sustainability is being put to work for our display. I hope Colorado is ready for us!