One Small Step
For those of you who don't know, we've (and when I use 'we' I mean a collective and somewhat changing group of students and professionals who want to see the NACURH Conference come to Oshkosh) been attempting to bid to host said conference for the past two years. This means that we twice went through the process of getting a student leadership team together, wrote a conference bid which is about 80 pages long, and presented in front of a group of student leaders at at the national conference.
Last year, it was a small group of focused students who attempted this task. I can truly say that a lot of us learned from that experience. Sadly, we did not get the bid last year (for 2006). This however enabled and inspired a new group of students to step up and take the charge. This new group not only learned from the previous' groups struggles (with some advice from some of the 'old guard' who decided to hang around and help out) but also added their own specific flare in the bid which I believe played an integral part in winning the bid this year (for 2007).
I've been fortunate enough to observe, first hand, what these student leaders go through during the bidding process. And I want to say that I am truly proud of all of them, and the hard work and the money (it cost them at least $300 to attend) they put forth was well worth it. And they should feel excited for this opportunity.
Before I continue with some smaller things about NACURH this year I would like to first mention that there was another delegation who's been working just as hard for the past two years. University of Northern Iowa (go Panthers!) have also bid two years in a row. I've been to two of their conferences in the past (RA and MACURH) and know that they put on a fantastic conference. I even had a chance to meet some of the students from UNI and I know they're going into the field of student affairs. I wish them luck. And I know the process is hard, but it would be great to see UNI bid again if not this year at least some time in the immediate future.
All That I Needed to Know in Life I Learned from Bidding at NACURH twice.
More Hands Make Less Work
The first time around we had a small yet truly dedicated group of students to learn and present the bid. Although this made some things easier I think it was also a struggle. The student leadership of this group, Ben and Allyson, definitely took some time to cultivate new leaders when they could. When it came to forming the presentation team, we had leaders who were confident with their contributions to the process.
Theoretical Practice
The bid process is interesting because for a whole year you're essentially imagining a fake conference. You're talking to businesses and constiuents without any guarantee that you're gonna get the conference. This group did a good job speaking with a convicted reality, sounding confident about getting the conference but not being overly cocky and saying that it was a sure thing. Additionally, the students dove into their imaginations to see what different things can be done to strengthen the NACURH conference, being not afraid to try some new ideas.
Keep It Light
Ever since DJ from last year's bid team asked the NBD "Who wants a Pepsi?" I think we all learned a lesson that you can have an extremely professional presentation but if you're not having fun with it, it shows. This group definitely took some time to add in their own flare (go conference binders!) while maintaining a professional composure overall.
It's The Journey Not the Destination
I realized that when they play your video at NACURH, you get excited and jacked and it's a relieving feeling. I also realized that soon after comes the thought "well, time to work." A new journey starts. But receiving or not receiving the bid is not a measure of success for any bid team. Ryan Bronkema said it the best when he told the delegation that they did something only a few other delegations have done previously: bid for a national conference. Other than the fantastic explosion of last year (4 bid teams) NACURH usually averages between 1 and 2 bids a year for the conference. As I stated above, the process to bid is a difficult one but one that any delegation should be proud of.
Enjoy the Conference
The nice thing about NACURH is that once you bid you get a chance to enjoy the rest of the conference. This delegation did a good job kicking it and relaxing soon after they presented (yes at times that did include a nap or two). Like anything in life when you've put your best foot forward, there's always some allowable time to reflect on the process and move on. You did what you could do, it's out of your hands.
As always I got a chance to see some old friends (Mikey, Eric, Jason) but there was something electric this time around about NACURH...I thank the students from our delegation who believed in themselves and grew throughout this process. And to anyone bidding for NACURH, good luck, it's a great time and it's worth it no matter what they outcome.
pb
Last year, it was a small group of focused students who attempted this task. I can truly say that a lot of us learned from that experience. Sadly, we did not get the bid last year (for 2006). This however enabled and inspired a new group of students to step up and take the charge. This new group not only learned from the previous' groups struggles (with some advice from some of the 'old guard' who decided to hang around and help out) but also added their own specific flare in the bid which I believe played an integral part in winning the bid this year (for 2007).
I've been fortunate enough to observe, first hand, what these student leaders go through during the bidding process. And I want to say that I am truly proud of all of them, and the hard work and the money (it cost them at least $300 to attend) they put forth was well worth it. And they should feel excited for this opportunity.
Before I continue with some smaller things about NACURH this year I would like to first mention that there was another delegation who's been working just as hard for the past two years. University of Northern Iowa (go Panthers!) have also bid two years in a row. I've been to two of their conferences in the past (RA and MACURH) and know that they put on a fantastic conference. I even had a chance to meet some of the students from UNI and I know they're going into the field of student affairs. I wish them luck. And I know the process is hard, but it would be great to see UNI bid again if not this year at least some time in the immediate future.
All That I Needed to Know in Life I Learned from Bidding at NACURH twice.
More Hands Make Less Work
The first time around we had a small yet truly dedicated group of students to learn and present the bid. Although this made some things easier I think it was also a struggle. The student leadership of this group, Ben and Allyson, definitely took some time to cultivate new leaders when they could. When it came to forming the presentation team, we had leaders who were confident with their contributions to the process.
Theoretical Practice
The bid process is interesting because for a whole year you're essentially imagining a fake conference. You're talking to businesses and constiuents without any guarantee that you're gonna get the conference. This group did a good job speaking with a convicted reality, sounding confident about getting the conference but not being overly cocky and saying that it was a sure thing. Additionally, the students dove into their imaginations to see what different things can be done to strengthen the NACURH conference, being not afraid to try some new ideas.
Keep It Light
Ever since DJ from last year's bid team asked the NBD "Who wants a Pepsi?" I think we all learned a lesson that you can have an extremely professional presentation but if you're not having fun with it, it shows. This group definitely took some time to add in their own flare (go conference binders!) while maintaining a professional composure overall.
It's The Journey Not the Destination
I realized that when they play your video at NACURH, you get excited and jacked and it's a relieving feeling. I also realized that soon after comes the thought "well, time to work." A new journey starts. But receiving or not receiving the bid is not a measure of success for any bid team. Ryan Bronkema said it the best when he told the delegation that they did something only a few other delegations have done previously: bid for a national conference. Other than the fantastic explosion of last year (4 bid teams) NACURH usually averages between 1 and 2 bids a year for the conference. As I stated above, the process to bid is a difficult one but one that any delegation should be proud of.
Enjoy the Conference
The nice thing about NACURH is that once you bid you get a chance to enjoy the rest of the conference. This delegation did a good job kicking it and relaxing soon after they presented (yes at times that did include a nap or two). Like anything in life when you've put your best foot forward, there's always some allowable time to reflect on the process and move on. You did what you could do, it's out of your hands.
As always I got a chance to see some old friends (Mikey, Eric, Jason) but there was something electric this time around about NACURH...I thank the students from our delegation who believed in themselves and grew throughout this process. And to anyone bidding for NACURH, good luck, it's a great time and it's worth it no matter what they outcome.
pb
posted by Peter Brooks at 4:48 AM
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