What is the Value of National Student Affairs Conferences?

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'Worth' highlighted, under 'Value' ACPA

Conference Registration = $600 (less if done earlier, $450 for early bird)

ACPA Membership = $93-149 (2013-14 Membership Rates from ACPA)

NASPA

Conference Registration = $480 (less if done earlier, $430 for early bird)

NASPA Membership = $75-242

 

Hotel = $200/night (average for Tampa, higher for New Orleans)

Airfare = $200-700 (depends on several variables)

Total (average, estimated) = $1,900 cost per conference + food, parking, taxis, and misc. items

I'll be honest, I thought this would be a lot higher. While it could be a tad higher depending on individual variables, and food could also be a huge expense, I envisioned costs being much higher (and they most likely will be especially for ACPA in Montreal next year). With that being said, a lot of folks are not going to be able to just drop this sort of money on a conference without any sort of assistance. Many of us are going to have our own homes and families to keep afloat and a national student affairs conference (which has had dwindling returns and value in my opinion) just will not make the cut when there are plenty of cheaper (or free) and better professional development options out there. This goes too for the webinars I've seen out there for student affairs folks. Why are they so expensive? Is it assumed multiple people are sitting in on one registration? Isn't it just someone doing a presentation virtually? It seems absurd to me that it needs to cost professionals hundreds of dollars for at times just an hour presentation.

I'm very grateful to be able to have had the support of my institution to go to a national conference. This is a rarity though (especially to have most everything covered) and not to be assumed to be available to most folks. I presented at ACPA and appear to be one of a few in my Student Life office going to any conferences this year. I'm not competing for this funding with anyone so I haven't had to valiantly prove why I deserve to go.

I think what this high cost results in is an insular, privileged, select group of people that can afford conferences or are lucky enough to have their institution support them. This ends up with us having the usual suspects at conferences and leaving a lot of other amazing professionals out of the inner circles. It comes across as clique-y and oft-putting for people from the outside. What these conferences always do best is bring people together but it isn't doing too well at that if it is the same cohort of people coming together all the time. We need more voices included in these discussions. This will add value and return on investment for sessions, committees, and the entire experience when there is more diversity of perspective from different institutions and people from different backgrounds.

I've been wanting to capture my thoughts on this for a while now. I gave it a fair amount of consideration before posting and I appreciate any insight from others who may have planned conferences or just have something to share. I think this is a valid discourse to have so I felt it important to put forth my thoughts here. We need to do better to bring people in for these opportunities to move our profession forward. It seems like we all could really use it.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/27/15

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Geek-and-proud

Another week has gone by so you know what that means! My Week in Geek!

Here is what's going on in my world:

  • iPhone 6

I just got my new iPhone 6 last weekend and I've been loving the bigger screen, Touch ID, and setting up Apple Pay (not sure if many stores around here use it or not yet though). I had my previous iPhone 5 for a good while and it had starting acting quirky lately, as it always seems to go, so I was glad to trade it towards something new. I'm an Apple person through and through so I love seeing all the new gadgets and tools they come out with. Not sure if I'm sold on the Apple Watch yet but I've had nothing but positive experiences with all my Apple hardware (MacBook Pro, iMac, iPads).

  • Untappd

Something I've been playing with on my new phone is the free app, Untappd. It is a social app that collects the different craft beers you drink, where you drink them, and pulls together recommendations for other beers you might like. So you can see what your friends are drinking and what they thought of them and connect over good beer! It's a great interface and I've been using it for about a week now and I really enjoy it. I've gotten really into ciders lately as well as trying a lot of the cool local breweries here in Maine so I wanted something to keep track of them and recommend more stuff I might like to try. If you're a fan of good beer, you owe it to yourself to check this app out!

  • Evernote Scannable

Another app I've been using for a bit but just haven't gotten around to mentioning is the newest tool from Evernote called Scannable. As the name implies, you can download this free app on your smartphone and take pictures to scan in receipts, business cards, documents, all into your Evernote (and elsewhere). It is really easy to use and works perfectly from my experience. I love Evernote and use it very often to keep track of ideas, notes from books, or now, all of the aforementioned stuff you can pull in from Scannable. I scanned a bunch of business cards I had laying around and now I can access the contact information from all of my devices. It's awesome and takes me one step closer to a paperless life.

Thanks for stopping by!

Figuring Out What is Truly Important

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why-holding-hands-feels-so-good * This posted was originally featured on The Student Affairs Collective.

My decision to move to Maine last year to continue being close to my partner was a simple one, but it has had major implications for our lives together. 

I've talked about my job search story before, so I won't go to much into that part of my journey. The choice to move up to my home state and be close to my partner was an intentional one on my part. I picked up and moved (after having also moved a short distance for graduate school just two years before) leaving behind a lot of things I enjoyed about being in the Mid-Atlantic region. Delaware was where I grew up and could envision my self settling down in the future. Nevertheless, I couldn't see myself being happy being far away from my partner (someone I see myself spending the rest of my life with). I wanted to be able to help her feel supported in a stressful time in her life as she began graduate school. It was also a nice chance to live in my home state for the first time (I've visited often but never lived here) and be closer to my extended family than I've ever been before.

My decision making during my own anxiety ridden job search felt easier when I gave serious thought to what I truly wanted and what was important to me. My relationship trumped all other things since even if everything else was going wrong, I'd have my partner to support me and spend time with. While there are times we both wish we were back in New Jersey, we're glad to be here in Maine together exploring a new area and meeting new people. We've been able to spend a lot quality time together and become closer than ever before. Our relationship would have been strained if we ended up hours apart and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to support her and continued to strengthen our bond.

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As we all move forward in our lives and careers, I encourage you all to give mindful consideration to what you really want. Family, region, significant others, functional area, or any other reasons are all valid as long as they're your own reasons, not someone else's or what you think you're "supposed" to be doing. Do what you want and do whatever is best for you. I did, and I would never have chosen differently.

How Board Games Helped Me Make New Friends

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social-3f4a4c57 Making friends as an adult is tough. When you're in college, you're in an environment that lends itself to connections. It's easier to meet people your age who share your interests. As an adult working full-time, I've had to make more of a concerted effort to connect with people. I have made friends at work, but it is different to meet people completely outside of any context you have like work or class.

I've mingled in some social meetup groups in my community recently and have made some awesome friends in the process. When we hang out, we typically have game nights where we play different card or board games together as a social activity for our small group. It's been a fun way to help get to know each other and just have fun outside our normal routines. While I was not one to play a lot when I was younger, board games have helped me solidify my first adult friendships, and I'm eternally grateful for that.

Some of the games that my friends and I play have been Cards Against Humanity (a common favorite), We Didn't Playtest This At All, Geek Battle, Man Bites Dog, and various others as well as just other random card games that some of us know of that we use a regular deck of playing cards for. It's been a lot of fun to discover new games like these since board games are experiencing a bit of a Renaissance now it feels like. Games like these just help us put down our phones and interact with each other through a simple and fun activity. Some of the games are mindless fun, others are competition based. A bit of friendly competition though is never a bad thing!

I highly recommend exploring this world of board games with your friends, if they're old or new, you can find a fun game to engage with. There are so many different types now that you can definitely find something you'll enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/20/15

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Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what's going on in my world this week:

This new Netflix original series stars Ellie Kemper, who you may know from The Office or Bridesmaids, as Kimmy Schmidt. She emerges into the world after spending the past 15 years inside of an underground bunker. It's a clear homage to Blast From the Past but it is done in its own original way and with Tina Fey at the helm, it has her great smart comedic chops to support it. The sense of humor is very similar to Fey's 30 Rock if you need a specific comparison. The show has been getting a lot of positive buzz online and I've been enjoying watching it with my partner. Chalk this one up as another hit for Netflix!

  • Community RETURNS!

I'm so excited to see the return of Community on Yahoo Screen. Season six promises to be even weirder than before and it's great that Yahoo is giving such creative control to creator Dan Harmon. The first two episodes premiered this past week and they were both fantastic. I'm eager to see this constantly evolving show grow once more. If you haven't seen any of the previous seasons, they're all available on Hulu.

I finished the first season of Agent Carter recently and have been riding along with SHIELD since it has come back to air and I must say that I've been enjoying these Marvel TV shows. Agent Carter was especially well done, giving some long overdue attention to the fan favorite character. She was a multidimensional ass-kicking woman on television and I think we can all get behind that. SHIELD is also telling an interesting narrative this season. The Inhumans is an interesting inclusion and has let the show finally embrace its super-powered roots. I have faith that it will continue to maintain this current quality as it goes on.

Thanks for stopping by!

What Growing Up With Video Games Taught Me

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GTY_video_game_playing_jef_131211_16x9_992 I've played video games my entire life. My brother and I have always been fans of them, dating back to our original Nintendo and Super Nintendo all the way to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. While I haven't been playing video games nearly as much these days, they still encompass a big part of my life. I was thinking recently what a life playing video games has given me, and I must say they have shaped me for the better.

Some of my favorite games over the years have been the Mass Effect trilogy, several of the Final Fantasy games, Heavy Rain, LA Noire, Bioshock, The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto 4, Call of Duty, Halo, and a plethora of fighting games which I enjoyed (and still do enjoy) playing with my brother. There are many other games I've enjoyed but for the sake of brevity, I'll cut myself off.

Video games have taught me many things, some may seem unexpected or odd but nevertheless I value the contributions this medium of entertainment has given to my life.

Vocabulary

Especially back when I had to read all the dialogue from older Final Fantasy games, video games helped me learn new words and have an appreciation for understanding what they mean through context clues. Reading is important for everyone at all points in our lives and I happened to do a lot of it through video games. It doesn't matter what you're reading, as long as you are reading and are comprehending what is being said.

Problem Solving Skills

A lot of games have different puzzles and mysteries to solve, encouraging you to not just solve them, but rewarding you for solving them well and quickly. Critical thinking is a highly important skill for all people, and nurturing this through video games is a fun and effective way to build this skill. Especially a game like LA Noire, where there is groundbreaking motion capture for the characters in the game which allow for nonverbal ticks when interrogating people as well as in depth crime cases to solve with a myriad of possible outcomes. I enjoyed this game greatly and appreciated how it encouraged critical thought throughout the game.

Teamwork

I tend to prefer playing games on my own, but me and my brother always liked to play our fair share of them together. We'd have to communicate and take different roles to succeed. I tend to play a support role or (in World of Warcraft for example) I'd be the tank or defensive player that helped take the heat for my team so they could all do the real damage. If we had a team of tanks or people who didn't communicate, we'd never win. We each need to know our role and do it well. It's a super satisfying thing when you can work with others to achieve greater success than any of you could do alone.

Social Skills

While most think playing too many video games will make you into an anti-social loner (it can, but not always), I venture to say that it can help build bonds with others about something they are passionate about. Nowadays especially (far more so than when I was playing them) with the advent of online gaming, we are playing video games mostly with and connected to each other. If we're not teaming up or playing against each other, we're sharing resources, tips, tricks, guides, and generally coming together around what we love.

Video games will always be a big part of my life and I'm thankful for it. They've given me a lot and I hope others can realize what they've been given and what they could get from exploring this uniquely interactive entertainment medium.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Without Their Permission

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31bQE-GAJCL This 2013 book, Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed from reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian explores his story creating the front page of the Internet as well as stories of how the Internet is reshaping society for the better. Ohanian also gives tips for budding entrepreneurs who want to succeed in this brave new world where people can make millions off a cool app they created on their own from a dorm room. Even more so, no one has to wait for someone else's permission to make that app, make a change, or do some good. With the Internet, so much more is at so many more people's fingertips. The Internet is a great equalizer in terms of access and it allows for more good stuff to get the attention it deserves.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had a very casual tone while still containing some great perspectives on Internet culture, how it is changing our society, and how to maximize the potential it offers. Ohanian obviously knows this subject well as he made his life being plugged in to the vast community of the Internet. While it is something I feel pretty understanding of, I enjoyed how he talked about it and I hope others can gleam some important morsels of wisdom from this book.

I've been a fan of Ohanian and the work he has done to ensure a free and open Internet. He goes into some of that journey in the book as well. This segment felt especially poignant as the FCC just recently made sure that the work Ohanian did was not in vain. The stories he tells about the amazing positive impact the Internet has had on so many different people in all sorts of ways furthers my commitment to embrace it as a tool for good.

Without Their Permission is an engaging, fun, personal, quick read that is great for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and the greater Internet community. It will preach to the choir for many but I hope it may reach some out there that might not fully realize the good this brave new world is doing for so many people.

Thanks for stopping by!