" I have some good news for you. You have been selected to attend the 2016 NACA National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky!"
When I saw this email notification on my phone, my heart dropped. I was chosen, along with three other members of Adelphi University's Student Activities Board, to attend the 2016 National Conference for the National Association for Campus Activities. I knew that this would be an incredible experience, especially considering that I was only a freshman and not many freshmen earn this opportunity
However, the more excited I became, the more anxious and curious I became as well. What was Louisville, Kentucky even like? Was it just a town composed of farm lands and shady corner stores, or was it an urban city with skyscrapers and fancy restaurants? Did Kentucky Fried Chicken really taste better in Kentucky? What's up with their obsession over horses?
The journey began last Saturday when I woke up incredibly early (four in the morning), packed my bags and prepared myself for a journey of a lifetime. We drove to LaGuardia, checked in, got our bags checked, and anticipated our arrival at our exciting and somewhat mysterious Louisville. Once we finally arrived, we had finally gotten a taste of what Louisville was even like. It definitely wasn't the plain-filled town that I was expecting, yet also wasn't the completely urbanized city. Louisville had a very urban sense, with some fancy restaurant and large buildings, but still seemed to maintain the "small town" vibe with local underground pizzerias and small hotels scattered around the town.
As soon as we arrived, some of our preconceived notions about what Kentucky was like proved to be accurate. Yes, Kentucky is obsessed with horses. So obsessed that when we entered a Kentucky souvenir shop, they had shot glasses with "Talk Derby To Me," written on them. And no, I'm not kidding. Also, we soon found out that Kentucky residents also take their bourbon really seriously, so don't mess with it.
As the night of the first day approached, we attended our first showcase. For those who don't know, these showcases were basically used for acts of all kinds (singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, contortionists, etc.) to promote themselves in hopes of having colleges and universities across the country book them. Each day had about three different showcases, ranging from an hour and a half to three hours long. I saw a grand variety of performances, including people like Drew Lynch from America's Got Talent, Toddrick Hall from American Idol, Javier Colon from The Voice, and The Filharmonics from Pitch Perfect 2 and NBC's Sing Off. As you can tell, these few names are just a representation of the large variety of big-named artists who were performing at these showcases.
Following each showcase would be what we called "CAMP," which was basically where a bunch of vendors and agencies would give out flyers, brochures, and free things to try and get schools to book them for major events on campus. A lot of the artists who performed at these showcases belonged to the represented agencies as well, so you would be able to go to each respective agency's table and meet the artists after the showcase. I had the honor to meet a great deal of amazing performers, including Javier Colon, the Filharmonics, William DuBois, K-Von from MTV's Disaster Date, and Chris Jones from America's Got Talent (and famous for being Drake's look alike. If you don't trust me, look at the photo below.)
The next four days were filled with many laughs, many lost hours of sleep, and an experience that I will never forget. Who would have thought that I would attend a hypnotist show and be chosen by a hypnotized zombie to be his prey/prom date/dancing partner?
Who would have thought that I would have the opportunity to learn so much about myself and the person that I want to become through numerous leadership educational sessions and through meeting so many amazing people throughout the country? Who would have thought that I would have the opportunity to have fun with and meet other students who, just like me, are involved on their campuses all over the United States? I couldn't have asked for anything more than the experience that I had because it was definitely one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences I've ever had.
Also, I met Kevin G from Mean Girls so I automatically win at everything, am I right?
In all, this experience has forever changed my perception of campus involvement and myself as a person. I have learned that my capabilities go far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. NACA was such an amazing experience, and I hope that I get to go back next year in Baltimore and experience the whole thing all over again!
Thank you NACA! See you soon.
