Thursday, March 14, was the day six students and one faculty member from the Northern Vermont University – Lyndon campus left for Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Campus Activities Board members and adviser were signed up for an Association of the Promotion of Campus Activities conference. APCA was held at the Hershey Lodge where attendees were given free tickets to local attractions and lots of APCA merchandise.
The conference lasted four days, with a small welcoming party when students arrived on Thursday and a farewell ceremony on Sunday, March 17. The bulk of the activities were held Friday, March 15 through Saturday, March 16.
“[APCA] was a little overwhelming and out of my comfort zone at first. However, as time went on, I became more comfortable in my surroundings and realized how fun it actually was to network and learn about leadership,” General Board member Kelsey Emery told The Critic.
APCA featured four different sections of “Student Ed Sessions” over the weekend, where attendees sat and learned about leadership, networking, advertising, inclusiveness, and more! These sessions were taught by performers looking to get booked, other college professors, and community members.
Dan Carneiro, the NVU-Lyndon CAB Secretary, spoke about his first session, More Than A Month: Celebrating All Year, hosted by rapper and motivational speaker Griot B. “One of my favorite sessions was that we shouldn’t have certain months like Pride Month, or Women’s History Month, or even Black History Month, because in reality, it’s all US History, and just focusing on a few accomplishments in the designated month doesn’t due its justice, because we are still ignorant as a society when it comes down to it,” Carneiro said. He was particularly moved by this session and hopes to implement a year-long discussion regarding social justice.
When asked about her APCA experience, President of the NVU-Lyndon CAB, Sam Lesmerises, said, “It was an incredible and worthwhile experience. I found it inspiring being around student leaders from other colleges.” She also praised how the conference brought her closer to the other CAB members, a vital role in the success of CAB.
The showcases were also adored by the CAB members. The variety of performers for college audiences ranged from belly dancers and step dances to musicians of all genres, to comedians and magicians. Jugglers, motivational speaker, and doctors also created ten minute pieces that were educational, inspiring, and overall entertaining. There were even some familiar faces on the stage, such as John Cassidy and Michael Kent, two entertainers that CAB has booked within the past year.
Attendees were then allowed to network with the performers and their agencies in the Exhibition Hall throughout the weekend. Booths were set up to entertain college campuses with the likes of VR playgrounds, balloon animals, real life animals, and more!
In a written interview, Michael Secreti, the NVU-Lyndon CAB adviser, said that CAB will be implementing things they have learned into their activities for the rest of this semester. They will also be, “getting a head start on cultivating meaningful campus activities for the 2019-2020 academic year that will meet the needs and interests of our student body,” he wrote.
John Currier, another General Board member, agreed with this sentiment in his statement. He, personally, cannot wait to implement all the ideas he has into CAB events to make them more fun and inclusive.
While everyone looks forward to next year’s plans, the students that went on the trip also look forward to attending in the future. Robert Koenig, part of the General Board, encourages other people to sign up for this opportunity, as it’s an experience that can help everyone.
See you next year at APCA, baby!
Photography provided by kind strangers.
Featured Photo Caption: CAB members at the Hershey Gardens (Left to Right: Back Row: Robert Koenig, Alexandra Huff, Sam Lesmerises, Dan Carneiro. Front Row: Kelsey Emery, John Currier, Michael Secreti.)