NIRSA Regional Conferences and State Workshops: Unique excitement from coast to coast

By Mallory Gohl, Kristy Caldwell, and David DeAngelo

NIRSA’s regional events each have a unique culture and each regional conference is vastly different.

From the Jersey Shore to Hollywood, read what Mallory, Kristy, and David experienced this month while attending various NIRSA Regional Conferences and Workshops.

Regions I, II, V, VI

By Mallory Gohl

As National Student Leader, I had the opportunity to travel to four of the NIRSA Regional Conferences and enjoy the unique personalities they each present!

Region I

Regional Presentations during the Region I Conference.

Region I dominated the Jersey Shore with great presentation topics, mock interviews, and keynote speakers. From dancing with Shaun T, the creator of Insanity, to breaking it down at the social at the Stone Pony, everyone at Region I was bound to find something fun.

From my personal experience I found Region I to be very similar to the Annual Conference. The structure of the conference with key note speakers and state breakout sessions as well as the organization the Region I committee displayed was very similar.

As a new attendee to Region I schools or conferences, I also discovered that Region I is a very tight-knit family.

Region II

Region II Conference.

Region II brought in the true tradition of the south with the Cajun food and the soulful music. As the largest Regional conference with over 400 attendees, students and professionals experienced a wide range of presentations. Early morning workouts overlooking the ocean were another added bonus! Unique to Region II this year was the Student Lead On at a challenge course. Over 170 students were able to “challenge themselves” through low rope course activities as well as through numerous presentations. I may be slightly biased, but Region II did a fabulous job hosting such a large conference!

Region V

Region V Conference.

Region V is unique in the fact that the number of attendees were small compared to other conferences, but that did not stop the learning and networking! With the conference split between two institutions in Omaha, attendees were able to experience the great city. Presentations were insightful, mock interviewing at lunch was fun, and the social at the local sports venue was a blast! For my first time attending the Region V Conference, I can honestly say that I have never felt more welcomed as a newcomer.

Region VI

Region VI Conference.

Last, but not least, I attended the Region VI conference hosted by UCLA. From socials in popular parts of Los Angeles to the Student Lead On held in the building known as Pauley Pavilion, attendees were experiencing Hollywood at its finest. Opportunities to learn about greats like John Wooden were abundant! In addition, Region VI allowed for students to learn from NIRSA’s greats with the Take a Student to Lunch program. Different to this conference was the relaxed vibe—from the reduced professional dress code to the stress-relieving sessions, I had never been more relaxed at a conference, which was wonderful!

Regardless of the Regional traditions, the conference numbers, or the location, one thing remains consistent with all the conferences, the professionals and students are dedicated to improving the field of campus recreation. I am truly thankful that I was able to experience these four Regional conferences and all their personalities!

Region IV

By Kristy Caldwell

“The Rock”, aka Little Rock, AR, welcomed Region IV members along the quiet banks of the Arkansas River with conference social activities conveniently located within a short walking distance of the conference center and attached hotel. Attendees enjoyed multiple sessions from which to choose while taking advantage of interacting with conference vendors and fellow attendees throughout the day. Our Member Network Connection stood out as one of the most interactive Region IV has had in a long time with new and exciting plans for change. I seriously think Little Rock would be a wonderful city for the Annual Conference.

Region III State Workshops

By David DeAngelo

This fall our Region III Student Representative, Kristin Hayes, and I had the opportunity to attend all five of our regional state workshops. Each was a different, fun and educational experience. Below are some of the highlights of each one!

WIRSA

WIRSA was hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on October 9-11. There were 107 attendees and $4208 was raised for scholarships! The conference social featured a magician and was held at the manufacturing facility for Dynamic Fitness. Megan Holman from UW-Madison was elected as the secretary for WIRSA.

ORSA

ORSA was hosted by the University of Toledo on October 17-18. There were 209 attendees and $4311 was raised for scholarships. Doug Curry, Executive Director of Recreational Sports and Housing Administration, Miami University became the 19th recipient of the ORSA Honor Award. Nick Froelich (Cleveland State) was elected as the President Elect and Jillian Dolciato (Ohio State) was elected as the state student representative. ORSA passed significant constitutional changes that provided the organization with a new governance structure.

MIRSA

MIRSA was hosted by the University of Michigan on October 17-18. ORSA and MIRSA collaborated on pre-conference golf outing as well as some educational sessions that were “simulcast” between the 2 states. There were 122 attendees and the silent auction garnered $700 for scholarships. Demond Pryor (Central Michigan) was the recipient of the Dr. Tom R. Jones Outstanding Member; Michelle Owens (Eastern Michigan) was the recipient of the Dr. Michael Stevenson Outstanding Service Award; and Amanda Alpert (Central Michigan) was the recipient of the Robert England Outstanding Student Award. NFL official Ron Winter served as the keynote speaker.

IIRSA

IIRSA was hosted by Southern Illinois University – Carbondale on October 24-25. There were 97 attendees and $2500 was allocated for student scholarships. Scott Vandermoon (DePaul University) was honored with the 2013 IIRSA Service Award.

IRSA

IRSA was hosted by Purdue University on November 7-8. There were 104 attendees and $2750 was raised for scholarships through the auction and raffle. Donald Conner from Indiana State Univeristy was elected as the state student representative and Leanne Thompson from Purdue was honored with the Carol J. Stickel Outstanding Student Award.

All and all, each of the state workshops was a great success. In total, there were 639 attendees and $14,469 was raised for student scholarships.