~:[CH4 - Day 32]:~ Rising Above the Challenge

~:[CH4 - Day 32]:~ Rising Above the Challenge

The timing of this conference was difficult as our students did not have as much time to prepare for the conference as they might have for other conferences due to finals. We literally left minutes after they finished their finals and had committee less than 24 hours later. However, they showed that they could rise to the challenge and prepare themselves as best as possible for this conference. I felt that the environment of the conference was more of a diplomatic one and a lot of the delegates were not only willing to work together with our delegates, but also befriend them. One of our students said this is one of the first conferences that he went to that he genuinely felt like he connected with other delegates and wanted to talk to them after the conference ended. Despite the fact that a few committees could probably have been run better and a few things could have improved, all in all, this conference ended up being a great choice for our team, as we seemed to fit in with their structure. While they do not do delegation awards at this conference, we ended up with three gavels, five outstandings, five honorable mentions, a research award, and a verbal commendation. It's not too shabby considering that they only gave a handful of awards and we had a small delegations - a split delegation I may add. After committee ended, we gave them some time to recover and to watch the Superbowl. I really didn't care who won the game since the Packers lost, but I was rooting for the Patriots since I wanted to see the Seahawks lose, but wanted the Seahawks to win so I could be in town when they had their parade. Regardless, it ended up being a good game. We finished the night by stumbling across a delicious Mexican restaurant and I couldn't have been more content with my meal choice. Hooray to a great day, as exhausted as I may be!