Realizing That I’m Not Alone: My USITT Conference Experience
First of all, I’d like to extend my gratitude to Niles Sayre from Stage Technology (and currently, Norcostco)for the scholarship to attend USITT in Long Beach this 
spring. Without this generosity (in the form of the Stage Technology - John Mullen scholarship), I would have missed out on five jam-packed days of incredible learning and collaboration.
As an aspiring lighting and sound designer, the week in Long Beach was more than I could have hoped for. Since then, I have graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in Theatrical Design and Production. This fall, I begin the MFA program in lighting design at the University of Wisconsin in Madison (just outside the NBS, but don’t worry.... I'll be back!)
For me, the conference served as an important reminder that design does not occur in a vacuum. I was thrilled to be surrounded by hundreds of people who were not only interested in technical theatre, but downright passionate about it. While I certainly came away from the conference with a notebook full of great ideas, the personal stories I heard from talented designers and technicians were perhaps the most useful part of the conference.
In one session, I had the opportunity to hear Shannon Slaton (who literally wrote the book on mixing Broadway Musicals) talk about his career in the audio world. Hearing about his humble beginnings left me with the empowering idea that I, too, could succeed in technical theater with hard work, a little talent, and a bit of good timing.
As I attended other sessions that week, I was in awe that these talented individuals were willing to share their expertise so freely with everyone from high schoolers to fellow professional designers and scholars. At one particular session, I had my resume and portfolio reviewed by a production manager from the east coast. This came just in time for a series of grad school interviews, and I have no doubt that it helped me better highlight my skills and experiences. In addition, the stage expo gave me a chance to see cutting-edge technology, and talk face-to-face with representatives from prospective MFA programs. When all was said and done, I left the conference with a renewed enthusiasm for design, concrete technical ideas, and the best swag of all: the opportunity to join an MFA program in Lighting Design to further my education. For these things, I cannot thank the Northern Boundary Section nearly enough.
Until Milwaukee,
Ben J. Golden
Lighting/Sound Designer