National Conference: A Great Supplement to Undergrad Education
by Jake Roberts
Several weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the USITT conference in Fort Worth, thanks to the cover the walls event and student scholarship offered by NBS and SECOA. It meant a great deal to me to be able to return for a second year to a national conference, and I looked forward to 
it immensely. I had been trying all year to get the most out of my last semesters at St. Olaf College, and this opportunity allowed me to explore more than I could have hoped. I was especially pleased with the range of sessions offered, the opportunities of the stage expo, and the chance to bring new students to the conference.
As soon as I had the list of conference sessions I poured over them to try and figure out what seemed best. I had learned last year that there were so many choices that it was exciting to branch out and explore new areas. This year I was a little more career minded in sticking more closely to my main passion, lighting. I learned about what it takes to design concert tours, maintain a moving light inventory, and hone my programming skills, but by far the most interesting part was the last day of sessions that included my two favorites. The first delved into power theory, explaining phase shifts, inrush current, harmonics, and a host of other concerns to keep in mind. I found this session one of the best; part because I truly understood less than half of it. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the technical background of lighting design, and above all inspired me to study more about these details I had previously ignored. The second, and my favorite session, was a discussion with young associate lighting designers. I deeply appreciated the opportunity to hear from some younger voices in the industry about their work and career paths. Not only were the details interesting and useful, but it was an uplifting feeling to talk with people who are “making it in the arts” so close to my own graduation.
When I wasn’t preoccupied with sessions, I made sure to comb through the Design Expo. I started with checking out the other design expo displays once I had finished setting up my own. I enjoyed seeing the many styles and techniques juxtaposed together, and made sure to take notes on some interesting points I want to try out. After that I made my way through the many Stage Expo booths, talking to known and new companies, finding exciting new products, and asking questions about products I have played around with. My main concern however, was looking at the multitude of post-graduate opportunities represented at the expo. I picked up information and talked to students, professors, and employers about the possibilities I wanted to consider. It was fun and useful to peruse the many careers and schools knowing any option could make the next turn in my path, without the stress of planning my immediate future.
I found this conference immensely useful personally, but a large part of my appreciation of this year’s event was in bringing back the inspiration and information to my campus. This experience is a wonderful supplement to my own education, and I was glad to find useful tidbits to bring back to friends and coworkers. Not only did we take notes to bring back, but I was glad that over my years at school we have grown student involvement in USITT and NBS. As a senior I was glad to bring some new faces to the conference to continue this productive feedback and inspire us all to face a tough tech week when we returned. I am immensely grateful to NBS, USITT, and SECOA for the opportunities provided to myself and my fellow students.