NAFSA Noob!

NAFSA Day 1, or I R a NOOB

Well the first full day of conferencing was intimidating and overwhelming. There are over 7,400 hundred people here! Over 104 countries are represented too. O_O! After missing a connection with some folks at Campion College in Australia, I went to the newbie meeting and then was kind of lost on where to go, what to see and what to do in such a huge expo.

I finally decided to check out the International Education expo in the main hall, and it was cool but a little bit of a shock in terms of sounds, colors and people. After finding a few colleagues, we walked a while to find this place Beat Box Diner, which is a literal greasepit. The tagline on the menu says “Turning Grease into a feast for over 60 Years!”

Have to admit though, it was one of the best grilled ham and cheese I’ve had in while. We found a better rought back to the Convention center, and I went to a Project Management talk for short term study abroad programs. It was good but a lot of what they suggested, we already do that… but we did get some good ideas.

After this session, we we’re herded over to the hall for the plenary speaker, Colin Powell.

On Gen. Colin Powell’s speech: After much patting each other on the back for various accomplishments, the plenary speaker was finally introduced… former Secretary of Defense Colin Powell. I really am disappointed in his speech. At first, he came across as a humble everyman, glad and appreciative to be there; glad for what we do as International Educators because he is the child of immigrant parents.

Then he veered off of that to talking about everything from the current war on terror to his tours in Vietnam, meeting President Gorbachev before President Reagan went over during the cold war… what really burned me about his speech was the following:

A.) He really either didnt know his audience and didn’t think about his remarks before yesterday evening… or he knew and went on with a speech that was half pre-made, half cut and pasted from other speaking gigs.

B.) It seemed like he was more interested in giving us folk lore like examples of happy, smiling immigrants selling hot dogs in push carts in NYC that give him free food in thanks for just being allowed to be in this country. BS I say… I seriously doubt Colin Powell can just wander freely anywhere in the world, let alone have some immigrant hot dog vendor insist he take a freebie because he’s just so fucking grateful for the chance to be here.

C.) Telling us how much you miss your personal jet and adoring crowds does not endear you to us. We do not and cannot ever relate to your former offices so cheerfully regaling us with how you got to skirt airport lines and saunter to your private jet to the cheers of adoring folks really, really doesnt help us.

D.) He told a brief story about supposedly being wanded in an airport after stepping down as Secretary of State. Supposedly the young man checking him over recognized him, hence making him wonder why he was being checked in the first place. Well, a little thing like 9/11 is why he got checked like that; assuming the story is even true. I don’t care who you are, but especially if you are Colin Powell, I would think you wouldnt try to tell a light hearted story about how you were checked by security because you tried to board a plane late, with no luggage and paying in cash. Especially after 9/11.

E.) Overall his speech was that of a politician and grandstander In my own little humble opinion. I don’t think he was a poor choice for the speaker, but he could have done much, much better.

I wish the recipient of the lifetime achievement award had been our plenary speaker, he was much wittier and on point than the former Secretary of State.

The rest of the evening was spent at a so-so opening reception, then Ruth Chris’ steak house for dinner. Fantastic food and the bill did’nt choke me up when I got it.

Now off to a shower and a 8 am session.

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers, attendance at the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make the industry better and more inclusive for everyone. She’s part of the Rivals of Waterdeep actual play stream on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics online, at conventions and as a public speaker.. She’s also contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Paizo and Monte Cook Games and is the co-developer for the Fifth Season RPG based on N.K. Jemisin’s three time Hugo award winning Broken Earth trilogy. She’s the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a Twitch supported RPG and Actual Play stream, airing weekly on her channel, twitch.tv/cypheroftyr. Additionally, she is a Senior Annenberg labs Civic Media Fellow at USC. She’s also the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a new sci fi afro-futurist RPG developed with a team of all POC and Black creators; live streamed on her twitch channel, /cypheroftyr. She’s named as one of The Game Awards Future Class 2020, a diverse group of builders, thinkers and dreamers whose voices elevate and diversify our artform. It recognizes individuals around the world who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future for video games. She was also named as one of Gamers of the Year 2020 by Kotaku along with three of her contemporaries. She was also invited to the Xbox MVP program in February 2021. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021. Tanya is the programming & diversity coordinator for OrcaCon and GaymerX. She also serves on the Board of Directors for OrcaCon and was named the Chair for Take This in January 2023. She often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications. She’s the editor of Game Devs and Others: Tales from the Margins (2018, CRC Press) and contributed to The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox. (2019, CRC Press) Writer Bio for pubs: Tanya is the Founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. She’s part of Rivals of Waterdeep, an actual play D&D show on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep; the programming coordinator for OrcaCon & GaymerX; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. She’s on the Board of Take This as well as a Stream Ambassador, and was part of the inaugural cohort of The Game Awards Future Class. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021.