On Saturday, Feb. 13, six UNH students and an advisor boarded a train in New Haven on their way to Boston to participate in the 2010 NACA National Convention. NACA, the National Association of Campus Activities, celebrated their fiftieth year of bringing students, agents, artists, and professionals together to enhance programming on college campuses across the country. For the next four days the students, representing SCOPE, were immersed in an environment completely dedicated to campus activities.

The students attended numerous showcases, performances in which artists were given fifteen to twenty minutes to display their acts in hopes of getting students to book shows at their colleges. There were main stage showcases, displaying big name bands, comedians, magicians and performers and club showcases which focused on bands and comedians, and lecture showcases. Acts included performers such as Quietdrive, Ryan Cabrera, Blake Mycoskie, The Sklar Brothers, and Lansdowne. On the final day of the convention, Kara DioGuardi delivered the keynote speech, also taking time to perform several songs.

Students also attended many educational workshops to help them improve their organizations and planning on campus. NACA members who were established college professionals, agents, or business owners taught the sessions. Topics of the workshops ranged from programming to stress management to team building and recruitment, among many others.

The final section of the convention was the Campus Activities Marketplace, or CAMP. CAMP was a collection of booths representing all of the agents and artists at the convention. Students were given time each day to make their way through the hall, networking with agents and obtaining information about the many acts available for them to book at their school. In addition, some artists signed autographs and many booths gave out sample novelties. There was also an auction to raise money for the NACA scholarship fund.

The students returned to UNH early Wednesday morning, exhausted from the long days but excited to share all they had learned with their fellow students. SCOPE invites all organizations on campus to stop by their office, learn about their experience and look through the materials they brought back.