Well, they say everything is bigger in Texas…and I must say, TASC is the biggest and best student council organization in all 50 states, Guam, Canada, and Puerto Rico. As the Texas delegation arrived in Denver, Colorado most of us were exhausted. Many schools had early flights, so we had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning (personally, I was up at three in the morning). But, upon arrival we all gained a new burst of energy in the cool Rockies. The theme for the week was "Leadership with an Altitude" and throughout the week we worked our way from base camp to the summit.The entire week was just spectacular. If you have ever attended our state conference in Arlington, it was very similar, except on a smaller scale. This conference had an attendance of 1,500 people, whereas TASC state has 4,500 people. This made the whole experience more intimate, and we were able to really bond with people from other states. To meet stu co's from other states we traded pins and tshirts throughout the week. All of our name tags were completely covered with pins of all the different people we met. We also wore Texas shirts each day and our Talkin' Texas shirt wa
s a huge favorite with other states.
s a huge favorite with other states. 
Base Camp
Our first day at the conference was a ton of fun - we all gathered at the Highlands Ranch High School (which was totally gorgeous btw) and were welcomed by a cheersquad and our two state guides. We were assigned two students from Colorado, who are basically our tour guides and experts on everything we do at the conference. Our state guides were really awesome and by the end of the week, they were officially Texans! We also had a state room, which was decked out in Texas decor. This was our home base the entire week. Our next door neighbors, and great friends, were the New York delegates. They were definitely partying people and were very friendly neighbors. Who would've thought Texas and New York would become BFF's:) But back to the conference, the first day was filled with exciting events including outdoor games, bands, and lots of dancing. At opening session we heard from keynote speaker Cleo Parker Robinson. Cleo is the founder, executive artistic director, and choreographer of the 38-year-old artistic institution, Cleo Parker Roinson Dance, based in Denver. She is a great example of what characteristics a leader must have in order to be successful: we must always love what we do, feel what we do, and have ashay! We also got a "taste of Colorado" at an activities night filled with 'bounce' games and great food. That evening we watched a "Welcome to Base" video and then crashed after a long day.
Climb Day
Our climb started with an inspirational keynote address from Alvin Law. His presentation was called students to look past what they do not have and move toward what they can accomplish. Alvin was born without arms, yet all of NASC watched him play the drums and
the piano with his feet. Even though Alvin had a disability, he chose not to focus on his loss, but to continue living to the best of his ability. Now, his hands are his feet. It was truly great to see how one can overcome obstacles; we were all inspired to go out and do amazing things with what we have. After this general session, we continued on to student small group workshops. This was much like our states' table talk where we share ideas. The Texas delegation split up and went to different programs with other states to discuss how individual events, like homecoming, are done differently. Just a fun fact, Canada doesn't have a homecoming or any really big dances, and I also found out that Texas is the only state that calls their freshman fish. After the swapshop, we spent the evening at Elitch Gardens, which is just like Six Flags (except they have smaller rides- everything is bigger in Texas).
Timberline Day
We spent this day at the University of Colorado at Boulder (that's a picture of it). The morning began with a keynote adress from Lloyd Lewan, who dared us to be leaders. His life of leadership inspired us all. The entire day was filled with act
ivities including motivational speakers, the Recycling Xgames, and a panel of CU students. The campus was gorgeous and the whole experience a great way to get ideas for the future. That evening we all gathered at the football stadium for the Candle lighting program. NASC filled the stands and we were sad that the week was coming to and end. After a brief sing-a-long all of us were awed by a speech from Marquita Thomas. She spoke of the affect leaders have on others. She recognized that leaders Echo throughout their communities and leave footprints wherever they go. Marquita told us of a boy named Davy who had left footprints on her heart. This boy was a high school student just like us, who was class president, valedictorian, and struggling with cancer. He lost his battle with cancer, but he impacted their entire community. Now, his high school has a Davy Walk in honor of his great life. You could hear sobs throughout the stadium as we all lit our glowsticks in a wave. We all came together that last night, swaying from side to side, feeling the power of leadership, and a love for student council. On the hour bus ride back to Denver, the entire Texas delegation was so fired up that we sang, we danced, we cheered, and we laughed all the way home:)
Summit Day
Our final morning in Denver was pretty perfect. The closing general session was a beautiful orchestration of lights, songs, pictures, and even snow! Highlands Ranch did a fabulous job with the entire conference, and the last session was the cherry on top! At this session, Jonathan Sprinkles inspired us all to aim high and reject excuses. His life story really hit home with many of us and we could relate to his experiences. He taught us all "how the be a change maker." After our last session, we all headed our different ways to get to our hometowns. Some had flights directly after it ended, some had to wait a few hours, but we all left with a week at NASC which we will never forget!
There is a Picasa Picture Album of NASC.. check it out!
Our first day at the conference was a ton of fun - we all gathered at the Highlands Ranch High School (which was totally gorgeous btw) and were welcomed by a cheersquad and our two state guides. We were assigned two students from Colorado, who are basically our tour guides and experts on everything we do at the conference. Our state guides were really awesome and by the end of the week, they were officially Texans! We also had a state room, which was decked out in Texas decor. This was our home base the entire week. Our next door neighbors, and great friends, were the New York delegates. They were definitely partying people and were very friendly neighbors. Who would've thought Texas and New York would become BFF's:) But back to the conference, the first day was filled with exciting events including outdoor games, bands, and lots of dancing. At opening session we heard from keynote speaker Cleo Parker Robinson. Cleo is the founder, executive artistic director, and choreographer of the 38-year-old artistic institution, Cleo Parker Roinson Dance, based in Denver. She is a great example of what characteristics a leader must have in order to be successful: we must always love what we do, feel what we do, and have ashay! We also got a "taste of Colorado" at an activities night filled with 'bounce' games and great food. That evening we watched a "Welcome to Base" video and then crashed after a long day.
Climb Day
Our climb started with an inspirational keynote address from Alvin Law. His presentation was called students to look past what they do not have and move toward what they can accomplish. Alvin was born without arms, yet all of NASC watched him play the drums and
the piano with his feet. Even though Alvin had a disability, he chose not to focus on his loss, but to continue living to the best of his ability. Now, his hands are his feet. It was truly great to see how one can overcome obstacles; we were all inspired to go out and do amazing things with what we have. After this general session, we continued on to student small group workshops. This was much like our states' table talk where we share ideas. The Texas delegation split up and went to different programs with other states to discuss how individual events, like homecoming, are done differently. Just a fun fact, Canada doesn't have a homecoming or any really big dances, and I also found out that Texas is the only state that calls their freshman fish. After the swapshop, we spent the evening at Elitch Gardens, which is just like Six Flags (except they have smaller rides- everything is bigger in Texas).Timberline Day
We spent this day at the University of Colorado at Boulder (that's a picture of it). The morning began with a keynote adress from Lloyd Lewan, who dared us to be leaders. His life of leadership inspired us all. The entire day was filled with act
ivities including motivational speakers, the Recycling Xgames, and a panel of CU students. The campus was gorgeous and the whole experience a great way to get ideas for the future. That evening we all gathered at the football stadium for the Candle lighting program. NASC filled the stands and we were sad that the week was coming to and end. After a brief sing-a-long all of us were awed by a speech from Marquita Thomas. She spoke of the affect leaders have on others. She recognized that leaders Echo throughout their communities and leave footprints wherever they go. Marquita told us of a boy named Davy who had left footprints on her heart. This boy was a high school student just like us, who was class president, valedictorian, and struggling with cancer. He lost his battle with cancer, but he impacted their entire community. Now, his high school has a Davy Walk in honor of his great life. You could hear sobs throughout the stadium as we all lit our glowsticks in a wave. We all came together that last night, swaying from side to side, feeling the power of leadership, and a love for student council. On the hour bus ride back to Denver, the entire Texas delegation was so fired up that we sang, we danced, we cheered, and we laughed all the way home:)Summit Day
Our final morning in Denver was pretty perfect. The closing general session was a beautiful orchestration of lights, songs, pictures, and even snow! Highlands Ranch did a fabulous job with the entire conference, and the last session was the cherry on top! At this session, Jonathan Sprinkles inspired us all to aim high and reject excuses. His life story really hit home with many of us and we could relate to his experiences. He taught us all "how the be a change maker." After our last session, we all headed our different ways to get to our hometowns. Some had flights directly after it ended, some had to wait a few hours, but we all left with a week at NASC which we will never forget!
There is a Picasa Picture Album of NASC.. check it out!
