Hundreds of NAFSAns flocked to the NAFSA Commons to fill out the member census, sign up for “Connecting Our World,” and complete the e-learning demo. Many even met “Art,” the student adviser featured in the new F-1 e-learning course.
Thursday afternoon, many attendees found the seven various poster fairs, including the new Intensive English Program fair, to be a great way to gather important information in a low-key setting. Many also attended the Community Colleges Luncheon and Liberal Arts Colleges Luncheon to engage and learn from colleagues.
This year, conference sessions are using social media to interact with their audiences, connecting around learning how to advocate for international education using Web 2.0 technology, as well as, designing strategies for using these technologies. Following the sessions, there was a second “Tweet Up” where everyone following the NAFSA Twitter feed got to meet each other in person. It was great to meet all of you who attended.
Conference-goers were delighted to meet Helen Thorpe, who read from her book Just Like Us , named by The Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009. Thorpe explores the real-life consequences of U.S. immigration policies as they affect four Mexican-American girls on the brink of adulthood in Denver, Colorado. After the reading, Thorpe opened the floor for an informal discussion and book signing.
The night came to a close at the NAFSA Ultra Lounge, NAFSA's very own nightclub at the Aladdin Hotel's Martini Lounge and Rooftop. Conference-goers found themselves in the midst of a modern and exciting dance club as they danced the night away to Top 40 hits and sipped decadent cocktails especially crafted for NAFSA.
What did you enjoy most about conference today? Was there a particular session that you were excited about?
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