“Better late than never” seemed to be my motto for New Mexico State Thespian Festival! My travel started bright and early at 4:30 AM and I arrived at the conference, promptly, at 8:00 PM. I wasn’t phased by the series of delays and cancellations that the Midwest winter weather had in store, because I knew that the best was yet to come!
Upon my arrival to the beautiful Santa Fe University of Art and Design, I was greeted by about 200 excited Thespians! We kicked off the weekend with opening ceremonies and Minute to Give It. When our Send a Troupe Fund was created, New Mexico had one of the first troupes to ever receive the grant, so they loved giving back and raised over $200! As the night wrapped up, the NM STO gave me an adorable gift basket with all of my favorites- popcorn, candy, and, of course, coffee! Thank you, again, to the New Mexico STO for welcoming me so well!
Friday brought a day of workshops and I.E.s.! I had the honor of teaching “Bridging the Gap” to amazing students AND the record for “The Bridge Game” was broken! New Mexico Thespians officially hold the record with a time of one minute and eight seconds. Indiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio, get ready, and see if you can take the lead! Over lunch, I sat in on STO candidate interviews and was floored by the passion and leadership within NM. Speaking of leadership, that evening, two wonderful STO, Andrew and Clara, led a workshop about the “Prerequisites to Leadership”! The Thespians in attendance learned lots and had fun working with leaders from across the state. The night came to a close with a New Mexico Thespian dance, where students let loose, showcased their talents, and played lots of foosball in the lobby!
The final day of festival came quickly, and as they say, “time flies when you’re having fun!”. Fifteen students came together bright and early at my NAPS workshop to define advocacy as “a form of informative representation while communicating ideas with enthusiasm and confidence; using careful preparation with methods, such as flattery, to rally unity!” As things wrapped up, the new STO were announced and the old board said their goodbyes. The festival ended with a showcase of New Mexico’s talented students as they performed their superior I.E. events! I couldn't have asked for a better weekend!
Thank you to the amazing New Mexico volunteers, especially Chapter Director, Chris Gonzales, for a smooth and inspiring weekend. Mr. Jim Palmarini and I were in awe of the outstanding students and teachers at festival, and are thankful to have shared in the experience!
Remember, keep up with the adventures by following @internationalthespianofficers on Instagram, @ITOOfficial on Snapchat, The International Thespian Officers on Facebook, and @ITOBrittanyS on Twitter! Next stop, Indiana!