New and Improved!

NSCS — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:56:10 +0000

We had a good run here at Scholar Scoop, but we decided to create a whole new blog that showcases the best of NSCS, its members and everything that college students care about. We’re excited to launch the blog on March 25, 2011, so stay tuned for updates!

Post-Convention: Projects Abroad

NSCS — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:37:01 +0000

And yet another company who attended the Convention has blogged about us!

This post is from Projects Abroad, a nonprofit that places volunteers in projects all over the world.

NSCS Convention: Aftermath Part I

NSCS — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:13:13 +0000

Remember a while ago when I wrote a post about FirstBook, a literacy-oriented nonprofit? Two of the company’s reps were at the Convention, and one of them wrote a glowing post on their blog about the Convention. It’s a great summation of what the Convention was all about.

And just like that…

NSCS — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:44:55 +0000

.. it’s all over.

Look for pictures in the coming days of the Convention, as well as the closing session. And be sure to email me at someshwar at nscs dot org , to share your convention experiences.

See you next year in Orlando!

Closing keynote

NSCS — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 19:06:59 +0000

I just shook hands with a NYC deputy mayor (Dennis Walcott). He’s a really nice person, in case you were wondering. I’ll have more on his speech after I attend it.

What a Convention!

NSCS — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:51:08 +0000

At the second annual NSCS Leadership Summit in 1997, there were 13 people—including two staff members and two members of the board of directors. How far we’ve come in ten years!

Our first Member Convention/Leadership Summit has been an amazing experience. Miss America, a NASA astronaut, a runner-up on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice, and the Deputy Mayor of New York—all featured speakers at the convention.

There’s been great energy here this week and members seem to be getting a lot from the presentations and the exhibitors.

Last night, attendees were very amused by Tom DeLuca, a hypnotist with a knack for getting volunteers to do crazy things and subsequently creating constant laughs.

Stay tuned for an update on today’s events and more recollections from the 2007 NSCS Member Convention and Leadership Summit!

-Jim

Quote of the night

NSCS — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:19:59 +0000

“Listen blondie, you’re making a big mistake.”

–the granddad of Apprentice contestant Lee Bienstock said this to Donald Trump, after Trump picked someone else to win The Apprentice.

I love when speakers tell funny family stories.

Where’s Jim?

NSCS — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:10:48 +0000

Jim Duncan, my co-blogger is actually busy with 20 other things right now, so I’m going to be doing most of the blogging. He will be floating around, though, taking pictures and talking to folks. So if you’re at the Convention and see him around, stop by and say hi.

I decided to track him down and take some pictures.

Here’s Jim at the Community Service table, not happy about being photographed.

Now he deigns to smile-heh.

Ericka Dunlap, workshops and more

NSCS — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:08:18 +0000

Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, spoke this morning. She spoke about having the right attitude and leadership building. My favorite part of her session was actually the Q & A bit– someone asked her to sing a country song (she’s in Nashville trying to start one). She has a really nice voice. She mentioned that music producers telling her to just stick with rapping instead of country, because she’s black.

She also left us this bag of M & M’s. It was part of her analogy about being a truffle in a bag of M and Ms. I don’t see any truffles in there, but I’m happy to chug the M and M’s.

The bag was full when we got it. I was not alone in eating them.

After Ericka’s speech, we’ve had about two hours of workshops on everything from writing a personal statement to how to take the GRE. And there’s more workshops to come in the afternoon after 3.

Before that, though, we have Lee Bienstock and Astronaut Chris Armstrong– between 1:30 and 3pm. Lee was on the 5th season of the Apprentice, where he spent several weeks staring down Donald Trump in the boardroom and trying his hardest not to laugh at The Donald‘s hair. (At least I assume that’s what he did– I know I’d fall over laughing if I had to stare at DT’s hair all night).

I wrote the intros for most of the keynote speakers we had at the Convention. It’s fun and a bit strange to hear the National Leadership Council folks read those intros. Maybe that’ll be my next career– convention speechwriter. No, don’t feel sorry for me.. I’m only half-joking about the speech-writing bit.

Bill Strickland’s keynote

NSCS — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:35:20 +0000

My battery has virtually no power, but I have to type this right now. Bill Strickland was awesome tonight. Bill runs a nonprofit in Pittsburgh that helps people find jobs in virtually any industry imaginable– the crafts, the culinary arts, you name it. But his commitment to helping people and the collaborations he participated in, were amazing.

Two things he said that I found interesting. The first– that he believed people’s behaviors are responses to their environments. That’s why he built the building that houses all his programs in one of Pittsburgh’s worst neighborhoods.

He also said that he got a “depression gene” from his mother that made it impossible for him to get images of suffering out of his mind–whether it was suffering in the US or overseas. (He put it much better, obviously). It was a really good speech, and he got a standing ovation.

Sara (who posted earlier today) will add some pictures of him speaking, soon.