State conference offers transformational experience
by Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
November 17, 2011
A life-changing experience. It may sound corny, or clichéd, but those few words capture my experience at the 75th Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils State Conference. Let me explain why.
 Leechburg representatives at the PASC conference at Altoona Area High School included eighth-grader Mike Jones, junior Jared Ravotti, Leechburg’s senior high Student Council adviser Amy Barley, and seniors Paula McCorkle, Angela Olshansky and Dan Rzewnicki.
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To begin, the state conference marked the first event I had ever attended that involved so many students. Because I hail from a school the size of Leechburg, standing among over 2,000 students in an auditorium or exploring the halls of a school that houses more faculty and staff than we do students opened my eyes to the opposite side of the size spectrum. I witnessed firsthand the pros and cons of an enormous school. While a large school can boast that it offers a stunning campus and a variety of classes from which to choose, it lacks the close knit environment that I easily fell in love with at Leechburg.
The conference started with a bit of free time for the students. We wandered among all of the activities set out for us and met some fantastic people, several students from the host school Altoona Area High School. The most prominent among them was a girl named Alexis. Alexis, a sweet, bubbly sophomore, took Leechburg junior Jared Ravotti and me under her wing and showed us the ropes. Her kindness, at least for me, represented the kind hearts of an amazing community that worked very hard to organize this event.
Jared and I met several other unique people along the way. We met “the Scranton kids” who finished second in the casino winnings, I drew pictures with Joy from Troy in my first workshop, laughed until we cried at the banquet with students from Laurel, and danced the night away and snacked at the Sheetz mother ship with a fun group of kids from North Penn High School.
We also roomed with three students from Gateway High School. I know I would never have met these guys had we not lived in the same house. One might have called them nerds at first glance, but after meeting and talking with them, Sam, Stephen and Ryan turned out to be rather similar to Jared and me. They were definitely unique, but they were fun, smart and three of the nicest kids I’ve ever met.
Even though we met a host of great students, we really lucked out by landing the greatest host ever. English teacher at the junior high school, quiz team adviser and head of the Altoona drama department, Jonathan Klingeman exemplified what a teacher should be. Not only did he display a love for what he teaches and participates in every day, but he also displayed a love and care for his students and the people around him.
At the conference, I discovered that amazing people exist everywhere. By connecting with the students at the conference, I found that everyone out there offers a story or a lesson. We simply have to ask for it.
Not only were the students phenomenal, but three different guest speakers awed us, induced uncontrollable laughter and brought over 2,000 students to complete silence with riveting speeches.
Our first speaker, Mark Sharenbroich spoke for over two hours, and I still wish he would have talked longer. His powerful speech discussed the importance of connection with others. He told us that a simple phrase such as "nice bike" can mean so much more. He taught us that meaningful connections can bring together a club or even an entire student body.
On the second day, Mark Brown lit up the room with his bright attitude. His speech highlighted the importance of friends and what they mean to us. He instructed us to go the extra mile with our friendships. He said that friendship means connection, advice, criticism and mentorship.
On the last day, Mike Smith presented us with the option to listen to a speech or to be part of an experience. We opted for the experience. He interacted with us and gave us many instructions; we couldn't help smiling as enjoyed the entire speech. He taught us the importance of human mistakes. He reminded us that, since we are human beings, we will make many mistakes in our life, but each one is a learning experience. Lastly, he instructed us to remain smiling for the next 21 days – no matter the circumstances. I thought this advice was superb. There is no better way to get through a situation than with smiles and laughter.
As I watched the final video presentation from the conference, I wished that my time there would never end. I had enjoyed every moment of the entire conference with all of the amazing people that I met. I also wished that I had the opportunity to attend more than one state conference. I advise everyone to take advantage of any opportunity to attend a field trip or state conference. We should all live our high school loves without wondering "what if" and without thinking "I wish." We should all enjoy the luxury of leaving high school with no regrets.
Even though the state conference came to a bittersweet end, I know that, with a little help from my friends, the 75th PASC state conference changed my life.
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