This year was my first time attending a NACA Conference, and to be honest, I didn’t really know what it was before I got there. I have been a part of Student Activities Council since my freshman year and I have heard it being mentioned several times before, but it was never really explained in great detail. All I knew going into this experience is that you got to watch comedians and musicians and get lots of free stuff. NACA however, is so much more than that. This was a really amazing opportunity that I will never forget. It has made me a better person, and a better leader. I hope to apply what I learned at NACA to my position as Special Events Coordinator for Student Activities Council.
We woke up bright and early to make the five hour drive to Peoria, IL for the conference. I had never been to Peoria either so this was a lot of firsts for me. When we got to the convention, there were so many other schools already there. The kick off was first and people kept talking about a marketplace, Ed. Sessions, and so many other things that it was a little overwhelming. But I quickly got into the flow of things and it was so much fun! We didn’t waste any time getting right to the acts. We saw so many comedians and so many musicians just on the first day! I eventually found out that the market place is where you can meet the acts that performed that day as well as so many others. You can also meet different companies that offer novelties and other activities that you can bring back to your campus. You can even book events that very day. I have never seen so many SAC worthy activities all in one place! I wanted to bring everything back to our campus! Thankfully, we got to go the marketplace several times each day, since there was so much to see! After the first day, I didn’t really have any ideas yet about next semester, but I was definitely excited about what the next few days would be like! At the end of the conference, we found several really awesome events to bring to campus that we have never brought before, and we couldn’t wait to show the general members what we found.
My favorite part of NACA would have to be the Ed. Sessions on the second day. There were several different topics that we could choose from and Gene and I chose to go to ones about leadership and creating icebreakers. The ice breaker sessions were fun because we got to participate in several games and creative activities that I definitely want to incorporate into next semester’s meetings. The most influential sessions however, were the ones about leadership. I was so inspired during these sessions. We did several activities to figure out what kind of leaders we are, and how we can positively influence those around us. Gene and I even broke a wooden board with our bare hands! I can definitely take away a new found motivation from this experience that I want to bring to the new meetings next semester. I know starting off as Special Events Coordinator during the middle of the year is tough, but I want work hard to bring great events to school and to inspire those that attend our meetings to get more involved and let their voice be heard. I really want to be a good leader and these educational sessions gave me a lot of great tools that I can use. I am very thankful for everything I was able to learn.
During the conference, we also had an opportunity to meet with different schools to learn about what they do with their organizations. I never knew there were so many variations of SAC! There was Campus Activities Board, Student Activities Group, Student Activities Board, and so many more! This was a great opportunity because we got a lot of new and innovative ideas from all of the different groups about how they run their organizations and what works and what doesn’t work for them. Everyone was so friendly and so helpful. It was really encouraging to see so many people from so many different schools be so excited about campus activities. It is hard to put into words everything that I have learned, but I can guarantee that next semester will be the next semester ever!
After starting NACA with a very vague idea of what it was, I left with new knowledge about myself as well as our own Student Activities Council. It was the craziest, most fun convention I had ever been too, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I got hypnotized, held a snake, got my face painted, and met a lot of really cool people in just a few days. I also got to know our own SAC members a lot better. We all bonded during the conference, and made lasting friendships that are very important to me. I am really thankful for getting to know everyone and being able to spend so much time with them. It is an exhausting couple of days but I would recommend NACA to anyone who is in Student Activities Council or is just curious to see what it is all about. I am so excited for next year for a new delegation to get to go; you won’t regret it! I feel like the possibilities are endless after the energy and spirit we saw at the conference, and I can wait to bring that same energy back to campus. Thank you NACA!
Written by Pamela Avila


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Serious Eats: Talk
Johnny Cash on No Reservations?
So I'm watching some "No Reservations" reruns today, and it strikes me that whoever says "Noooo reservationss ..." right at the end of the title credits sounds eerily like Johnny Cash. I can't remember if the show was around before Cash passed, but would they really hire him just for those two words? Tony doesn't exactly strike me as a typical fan of the Man in Black, but now I'm curious. Does anyone know who that voice is? (Or am I really losing it?)


NBA Jam is back. Available now for Nintendo Wii and soon for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the standout basketball game franchise is ready for a proper revitalization. As I wrote in a recent Retrospective, NBA Jam’s formula of fast-paced 2-on-2 is still addictive, and the simpler gameplay allows anyone to catch fire and dunk from the free-throw line.
What you may not realize, though, is this is a perfect time for a revitalization of the NBA Jam franchise. From both a gaming and a source material standpoint it’s a suitable time to bring back the franchise. This is a great time to bring back the boomshakalaka.
If you look back to the arcade original, it was at a time when the NBA was at a real high point — sure, Michael Jordan was never in the game, but big-name players like Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone and John Stockton for the hateful Utah Jazz, Charles Barkley, Shawn Kemp and Portland Trail Blazers great Clyde Drexler all had a starring role. As part of a series on the legacy of former Houston great Olajuwon on pro basketball blog Free Darko, there was even an article discussing The Dream and his role in NBA Jam. Most every team in the NBA had the two recognizable stars needed to make an arcade basketball game, and there was still enough quality to not dilute it too much in NBA Jam: Tournament Edition when a third player was added to each roster.
The NBA is in another ascendant period right now, too, and has plenty of stars ready for the new-generation NBA Jam. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and more are basketball superstars featuring in this NBA Jam remake. Compared with the star power in the NBA in the early part of the decade, the league is in a much stronger place right now — there was a real dearth of marketable, recognizable stars, and from a sports fan’s point of view, the brand of basketball on offer was also pretty dreadful. Hoop-heads may have known all about players ten years ago, but the league undoubtedly has a higher profile now — almost equal to the late 80s and early 90s, coincidentally the period featured in the first NBA Jam. NBA rules changes have allowed a new generation of stars to play a much more exciting brand of basketball, and that helps out a game like NBA Jam. Plus, as with the original NBA Jam, Portland has a really strong team — Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden should be formidable.
Secondly, this is a great time to create a game in a more old-school, simple manner. Through the generations of PlayStation and N64 to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, there was an extreme focus on making games in 3D that took advantage of the newest technology and techniques. Everything needed to be cutting edge; as a result, many 2D games were thrown to the side.
However, with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 adding another channel to release games — online platforms — there has been a freedom and release from pressure to make games in just one way. Between re-makes and original titles, there have been a plethora of old-school 2D games made for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network — Castle Crashers, various Street Fighter remakes, Geometry Wars, Fat Princess, Braid, and Limbo all come to mind. Having these sorts of games available at a lower price point allows for greater creativity and freedom of design.
The last NBA Jam title, released in 2003 for Xbox and PlayStation 2, featured many of the trappings of the series — arcadey gameplay, similar menus, generally similar over-the-top theme. However, because it needed to be a $50 retail offering, it’s more complicated — check out the control list during the loading screen of that video! That’s as complicated as EA’s last arcade basketball series, NBA Street, and almost as difficult as the simulation-style basketball games. That’s also the opposite of what makes the original, arcade NBA Jam a legend — simplicity. Three buttons, a couple of basic moves, and a license for big dunks….that’s the recipe for success with an NBA Jam title.
Yes, the Nintendo Wii version of the new NBA Jam is sold as a $60 retail copy, but the recent revitalization of 2D gaming provides the opportunity to venture back into the realm of simplicity. Selling a simple, fun game for $20 via Xbox Live or PSN brings lower expectations than a $60 game through retail, and the lower standards play into the hands of a game like NBA Jam — you want to pick it up and play with your friends, not pore into every detail. What would feel very shallow for $60 becomes a better value for the lower price.
With the indefinite delay of EA Sports’ simulation basketball game, NBA Elite 11, the fate of NBA Jam on 360 and PS3 is unknown. The game has a listing on Xbox360achievements.org, so that means a version of Jam has gone through Microsoft’s certification process; the number of achievements and total points available line up with the digital download version that, presumably, was going to be the pack-in bonus with NBA Elite. Whether that version is released for sale on Xbox Live or PSN is unknown — I feel that is the simplest and best route to take with the game from a business strategy standpoint — but, regardless, I’m chomping at the bit for this game to come out.
It’s time for tip-off.


A commission for
I'm sorry it took so long ): I didn't have inspiration to draw and I had that camp thingy.
It's not my best drawing but I'm having art block at the moment so I think it's ok when considering that. Plus I've never really drawn dragon-snake-thingies o.o So this was fun, despite the time it took ^^
Time: no idea
Used: GIMP and mouse
Sang (c) SharkMind
Art (c) me!!ONLY FOR THE USE OF SharkMind PLEASE!!
ALSO; PLEASE NOTE commissions are not open at the moment, this was commissioned a long time ago. I will inform you when they are open. Thank you
I hope you enjoy! ^^


Santa Monica Police Search For Hit-And-Run Driver Who Drove Over Skateboarder
Posted Apr. 9, 2014, 12:05 pm
Brenton Garen / Editor-in-Chief
Santa Monica police are searching for the driver of an older model white Buick Regal or a Chevy Caprice involved in a hit-and-run accident involving a 20-year-old Santa Monica male skateboarder on Saturday night.
SMPD Sgt. Jay Moroso said the accident occurred at 17th Street and Marine Street at 7:50 pm.
“The victim and a friend were riding their skateboards south down a hill in the southbound lane of traffic on 17th Street with the friend following the victim,” Moroso said. “According to the witness/friend, the victim skateboarder (went) through the stop sign for southbound traffic at Marine Street.”
Moroso said this friend estimated the victim’s speed at 20 mph as he went through the intersection.
“The suspect’s vehicle was seen driving through the intersection east on Marine Street at what was estimated at 15 mph,” Moroso said. “It is unknown if he stopped for the eastbound stop sign at Marine Street.”
Moroso said the suspect vehicle struck the victim while he was in the intersection and drove over his body.
The suspect stopped momentarily, but drove off without identifying himself/herself or rendering aid, Moroso said.
The victim, identified by KTLA as Ian Imes, sustained a broken vertebrae, a lung injury, and multiple scrapes, lacerations, and abrasions. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
KTLA quotes the victim’s mother Cintia Holz saying that doctors believe it’s unlikely he will ever walk again.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Santa Monica Police Department at 310.395.9931.


I recently got the Smart HDD virus land on my computer. I tried everything to get rid of it but couldn't. I ended up doing a system restore back 3 days prior to the infection. Everything seems to be working okay except I cannot access my favorites from IE 9. I've tried doing a regedit of the HKEY_CURRENT_USER line in the registry but that didn't help. I've uninstalled IE 9 and reinstalled it, but that didn't help. All my favorites are still in the Favorites folder located in C:\users\Marty. I just can't seem to get IE 9 to see them. Any suggestions?
Have you tried to import it into Internet Explorer 9?
Follow these steps on the computer that you want to import your favorites to.
- Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Internet Explorer, and then, in the list of results, click Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Favorites button, click the arrow next to the Add to Favorites button, and then click Import and Export.
3. In the Import/Export Settings dialog box, click Import from a file, and then click Next.
4. Select the Favorites check box, and then click Next.
5. By default, Internet Explorer imports from a file called bookmark.htm in your Documents folder, but you can tell it to import favorites that are saved under another name. Click Browse and select a file, or type a location and file name to import, or click Next to accept the default.
6. Select the folder where you want to place the imported favorites, and then click Import.
7. Click Finish.
TechNet Community Support
- Edited by Alex ZhaozxMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Wednesday, April 11, 2012 8:41 AM
I'm still in the process of recovering the files. I used a restore point to get rid of the malware, but it had changed access permissions to files. They are still there. A USB-USB cable utility lists them, but I am still working on a trustworthy way to make them visable again.
when you copy them to a usb they are made read-only. after you have copied them back, right click on the favorites folder and select 'Properties', uncheck 'read-only'..... you will be prompted to ask if you want to change all sub folders and files, yes...
you should be good to go.