It is 11:04pm. Our Ambassadors have checked into their rooms, met their roommates and are getting ready for bed. Our volunteer staff are about to start bed checks in the next few minutes and then head downstairs for their end of day staff meeting. After each day, the 40+ volunteers who bring this amazing seminar to life get together to download the day, talk about tomorrow, and decompress. Some will then go immediately to bed, completely exhausted. . .others will stay up for the next few hours, catching up with old friends and watching to make sure that our HOBY Ambassadors stay in their rooms! Though after the excitement of the day - I am sure that all are ready for a few hours of sleep!
This has been an amazing start to the seminar! Tim Durkin, our first speaker showed up two hours early, spoke at 7:00pm for around 45 minutes and then stayed until almost 10pm! What I remember most is his parting comments to our Ambassadors that our world needs them to be "distortive leaders" - leaders that shake things up in a good way and push forward, that create new dynamics. He was followed by LD Dabney and Jim Young - veterans of the HOBY seminar. I first heard them speak three years ago about racial stereotypes (LD is black and Jim is white) - they made us laugh at the beginning of the presentation and as they got more and more serious, they made us tear up. Both are amazing individuals who have let nothing stand in their way. They too showed up early and stayed late - and our Ambassadors hovered around all three of our speakers getting them to sign their programs and exchanging personal stories. Lisa, Mykel and I watched as we saw this group of 160+ high school sophomores who a few hours ago didn't know anyone here start to bond as friends. And this is day one!
I also have to use this space to call out our friend Alex Hargis. New baby and yet he managed to find the time to design our programs and our banners (and get them donated!) They turned out fantastic!
Well, as I am the old guy in the bunch, it is time to turn in and get some sleep. . .a few hours until we go thru our "Medical Ethics" mock trials, meet Todd Whitthorne from Cooper Concepts. . .Dr. Dan Dimke comes in later in the day and the list goes on!
Good night!
Rich H.
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