Thursday, October 28, 2010

...And the Results Are!

Congratulations to everyone who will be presenting at the SCWCA 2011 Conference! 

The response to our call for proposals was absolutely amazing! We received just under a whopping seventy proposals, and everyone awarded the opportunity to present their ideas has been notified via email.

Now, we are working out the schedule, and it seems we have 50 individual presentations and 19 panel discussions, comprising a total of about 120 individuals presenting at the upcoming conference. Make sure you understand the nature of your presentation and the materials you will want/need to bring with you to the conference. Here is a list of definitions of the different types of presentations, just to refresh your memory:

  • Individual presentations: Individual presenters will have 20 minutes each and will be grouped with two other presenters with similar topics.
  • Panel Presentations: Three to five presenters will speak on a common theme. Please leave 15 minutes for questions and answers.
  • Round-tables: Three to five presenters will briefly address a central issue or question followed by audience participation. These sessions should be highly interactive.
  • Workshops: Leaders will provide participants with a chance to share knowledge and experience around specific topics and new developments in the field.

Lastly, we received thirty scholarship applications, which the Scholarship Committee is diligently reading through.Winners will be notified as soon as the committee has made its final decisions, so check back here for more SCWCA 2011 Conference updates!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Calling All Writers!

We would love to get some feedback on our blog!

If there is anything you think we've missed or could elaborate more on, please let us know! Anyone can leave comments on this blog, or you can email us at scwca2011@gmail.com with your suggestions.

This is why I didn't let the kitteh type my proposal!

Monday, October 4, 2010

First Kemah Boardwalk Review

Hello readers!
While time may have blown by since I went to the Kemah Boardwalk, the wonderful memories of fun and food have stayed nestled brightly in my mind. 

First of all, $20 is just enough for some great seafood and a couple of rides at Kemah! My friend Katie and I went to the Flying Dutchman, probably the most ritzy of the restaurants at Kemah. If you do choose to go to Kemah with $20, the Flying Dutchman may not be the best choice. Their menu prices average somewhere between $8-15 per plate. Appetizers are actually more expensive! On the upside, they do have a full bar and nice waterfront views. I ordered the popcorn shrimp, which came with an awesome coleslaw and cute little shoestring french fries, and some water. While the food was great and the portions were quite large, the total of the dinner came to just under a whopping $12 with tip!

After dinner, Katie and I checked out the rides of the boardwalk. With only about $8 left, we decided to ride the most extreme, hair raising rides we could find. We picked the Boardwalk Bullet and the Drop Zone, $4.75 and $3.75 respectively. These super cheap rides did more than make our hair stand on end, our hearts almost popped right out of our throats, as well! 

The Boardwalk Bullet is a compact, wooden roller coaster best known for its intense drops and sharp curves. The seats for the ride are made for the smaller than average person, but the more secure you are, the less you will bump around in your seat during the ride. Of course, towards the end of the ride there are cameras that take great pictures of peoples' reactions to the last, dark drop of the ride. The image captured of Katie and me was so priceless that I had to break the budget and buy a 5x7 photo for about $15. While the photo itself is definitely overpriced, the image captured will bring a smile to my face for years to come! 
The Drop Zone is a super tall ride that carries a doughnut of heavy-duty safety seats high into the sky, even above the Boardwalk Bullet! Then, without any warning, it drops you back down so that you experience zero gravity for a few sweet seconds. The drop is about eight seconds long; Katie and I agreed it could be longer. However, it did leave us shaking for about ten full minutes afterward, so the scare factor was even higher than the Boardwalk Bullet!

Overall, Kemah Boardwalk is not too pricey and offers tons of fun options for any person of any age. Next month, I'm going to visit Kemah Boardwalk's cheaper restaurants and see how many games I can play before spending my whole $20.

You can look forward to more exciting posts about the adventures that the Houston Bay Area has to offer!

~Britney~

Friday, October 1, 2010

Kemah Adventures

Hi there!

This is Britney, reporting in for an exciting trip to Kemah Boardwalk. Tonight I will be visiting Kemah Boardwalk with only $20 in my pocket. Let's see how far this budget can take me!

I will post a summary of my adventures tomorrow. Wish me luck!

~Britney~