NABS Notes | February 2021

Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, “True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.” -Petrach

Welcome to the February edition of our NABS Notes! With a presidential inauguration, Super Bowl LV, and Washington Seminar all in our rearview mirror, 2021 has already been a year for the books; however, we still hope you’ll take some time to catch up on all things new with NABS. Read on to learn more about our upcoming events and updates from committees. In this edition you will find:

Flying Through February!

It’s difficult to believe that yet another Washington Seminar has come and gone and that March is quickly approaching. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who made both our Winter Seminar and NABS Unmuted an incredibly fun success! A special and heartfelt thank you also goes out to the people who made our first ever virtual auction a great success, including the members of our planning committee: Edward Shaham, Elizabeth Rouse, Logan Stenzel, Robert Parsons, and Trisha Kulkarni. If you missed our NABS Winter Seminar or simply want to revisit any of the wonderful presentations, we invite you to listen to this Zoom recording. Looking forward to the coming months, the fun doesn’t stop! We encourage anyone who hasn’t already registered for the 2021 Midwest Student Seminar in March to get registered, and direct any questions to our 1st Vice President, Kenia Flores. Our NABS Board will also be gearing up for the 2021 national convention, which was announced at the Great Gathering In to be hosted virtually this summer by the National federation of the Blind of Maryland. We anticipate it will be the largest gathering of blind people yet, and we are confident that the presence of our students will be loud and proud throughout the week.

February Blog Post | Advice on Credit Cards for Beginners

Intimidated by the prospect of applying for your first credit card? Check out this month’s blog post, written by Joe Orozco, dedicated to understanding what credit cards are and how they can ultimately serve a positive purpose. Remember that taking steps toward developing your skills in financial literacy will benefit you in the long run. Happy and smart spending!

February Episode of the NABS Now Podcast | Live Your Life with Love

Valentine’s Day is a time designated to the celebration of every kind of love, including familial, friendly, and romantic. In this episode of the NABS Now Podcast, we hear from Texas Affiliate President Norma Crosby and her First Gentleman Glenn as they allow listeners a glance into their story, which begins with a friendship founded in the Federation. This couple, approaching their 32nd anniversary, offers a personal and humorous take on navigating the world of love alongside your best friend. Whether you’re celebrating on February 14 this year or not, this episode will introduce you to both a set of fantastic Federation leaders and a kindhearted couple that can teach us all a thing or two about laughing, living, and loving. Also in this episode, you will find sporadic dating safety tips that can help ensure you’re starting off into the world of love as safely and confidently as possible. For more information, click here. Thank you to special guests Norma and Glenn Crosby. Created and produced by Nina Marranca, Elizabeth Rouse, Kenia Flores, and Seyoon Choi. Are you interested in assisting with the planning and production of the NABS Now Podcast? Email Nina at: [email protected] for more information. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or see our Anchor page for more ways to listen!

Committee Updates

Joining the Party with Only a Listen or a Subscription

The NABS Outreach Committee encourages you to tune in for the latest episodes of the NABS Now Podcast, joining the over 4,000 listeners who gain knowledge and so much more from our new and exciting content. We also hope you’ll drop by The Student Slate, the official blog of the National Association of Blind Students, where you’re bound to learn something new! While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to stay up-to-date on newly released content. Each month features a new post covering an exciting topic; we’d love to share whatever tips and tricks our students reveal with you. Intrigued by our latest initiatives? Learn more at our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday, March 14 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Nina Marranca.

Making Fundraising Dreams a Reality!

The NABS Fundraising Committee is grateful for the continual support of our endeavors, without which none of our success would come to fruition. Since the beginning of the new year, our committee members have been focused on the success of our annual NABS auction, which opened on January 18 and officially closed on February 10. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and the collective marketing of our students, state affiliates, and the national office, NABS raised over $3,000 to support student initiatives moving forward! We now shift our attention to creating innovative fundraising opportunities for our national convention. For more information about these endeavors and how you can support the work we do, please join us for our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday, March 14 at 9:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Robert Parsons.

Washington Seminar Year Round: The Push Can’t Stop

The NABS Legislative and Self-Advocacy Committee was so proud to see so many students participate alongside members of their state affiliates at this year’s virtual Washington Seminar. On our February committee call, which included a debrief of Washington Seminar, our members agreed that legislative advocacy is and should be a year-round effort. With that in mind, we now transition back to the work of advocating from our districts. In other news, our #StudentAccessMoments competition will conclude on March 1, 2021, and we cannot wait to know who the judges select as our winners! For more information on these endeavors and our future projects, join our next committee meeting, happening on Sunday, March 21 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Justin Salisbury.

Spreading Student Awareness on D & I

The NABS Diversity and Inclusion Committee thanks all who were able to attend our February committee call, where we discussed Valentine’s Day as well as relationships more generally. Currently, we are looking for individuals interested in developing a diversity and inclusion training for student leaders throughout the Federation. No previous committee experience is required to take an active role in this effort, so if you are interested in getting involved with this work, we encourage you to join our next committee meeting on Sunday, March 21 at 9:00 PM EST. Unable to attend our March meeting or simply have more questions on how to get involved? Email Committee Chair Monica Wegner or join the committee GroupMe, where members coordinate our activities.

And don’t forget our monthly membership call, taking place on Sunday, March 28 at 9:00 PM EST!