<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Hindley Williams via Nfbnet-students-list <<a href="mailto:nfbnet-students-list@nfbnet.org">nfbnet-students-list@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> January 1, 2016 at 2:20:31 PM EST<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nfbnet-students-list@nfbnet.org">nfbnet-students-list@nfbnet.org</a><br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:nabs-l@nfbnet.org">nabs-l@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Nfbnet-students-list] NABS Notes December 2015</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> Hindley Williams <<a href="mailto:hbwilliams16@gmail.com">hbwilliams16@gmail.com</a>><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>Fellow Federationists,</span><br><span>Happy New Year! Take a look at the last NABS Notes of 2015, which</span><br><span>includes information about Washington Seminar, scholarships, state</span><br><span>updates, and much more! You will find the NABS Notes below and</span><br><span>attached.</span><br><span>Please contact me off list at <a href="mailto:hbwilliams16@gmail.com">hbwilliams16@gmail.com</a> with any</span><br><span>questions, concerns, or suggestions. Any and all ideas to make the</span><br><span>NABS Notes better in 2016 are welcome!</span><br><span>All Best,</span><br><span>Hindley</span><br><span>NABS Notes December 2015</span><br><span></span><br><span>The National Association of Blind Students --</span><br><span>A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind</span><br><span></span><br><span>In this edition of the NABS monthly bulletin:</span><br><span>1. The NFB National Scholarship – Apply Today!</span><br><span>2. Congress Needs Your Stories!</span><br><span>3. NABS During Washington Seminar 2016</span><br><span>4. An Update on Our Annual NABS Café</span><br><span>5. No Barriers Youth</span><br><span>6. State Updates</span><br><span>7. December NABS Board Meeting Minutes</span><br><span></span><br><span>The NFB National Scholarship – APPLY TODAY!</span><br><span></span><br><span>Are you legally blind?</span><br><span>Do you reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico?</span><br><span>Are you pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary</span><br><span>course of study at a U.S. institution in the 2016 scholastic year?</span><br><span>Are you available to attend the entire NFB National Convention in</span><br><span>Orlando, Florida from June 30-July 5, 2016?</span><br><span>Are you eager to meet Federation leaders and network with some of the</span><br><span>brightest, most passionate mentors out there?</span><br><span></span><br><span>If you said yes to all of these questions, then we strongly encourage</span><br><span>you to apply to our 2016 National Scholarship Program! To recognize</span><br><span>achievement by blind scholars, the National Federation of the Blind</span><br><span>annually offers blind college students in the United States and Puerto</span><br><span>Rico the opportunity to win one of thirty merit-based, national-level</span><br><span>scholarships ranging in value of $3,000 to $12,000. All scholarships</span><br><span>awarded are based on academic excellence, community service, and</span><br><span>leadership.</span><br><span>Visit our website at <a href="http://www.nfb.org/scholarships">www.nfb.org/scholarships</a> to begin your application!</span><br><span>Remember: applications, along with all necessary documents, must be</span><br><span>submitted no later than March 31, 2016. Do not wait until the end of</span><br><span>February to start gathering additional information and beginning the</span><br><span>online form.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Congress Needs Your Story!</span><br><span></span><br><span>Have you ever struggled to succeed academically because of</span><br><span>inaccessible software, websites, electronic course materials, or</span><br><span>applications?</span><br><span>Do you receive accessible textbooks late, or even not at all?</span><br><span>Do you feel that your ability to excel in the classroom has been</span><br><span>tampered with due to unequal access to education?</span><br><span></span><br><span>If you said yes to any of these questions, then we need your help!</span><br><span>With just over three weeks until Washington Seminar, the National</span><br><span>Association of Blind Students is making our final push to collect</span><br><span>personal testimonies from each of you. With an ambitious goal of 250</span><br><span>letters, it is up to you to help us reach just that. These stories do</span><br><span>not take more than 30 minutes; and make all the world of difference.</span><br><span>It is much more powerful to present 5+ letters when speaking to your</span><br><span>representatives. Our Congressmen care; and they need to hear from</span><br><span>their constituents in order for change to occur. Particularly for</span><br><span>those students who are not attending Washington Seminar this year, we</span><br><span>need your contribution in order to improve the opportunities for blind</span><br><span>students across our nation. We are briefly sharing our experiences,</span><br><span>urging Congress to support to creation of voluntary guidelines, and</span><br><span>pushing for equal access to education.</span><br><span>Please send all personal letters to Kathryn Webster at</span><br><span><a href="mailto:kathrynwebster.nfb@gmail.comm">kathrynwebster.nfb@gmail.comm</a> by January 10, 2016. If you need</span><br><span>guidance when drafting your letter, please feel free to reach out and</span><br><span>sample letters can be provided. Thank you for your commitment to</span><br><span>changing what it means to be blind.</span><br><span></span><br><span>NABS During Washington Seminar 2016</span><br><span></span><br><span>This year, NABS is hosting an array of events that will surely grab</span><br><span>the attention of any blind student.</span><br><span>Beginning Monday morning, January 25, at 9am, we will kick off 2016</span><br><span>with an engaging, interactive, and enlightening Winter Seminar. Come</span><br><span>join us until noon to hear from our National President, Mr. Riccobono,</span><br><span>our Governmental Affairs team, guest speakers, and so much more.</span><br><span>Still curious after listening to our panel speakers and presenters?</span><br><span>Join us in smaller group discussions moderated by NABS leaders to get</span><br><span>all of your questions answered.</span><br><span>Following the NABS Winter Seminar, we welcome all student presidents</span><br><span>to join NABS President, Sean Whalen, for our Student Presidents</span><br><span>Luncheon from 12-2pm.</span><br><span>From 2-4pm, join our National Advocacy and Policy team for our</span><br><span>Legislative Seminar where you will learn more about our four issues,</span><br><span>hone in on best practices when conversing with Congress, and get all</span><br><span>of your questions answered before we venture out to Capitol Hill</span><br><span>Tuesday morning.</span><br><span>You won’t want to miss the Great Gathering-In from 5-7 on Monday</span><br><span>evening in the ballroom! Join our Federation family as we kickoff the</span><br><span>week with high energy, comradery, and hope for the future.</span><br><span>Finally, grab a friend and head on over to the NABS Café on TUESDAY</span><br><span>night from 8pm-12am to enjoy some music, treat yourself to the cash</span><br><span>bar, and indulge in some delicious food.</span><br><span></span><br><span>An Update on Our Annual NABS Café</span><br><span></span><br><span>During Washington Seminar, the National Association of Blind Students</span><br><span>hosts an evening event with musical performers, food, drinks, and an</span><br><span>auction. This year, the NABS Café will be on Tuesday night from</span><br><span>8pm-12am.</span><br><span>Have you ever wanted to explore Sea World before or after National</span><br><span>convention? Are you tired of your weak iPhone speakers and need some</span><br><span>heavy duty Bluetooth speakers? Look no further. NABS has put together</span><br><span>a variety of auction items from electronics to trips to a fancy Keurig</span><br><span>maker with an assortment of K-cups!</span><br><span>If auctions are just not for you, no worries! You are more than</span><br><span>welcomed to come on in, meet new friends, interact with old ones, and</span><br><span>snack on some great desserts. You wouldn’t want to miss a performance</span><br><span>from the Federation-renowned Precious Perez and Meaghan Roper of</span><br><span>Massachusetts, as well as so many others!</span><br><span></span><br><span>No Barriers Youth</span><br><span></span><br><span>Leading the Way: Grand Canyon Sound Academy</span><br><span><a href="http://nobarriersyouth.org/programs/leading_the_way">http://nobarriersyouth.org/programs/leading_the_way</a></span><br><span>This program is for students who are blind/ visually impaired or</span><br><span>fully-sighted.</span><br><span>A group of 20 teenagers from across the U.S. will be selected to</span><br><span>receive scholarships for a once-in-a-lifetime leadership adventure:</span><br><span>Grand Canyon Sound Academy.</span><br><span>Dates: July 24-August 4, 2016</span><br><span>Student Program Fee and Scholarship: In celebration of the National</span><br><span>Park Service’s 100th birthday, the Natural Sounds and Night Skies</span><br><span>Division is providing generous scholarship support. Youth participants</span><br><span>will only be responsible for paying or fundraising a $300 No Barriers</span><br><span>program fee as well as travel costs to/from Phoenix, AZ. (This</span><br><span>reflects a scholarship of $2,700/person). Selected participants will</span><br><span>be expected to fulfill a set of scholarship requirements before,</span><br><span>during, and after the expedition.</span><br><span>TO APPLY: Submit an online application and correlating materials here:</span><br><span><a href="https://nobarriersusa.wufoo.com/forms/2016-leading-the-way-grand-canyon-sound-academy/">https://nobarriersusa.wufoo.com/forms/2016-leading-the-way-grand-canyon-sound-academy/</a></span><br><span>Application Deadline: January 8, 2016</span><br><span></span><br><span>State Updates</span><br><span></span><br><span>All state updates are printed below as they were received from their senders.</span><br><span></span><br><span> Arizona</span><br><span>Greetings and happy holidays from Arizona students! Here in the great</span><br><span>state of Arizona where the sun shines year round and Mr. Clause has to</span><br><span>shed a few layers before making his annual deliveries, we are excited</span><br><span>to share some holiday updates. Last weekend several Arizona chapters</span><br><span>held their holiday parties and it proved to be an excellent time to</span><br><span>raise funds for the student division. Across the North valley to the</span><br><span>Southern area of Arizona we auctioned of holiday gift baskets and were</span><br><span>able to raise over $500. As the end of the year approaches and we are</span><br><span>nearing the New Year we feel it is necessary to begin 2016 with some</span><br><span>fun. Following our Christmas fundraisers we are looking into an event</span><br><span>for New Year’s to raise awareness and do some recruiting. This year</span><br><span>AzABS is sending two board members to Washington Seminar to represent</span><br><span>Arizona and advocate on behalf of blind students all across the</span><br><span>Nation. As mentioned previously we are working on planning an Arizona</span><br><span>student seminar aimed to raise awareness of the NFB and how to get</span><br><span>involved, how to plan for the transition between high school and</span><br><span>college, and other fun topics. Things are coming together nicely and</span><br><span>very soon we will be sharing the details of the event with you all.</span><br><span></span><br><span> Colorado</span><br><span>Winter has set in and Christmas is coming up, so the Colorado students</span><br><span>got together last weekend for an afternoon of ice skating downtown</span><br><span>Denver, followed by a night out at dinner. We enjoyed getting</span><br><span>together with new and old friends before we head out for the holiday.</span><br><span>In the New Year, we will be starting our NFL play-offs survivors’ pool</span><br><span>to raise funds for the division. Everyone is welcome to participate.</span><br><span>We are still planning a leadership seminar among other things. Stay</span><br><span>tuned for much more to come in the New Year.</span><br><span>Happy Holidays!</span><br><span></span><br><span> Louisiana</span><br><span>On the last weekend of October LABS had our annual student seminar. We</span><br><span>had around 40 participants from high school, college, and some LCB</span><br><span>students as well. We had a presentation by Dr Bell and his wife</span><br><span>talking about working with disability services, rehab, using</span><br><span>readers/drivers, along with other aspects of college. We also</span><br><span>introduced the various aspects of the NFB, discussing the difference</span><br><span>between and getting involved in chapters, divisions, and affiliates to</span><br><span>all the students in attendance. We had many other things going on</span><br><span>throughout the day on Saturday and the students were able hang out</span><br><span>Friday night and Saturday night with different activities to get</span><br><span>acquainted with one another and build friendships that will hopefully</span><br><span>last for a long time. The students left on Sunday morning to head back</span><br><span>home. We had a great turnout and everyone seemed to enjoy the weekend</span><br><span>and learn a lot of new information. I want to thank Pam Allen, Eric</span><br><span>Guillory, Bre Brown, Treva Olivero, and the LABS board for a great</span><br><span>weekend.</span><br><span>Now we are getting information out for our state scholarship and</span><br><span>getting ready for our state convention in April.</span><br><span></span><br><span> Massachusetts</span><br><span>MASSABS is excited, with NABS and NFBMA help, to be sending five</span><br><span>students to Washington Seminar. Almost 50% of the NFBMA delegation</span><br><span>will be students, 4 of whom have never been to Washington Seminar.</span><br><span>MASSABS will be hosting our winter student social in January at</span><br><span>Boarder Cafe, a Mexican restaurant located in Harvard Square. This</span><br><span>will mark the five consecutive quarterly social we've hosted and will</span><br><span>be the one year anniversary of the revitalization of the NFBMA student</span><br><span>division.</span><br><span>Finally, because students graduate every year, we are in the process</span><br><span>of culling our membership and email database to reflect only current</span><br><span>students living in MA. However, we will be adding some additional</span><br><span>students this year as they apply for our state scholarship which has a</span><br><span>deadline of December 31.</span><br><span>As we celebrate a fantastic year of growth in 2015, we are looking to</span><br><span>increase fundraising and engagement in 2016.</span><br><span></span><br><span> North Carolina</span><br><span>NCABS is kicking off 2016 with one of our student seminars! On January</span><br><span>30, 2016, NCABS will host a seminar on financial planning and social</span><br><span>security benefits. That's right! The entire day is about money and</span><br><span>how you can plan for the future. The session will run from</span><br><span>12:30-2:30pm. It will be held in Fisher Building on the Governor</span><br><span>Morehead School campus.</span><br><span>We look forward to seeing lots of you at Washington Seminar, as we are</span><br><span>helping send five great students in North Carolina up to DC to</span><br><span>advocate for blind people in America and educating the public on our</span><br><span>abilities as active members of society!</span><br><span></span><br><span>December NABS Board Meeting Minutes</span><br><span></span><br><span>National Association of Blind Students</span><br><span>Board Meeting Minutes</span><br><span>December 20, 2015</span><br><span></span><br><span>Meeting called to order at 9:02 p.m.</span><br><span></span><br><span> Members Present:</span><br><span></span><br><span>Sean Whalen (President)</span><br><span>Candice Chapman (1st Vice President)</span><br><span>Bre Brown (2nd Vice President)</span><br><span>Kathryn Webster (Secretary/Treasurer)</span><br><span>Hindley Williams (Board Member 1)</span><br><span>Chris Nusbaum (Board member 3)</span><br><span>Michael Ausbun (Board Member 4)</span><br><span></span><br><span>Treasurer’s Report:</span><br><span>Checking account: $4,741.38</span><br><span>Savings Account: $1,720.61</span><br><span>Awaiting $50 check from Karen Anderson from last year’s auction.</span><br><span></span><br><span> Committee Reports</span><br><span></span><br><span>Communications:</span><br><span>Social media: Continuously increasing our friends on Facebook and</span><br><span>followers on Twitter. Friend us on Facebook at NABS Link and follow us</span><br><span>on Twitter @nabslink.</span><br><span>Student slate: Blogs up for December! Nefertiti and Alex Anderson</span><br><span>wrote reflections on the Legislative Leadership Workshop.</span><br><span>NABS Notes: Coming out for December! Send any important info or state</span><br><span>updates to Hindley at <a href="mailto:hbwilliams@gmail.com">hbwilliams@gmail.com</a>.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Fundraising:</span><br><span>Wash Sem funding wrap-up: Funding almost 30 students to attend</span><br><span>Washington Seminar. Coming in slightly under budget which is great!</span><br><span>Will be finalized soon. Estimated cost is $5500 total. President has</span><br><span>agreed to reimburse NABS for half out of general funds. Students who</span><br><span>are receiving funding are required to attend multiple events at Wash</span><br><span>Sem, including the legislative seminar.</span><br><span>Auction items/logistics: Please let Kathryn know if your</span><br><span>affiliate/chapter/student division can donate any items/gift cards.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Legislative:</span><br><span>Letters: We are making the final push for Washington Seminar. Please</span><br><span>encourage all students to write letters. These should be in by January</span><br><span>1, no later than two and a half weeks before Wash Sem. Send letters to</span><br><span>Sean or Kathryn.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Membership:</span><br><span>Math call wrap-up: 20+ people on the call on Sunday, December 13. Good</span><br><span>questions; Eric Guillory and John Miller were guest speakers;</span><br><span>recording will be out soon on website and list!</span><br><span>Training Center story project: Will start working on this with</span><br><span>committee. Leaders identified.</span><br><span>New membership call in February (likely on scholarships)</span><br><span></span><br><span>State Updates</span><br><span></span><br><span>Hindley Williams:</span><br><span>Alaska: in contact regularly</span><br><span>Georgia: Hindley was there in October; successful Convention; few</span><br><span>students attending Wash Sem; regular calls</span><br><span>Kansas: Hindley was there; lots of energy; affiliate is very supportive</span><br><span>Nebraska: just got new president</span><br><span>Pennsylvania: Hindley is student president; trying to get a student</span><br><span>seminar off the ground; 5 students coming to Wash Sem</span><br><span>Washington: new division, new president</span><br><span>Vermont: Difficult because of no student division; affiliate contact;</span><br><span>will continue to follow-up</span><br><span></span><br><span>Chris Nusbaum:</span><br><span>Maryland is doing really well; board retreat on January 2; Kathryn</span><br><span>attends conference calls monthly with the board to kick start new</span><br><span>division</span><br><span>All other states are unresponsive.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Michael Ausbyn:</span><br><span>Alabama: up and rising</span><br><span>Maine: no student division, but Dylan-Hedtler-Gaudette is going to</span><br><span>help start one</span><br><span>Nevada: new board members; couple of people attending Wash Sem</span><br><span>Ohio: trying to restart student division</span><br><span>Oklahoma: working with affiliate president</span><br><span>Puerto Rico: difficult contact</span><br><span>South Carolina: working on membership, fundraising, and communication</span><br><span>with new board</span><br><span></span><br><span>New Business:</span><br><span></span><br><span>NABS Board meeting during Washington Seminar before the Great</span><br><span>Gathering In. More information will come.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Sean will send out a vote for a NABS Rep in Massachusetts.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Meeting adjourned at 9:42 p.m.</span><br><span></span><br><span>As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions,</span><br><span>concerns or suggestions. The NABS Board works for you, and we want to</span><br><span>know how we’re doing! Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back in</span><br><span>January.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the</span><br><span>characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the</span><br><span>expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles</span><br><span>between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;</span><br><span>blindness is not what holds you back.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>-- </span><br><span>Hindley Williams</span><br><span><a href="mailto:hbwilliams16@gmail.com">hbwilliams16@gmail.com</a></span><br><span>(443) 823-0867</span><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div></div></blockquote></body></html>