HOW TO PREPARE- MATERIALS
Physical materials: I made a large poster board and printed out copies of some digital flyers I made on Canva. I completed both of these materials before leaving for convention, which I highly recommend as it may be hard to access a printer and other physical resources at the actual convention site. I did all the work of creation on my own, but I showed it to my family and friends to get their approval as well. I tried to use similar colors and standard style, and I also made sure to include pictures of my face so that voters could recall who I was. Digital materials: I created a website and an Instagram page. For my website, I used Google Sites to create one easily and for free. On my Instagram, I didn ' t publish any new content regarding my campaign, but I did utilize my Instagram to publish JCL stories that I heard on the campaign journey as that was one of my main campaign themes. The speech: Writing the first draft of my speeches did not take very long, but I spent a long time afterwards amending and editing my initial draft. For my two speeches, I structured them pretty differently. My NomCom speech was more focused on who I was as a person. For my general assembly speech, I followed a much more formal structure by introducing myself, talking about my experience, and covering my campaign ideas. I think the most important part of speeches is making sure you sound genuine and authentic because voters automatically will gravitate towards that. Additionally, delivery is super important, so make sure to practice your speech many times and in front of others.
CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS
Campaigning at Nationals: At Nationals, I campaigned for almost the entire duration when it was allowed. Because Nationals can get overwhelming, I would create a schedule every night of which events I wanted to attend the next day. I think the best way to campaign is to go to social activities where people are already talking( mixers, agora, games, etc.). I didn ' t go everywhere with a big stack of posters or a prepared speech; instead, I just tried to meet people and introduce myself as a candidate. Another helpful tip I discovered was trying to show up to election events early. By getting to AmendCom and Meet the Candidates before they started, I was able to talk directly to voting delegates who had also arrived early. I gave a few of my friends some posters to hand out and told my state to mention my website / Instagram if anyone wanted to learn more about my campaign. Favorite part of campaigning: Throughout the whole campaign journey, I was able to meet some many amazing people and hear some incredible JCL stories. Getting to meet the JCLers I would soon be representing gave me even more passion for pursuing this office. What you did well: I think my energy really helped me gain supporters. When meeting voters, I found it really important to match their energy. I balanced listening and speaking in every conversation I had, and I was willing to talk to literally anyone( regardless of if they already supported me or if they were a voting delegate or not). It helped put my name out there as a candidate and gave me a boost in enthusiasm when I was able to bond with new people. What you could have improved: On the other hand, I wish I had taken more time to relax and decompress during the campaign week. The days are very long, and it takes a lot of energy to get through the journey. It is really important to take care of yourself and make time to actually enjoy Nationals as well. Make sure you get enough sleep and balance your campaign duties with other events( tests, Certamen, dances, spirit, etc.).