i volunteered in 1999, but was unable to attend. i volunteered in 2000 and in 2001, enjoying the experience both times. the staff position gives you a somewhat removed perspective on the whole event, allowing you to be in the midst of the affair without actually getting caught up in its benign madness. in other words, when you work staff for dragoncon, you can indulge in four days of imaginative fantasy without worrying about whether or not your ghostbuster, stormtrooper or boy wonder costume will be back from the cleaners. and best of all, it’s free. your admission to the ‘con requires only that you work for 16 hours out of the four days. easily done.
now, it appears, i am in deeper than usual. our fearless leader suffered from bit of burnout during the last ‘con, brought on by some political matters and a fever that kept him bed-ridden for the ‘con’s last two days. he appointed another one of our ragged band as his new standard-bearer, but now it appears that his replacement will be heading to the wilds of texas for new employment. do you see where this is heading?
yep. i am the new director for information services at dragoncon 2002. what does that mean? it means that i deal with the chief directors, organize work schedules, get materials, gather resources and actively recruit people to fill our ranks. the staff is in charge of turning the lost into the found, directing the aimless to their destination and a handful of other tasks that pop up along the way. the first day consists mostly of politely nudging people in the direction of registration. it becomes a mantra. “up the escalator… ‘cross the lobby… down the escalator… om…”
so i guess things will be a bit different this year. but not too different. i’m still not dressing up like a klingon…
