The Northeast Conference SAAC

By: Lauren Chapman

The Northeast Conference is one of the smallest NCAA Division I conferences, mainly composed of schools in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and Rhode Island. During the weekend of February 27 and 28, our conference got together for our first in-person meeting of the year in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Surprisingly, there is more than just chocolate in this town. The area is home to the Cancer Recovery Foundation which has a “Bear-able Bag” program that our conference worked with personally. The program is the largest distributor of gifts to kids with cancer in the world. Huge companies such as Crayola and Mattel donate to the foundation and it was our jobs to put the boxes together that get sent to hospitals all over the country.

Mattel donated around 6,000 Barbie’s to the foundation and it was part of our job to unload them out of the boxes. We spent a whole afternoon there and we all felt very accomplished afterwards. Prior to our meeting we had a conference wide penny wars where $2,803.91 was raised for the Cancer Recovery Foundation as well. It was a great experience and we are looking forward to doing it again next year.

For the first time this year we decided to elect a chair and two vice chairs to run the conference SAAC. This will change the formats for future meetings and it will hopefully be run by only the chair instead of our head liaison.
Along with this change, we decided to add the Northeast Conference Award for Excellence in Community Service which would recognize one institution in the conference annually for their community service efforts. The winner will be decided at our February in-person meeting next year. This is a great opportunity for institutions to be recognized for all their hard work within their communities.

The meeting to start off the year was a great success and we were happy to see some major changes within the conference. Our next in-person meeting will be in November where more conference issues will be discussed and hopefully pushed in the right direction.

Get to know Aminah Charles

Aminah Charles is the representative from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). A Volleyball Student-Athlete at Hampton University, she graduated with a degree in Sports Management.


How long have you been on National SAAC?
2 Years


How did you become involved with SAAC?
I became involved during my sophomore year after learning about SAAC as a freshman from senior leaders on the team. They gave such positive feedback about the group of student-athletes on the committee and I really just wanted to be a part of this great group of people who worked hard to make the student athlete experience amazing.


What's one cool thing your campus SAAC does that makes you unique?
Every year we do a Penny Drive and raise money for a different charity. We also pay a visit and do community service at a charity or organization we select.


What is your favorite memory from National SAAC?
It would have to be my first meeting in Indianapolis. Everyone said I would grow close to the members in a week’s time than I had to anyone before, and it was so true!


What is the best thing about being a D1 Athlete?
We are D1, so we set the bar!


Favorite food?
Chicken


Favorite TV show?
Greys Anatomy


Favorite Musical Artist?
Beyonce


Favorite Pro Sports Team?
Cleveland Cavs


If you could meet one person in the world, who would it be?
Beyonce


Place you’ve never been that you’d love to visit?
Europe


The actor who plays you in the movie version of your life?
Gabrielle Union


Hobby?
Sports


One interesting fact about yourself?
I love to sing and dance...and I'm not good at either!


What are some of your career goals?
Work for one of the world’s biggest sports brands in sport marketing or brand marketing.


Thanks for reading and come back next week to read about Anne Morrison, a women’s rower from Cal State, Sacramento who enjoys Glee and throwing pottery.