The JAM

ASCLS-AGT 2019 Joint Annual Meeting attendees can give back to our host city with the Provide HOPE - Helping Other People Event, organized by the ASCLS Promotion of the Profession Committee.

The 2019 HOPE Project will benefit Classroom Central, which equips students in need to effectively learn by collecting and distributing free school supplies to their teachers. At the Annual Meeting, stop by the HOPE Project tables in the Symphony Foyer to make a donation and assemble kits or flashcards for Charlotte students, including wellness kits, art kits, and STEM kits. Supplies for the kits will be available at the HOPE Project tables ready for assembly at the following days and times.

• Monday, June 24, 11 am - 1 pm
• Tuesday, June 25, 11:30 am - 2 pm and 4:30 - 6 pm
• Wednesday, June 26, 11:30 am - 2 pm

You can also make a donation to the ASCLS HOPE Project, which will fund the kit supplies and any additional proceeds will go directly to Classroom Central.

Support clinical laboratory students entering the profession, assist graduate students and professionals conduct important research, and win some unique items. Participate in the Silent Auction on Monday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. during the Presidents' Reception. Proceeds from the auction help support the ASCLS Education & Research Fund and Foundation for Genetic Technology scholarship and grant programs.

Here is a sneak peek of some of the items you can bid on:

• Three bags of assorted goodies from Hawaii
• Tea leaf jewelry and a myrtlewood clock, by Orgeon artists
• Jewelry from Idaho
• 10 sets of eight lab-themed magnets, each with a different CLS discipline theme
• A vintage hemacytometer
• Laboratorian Barbie
• Science-themed scarves from California
• A signed copy of Rabies: Clinical Considerations and Exposure Evaluations, by Pamela J. Wilson, Rodney E. Rohde, Ernest H. Oertli, and Rodney E. Willoughby
• Swarovski watch
• Three gift baskets with North Dakota food products, including Red River Valley (ND) potatoes covered with chocolate (Chippers) and a North Dakota coffee cup with chokecherry coffee
• A case of Spotted Cow Beer and more tasty treats from Wisconsin
• Wine from Georgia

New this year, crafters are asked to bring their original creations to auction from the Crafter's Table. “Craft for a Cause” donations include:

• Baby Rag Quilt
• Needlepoint
• Crocheted blanket
• Three paintings
• Canned jellies
• 4th of July framed collage
• Back by popular demand after the CLEC2019 Silent Auction, Barbara Snyderman’s laboratory-themed greeting cards, including a limited-edition Halloween-themed card.

Attendees and exhibitors are welcome to submit additional items to be included in the bidding. Remember that winning bidders will have to pack their items for travel home, so no large pieces of instrumentation, please.

Last year the ASCLS Education & Research Fund awarded $13,000 in grants and $11,000 in scholarships. This annual event would not happen without the support of our generous members who donate items for auction. Thank you for your role in promoting our profession through grants and scholarships.

Photo credit: Don Hall

Back for a second year is the popular Story Slam on Sunday, June 23, the first night of the Joint Annual Meeting, beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Before we spend the rest of the meeting neck deep in science, we wanted to have a time to showcase the heart of the profession. Stories are personal and told to an audience; just you and a microphone. To the best of your knowledge, stories should be true, and they should feature the storyteller as a central character.

Stories present us as who we believe we are as people, allowing others to get a glimpse of how we see the world. Stories allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and others, real or imagined. Stories can help make meaning of our life experiences.

This Year’s Theme is “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Stories of Transformation”

How Will It Work? Each storyteller will have up to 7 minutes to tell his or her story. You don’t need to use it all. At 5 minutes, you’ll get a yellow signal, and at 6 minutes, you’ll get a red signal letting you know you have 60 seconds to wrap it up. At the end of 7 minutes, the microphone will be cutoff. When all the storytelling is complete, the audience will determine which storyteller had the told the “best” story. Yes … that is entirely subjective.

What Do You Win? A handsome traveling trophy, and “the people’s ovation and fame forever.”

How Do You Sign Up? It’s free and easy. If you want to reserve a spot, just call the ASCLS Story Slam “Pitch Line” at (630) 481-6176, anytime, 24-hours-a-day. Leave a message with your name and a short description of your story, so we can introduce you properly.

Pitching a story is easy. You can listen to the never-before heard pitch from last year’s winner..

Story Slam Dos and Don’ts (with a hat tip to The Moth)

Do tell don’t read: While you can have notes, the best stories are told from the heart. That’s how you connect with the audience. Try to know your story “by heart” but not by rote memorization. The flaws in delivery are sometimes the most interesting parts.

Do have some "stakes": Stakes are essential in live storytelling. What do you stand to gain or lose? Why is what happens in the story important to you? If you can’t answer this, then think of a different story. A story without stakes is an essay and is best experienced on the page, not the stage. Start in the action.

Do have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention:

Bad Start: “So I walked into the lab and poured myself a cup of coffee, but then my friend Emily, y’know she’s the one that always wears pink lipstick? Well, she stopped to tell me some juicy gossip about Ed, who works overnights. Apparently, he’s spending quite a bit of time with one of the pediatric nurses who nobody likes. After that I walked over to my bench and loaded the first slide. I sat down at the microscope and knew that I was about to make a call that would change a person’s life.”

Good Start: “I only had 30 seconds to cry before I called in the critical. I was the first person to know this patient was about to die. It was my first time and I questioned whether I was up for this.”

Do always practice civility and respect.

Do have fun! Watching you panic to think of the next memorized line is harrowing for the audience. Make an outline, memorize your bullet points, and play with the details. Enjoy yourself. Imagine you are at a dinner party, not a deposition.

Don't use meandering endings: They kill a story! Your last line should be clear in your head before you start. Yes, bring the audience along with you as you contemplate what transpires in your story, but remember, you are driving the story, and must know the final destination. Keep your hands on the wheel!

Don't rant: Rants aren’t fun and the Story Slam is not free therapy.

Don't give an essay: Your eloquent musings are beautiful and look pretty on the page but unless you can make them gripping and set up stakes, they won’t work on stage. Seven minutes isn’t a lot of time.

Looking for Inspiration?

• TED Talks: In these TED Talks, masters of storytelling share their creative secrets and explore new approaches to their age-old craft.
• The Moth: The Moth stories are true, as remembered by the storyteller and always told live.

While you’re attending the ASCLS-AGT 2019 Joint Annual Meeting, take advantage of the time away from your normal routine and explore something new in Charlotte. Local volunteers have put together a list of recommendations in the Queen City, including food, breweries, museums, and more.

NoDa Brewing Company

Discovery Place

National Whitewater Center

Amélie’s French Bakery

Midwood BBQ

Mac's Speed Shop

Breweries

NoDa Brewing Company
A unique microbrewery that offers a variety of small-batch craft beers

Heist Brewery  
Inventive pub fare and craft beers produced on-site and served in an industrial setting with a patio

Wooden Robot Brewery
Specializes in craft beer for the fermentively curious in Charlotte and beyond

Museums

Mint Museum
Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Craft + Design collection, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art.

NASCAR Hall of Fame
A shrine to the history and heritage of NASCAR under one roof with ever-evolving exhibits for you to explore

Discovery Place
A family science museum in Charlotte providing STEM education for all ages through special programs, exhibitions, events, and more

Shows

Blumenthal Performing Arts
From Broadway hits to music performances

PNC Music Pavilion
Outdoor amphitheater in Charlotte that specializes in hosting large concerts

Adventures

National Whitewater Center
The world's premier outdoor facility featuring whitewater rafting, biking, zip lines, live music, craft brews, and more

Carowinds Amusement Park
The premiere entertainment and thrill ride amusement park in the Carolinas

Sports

Baseball—Charlotte Knights
Triple-A baseball games on June 26 and 27 at 7pm

Soccer—2019 CONCACAF Soccer Gold Cup
June 23 at Bank of America Stadium

Nightlife

The Epicenter
Restaurants, bowling, movies, and dancing

Coyote Joe’s
Country dancing

Fahrenheit
High-end restaurant on 21st floor; also has a bar with the best skyline views

Music Factory
Restaurants, dancing, comedy shows, and concerts

Food

Uptown

Amélie’s French Bakery 
Authentic French-inspired pastries, soups, and savories

Fahrenheit 
Asian-accented New American plates served in a 21st-floor space with a patio and fire pits

King’s Kitchen 
Not-for-profit eatery serving updated Southern cuisine, with an adjoining bakery and breakfast cafe

NoDa Area

Cabo Fish Taco
Casual, hipster-friendly Mexican stop for Southern Californian-style tacos, burritos, and margaritas

Haberdish
Sleek Southern option serving a locally-driven menu of fare, like fried chicken, okra, and biscuits

Amélie’s French Bakery
Authentic French-inspired pastries, soups, and savories

Crepe Cellar
Sweet and savory crêpes, bistro bites, French-press coffee, and European beers in a cozy, chill setting

Midwood (Plaza/Central)

Soul Gastrolounge
Global small plates, sushi, and cocktails, plus DJs spinning after 10 pm, in a hip, cozy setting

Mama Ricotta’s
Traditional Italian cooking and New Haven-style pizza in a warm, roomy setting with a covered patio

YAFO Kitchen
Casual counter offering classic, sustainably-sourced Mediterranean fare in a bright, colorful space

Midwood BBQ
Slow-smoked barbecue favorites range from smoked wings to brisket and salmon steaks, all drenched in the famous house sauce

Whiskey Warehouse
Fashionable pub with gourmet burgers and more plus a spacious and panoramic rooftop with a full bar

SouthEnd

Futo Buta
Modern izakaya with a bar and outdoor seating for creative ramen and other unique Japanese eats

Hawkers Asian Street Fare
Dumplings with bounce, spicy curries, crisp pork belly, and the list goes on

Mac’s Speed Shop
BBQ, beer, and bikes blended to create a truly unique experience

Seoul Food Meat Company
A rustic hangout for Korean-inspired BBQ eats paired with Asian craft beers and custom cocktails

Annual Meeting Steering Committee and ASCLS Staff Picks

Wooden Robot Brewery 
Specializes in craft beer for the fermentively curious in Charlotte and beyond

Golden Cow Creamery
Modern ice cream parlor offering scratch-made scoops with inventive flavors and local ingredients

King’s Kitchen 
Not-for-profit eatery serving updated Southern cuisine, with an adjoining bakery and breakfast cafe

Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
Warm, wood-paneled, two-level sports bar in an old building serves American favorites, plus a patio

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
Healthy, flavorful, quick Mediterranean cuisine ordered from the counter

RuRu's Tacos & Tequila
Lively Mexican hub with a huge patio and outdoor bar offering tacos with a twist and clever cocktails

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse
Combines traditional rodizio and excellent service with an elegant setting