by ebbierowe | Feb 14, 2022 | Activities, Engagement
Gamers, this one is for you! A weekend at JordanCon is great, but what if you need a quick D&D fix? Or have you been dying to show off your Magic the Gathering skills to people that will actually care? Maybe you aren’t a gamer, but you are curious about those strategy games that take hours and this weekend you just happen to have the time. Then trust me, the Gaming Track is the place for you!
The game room is an ideal place to meet new people with similar interests. It is a relaxed area where you are welcome to come, play, and have fun even if you have never played before. Game demos are great to try new games out or just revisit old favorites. There are a wide variety of games, and you are welcome to bring your own to share
If you like Magic the Gathering, they have a draft for you. D&D is a favorite for those who want to delve into a dark hole for gold, glory, and adventure. Check out the Open Gaming if you want to try some of the demo games yourself or with your friends.
More of an observer? Come see the winning module from our Gaming Module Writing Contest get played by your favorite authors; proceeds from the event go to the Mayo Clinic.
By the way, the Gaming Module Writing contest is still taking entries. The deadline is March 1st at noon. For more information on the rules and how to enter email gaming@jordancon.org
Gaming is open not only during the regular programming day but also afterward until 11:30 pm. So you can have the best of both worlds. Keep an eye out for the Gaming Track schedule as we get closer to the con.
#IsItAprilYet
by ebbierowe | Feb 7, 2022 | Engagement, Uncategorized
As a new JordanCon Member, you will notice three things as you move through the convention space: ribbons, tiaras, and kilts. I am sure you have already heard talk of ribbons in the group so let’s get started with those.
Ribbons:
Ribbons are fancy accouterments that are a must-have at JordanCon. Now there even seems to be an unspoken competition between some in the JordanCon family to see who can collect the most ribbons.
There are two kinds of ribbons:
- Official con ribbons (vendor, director, program participant, volunteer)
- Fun ribbons you can get
from anyone from vendors to other Con-goers (and even a few select directors)
Ribbons abound!
Anyone can create a “fun ribbon.” One of the more popular places to get ribbons is PC Nametag (please note: this is not an endorsement of this vendor).
Ribbons are placed on the bottom of your con badge using the adhesive on the top of the ribbon. Each additional ribbon is added to the bottom of the previous ribbon.
For some “fun ribbons,” the owner of the ribbons may ask you to complete a task. Sometimes it is simply reciting a phrase.… Other times it might be to pledge your soul to The Dark One, so use your own best judgment in these circumstances.
Tiaras:
You will see many members adorned with a tiara or crown of some sort. While this is in no way required, it is certainly fun. Anyone who wishes to wear a tiara or crown is more than welcome to. In the past, we have coordinated a picture with everyone wearing their royal headpiece. I am sure we will probably make this happen again this year. Keep an eye out for more information on that. This wonderful tradition was started by our very own creator and con chair, Jenn Liang. To get the full story you can check out this blog post.
Kilts:
Not to be outdone by our tiara/crown-loving crowd, we have a contingent of con-goers that have brought kilts into the fold (and we are so grateful for that). On the Friday of JordanCon, you will find quite a few members sporting kilts. A couple of them will even have a crown on to complete their outfit. You can find out more about the origin of “On Friday We Wear Kilts!” in this blog post.
There are more shenanigans that exist at JordanCon, some from JordanCon One, some a little more recent. And undoubtedly you and you’re new family will create some of your own.
There is never any pressure for anyone to participate in any of these extracurricular activities. But know all are welcome to join if and when they feel comfortable.
#IsItAprilYet
by ebbierowe | Jan 17, 2022 | Engagement
It is January 2022, which means it is time for the much-anticipated blog series “New Member Mondays.”
Now, as a New Member, you may be wondering, “What under the Light is a ‘New Member Monday’?”
Well, it is a series of blog posts written by the New Member Services Team (Ebony Adomanis and Arthur Gibson) to inform our newest members (and maybe some of our more experienced members) about the different aspects of JordanCon to put them at ease and help them get super excited about attending.
As we all know, COVID has changed how many Cons operate, and JordanCon is no exception. However, along with those changes, JordanCon has also made changes to make the Con more efficient and enjoyable for all, so you JordanCon vets might want to take a gander at these posts also.
We will have New Member Monday blog posts about the following topics (in no particular order):
- Changes to JordanCon for 2022
- Ribbons, Tiaras, and Kilts
- Costuming
- Workshops & How to Sign Up
- The Amazing Art Show
- The Charity Auction
- How to Volunteer
- The Gaming Track
- The Dealer’s Hall
- Panels and Programming
While these are the topics we have planned, there is definitely room to add some, so let us know if you have a topic or area about which you would like more details!
In addition to our New Member Monday blog posts, we plan to do some live Q&A/Member Connect Sessions. We will share more information about those soon.
So sit back and get ready to learn about all things JordanCon. If you have any questions or suggestions, just shoot us an email at newmemberservice@gmail.com.
by ebbierowe | Mar 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
One of my favorite things about JordanCon is all the cosplay you see. And it is not just Wheel of Time cosplay. It is from all over the fantasy genre.
And trust me, cosplay does not go unappreciated at JordanCon, which is why we have an amazing costume contest every year.
The costume contest takes place on Saturday and is open to everyone (even kids). In this post, we are going to cover some basic information about the contest, but if you are considering entering you should review the full Costume Contest Rule Packet that can be found HERE. And for our veteran con-goers, even if you have participated in the costume contest in the past you should still check out the rules as some things have changed.
The first thing you need to decide is if you want to compete for Juried Awards or Judge’s Choice/Audience Choice.
Juried Awards: Juried Awards include Best in Show, Best in Class, and Best Workmanship. Each of these categories is divided into 3 classes:
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- .Novice– Anyone who has never won an award before.
- Journeyman– Anyone who has won 2 or fewer best in class awards or no more than 1 best in show.
- Master– Anyone who has won best in show more than once or Best in Class 3 or more times.
There is mandatory pre-judging for the juried awards that take place at 4 pm on Saturday in the main program hall. Make sure you are on time for this.
Audience Choice: The Audience Choice award is determined by audience applause and general rowdiness.
Judge’s Choice: The Judge’s Choice Award is left up to the discretion of each judge.
How to Enter: You will need to register for the costume contest on Saturday Morning between 11 am and 1 pm at the registration desk. This is the same place you picked up your badge.
Two important things to remember:
- Registrations are first-come, first-serve
- Only the first twenty (20) juried registrations will be accepted (so don’t dilly dally)
Awards: What is a contest without awards?! Kind of boring, that’s what. So, of course, our costume contest has awards. The following awards will be given at the end of the contest.
- Best in Show– The best overall entrant from all classes.
- Best in Class– The best entrant from each class that is not also the Best in Show.
- Best Workmanship– The entrant with the best workmanship who has not also won Best in Class or Show.
- Judges Choice– Each judge may choose to present an award to any contestant that does not also receive a Best of award.
- Audience Choice– This award will be chosen based on audience reaction.
The costume contest is one of the highlights of the Con. I encourage anyone who plans on cosplaying to participate. And if you aren’t cosplaying, come out and support these amazingly talented individuals.
by ebbierowe | Mar 9, 2020 | Uncategorized
How many of you like great music? How many of you like to dance? Well, the Saturday Night JordanCon Dance Party is for you!
Every year, we have an awesome themed dance party that is DJ’d by none other than Mr. Paul Bielaczyc. If you don’t know who Paul is, by Saturday night you probably will. Paul is in charge of the Dealers Hall and the Art Show.
Here is a little history of this awesome dance party. It all started at the 2nd JordanCon when Paul was bored on that Saturday night and asked if he could set up a dance party and Jay Duro (He will be the person walking around with cookies at the Con. I know that sounds a little strange, but trust me that they’re good!) had some speakers and so they got together and put on a great party.
After that, Paul was asked to do another dance party at the 3rd JordanCon, and he has done so ever since.
Every year the dance has a theme. This year it is the Roaring 20’s. You can dress in costume, wear your favorite cosplay, or come as you are.
So if you want to have a great time and shake your booty, your moneymaker, or what your mama gave ya on the dance floor, make sure you don’t miss the awesome JordanCon dance party. You won’t regret it!!
