For first timers or veterans who are pretty sure they don't know everything, this panel will try to teach you everything you need to know. Participants: Rhea Wessendorf (mod), Nikki Armstrong, Brian Etchieson
Have you ever wanted to learn how ConSuite keeps filling up the bags of chips or how badging can be a great way to make new friends? Come find out from the CONvergence Volunteers Department how you can become volunteer powered.
Come learn all that CONvergence offers to our teen fans from other teen fans. Learn about the Teen Room, favorite volunteer options, and more. Participants: Azron Borchert (mod)
Let's talk everything pro wrestling, and especially its intersection with other forms of nerd-dom! Who are some of your favorite geeky wrestlers? What storylines are so fantastical that they break the bounds of conventional kayfabe? Participants: Victor Adeola (mod), Ben Ellis, Mark Goldberg, Shanna Jansen, Andrew Snell
What chapter books are popular among young readers? Let's hear from the real experts--the kids themselves. Participants: Becca Justiniano (mod), Tara Borton, Malcolm Dekker, Rose Grumdahl
What's your favorite clan? What role would you want to have in that clan? Come chat about your favorite parts of Warriors! Participants: Becca Justiniano (mod), Cassius Bastian-Stendahl, Kenzie Fleschner, Rose Grumdahl, Rey Wall
Let's talk about how small, independent game studios work and how their games differ from those produced by the big companies. Participants: Tata (mod), Andrea, Darren Andrle, Corbin
What parents and guardians expect kids to find scary is often not what their kids think is scary. Why are adults so often wrong about this? Participants: Eric Alexander Norton (mod), Kyle B Dekker, Malcolm Dekker, Rose Grumdahl, Sammi
The movies showed us a variety of cultures; Dwarf, Elf, Human, Hobbit. Each uniquely portrayed in various types of garb. But what isn't so obvious is the costume designers' reflection of Tolkien's own research. Participants: Rae Lundquist
This panel aims to spread awareness and understanding about OCD. Society often has an inaccurate view of OCD and how it affects those suffering from it. Hear from those diagnosed and living with OCD, talk about representation in the media, and more. Participants: Hedy Rand-McKay, Jen Rogachevsky
Kids discuss Roblox, including what they like and what they don't about the platform. Participants: Kenneth Justiniano (mod), Cassius Bastian-Stendahl, Kenzie Fleschner, Rey Wall
Have you ever seen a live performance with actors playing Klingons and wondered how they do it? Join us for some basic tips and helpful hints to get your best Klingon happening. Participants: Dawn Krosnowski (mod), Nathan Gerber, Lana Rosario, Laura Thurston
Kids and teens discuss their views on AI. How do these views differ from peers? Have these views changed as new information has come out? Participants: Becca Justiniano (mod), Cassius Bastian-Stendahl, Azron Borchert, Henrietta Louise Buchan, Nick Fox
The nerdcore could rise up, it could get elevated...or has it passed its prime? Come talk about this subgenre of hip-hip and promote your favorite artists and tracks. Participants: Cetius d'Raven (mod), Kelly Brimbor, Nathan Gerber, Ashley M Mages
Along with his contemporaries H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith was the third of the Weird Tales "Big Three". We delve into the life and work of this unjustly neglected fantasist. Participants: Patrick G Harrigan (mod), Matthew Kessen, Tim Uren
Do you have a particular playlist for any/all of your geeky pursuits? If so, you're not alone! Come listen to GoH John Kovalic, Sharon "Birdchick" Stiteler, and radio host Barb Abney discuss which of their hobbies got a soundtrack and how they're built. Participants: Barb Abney (mod), Birdchick, John Kovalic
What movies didn't need a sequel but have one anyway? Stake your claim about franchises that shouldn't have been. There should be only one! Participants: Noel Thingvall (mod), Nate Anderson, Wendy Fossum, KitKat, The Vern
Art is often used to speak truth to power. Learn about various avenues and means of creating art as resistance. From sculpture and painting to performance art, we'll discuss it all (or at least what we can in an hour)! Participants: Naomi Kritzer (mod), Leslie Barlow, Kendrick Edmund Hogue, Lyda Morehouse
Let's talk about why we love CONvergence! What makes it so special, and what can it do better to not replicate all of the awful things about the outside world--phobia, cliques, gatekeeping. How can we welcome more people into this wonderful community? Participants: Pete Lane (mod), Sean Eberle, Janelle Kloth, Rhea Wessendorf
