NOTE: Bard College junior Harry Johnson found out this past winter that he'd been selected to participate in the Bard Student Conference in Budapest, Hungary, during Spring Break in late March, through Bard's Center for Civic Engagement. Then he found out on Feb. 8 that he had been chosen as one of just 10 college basketball players nationwide to be on the Allstate/National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Good Works Team, which would allow him and a guest (his mother) to spend a whirlwind weekend at the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, Mar. 31-Apr.4. What follows is a rough day-by-day summary of the odyssey, compiled by Director of Athletic Communications & Marketing Jim Sheahan, with Johnson's guidance.
 

Saturday, March 19

The flight to Hungary had a stop in Turkey, and it left New York City at 6 a.m. It was a 10-hour flight. They landed in Turkey, ran through the airport to a connecting flight, jumped on the next plane and landed in Budapest at 8 a.m. local time.

"They gave us breakfast right away. It was 2 a.m. our time, but they encouraged us to stay awake. All of the other groups from around the world got there at about 3 p.m., and we did orientation activities until about 8 p.m. I was dead but I was trying to give it everything I had."

Sunday, March 20

The attendees, all part of Bard's international network, stayed in dormitories at Central European University. There were students from Bard, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Al-Quds University (Palestine), American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), Bard College Berlin (Germany), Smolny College (Russia), and European Humanities University (Lithuania). The conference was focused on finding ways college students can make a difference as change agents around the world.

The students were given passes for public transportation, and the bulk of the events related to the conference were held about 10-15 minutes away from the lodging.

Budapest is actually split into two cities - Buda and Pest - Buda on the western bank of the Danube River and Pest on the opposite side. The group got a tour of Pest, where their lodging was, and they were blown away by the city's cleanliness, beauty and history.

"The public transportation was amazing. We were all taking pictures. They've had a lot of wars, and lost a lot of wars; there were a lot of monuments pertaining to the Holocaust, and to their old affiliation with the former Soviet Union."

Back at the dorms, Paul Marienthal, the Dean for Social Action and the Director of the Trustee Leader Scholar Program at Bard, gave a presentation about public speaking and interpersonal communications. All attendees knew they were going to making a 10-minute presentation during the week about their specific civic engagement projects - the projects that had earned them a spot in this elite group of students.

"We practiced talking and listening. One person would talk for five minutes, and another person would reflect back to them what they heard. Then the first person would speak again if what was repeated needed to be tweaked. It was about speaking, and listening, and how in certain situations a monologue can kill a conversation. It's really strategic, and I thought it was really interesting and helpful. I learned a lot."

Monday, March 21

Students were given some time to practice their presentations, with the bulk of the day spent over at the conference center. There were presentations from a few guest speakers in the morning, and students practiced in the afternoon. Then there was also a professional party, which included Bard alumni, CEU professors and administrators, Bard CCE admistration and staff, and people from the Open Society Mission at CEU.

The party was an opportunity to learn how to mingle in a professional/social environment, and Erin Cannan, Deputy Director of the Center for Civic Engagement, spent a lot of her time breaking up the small groups of students who were forming all over the room.

"Erin was hounding us to go talk to people we'd never met. There were groups of three of us all over the place, and she was going around breaking them up. It was an education about how to handle yourself in that situation."

Tuesday, March 22

More guest speakers, more students presentations, and that night, everyone attended a party at the home of Bard alum Laszlo Bito ('60), a native of Budapest.

"His house was huge and it was an amazing party. It was a much more relaxed atmosphere, just very friendly and warm. There were waiters walking around with hors d'ouvres, a little band playing. And he was just so down to to Earth and friendly, walking around talking to everyone. He really wanted to spend time with the students."

Johnson was up until 2 or 3 in the morning, though, because his presentation was the next day.

"Right before I left for Budapest was midterms and moderation. To be honest, I wasn't ready."

Wednesday, March 23

It's Johnson's turn to make his presentation. He had been advised by Marienthal to keep his presentation logistical and in order, and he'd been advised by Cannan to use personal stories to keep it relatable ... so he did both.

"I was nervous, but once I got rolling I was fine. I explained how we got things done from a logistical standpoint, and I wove in success stories. I got great feedback from everyone. Mr. Bito and his wife were there, the President of CEU was there. Everybody seemed to love it."

Thursday, March 24

More student presentations in the morning, more guest speakers.

"I was relieved. Once you present, you're 'free.' I spent some time exploring the city and some of the nightlife."

Friday, March 25

Johnson was leaving early on Saturday morning, so this is really his last day in Budapest. The final student presentations are done, and in the afternoon, Debra Pemstein, Bard's Vice President, Development and Alumni/ae Affairs, hosted a panel about grant writing and fund raising.

After the work of the day is over, the students head back to the hotel ... and nobody wants to go to sleep. Nobody wants the conference to end, and nobody wants to leave Budapest.

"We were sitting up in the rooms, chilling until 5 in the morning, and we had to leave at 6. It was a truly amazing conference. There were 20-25 of us, and we all just meshed together so well. The relationships we built were amazing. We all just really connected. There were two students from Russia who applied to Bard and got in; two students from Palestine who will be coming to Bard this summer to work in the lab; we even Skyped in a student from Pakistan who is doing great things to raise money for families hurt by war. Even students from Bard we I don't usually cross paths with ... these are just great friendships."

Saturday, March 25

First a flight to Turkey, with a layover, then a long flight back to the U.S. But there's a problem in Turkey.

"We get to our gate in Turkey, and it's like makeshift security. Just a couple of guys with a table set up. They're checking our palms for chemicals ... but you could tell something wasn't right. We get on the plane and we're sitting there for 30 minutes. Then they start taking people off the plane, and there's all this confusion. Apparently two groups of people got on two different planes, so they bring security ON the plane, and they're going through bags one at a time. They find an unclaimed bag, then 10 minutes later a guy stands up and says his bag is missing. We finally get off the ground. It's a safe, long flight. We get back on Saturday night at midnight or so. There's a bus waiting for us and it takes us back to campus."

Sunday, March 26

Midterms were over, but Johnson still had a paper to hand in. He finished the paper and tried to get some sleep.

Monday, March 27 to Wednesday, March 29

Going to class, trying to catch up on work he's missed. Same deal on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I doing a lot of writing, I'm no where near caught up, and starting to work on Senior Project."

Thursday, March 30

Trying to do laundry, getting ready to pack. Going to class. Flight to Houston for the Final Four leaves from New York City on Friday morning.

"I really needed a haircut. I head up to Hudson early, the barber shop is closed. Go to another barber shop: Closed. I run a basketball practice up there, head back to Bard, pack, and I'm on the road to Long Island, because I'm staying at Zach Goodman's house overnight."

Goodman is a teammate of Johnson's on the men's basketball team.

Friday, April 1

Johnson gets to the airport, and it's filled with Villanova fans. Apparently the flights from Philadelphia were all booked. His mother, Davida Benson, was flying out of Baltimore and would meet him there.

"I'm sitting next to a Villanova grad on the plane, and on the other side of me is a professor from Quinnipiac whose husband is a Villanova grad. Meanwhile, my mom is texting me constantly. She's just ecstatic to be going. I mean, I was soaking all of this in, but she was really soaking it in."

Johnson gets off the plane, and there's a driver waiting for him, holding a sign with his name on it. They pick up his bags and bring him to a huge Denali. People are milling around trying to figure out who these important people are who just got in the Denali.

"They take us to the hotel, oh my God. Hotel ZaZa. People are again staring at us as we get out of the Denali. What a magnificent hotel. All the Allstate representatives meet us, and there's food right there at the door. Piles and piles of food. Well, I don't think it's free. I pass on the food and go up to my room, where my mom is waiting. She's got a big plate of food. 'You didn't get a plate?! Go down and get a plate!' So I go down and get some chicken and potatoes."

"A little later, they tell us to go down for orientation, and they give us this big welcome packet. They also let us pick out a new pair of Maui Jim sunglasses - a $200 pair of sunglasses - so I'm rockin' those all day. The hospitality room is open all day with food and drinks. My mom is taking 1,000 pictures. We get to meet the other Good Works winners, except for Anthony Gill from Virginia - he was playing the next day. There was a kid there from USC who runs a company that's worth $4 million. Then we had the Allstate Dinner - Dick Vitale and Shaka Smart were there. Everyone was very friendly and down to Earth."

Saturday, April 2

Johnson and the Good Works Team were going to be honored during a media timeout of the national semifinal game that night, so they went to the stadium to rehearse in the morning.

"We had to walk through the Houston Texans' front office to get to the stadium, and it's amazing. We go out of the court for the walkthrough, and they announce our names, and we're supposed to wave. The Villanova scout team came in just as we were leaving. Now we've got free time all day. I still need a haircut. Well, any time we want to go somewhere, we just ask for the driver, and he takes you where you want to go. It was a huge vehicle with Texas longhorns on it. People would stare. I tell the guy I need a haircut, he takes me to his favorite place, and I get a great haircut and a ride back to the hotel. Now we're just waiting for the games to start."

After the Allstate pregame party, the Good Works Team is seated in one of the corners of the massive stadium.

"We go to the game, and we've got pretty good seats. Eventually they tell us to come down and get changed because it's time. I can barely remember it now! There's a time out and they walk us out on the court. It's just a sea of people. I was standing next to Anthony Gill. They call our names, we wave, and we walk off."

"As soon as we step off the court, everyone's phone is blowing up. We get our awards and go back up to our seats. Everyone's trying to manage their phones. Kids from high school were tweeting about it. It was crazy. Finally the game ends. The next game ends. They were a horrible two games and we say to each other that we got to see the worst Final Four ever."

Sunday, April 3

The Good Works Team would be doing a community service event with Special Olympics of Texas at the University of Houston.

"It was early. We get out there and we're in the locker room being told how it works, and deciding who was going to do what station. They gave me defense, but they didn't tell me what to do. So now I'm trying to figure out how to run a defensive drill for my group, which is the younger group. While we're talking, Hakeem Olajuwon walks in and sits down. Hakeem Olajuwon! Nobody had told us we were going to meet him."

"So the clinic starts, and I'm giving everything I have on my defensive station. Making faces, screaming, teaching the kids how to take charges. They put Hakeem in my drill, and he's taking charges and falling on the floor. It was amazing. They gave me Coach of the Camp. The kids were wonderful and I'll never forget it."

That night was the NABC Awards Show.

"Bill Self was there, John Thompson III was there, and John Salley was the host. They had video highlights of the players, includiing me, and a big dinner for everyone. It was a great evening."

Monday, April 3

It's the day of the NCAA National Championship. Villanova will play North Carolina that night.

"We chilled all day and went to the pregame party again. Now I have to skip to the game. The game is back and forth. It gets to the end. North Carolina is down three with a few seconds left and they call time out. We're talking to each other about what Carolina should do. I think they should get a quick two, try to steal it and foul right away. Well, they hit an amazing three, and Coach Turner is texting me right away, saying that was one of the greatest shots in NCAA history. Villanova had called a time out with 4.7 seconds left, game tied."

"They inbound the ball, they come down ... as soon as he let the ball go, I just said 'OH MY GOD.' He hits the three and everybody starts going crazy, and fireworks and confetti go off instantly. I just witnessed the greatest championship game in NCAA history! One of the greatest shots in basketball history! It was crazy - there's no other way to describe it. We all say 'Let's go out' but everybody just went back to the hotel and fell asleep."

Tuesday, April 4

Up at 6:30, Johnson gets a ride to the airport, and he's headed back to New York's LaGuardia Airport.

"As soon as I got to the airport in Houston, I became a regular person again. Land at LaGuardia, no car waiting for me. A family friend takes me to the Long Island Railroad, I take it to Flushing, I take the train back to Bard, I go to sleep and I have class the next day."

"The biggest, most rewarding part of both trips, was seeing my mom have a carefree vacation. Everyone aspires to eventually give something back to their mother, and even though I didn't exactly pay for it, I got her there, and that was very rewarding. She was livin' it up and livin' the life. I'm happy for her."

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