Hershey. Probably a Census Designated Location.

Lately I've gotten away from writing about things that I personally do in my spare time, but I just had to say something about my trip to Hershey for the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference. I guess the biggest point I want to make is this: you know a trip was a disappointment when the most interesting thing you found to take a photograph of was a couple ducks on a sidewalk. This was the case in Hershey, but there is a back story to this. I really have no interest in business, seeing as I am planning to major in journalism. Looking back on it, the biggest,(perhaps the only) reason I joined FBLA was to go to Hershey, because I heard it was a fun trip, and there's the amusement park (supposedly very good), the chocolate factory, etc. My group and I competed in Business Ethics and passed through the regional round on some sort of technicality, we never found out; but at any rate, we were in, and going to states. I did a lot of research on Hershey before the trip, and planned on exploring "downtown Hershey" while I was there. Of course I didn't expect a metropolis, but I did reckon there would be a bit of a town center, with some shops and restaurants, maybe a statue or a plaque commemorating World War II vets, things of that nature. How wrong I was. We got there, and quickly discovered that everything that made you want to visit Hershey was a myth. A Mirage. There were supposed to be street lamps in the shape of Hershey's Kisses lining the streets! Didn't see a single bloody one. There was no town center. The quaintest shops consisted of K-Mart and Radio Shack. The park wasn't open this early in the year, but come to think of it, I bet there really isn't any park. People tell me there is this giant roller coaster, but then wouldn't you be able to see it from at least 10 miles away? I saw no roller coasters on the horizon. To sum it all up, Hershey PA is a collection of buildings and hotels with a freeway running through it. Not, as they say, "The Sweetest Place On Earth"

On a more positive note however, I did learn a lot about business. Many of the seminars I attended were very informative, and will serve me well in the future when I'm looking for a job. The competition was engaging also. There were over 3500 people attending this conference, interestingly enough. Would I do it again? I don't know to be honest, we'll see in a year when it comes time to renew my membership.