Registration Open for Cannonball Conference

The Saint Louis University Cannonball Picnic has been expanded to a full day of events.  

The new Cannonball Conference, for university staff members, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26. The conference will take place in the Busch Student Center. 

"We saw expanding the Cannonball Picnic into a full day event as a great opportunity to help out staff reconnect with the history and mission of Saint Louis University," said Aaron Mensinger, Learning & Development Manager and one of the organizers of the event. "We also wanted to provide educational opportunities to help everyone navigate their ever changing work environments.

This event is held each year to recognize your contributions to SLU and gets its name from the battlefield injury suffered by St. Ignatius in 1521.  Staff members will not be required to use vacation hours or leave time to participate. Organizers intend for the event to have a comfortable business casual atmosphere.

The one-day conference will feature speakers, activities and workshops. The keynote is noted speaker and SLU alum Eric M. Bailey. Bailey will share how to recognize the natural human behaviors that cause upset, frustration, and interpersonal tension. 

Other speakers will include SLU President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., and Pastoral Formation Director Patrick Cousins. 

The event kicks off at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast in the Wool Ballroom at the Busch Student Center. The welcome and opening remarks will begin at 8:45 a.m.

At 9:30 a.m., the day's programming will begin. Staff will have the choice of attending breakout sessions or taking a walk on campus. 

At 10:45 a.m., Bailey will deliver his speech, "I Think Therefore I Err: Using Brain Science to Effect Change, Human Connection, and Happiness."

Lunch is scheduled to run from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Following lunch, staff will have the chance to take part in a breakout session from the morning that they did not attend.

A Shared Mission video and discussion is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. The day is set to close at 3:15 p.m. with discussion around volunteer opportunities.

To ensure an accurate food and t-shirt count, attendees must RSVP online by noon Wednesday, Oct.18. 
 
On the day of the event, The Grand Shuttle will run every 20 minutes. The Scott Hall/Parks Shuttle will run its normal schedule. Reciprocal parking will be available in the Laclede parking garage for those who drive to the Busch Student Center.