298: Catch Up from March: Camp HETMA Preview and CTS Tips

Recorded March 25, 2025

Host Tim Van Woeart and co-host Murphy Daley catch up on life and AV. Murphy shares a health update and why she’s diving into a water-management certification that’s heavy on geometry, conversions, and real-world stakes at city scale. Tim offers practical CTS study tactics (including how mentors and a pre-written formula sheet can help), and they point listeners to the HETMA Prism Scholarship pathway. The duo preview InfoComm week: the HETMA Education Summit via AVIXA registration, panel and small-group formats, and the 12 RU haul for CTS renewal. They also tease the Camp HETMA theme, booth plans, sponsor activation, and the Higher Ed AV Awards on Monday night, where wardrobe changes and showmanship are basically guaranteed.

Along the way they compare “math you thought you’d never use” with the math you can’t avoid, talk capacity and margins using an Excel-to-the-edges cautionary tale, and detour into Princess Bride lore (Billy Crystal chaos, Mandy Patinkin’s bruised ribs, the whole thing). Parenting notes pop up too: Minecraft’s “never dig straight down,” Roblox targeting grown-ups, and basic online safety. It’s a breezy reset episode that still packs in useful pointers for higher-ed AV pros ramping toward InfoComm.

The AV Life is a Higher Ed AV Media production. More at https://higheredav.com

Connect with Tim:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-woeart-45416826/
Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/TVanWoeart

Connect with The AV Life:Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/TheAVLifePod
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@theavlife3337

Topics Discussed

• Murphy’s health update and why she’s pursuing a water-management certification (geometry, dosing, unit conversions, real-world scale)
• CTS study tactics and mentorship; shout to Britt Yenser and community support paths
• HETMA Prism Scholarship as an on-ramp to CTS, AVIXA membership, and mentoring
• InfoComm prep: HETMA Education Summit format, registration via AVIXA, and 12 RUs toward CTS renewal
• Camp HETMA theme: booth plans, t-shirts, and a revived sponsor-tied activity teased
• Higher Ed AV Awards on Monday night; multiple outfits and stagecraft from the hosts
• AV Life considering additional responsibilities at InfoComm (coverage possibilities)
• Excel “no margins left” analogy for energy/capacity during treatment and recovery
• Pop-culture detour: Princess Bride behind-the-scenes laughs and cast anecdotes
• Parenting/online safety: Minecraft/Roblox, driving permits, and sensible guardrails