Comments on: AHA report part deux, check (it) out now! Hugs and learning for everyone! (Except straight historians.) http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:10:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: equality4therich http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-530260 equality4therich Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:26:13 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-530260 The conference was fab. If I hadn't crossed that picket line, I would never have been able to enjoy such an academically fulfilling panel on labor movements of the early 21st century. The conference was fab. If I hadn’t crossed that picket line, I would never have been able to enjoy such an academically fulfilling panel on labor movements of the early 21st century.

]]> By: Robyn http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-530237 Robyn Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:13:10 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-530237 This was my first AHA. Having just defended and deposited the dissertation late last month (Yip to the Ee!), I thought it would be a good thing to suss things out. If I'm lucky enough to land an interview next year {pleaseohpleaseohplease}, there will be fewer unhappy surprises in store for me. I probably would have gone no matter which frozen armpit of the world they'd held it in, but San Diego was a sweet, sweet bonus. The weather truly was perfect -- better even than the paradise it usually is, or so I was told by the locals. It's unfortunate the protests weren't more widely supported, but I think there were several reasons participation was low. As some commenters have noted, it wasn't very well publicized. Also, it was really easy to avoid the front entrance to the Hyatt altogether. The sessions were held in two adjacent hotels and it was super easy and highly picturesque to travel between them by taking the back route. I hardly ever had occasion to use the front door. And then for me, as a newly minted Ph.D., I spent *all* my time attending the many professionalization sessions the grad committee put on. Frankly, I could have cloned myself and still been in sessions all day (not my usual conference habit, btw). Saturday went from 9 to 4:30 with a single stinking hour for lunch. The panels were a mixed bag, to be sure, but overall I found them incredibly helpful, and I would not have been willing to give them up, no matter how worthy the cause. Sorry to leave such a long inaugural comment - and without preview at that. Apologies for any infelicities .... Cheers, Robyn This was my first AHA. Having just defended and deposited the dissertation late last month (Yip to the Ee!), I thought it would be a good thing to suss things out. If I’m lucky enough to land an interview next year {pleaseohpleaseohplease}, there will be fewer unhappy surprises in store for me. I probably would have gone no matter which frozen armpit of the world they’d held it in, but San Diego was a sweet, sweet bonus. The weather truly was perfect — better even than the paradise it usually is, or so I was told by the locals.

It’s unfortunate the protests weren’t more widely supported, but I think there were several reasons participation was low. As some commenters have noted, it wasn’t very well publicized. Also, it was really easy to avoid the front entrance to the Hyatt altogether. The sessions were held in two adjacent hotels and it was super easy and highly picturesque to travel between them by taking the back route. I hardly ever had occasion to use the front door. And then for me, as a newly minted Ph.D., I spent *all* my time attending the many professionalization sessions the grad committee put on. Frankly, I could have cloned myself and still been in sessions all day (not my usual conference habit, btw). Saturday went from 9 to 4:30 with a single stinking hour for lunch. The panels were a mixed bag, to be sure, but overall I found them incredibly helpful, and I would not have been willing to give them up, no matter how worthy the cause.

Sorry to leave such a long inaugural comment – and without preview at that. Apologies for any infelicities ….

Cheers, Robyn

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-530103 Historiann Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:58:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-530103 Matt, I'm glad you had a good time at AHA. I think you're right that large conferences serve us too, in that they offer panels completely out of our research fields that might be useful when it comes to thinking about teaching, especially. One commonality between you and Classy Claude is that you neither were interviewing people for jobs, nor were you being interviewed. Avoiding the job search on both ends appears to be key to conferee satisfaction. (Oh, yeah: AND being in San Diego instead of flippin' Chicago!) Yes to Vegas. What's more American than Las Vegas? Matt, I’m glad you had a good time at AHA. I think you’re right that large conferences serve us too, in that they offer panels completely out of our research fields that might be useful when it comes to thinking about teaching, especially.

One commonality between you and Classy Claude is that you neither were interviewing people for jobs, nor were you being interviewed. Avoiding the job search on both ends appears to be key to conferee satisfaction. (Oh, yeah: AND being in San Diego instead of flippin’ Chicago!)

Yes to Vegas. What’s more American than Las Vegas?

]]> By: Matt L http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-530092 Matt L Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:46:32 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-530092 I think I had my best AHA visit ever... I saw two panels that I really enjoyed. I talked with a publisher about how they handle book proposals. The weather was great! I spent most of my time visiting with my family. And I met some new people. And I wasn't on the job market, so I was not stressed out. Yes, the AHA is huge, unwieldy, and there is a lot of silly status related behavior. But there are not many other places where as a non-specialist, you can sit in on a panel and learn something new that might help you with teaching a survey class. Even more importantly, I was inspired to put together a panel / paper proposal and get my scholarship out of its rut. But back to the weather... why not Vegas? the AHA really is better when its some place warm. And I am _NOT_ talking about Atlanta people. "The West is the Best..." I think I had my best AHA visit ever… I saw two panels that I really enjoyed. I talked with a publisher about how they handle book proposals. The weather was great! I spent most of my time visiting with my family. And I met some new people. And I wasn’t on the job market, so I was not stressed out.

Yes, the AHA is huge, unwieldy, and there is a lot of silly status related behavior. But there are not many other places where as a non-specialist, you can sit in on a panel and learn something new that might help you with teaching a survey class. Even more importantly, I was inspired to put together a panel / paper proposal and get my scholarship out of its rut.

But back to the weather… why not Vegas? the AHA really is better when its some place warm. And I am _NOT_ talking about Atlanta people. “The West is the Best…”

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-530073 Historiann Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:28:34 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-530073 Let's start an e-mail campaign to AHA HQ: <strong>"Sunbelt, not Rust! Southwest, or Bust!"</strong> Let’s start an e-mail campaign to AHA HQ:

“Sunbelt, not Rust! Southwest, or Bust!”

]]> By: widgeon http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-529501 widgeon Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:06:26 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-529501 I live in Buffalo, and frankly my time in San Diego was nirvana. Southwest has cheap flights so I'm game for more southwest sunny locations. Enough of Chicago and similar locations. I live in Buffalo, and frankly my time in San Diego was nirvana. Southwest has cheap flights so I’m game for more southwest sunny locations. Enough of Chicago and similar locations.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-529476 Historiann Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:29:51 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-529476 My bet is that, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, "all of that fresh air and sunshine put the zap on [your] brain[s]." Again, I revive my call for Dallas, Phoenix/Santa Fe, Denver, San Diego/L.A., and San Francisco as the places to hold a large conference in JANUARY. (Can't find a link for that quotation--can anyone help here? I think it was from <em>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</em>.) Let's ditch the rust and snowbelt for the sunbelt. Really, folks--you don't know what you're missing. (Why not add Vegas to the list? Lots of big hotels there.) My bet is that, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “all of that fresh air and sunshine put the zap on [your] brain[s].” Again, I revive my call for Dallas, Phoenix/Santa Fe, Denver, San Diego/L.A., and San Francisco as the places to hold a large conference in JANUARY. (Can’t find a link for that quotation–can anyone help here? I think it was from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.)

Let’s ditch the rust and snowbelt for the sunbelt. Really, folks–you don’t know what you’re missing. (Why not add Vegas to the list? Lots of big hotels there.)

]]> By: Frustrated Full Professor http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-529463 Frustrated Full Professor Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:09:06 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-529463 Actually, my take on the conference was that it was mellow: since people could sit out by the harbor and enjoy the view and the sun, people were more relaxed than when you have to stay inside a hotel because it's snowy/freezing/icy outside. It meant that the inside of the hotels was less of a pressure cooker. Actually, my take on the conference was that it was mellow: since people could sit out by the harbor and enjoy the view and the sun, people were more relaxed than when you have to stay inside a hotel because it’s snowy/freezing/icy outside. It meant that the inside of the hotels was less of a pressure cooker.

]]> By: Frustrated Full Professo http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-529299 Frustrated Full Professo Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:27:01 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-529299 I think one reason few historians were at the Saturday rally was a lack of publicity -- I think of myself as relatively aware, but I found out about it by seeing it from a distance as I was walking into a session at the Marriott. I think one reason few historians were at the Saturday rally was a lack of publicity — I think of myself as relatively aware, but I found out about it by seeing it from a distance as I was walking into a session at the Marriott.

]]> By: susurro http://www.historiann.com/2010/01/10/aha-report-part-deux-check-it-out-now-hugs-and-learning-for-everyone-except-straight-historians/comment-page-1/#comment-529297 susurro Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:15:10 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=9142#comment-529297 thanks for sharing this, I did not attend but was privy to similar discussions about hotels for another major conference. Since the thinking behind not shifting venues was the cost and the contracts, it would have been nice if more historians had shown their political support by showing up to the rally, after all we may right the history but it seems the activists were in the process of making it. I agree w/ squadratomagico abt smaller conferences holding more sway for exchanging ideas and getting to know knew people. It's a growing critique that I think some of us are really thinking about in terms of how we structure our associations and the meetings around them ... have had some productive convos abt this lately that I think might lead somewhere. (hope I'm not just being naive) thanks for sharing this, I did not attend but was privy to similar discussions about hotels for another major conference. Since the thinking behind not shifting venues was the cost and the contracts, it would have been nice if more historians had shown their political support by showing up to the rally, after all we may right the history but it seems the activists were in the process of making it.

I agree w/ squadratomagico abt smaller conferences holding more sway for exchanging ideas and getting to know knew people. It’s a growing critique that I think some of us are really thinking about in terms of how we structure our associations and the meetings around them … have had some productive convos abt this lately that I think might lead somewhere. (hope I’m not just being naive)

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