Anchorage is Upon Us

Schedule of Events for WSCA’s 7th Annual
Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference

by Cindy Griffin, WSCA Second Vice President

Now in our 7th year, the USRC is an extraordinary opportunity for undergraduate scholars and researchers.  At this year’s conference, Sunday, March 7, 2010; 8:30-12:00, students will share original research in the form of critical investigation, experimentation, or analysis. Details are available at: http://www.westcomm.org/conventions.

The conference is followed by the Graduate Student Workshop, Sunday, March 7, 2010; 1:00-2:10, at which panelists representing M.A. and Ph.D. granting institutions will offer suggestions and advise on selecting, attending and succeeding in graduate school.

The afternoon wraps up with the Graduate Programs Open House, Sunday, March 7, 2010; 2:45-4:00. The Open House provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our graduate programs and allows prospective graduate students to talk with professors and students from a wide range of programs in the western states.

Don’t forget the Newcomers Reception, Saturday, March 6, 2010, 7:00-8:30 (after the Train Ride). The Newcomers Reception offers a chance to met and greet newcomers to WSCA. Many of our newcomers are undergraduate and graduate students interested in a preview of the information they may receive at the Graduate Workshop or Programs Open House.  This is a great opportunity to personally highlight the benefits of your program.  I look forward to seeing you in Anchorage, and to a successful USRC.

Anchorage 2010

Alaska Bound

by Alan Fredericksen, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

My family and friends were stunned when I announced that I was moving to these ‘Banks of Fair’ (Fairbanks), Alaska.  I had been working for an organization dedicated to helping and assisting youth who were experiencing crisis situations, and the company was building a new facility in Alaska.  They were offering travel reimbursement and a raise to anyone who would commit to moving and staying in Fairbanks for at least one year.  Alaska did not sound too appealing because I hated winter, but I figured I had to at least research the possibilities because even a bad experience would be a great story. I googled “Gay+Fairbanks” and found all the necessary environments; coffee shops, Barnes and Noble, a college, a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Community Theaters, a PFLAG organization, a gay student organization, and a bar that, according to the website, was “Gay on Fridays and Saturdays after 11 o’clock.”  I knew that meant one of two things, either the clientele automatically changed when the clock struck 11 (think the steel mill in the Simpsons episode), or that people were so inebriated by 11 that nobody cared anymore.  Either way, I said ‘Goodbye Iowa’ and ‘Hello Alaska’. 

Anchorage, the home of the 2010 WSCA convention, is about 350 miles south of Fairbanks, and it is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever seen.  It is nestled right between the amazing Chugach Mountains and the Cook Inlet which leads to the great Pacific Ocean.  To be honest, I have only been there a couple of days.  I was conducting a seminar with one of my professors, and I barely slept for the view. I had never seen the sun rise up over a mountain ridge, and it was simply awesome.  A few months later, that same professor approached me and asked if I would write an article for the WSCA newsletter, as there had been a question regarding Anchorage’s views and treatment of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Intersexed and Questioning population. Since my experience was so limited I had to seek out persons with more expertise.

I spoke with several residents of Anchorage, and the feelings and experiences of being Queer in Alaska were very similar.  Brianna Dym, Treasurer of UAA’s student organization OUT stated “for the most part, Anchorage” and “the University are very accepting.”  Rachel Sather, President of OUT, added that she has “never had any negative experiences.”  The owner of Mad Myrna’s, a staple in Anchorage for LGBT entertainment and fundraising that has thrived for over 11 years, felt that “all in all, Anchorage is pretty accepting.” 

This is not to suggest however that struggles and challenges do not exist for the Queer population.  The LGBT community was thrilled when Ordinance 64, which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s non-discrimination policy, passed the Alaskan Assembly by a vote of 7-4.  Their elation was short lived.  Just a few short days later, Mayor Sullivan vetoed the measure.  Matthew Moak, Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church which has served the spiritual needs of the LGBT population for over 30 years, expressed the frustration and disappointment felt by many in Anchorage.  He stated that Anchorage “is a very friendly community as long as you don’t want something that they think you already have,” adding that from a “faith perspective”, there are clearly “two sides to the issue” and that when “politics comes into play…the rhetoric is similar to Utah or California.”  However, Pastor Moak does see momentum building back up in the LGBT community.  He mentioned Quality Works and other local organizations are reaching out to each other to continue the fight for equal rights. 

From the Executive Director

Don’t Miss the Train Ride and Iditarod!

by Mark Bergstrom, WSCA Executive Director

Staying at the Hilton Anchorage

Reservations are due February 11th, so if you haven't made your reservation yet, you'll want to do so now. For details about the hotel and to make a reservation online, you can find a link to the Hotel Reservation information via our website, http://www.westcomm.org/conventions/wsca-2010-Anchorage/Hotel.asp.

The Hilton will be a fantastic site for our conference. The Hotel is an excellent facility and we have secured an outstanding rate ($99 for students and $119.00 for all others). WSCA asks that you stay at the convention hotel for two main reasons.

First, our semi-official motto is “Work Hard, Play Hard.” It is easier to work hard when your room is convenient to the meetings, the special events, the parties, and the lobby lounge (The hotel is also the closest hotel to the Iditarod start line). Second, whether you are playing hard dancing the night away at the sock hop or enjoying the many departmental celebrations, it’s easy and safe just to take an elevator to your room at the Hilton, where the views are spectacular. So treat yourself!

The Association asks you to stay at the convention hotel because we “pay” for our meeting rooms through your having a sleeping room at the hotel. Our meeting room rentals typically range from $15,000 to $45,000. The hotels will waive these fees if we have enough people staying at the hotel. If too many of you don’t have sleeping rooms there, we have to pay for those meeting rooms!  Over the years we’ve kept registration fees down to encourage students as well as faculty to attend. We also negotiate the same room rate for one to four people so you can share a room to reduce costs.  Our recent Member Survey indicated that hotel cost is one of the most important issues for our members.  Please help yourself and your Association by staying at the Hilton--It’s the thing to do.

Nominating Candidates for Elected Offices

Just a reminder that if you plan to nominate a candidate for elected office at the 2010 Legislative Assembly meeting, you will need to follow the following procedure:

"Before an individual can be nominated for an association wide elected office, including Legislative Assembly, Executive Council, and NCA representatives, that individual must indicate in writing a willingness to serve if elected or be present at the meeting in which the nomination occurs and indicate orally their willingness to serve if elected. For elections by the Legislative Assembly, such a document is to be delivered to the Second Vice President prior to the nomination. Association members shall be notified of available elected positions and the process of indicating their willingness to serve."

Elected offices to be filled by the Legislative Assembly this year are:

 1. Two At-Large Representatives to Executive Council (to serve 2010-2012) starting with the meeting Tuesday morning February 19th , including an annual meeting at NCA the evening prior to the convention and an annual meeting at WSCA the day prior to the convention);
 
2. Two members of the Nominating Committee (to serve with Immediate Past President Dan Canary, Committee Chair, and two members elected by the Executive Council for 2010);

3. The WSCA Representative to NCA Legislative Council representing 4 + year institutions (to serve 2010 through 2012 starting with NCA in San Francisco, including Wednesday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday morning meetings) and,

Awards

Mercilee Jenkins to Receive Performance Award

by Kate Willink, University of Denver

The Performance Studies Interest Group (PSIG) is pleased to announce that Dr. Mercilee Jenkins of San Francisco State University will receive the 2009 Western Studies Communication Association Performance Studies Interest Group Outstanding Contributions to Performance Studies Award.  We would like to recognize her continued dedication to PSIG and WSCA and her impact as a researcher, playwright, performer and teacher. Look in your WSCA Convention program for a spotlight panel to feature Dr. Jenkin's work and achievements. Congratulations Dr. Jenkins!

Conference Calls

The George Gerbner Conference on Communication,
Conflict, and Aggression

May 28-29, 2010 in Budapest, Hungary

submitted by Rebecca Chory, West Virginia University

Inspired by the life and work of Budapest native and renowned Communication and Media scholar Dr. George Gerbner (1919-2005), the Budapest College of Communication and Business invites scholars, researchers, practitioners, students, and other interested parties to submit paper and panel proposals for presentation at the George Gerbner Conference on Communication, Conflict, and Aggression. This conference will take place from Friday, May 28 to Saturday, May 29, 2010 in Budapest, Hungary. The goal of the conference is to bring together individuals with a common interest in aggressive communication and conflict so as to foster international relationships that lead to research collaboration and knowledge exchange.

This international conference will focus on aggressive communication and behavior, conflict, and other types of antisocial communication and behavior across contexts. Specific topics include, but are not limited to: media violence, media coverage of crime and violence, violence in advertising, political violence, workplace violence and aggression, aggression in instructional settings, war rhetoric, peace and conflict communication, verbal aggression, crime, oppression, injustice, incivility, assertiveness, argumentativeness, disagreement, bullying, indirect aggression, psychological abuse, anger, frustration, hostility, deception, child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence, youth violence, school violence, gang violence, sexual violence, discrimination, conflict styles, conflict resolution, the origins, causes, and predictors of aggression, and the management and prevention of aggression.

Interested individuals are invited to submit an abstract (in English) of 200 to 500 words describing their individual presentation or panel idea to rchoryas@wvu.edu by March 01, 2010. Decisions regarding the acceptance of papers and panels for presentation at the conference will be made by March 15, 2010. Completed papers should be sent to rchoryas@wvu.edu by May 01, 2010. With the authors’ permission, top papers will be published in the journal Kommunikáció, Média, Gazdaság (Communication, Media, Economics), which is published by the Budapest College of Communication and Business or in an edited book. One scholar will also be honored with the Gerbner Award. The conference registration fee is expected to be approximately $50 to $60 (50 to 60 US dollars).

Editor: Bill Eadie, San Diego State University
Submit items for the February issue by February 10 to weadie@mail.sdsu.edu