Sunday, November 16, 2014

CNEHA 2014

This year I agreed to be the Registrar for our CNEHA conference. Boy was that a busy, busy, BUSY task! Thankfully, CNEHA is a smaller conference so it was perhaps the best one to start out with as a Registrar. I collected all of the applications and payment receipts, tracked their check ins and purchases. The registration desk ran pretty smoothly and we had the largest turn out since the conference was held in Williamsburg, pretty great!  Again, saw some great conferences and met some new faces. I was a little busy running between the registration desk and paper session, but it was well worth it. I stayed with a friend in Long Branch and was able to squeeze in some much needed social time.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

MAAC 2014

I was really excited that MAAC was only 20 minutes from my house this year. There were several well done papers, including a paper that focused on geochemical analysis on archaeological sites. I didn't buy any books this year because Mike Madden the book salesman was not there. I usually bring home several bags from his table alone, I can't help myself. As always, it was great to recharge my academic and professional thinking with great papers, great conversation and great after-dinner drinks. I had a lovely time. MAAC is a very student friendly conference and we had a great student turn out. It was wonderful to meet some of the new graduate students attending Monmouth and to learn of their experiences in the program. I had never heard about conferences as an Undergraduate, that is probably my only negative critique I can provide about my Undergraduate experience. UVA was a much larger school though and I had a very large anthropology program. It is possible that I would have learned of conference opportunities if I had reached out to an adviser. But, as a student, if you don't know something is available to you then you don't always know to ask about it. I'm glad there are a few undergrads that can start networking early, it's so important these days. They seemed to be having a good time too.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Hazzmat Certified

I completed my 40 hour hazzwopper certification course. This means I can work on hazmat archaeological projects. Thankfully, our level of hazmat will be lower level D which has the least amount of risk. I got to wear the tyvek suit at the end of class with the respirator mask. I looked a little bit like an alien, or like I just walked off the set of ET. It's been a snowy week, I'm happy the class is over with so I don't have to drive on the ice any more.