Intern Program Updates from the AAA Meetings

Hi everyone,
I hope your semesters are wrapping up and you are beginning to enjoy winter break. I just wanted to send an update from the AAA meetings. A lot happened, a lot is going to be happening, and I wanted to update you all about that. I apologize in advance about the length of the email.

1) New editors
As some of you may know 2010 is a transition year for CA. Kim and Mike Fortun are ending their time as editors of the journal and Anne Allison and Charlie Piot at Duke University will start receiving manuscripts January 1st. Kim and Mike are responsible for publishing Issue 25 (the 2010 year). It is technically their last year as editors of the journal. Anne and Charlie's first issue will be published in February 2011.

2) Board Report
Kim suggested that I forward the board report to all of you so that, if you're interested, you can become familiar with some of the internal workings of the journal and what we did in 2009. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have about it.

3) Discussion forums
One of the things discussed among interns who attended the program meeting last Friday was the need for better communication in the intern program, and better communication between interns. To start, I suggested that we use the discussion forums. I'll be using the forums to post updates about upcoming issues, events, and things we need work on. I suggest you do the same. It would be particularly useful if everyone listed what supplemental pages, theme lists, and virtual issues they are working on in the forums (there is a new "Current Work" section). This will help us from duplicating work and it will allow for more collaboration. Of course, I'll also be sending information via email as I always do, but I think it would be good for community building if we all started using the forums. Check them out: http://culanth.org/?q=forum

3) List of intern work
I just want to remind everyone again about the Editorial Intern Program page: http://culanth.org/?q=node/77 and the list of intern profiles: http://culanth.org/?q=node/149 (2009) and http://culanth.org/?q=node/277 (2008). I think that, in addition to emailing me when you'd like to start building a new page or list, you should also post in the forums under "Current Work" what you're undertaking or proposing to undertake. That way everyone will have a better sense of what is being worked on. Also, use the intern profiles to check whats already been done.

4) New supplemental guide
I will be circulating a new supplemental guide sometime in the next week. This will eventually be posted on the editorial intern page. The guide doesn't really have anything new in it, just better instructions for building pages and guidelines so that we have more standardization on the website. Right now, there is a good deal of variation between the look and content on the pages; we want to work towards a system that is more consistent.

5) SCA meetings
We are hoping to have a meeting or event for interns at the SCA meetings in Santa Fe this coming May. Before we start any kind of planning, I'd like to get a sense of who is planning on attending, or who would like to attend. I'd like to start a discussion on this with those who are interested. Note that the deadline for abstracts has been extended to January 11th and that SCA does have travel money for student presenters.

6) Proposals for 2010 intern program
Many of you are continuing your work with us in 2010, and we are very very excited about that! Many of you already have projects that you're working on (supplemental pages for the February issue, or theme lists you're building). In the past, we've asked returning interns to just send in a paragraph and/or a list of things that you intend to work on in 2010. For example, there are 25 years worth of CA essays. Maybe you have a favorite in there and would like to create a page for it. There are also many already-created pages and lists that need caretaking. Or maybe you want to propose something completely new. Just send in your plan/ideas by January 12th so that we can coordinate.

7) Certificate of Participation
At the SCA business meeting last Friday, each of you were recognized for the work that you've done for CA. Mike Fortun had a slide show where he projected an image of a page each of you have worked on. It was quite impressive to see how the website has grown from your work. If you were not at the meeting, did not receive a certificate, and have not given me a mailing address where I can send it to you, please send me your address so I can mail your certificate.

8) Skype and conference calls
Sometimes email isn't the best form of communication. If you are ever interested in hopping on skype to talk about ideas, ask questions, or just touch base with me about what's going on in the program, that would be great. Just send me an email and we'll set something up.

9) Moving on
Some of you joined the intern program over two years ago. If you are no longer interested in receiving emails about the intern program, just drop me an email and I'll make sure to take you off our regular announcement list.

Again, hope you all are well!
Best wishes,
Ali