Dear SSS Members:
The Annual Meetings of the Southern Sociological Society are just around the corner now. If we ever needed the chance to engage with each other as a community – we do now. I am so looking forward to being together with you there.
Program Chair, Lisa Walker, and her stellar Program Committee (Malissa Alinor, Laura Brashears, Marni Brown, Yang Cao, Cerenity Collins, Jenny Davis, Rob Freeland, Vanessa Gonlin, Sarah Groh, Wes James, Richard Pitt, Stephanie Southworth, Will Tyson, and Lauren Valentino) have assembled an incredible program for us. Local Arrangements Co-Chairs, Vaughn Schmutz and Zara Jillani, have organized some unique experiences to enrich our time together. Finally, Vice-President Anthony Peguero, the SSS Executive Office, including EO, Dave Brunsma, and Assistant EO, Elizabeth Roberts, and Recording Secretary, Rhiannon Leebrick, have all been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure that we will have a smooth and productive experience in April.
Here are just some of the highlights:
1. Presidential Plenary Panels – A trio of panel discussions will focus on the most exciting new developments in sociological research and on the future of sociological teaching, funding, publication, and practice. Panelists include rising stars and reigning stars who will offer their perspectives on these issues. Please come and join the discussion.
2. Live Music – Live music returns to the Southern Sociological Society meetings this year. On Wednesday night, the band New Adage (SSS members Scott Fitzgerald and Joseph Dippong) will play at the Welcome/Meet-the-Candidates Reception. New Adage will start us out followed by an acoustic jam session. So, come join in the fun. On Thursday night, the Student Mixer will have a live karaoke band! Both events will take place in a private funky club space at the hotel.
3. Posters – The poster session is absolutely not to be missed this year. Thursday night there will be a spectacular session with over 60 posters in a lovely space. There will be member voting for poster prizes and a cash bar! Come, mingle, vote, and fill your mind with sociology before you head out for dinner.
4. Books – We will have nine different book signing events immediately after Author-Meets-Curious-Reader sessions. So, come discuss the latest books being published by our members – and then get your personally signed, hot off the press, copies of these labors of love.
5. Food trucks – A rotating set of food trucks will be parked outside the conference hotel at lunch time offering a yummy selection of Charlotte’s culinary fare. No time for a leisurely lunch? No problem. Grab some delicious local fare as you dash between sessions.
6. Mini-Conferences – we will have five separate mini-conferences embedded in the program this year:
- Disaster Futures and the Future of Disaster Studies Mini-Conference
- JEDI Mini-conference
- Mental Health: A Public Health Problem
- Diasporic Womanism Mini-conference
- Group Processes Mini-conference
7. An extraordinary array of member submitted presentations and sessions describing the latest and greatest research, teaching, mentoring, and practice innovations.
8. Sociologists Practicing Activism – a session organized by our very own SSS Committee on Sociological Practice.
9. How to Save a Milestone – Come see a documentary screening about preservation efforts for a landmark DIY music venue in Charlotte that helped to launch the careers of bands like Nirvana and REM. Come meet some of the artists involved in making the film.
10. Running for Doughnuts – Feeling energetic? hungry? looking to exercise with a community? Solve all of these with a run for the doughnuts. Be sure to check the Whova app (more details soon) for information about routes and when/where to meet.
11. Coffee with the President – First time at SSS? Join me for coffee on Thursday morning.
If you have not yet registered for the meeting, it’s not too late. Registration information is available here – doing so before March 1st will save you some money. To join SSS or renew your membership, click here. Book those rooms at the conference hotels by clicking here. The hotels are connected so you can move seamlessly between them and the conference spaces.
I hope you are as excited as I am about our chance to get together. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Dawn T. Robinson
SSS President