A Few Thoughts on Virtual CAMWS 2021

Thoughts on the recent virtual CAMWS 2021 from GSIC member Sara Hales-Brittain.

Medea Palatina

Just a couple of weeks ago we wrapped up the 117th CAMWS—and the second virtual CAMWS—annual meeting. I thought this year’s virtual conference was a huge success, thanks in large part to the amazing team of CAMWS tech volunteers who helped keep everything running smoothly. In both the panels I attended live and the ones I watched after the fact, there were very few tech hiccups—no more than we ever have in live, in-person conferences, in fact. And unlike last year, when the in-person conference wasn’t moved online until half the country was already in lockdown and some of the conference leadership seemed to grouchily prefer cancelling over having a virtual event, everyone who participated in CAMWS this year seemed to have a great attitude about the whole thing!

Sure, there are some cons to virtual conferencing replacing in-person events. I used to love browsing the book exhibits at conferences…

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Black Lives Matter.

In response to the tepid statement from CAMWS leadership, we wanted to say without reservation the Black lives matter, Black scholars matter, Black communities matter, and we — as a field and specifically in this committee — need to do more to support this.

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