This is MAPACA’s Early October 2017 newsletter. The next conference is November 9-11, 2017 (Philadelphia, PA).
#mapaca17 Hotel Reservation & Pre-conference Planning
The cutoff for the conference rate at the Sonesta Philadelphia is October 23, 2017. Inventory is running low so book now to secure your discounted room for #mapaca17. Remember that conference attendees can use the Ride and Room Share forum on mapaca.net to coordinate travel plans. Additionally, please be sure to complete or update your mapaca.net profile. Finally, anyone who registered to attend the conference dinner that can no longer attend should email ed@mapaca.net to update their status. This helps MAPACA plan accordingly and prevent waste. Thank you!
#mapaca17 Special Events
Masonic Temple Tour: Please join us for a guided tour of the Masonic Temple sponsored by American Studies. The tour will take place Thursday, November 9 at 11:00 am and last approximately one hour. The Masonic Temple is located at 1 North Broad Street, directly north of Philadelphia City Hall. Please arrive by 10:45 am to attend this event. Admission cost is $10.00 per person, providing we have a group of 15 people or more. Tickets can be purchased here. The tour guide will give a history of the Masons in Philadelphia, a brief overview of Masonic traditions, and a history of the building. There will be time to peruse the artifacts in the Library and Museum, as well as the gift shop before and after the tour.
Reading Terminal Market Tour with Carolyn Wyman: Back by popular demand! Join the Food & Culture area Friday, November 10, at noon for famous Philadelphia Foodie Carolyn Wyman’s reprise of her tour of the Reading Terminal Market. Wyman is the author of seven food books including the Great Philly Cheesesteak Book, Better than Homemade, and definitive biographies of Spam, Jell-O, and chocolate chip cookies. Wyman has appeared on NPR and Rosie O’Donnell, as well as been the subject of a great many published interviews. She might even be persuaded to share her recipe for “clothes dryer shrimp”! Following the half-hour tour, Wyman will be available at the Welcome Desk to discuss the market’s history and provide information about popular Reading Terminal Market eateries. The Reading Terminal Market is just a 15-minute walk from the Sonesta. It can also be reached quickly via public transportation. We will meet by 12:00 in front of the Market Welcome Desk at 12th and Filbert. Cost for this event is $10 (payable to MAPACA at the conference check-in desk), and there will be time for lunch on your own after the tour. Late-comers should join the tour in progress and feel free to stay after for further discussion.
Grad Student Social: Grad students! An event for grad student conference attendees will be held at the ArtBar, in the lobby of the Sonesta, from 8:30-10:30 PM on Thursday, November 9. After enjoying the MAPACA reception in the Wyeth Ballroom Foyer, head downstairs for an informal hangout. Grab a drink or a snack at the ArtBar, catch up with your conference buddies, and make new friends!
Divine Impact Award: Call for Questions
This year’s Divine Impact Award winner is Chef Jose Garces, an author, philanthropist, and Iron Chef. For this year’s Q&A, we would like to gather questions from MAPACA members and attendees prior to the November 9th ceremony. Garces’s career intersects with a lot of areas of interest including food, Latinx, and television studies (to name a few). We welcome all and any questions! Please send questions directly to Melinda Lewis (mml332@drexel.edu).
Intellect Books at #mapaca17
Intellect Books & Journals will be exhibiting at this year’s conference. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting to discuss publishing opportunities please contact James Campbell (james@intellectbooks.com). All Intellect publications will be half price during the conference so please do stop by their stand in the Homer room.
#mapaca17 Sustainability
In an effort to embrace sustainable practices, in addition to the paper program opt-in option, we ask you to reuse badge holders from past conferences to help us cut down on conference waste. We will also have a box for you to drop off your badge holder for re-used next year and a box to drop off your print program for re-use and recycling this year. Thank you for your efforts in supporting MAPACA’s sustainability practices!
#mapaca17
Find MAPACA on Twitter and Facebook, connect with others using #mapaca17, and don’t forget to explore mapaca.net for conference details.