http://www.aarweb.org/Members/Students/NewsAnnualMeetingEvents.asp
AAR Student Members 
News and Annual Meeting Events
News
Keep up with the latest AAR student news and happenings by joining us on Facebook®. You'll find our group under "Student Members and Friends of the American Academy of Religion." Come be a part of the group — recent news, events, discussion board — and network with your fellow student members!The graduate student newsletter, “Speaking of Students,” is delivered by email to all student members of the AAR.
Seeking Nominations: See here for announcements about Student Director and From the Student Desk Editor openings.
Serve as a Student Ambassador at the 2010 Annual Meeting in Atlanta! See here for details. The deadline for applying is August 6, 2010.
Annual Meeting Events
Coming soon... Student Events at the 2010 AAR Annual Meeting in Atlanta
Student Events at the AAR Annual Meeting in Montréal, November 7-10, 2009
Graduate Student Luncheon (currently full)
Student Lounge
Roundtable Discussions (printable PDF)
Special Topics Forum
Student Town Hall Meeting
"Beyond the Boundaries" Public Lecture Series
Ghost Tour (currently full)
After Hours Events
Graduate Student Luncheon: Grad Student Conversations on First Year Teaching
Monday, 11:45 am-12:45 pm (A9-137)
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Committee and the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
Join our table conversations on common issues faced by “newly” minted faculty. Discussions will be led by faculty hosts to explore questions and concerns emerging in the first years of teaching. Delicious box lunches will be provided. Registration is limited to 49 students, so early registration is recommended.
Student Lounge
Palais des Congrès, 517F
The Student Lounge is a place for students to relax in the midst of the hectic Annual Meeting. We hope that you will take advantage of the free coffee and chance to talk with fellow students. The lounge will be open Saturday-Monday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Graduate Student Committee has also organized a series of roundtable discussions, sponsored by the American Theological Library Association (ATLA), on topics related to professionalization and student life. We invite you to join us for coffee and snacks as we discuss the following topics:
Roundtable Discussions
Sponsored by the American Theological Library AssociationSaturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Building Intellectual Community: The Graduate Student Imperative
Led by: Christopher M. Rios, Baylor UniversitySaturday, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Why Are They Writing? Tips for New Adjuncts and Those Looking to Adjunct
Led by: Rob Huttmeyer, Drew UniversitySaturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
A Career on Campus: Considering Academic Librarianship
Led by: Christopher J. Anderson, Drew UniversitySaturday, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Approaches to Effective On-line Teaching
Led by: David Walsh, Arizona State UniversitySunday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Balancing School and Family: Making the Decision
Led by: Ann Duncan, University of Virginia and Shayna Sheinfeld, McGill UniversitySunday, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Writing Blocks
Led by: Holly White, Syracuse UniversitySunday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Personal Life and Grad School: Counterparts or Complimentary?
Led by: Xavier Gravend-Tirole, Universités de Montréal & Lausanne UniversitiesSunday, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Canadian Students in the Academy
Led by: Janet Gunn, Wilfrid Laurier UniversityMonday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Best Teaching Tips: Thirty Ideas in Thirty Minutes
Led by: Dennis Feltwell, Duquesne UniversityMonday, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Practicing Faith in Graduate School
Led by: Christopher D. Rodkey, Lebanon Valley CollegeMonday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Balancing School and Family: Maintaining the Balance
Led by: Ann Duncan, University of Virginia and Shayna Sheinfeld, McGill UniversityMonday, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The First Year on the Job
Led by: Cameron Jorgenson, Campbell Divinity School(printable PDF)
Theme: “Cracks in the Tower”: Barriers to Careers in Religion
Sunday, 3:00 – 4:30 pm (A8-279)
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Committee and the Job Placement Taskforce
This special topics forum addresses many of the barriers that make navigating the academy a difficult process (for example, issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, language, physical mobility, etc.). Panelists will share strategies for negotiating many of these barriers and for maintaining human flourishing in the academy.
Panelists will also address the current job market and the many challenges that graduate students may face in the job application and interviewing process.
Moderator: Davina C. Lopez, Eckerd College
Panelists:
Jocelyn Hendrickson
Kate Ott, Religious Institute on Sexuality, Justice, and Healing
Lisa Stenmark, San Jose State
Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Moravian Theological Seminary
Student Town Hall Meeting: “Yes We Can! The Future of Students in the AAR”
Saturday, 9:00 – 11:00 am (A7-100)
Students comprise one third of the membership of the AAR. We bring renewed vitality and fresh perspectives to the study of Religion. And, yes, we know how to have a good time. Can we shape the future of the Academy? Yes we can! Join us for our Student Town Hall, a forum where you can offer your suggestions, hear about new initiatives led by the Graduate Student Committee, and get a preview of this year’s student-focused programming. Topics about which we are most concerned include: how you can be involved in the AAR, ways you can be a force for positive change in your department, and of course, how you can secure research funding and navigate the career search. Our future is full of promise. Yes we can! RECEPTION PROVIDED.
“Beyond the Boundaries" Public Lecture Series
The AAR is committed to fostering the public understanding of religion. Inspired by this goal, the Graduate Student Committee has established this series of public talks to be held in a variety of Montreal cafes. Student members will present their cutting edge research in these innovative evening sessions designed to move our discussions of religion out of the traditional academic setting of the annual meeting and into the community. This year's talks center around three themes: the relationship of aboriginal peoples and the church in Canada; the rich Jewish identity and culture in Montreal; and religion and multiculturalism in Canada. Plan to join us for these stimulating discussions on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings between 6 and 8 p.m.! Consult the AAR website and "Especially for Students" materials in the online program book for venue details and speaker information.
Saturday, November 7 (A7-336): Alfred Daillaire Memoria Café
4231b St. Laurent Blvd (corner Rachel)
Please note venue change.
Reverend Carmen Lansdowne, doctoral student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California, ordained minister in the United Church of Canada, and member of the Heiltsuk First Nation in Bella Bella, British Columbia.
"My Reservations: Theo-poetic Reflections on Indigenous Canada".
Reverend Carmen Lansdowne's poetry is a personal reflection of her interdisciplinary inquiries into indigenous epistemologies and Christian missiology. As a member of the Heiltsuk First Nation on the central West Coast of British Columbia, Lansdowne holds a particular perspective on the relationship between the church and aboriginal peoples in Canada; one that is ambivalent in some senses because prior to residential schools her community converted whole-heartedly to Methodism, but has not escaped the trauma of residential schools or the ever-present systemic racism in Canada. Like many other aboriginal communities in Canada, Lansdowne's village is economically depressed and has many of the typical dynamics of native life in Canada. This evening will offer some poetic reflections on being aboriginal and a Christian theologian.
Sunday, November 8 (A8-331): Le Pelerin-Magellan, 330 rue Ontario Est
Barbara Greenberg, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Toronto
"We Said We Were Sorry: Apologies and First Nations"
In 1986 the United Church of Canada (UCC) offered an apology to First Nations peoples for the UCC’s role in residential schooling. The UCC’s apology is unique in that their 1986 apology was acknowledged by the First Nations community, but was not accepted. In 1998 another formal apology was presented and accepted. Barbara Greenberg will examine the 1986 and 1998 apologies using the psychoanalytic theories of Melanie Klein to in order to gain an understanding of the important role apologies play in making amends for past injustices. It is Greenberg's belief that Klein’s theories will provide a new theoretical lens to discuss and understand the interaction between the UCC and the First Nations peoples. She will discuss how her thesis work has potential beyond the “ivory tower” by discussing the pros and cons of political apologies which may have potential to mend relations between First Nations and the UCC in Canada.
Monday, November 9 (A9-335): La Grande Geuele, 5615A ch. de la Cote-des-Neiges
Shelly Colette, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Ottawa
"Oh, The Stories We Could Tell: Religious Narratives in Popular Culture"
We see religion all around us every day – from shrines in Chinese food restaurants to our standard cuss words to The Da Vinci Code. Religious narrative is so everpresent in our daily lives that, often, it doesn’t even register as “religious.” Where does the line between secular and religious lie in our cultural environment? Can we actually make such a clear distinction between what is religious and what is not? In this talk, Shelly Colette will discuss the ways in which biblical myths and stories are reconstructed in such popular media as film, television, popular literature, and even fashion magazines, and explore the impact that these “remakes” have on our secular society.
**FULL**
OLD MONTREAL GHOST WALK
Hangings, torture, slavery, poverty, sorcery… New France harbours many hidden secrets, waiting to be unveiled. Meet characters from a bygone era that remain ever-present in our imaginations; Hear crimes recounted by illustrious criminals and their victims. Relive the most infamous and well-known crimes in Montreal's history through a tour of Old Montreal, where these characters will introduce you to the city's history. The Montreal Graduate Students from UQAM, Concordia, Universite de Montreal and McGill want to Share some of this "spooky" history and night life of our city. Grad Students are invited to sign up for a Ghost Hunt through the streets of Old Montreal followed by stops at three night spots that showcase local microbreweries, Montreal night life and maybe even some French Canadian culture. (Drink samples and a few nibblies included) FREE TO GRAD STUDENTS. MAXIMUM 40 STUDENTS. 8pm to Midnight(ish)
After Hours Events
Montreal After Hours is an opportunity for AAR graduate delegates to experience Montreal's fabled nightlife with fellow grad students. Locations highlight several of Montreal's numerous facets of nightly entertainment: Clubs, Microbreweries and Jazz Bars.
Sat (Nov. 7) La Quincaillerie
Location: 980 Rachel est, angle Boyer.
Contact: http://www.laquincaillerie.ca or 514.524.3000
Description: Cool and trendy, La Quincaillerie specializes in cocktails and international artists. Located in an old hardware store in the heart of Montreal's Plateau, offers a fun atmosphere for a night on the town.
Sun (Nov. 8): Le Cheval Blanc
Location: 809 rue Ontario Est
Contact: www.lechevalblanc.ca or 514.522.0211
Description: With its green marble formica walls and terrazo floors, Le Cheval Blanc Brew Pub is your vintage working class neighbourhood old time tavern.
Mon (Nov. 9): La Maison de Jazz
Location: 2060 Aylmer
Contact:http://www.houseofjazz.ca or 514,842.8656
Description: The House of Jazz is a Montreal landmark of entertainment, cuisine, and history. Built by French Montrealer Georges Durst, House of Jazz has been a home to Canada’s finest Jazz musicians since 1981.
