2022 Student Events

Let’s Do Lunch

Let’s Do Lunch pairs students with more senior members for lunch, providing students an opportunity to meet an archaeological professional and ask questions about obtaining a job, building a resume, or getting into graduate school. Pairing people at random gives students a chance to meet professionals who they might not otherwise encounter at the meeting. This also gives the senior members of our Society a chance to mentor the next generation of California archaeologists and pass along knowledge about how to be successful in the field.

Let’s Do Lunch will be held on Saturday, March 5, at 12:00 p.m. (meet in the registration area at 11:45 a.m.). The SCA will arrange for a venue for the luncheon. The regular member is asked to “treat” the student member by buying them lunch. While regular members will be paired with a single student, the venue will probably seat multiple pairs together, so there will be opportunities for students to chat with more than one professional. This is a wonderful event, so please check the box in your registration packet to participate in Let’s Do Lunch. Buying lunch for a student member is the best investment in the future of the SCA and can make a real difference!

Student Mixer

Student Mixer – The Student Affairs Committee has organized its annual Student Mixer at the SCA Annual Meeting. The goal of the Student Mixer is to provide students an opportunity to network with professionals and academics in the California archaeological community. Students, please come and take advantage of the years of collective wisdom from our group of professionals participating in this year’s event. Come prepared to mix, mingle, and ask questions about getting archaeology jobs or internships in California, advice for creating more competitive resumes, and suggestions for getting into graduate programs.

The student mixer will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. prior to the Annual Banquet on Saturday, March 5, in conjunction with a cash bar. Come one, come all to mix and mingle and provide advice to the next generation of California archaeologists.

Ethics Bowl

Ethics Bowl – As announced in the September 2021 SCA Newsletter, the SCA will hold its first Ethics Bowl at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Visalia. Teams will compete against each other answering questions about cases highlighting ethical issues and quandaries in California archaeology. Cases will be provided in advance of the meetings so that teams can discuss them and conduct research on relevant federal, state, and local laws and policies. Cases will focus on one or more areas of ethical significance, including repatriation (e.g., NAGPRA), federal environmental law (e.g., NEPA, ARPA), California environmental law (e.g., CEQA, AB52), harassment, intellectual property rights, interactions with descendants, and other issues. Settings for the cases will vary, but may include fieldwork, professional offices, schools, museums, and other venues. Questions about the cases will be asked by a moderator, then a panel of judges will assess the responses. The winning team moves on until there is one overall winner. Prizes and a traveling trophy will be awarded. We need your help making this a dynamic competition that will help California archaeologists make sound ethical decisions in the future based on a good understanding of laws and ethical practices. We need the following help: Cases If you are aware of or can think up a good case that highlights ethical issues in California archaeology, please send them in. Cases can be fully fleshed out and detailed or just an idea that can be further developed. Please send in your cases and ideas by January 7, 2022.

We need teams to volunteer for the competition. The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Ethics Bowl teams have typically been made up of a number of students from colleges or universities, sometimes organized as part of a class, student organization, or club. However, if federal or state agencies or CRM firms want to field a team, that would also be welcome.

Winners will receive prizes and bragging rights! STUDENTS will receive a free Student Membership for one year. If you are interested in fielding a team, contact us as soon as possible. Teams need to be formed by January 15, 2022. Cases will be made available in early January.

If you want an idea of what the competition entails, you may want to take a look at Ethics Bowl materials from the SAA competition at www.saa.org/annual-meeting/ethics-bowl. Materials include past cases, rules, guidelines for judges, and tips on how teams can prepare. We will organize the SCA Ethics Bowl similarly to the SAA. Please send any questions that you may have, as well as cases, potential sponsorships, and offers to volunteer to support the event, to Glenn Russell (gro.emohacsnull@nnelg) and Lynn Gamble (ude.bscu.htnanull@elbmag) as soon as possible. This should be an exciting, dynamic, and informative process. Help shape the future of ethics in California archaeology!