What Do You Want for WE14 Celebrate SWE?

Although we are many months from WE14 in LA, the conference planning is underway. Each year, Celebrate SWE! ends the conference with excellent food, awards, and entertainment. As the graduate community continues to grow, it is important to include our input in both the professional and social activities.  So we ask, what do you want to see at CelebrateSWE! this year? More graduate student awards? More inter-regional interaction?  Certain speakers? Open bar?

In the comment section, let us know how CelebrateSWE! can be improved. The responses will be relayed to the conference advisory board who are responsible for planning the conference. This will be a great opportunity for them to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Comments from original blog: 

1. Christella Chavez | February 4, 2014 at 2:32 pmWould like to see a graduate student reception for all current graduate students. Please invite PhD and Master’s students in all disciplines, along with recent graduates and current SWE PhDs. Perhaps we could also invite agencies that are looking for post docs?
   
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   • Rebecca Reck | February 4, 2014 at 2:38 pmChristella, I think this is a great idea. It seems more relaxed than trying to fit the WIA networking in prior to Celebrate SWE.
     
     
     
2. Elly | February 4, 2014 at 2:39 pmHi Christella,
   Thanks for your input! A graduate student reception is a great idea.
   
   
   
3. Rebecca Reck | February 6, 2014 at 6:02 pmI think both a keynote and a comedian was too much. With all of the awards and everything else on the program it seemed to go on forever this year. Several people were getting restless and chatty where I was sitting. Plus, the comedian wasn’t very good at WE13, I liked the one for WE12 better.
   I think the open bar should be at the graduate student reception.
   
   
4. Shivani Gupta | February 9, 2014 at 6:15 pmI agree with Rebecca– adding a keynote made the program far too long, and slowed down the night. After sitting through talks for three days, I think everyone would appreciate something more interactive or entertaining, and definitely more celebratory.
   Instead, their previous format of having more time with the comedian between awards worked well. It gave the night a more celebratory feel, without feeling long and drawn out, and gave people time to chit-chat at the table.
   Lastly– the graduate student reception is an awesome idea. The tricky part is finding an optimal time for it. I would vote for two hours on Friday evening, just after all programming ends. That will include plenty of time for mingling (with an open bar, definitely agree with that idea), and a little bit of formal programming where we can properly recognize all the graduate leaders, particularly the ones that aren’t formally mentioned at Celebrate SWE or any other official SWE event. We can even include our own awards. And, I also like the idea of inviting any companies/agencies who may be looking to hire anyone with advanced degrees. Perhaps one of them could even sponsor this reception!
   
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   • Chriss | February 9, 2014 at 10:06 pmLet’s make the recommendation and make it happen!
     By the way, we are implementing this at our region conference as well. We are having a graduate reception this year. Yay!
     Chriss
     
     
5. Elly | February 10, 2014 at 1:07 pmHi everyone,
   Thank you all for your thoughts. In my email to the board, I will detail the ideas you mentioned about the graduate student reception and relay the suggestions for CelebrateSWE. I really like the idea of acknowledging the outstanding graduate students in our own special ceremony and of course the open bar :)