November 21st-24th, 2024: Communication for Greater Regard | 110th Annual Convention
As the Fall semester draws to a close, Halloween has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is on the horizon, we know it’s that time of the year again: the National Communication Association’s Annual Convention! This year, the Death and Dying Division is gearing up for our first convention as an official research division so we’d like to offer some insights about the conference and how you can find and participate with us!
First time conference NCA goer? We’ve curated some pro-tips from previous years so you can make the most of the convention while also having fun!
First and Foremost: Take care of yourself! Remember to hydrate, eat well, and get enough sleep each night to set yourself up for success.
Second: Have a plan for what panels and presentations you’d like to attend but be open to adjusting for how you feel. Large conferences are packed, very noisy, and take more energy than one might realize. Maintaining balance between attendance at others’ presentations while holding space for breaks and downtime is tricky but necessary for a successful conference.
Third, review the following guides to prepare and anticipate navigating NCA:
NCA Presentations and Panels of the Past! : Check out former presentations and panels to get an idea of what topics are regularly discussed at NCA!
NCA Convention Schedule 2024 : Make your plan using the digital scheduling tools provided by NCA.
How To Schedule Your Itinerary : A step-by-step guide with screenshots on how to use the itinerary scheduling tool.
End-of-Life, Death, & Dying Division at NCA
Add us as one of your official research divisions!
Most folks in our field have intersecting research interests which means several divisions can be very interesting to join. Good news: you can join up to five divisions with your conference fee! Haven’t added us yet? You can still add us from your membership profile page. You’ll get updates about our official events and meetings at NCA and beyond! Find out more information on our division and how to join on our website.
Join our Discord (If the link isn’t working then please email bhebenstreit@albany.edu for a new link!) We will be using Discord throughout the conference to communicate amongst ourselves so we highly recommend joining if you’re attending the convention!
Join our Facebook
Follow us on LinkedIn
See Us At NCA & Grab a Conference Badge!
If you’ve attended NCA in the past then you know that conference badges are a fun way to signal your affiliation with specific divisions and caucuses. We also love a good badge to help us recognize each other as End-of-Life, Death, & Dying Scholars so when you see Dr. Laura Bruns, join in by choosing and donning one (or more) of our badges! Dr. Bruns can be directly contacted via Discord DM or by email: brunsl@fau.edu
Here are some places you can find us and grab that badge!
Death & Dying Division Meet & Greet/Meeting
When? Friday November 22nd, 2024 from 4pm-5:15pm
Where? Borgne - 3rd Floor Sheraton
Death Cafes I & II
Sponsored & Co-Sponsored Panels
Thursday November 21st, 2024
Navigating Loss with Greater Regard
2:30-3:45pm
Preservation Hall Studio 2, Marriott 2nd Floor
Friday November 22nd, 2024
Regarding Suicide through Autoethnography and Personal Narrative
2:30pm-3:45pm
Mardi Gras, Salon A: 3rd Floor Marriott
Saturday November 23rd, 2024
Researching Death and Dying with Greater Regard
1:00pm - 2:15pm
Preservation Hall Studio 2, 2nd Floor Marriott
Sunday November 24th, 2024
Best Regards, Death: The Rhetoric of Death and Dying
8:00am-9:15am
Galerie 6, 2nd Floor Marriott
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars:
Tues. Dec, 3rd at 7pm EST/ 6pm CST/ 5pm MST/ 4pm PST for our business meeting where we take stock of this year’s conference and attend to official division business. This will be online via Zoom!
Opportunities to Take on Division Roles
Want to help shape the future of our division and get experience in a leadership role? We have two openings for folks:
Vice Chair-Elect (line of leadership succession role)
Secretary Position (line of leadership succession role)
2 Graduate Student Representatives
Our Host City! NOLA
New Orleans is a city rich with a long history and many death and dying related activities. It is also an incredibly walkable city! Many of the classic tourism destinations are within walking distance of the convention center where NCA is held.
Convention Center (Marriott & Sheraton)
Some Points of interest within walking distance!
5 minute walk to Bourbon St.
A 12 minute walk to the original Cafe du Monde location in the French Quarter.
Haunted History & Historical Tours
There are a variety of ghost tours in New Orleans, so it’s really dealer’s choice but here are a few suggestions! (note: we are not affiliated with any of the following businesses)
Sip some brews while touring haunted locations! Nightly Spirits
Take a Haunted History tour focused on the topic of your choosing. Vampires, and Ghosts, and Eerie Happenings, oh my!
Learn about the history of slavery and role of the Whitney Plantation in NOLA from the Whitney Institute.
Looking for something a little more controversial? Make sure you’re emotionally prepared before visiting The Museum of Death . It is filled with curated objects from police photos, antique mortician tools, serial killers & cult leaders. CAUTION: This is extremely graphic and could be disturbing for those who visit, due to the contents of the museum itself.
St. Louis Cemetery #1 - A famous cemetery tour known for its respectful discussion of those interred. Self-schedule a tour online. From $25 per person, 10 people per tour group.
Learn about Funeral Culture in NOLA where the Jazz Funeral originated.
If you have any questions about NOLA, the NCA convention, or how to join the Death & Dying Division, contact eoldeathscholars@gmail.com. We welcome conversations and connections with undergraduates, graduate students, and early career scholars who are navigating the NCA convention for the first time!