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By Elin
Ovrebo
University of Memphis
Vol.
10, Issue 2 (Fall 2006)
Photo
It would be dishonest to say that the sunny location had nothing
to do with it. It did. It was one of the reasons why my student
loans were used to travel across country to attend this summer’s
CPN conference in San Marcos. Right away, I knew that conference
coordinator Spencer McWilliams and program coordinator Jay Efran
would provide us with an excellent experience from start to
finish. By the time I left San Marcos, I knew that the value of
the conference was certainly worth the trip. First, the location: Cal State San Marcos campus provided us with great facilities, a centralized and intimate setting for good conversations, a wonderful view of San Marcos, and…..a long flight of stairs perfect for daily workouts to the lecture halls! The lunches and snacks provided during our conference breaks were tasty and refreshing. In addition to eating, we used these breaks to pursue interesting conversations, to meet new acquaintances, and to renew old friendships. Second, the keynote addresses: Michael Hoyt's Everyday Constructivism, Bruce Ecker's Constructivism to the Rescue, and Maureen O’Hara's What to Do in a Conceptual Emergency were excellent. Thanks for your challenging, thought-provoking, and entertaining ideas! Thanks also to Jonathan Raskin for a brilliant presidential address on The Evolution of Constructivism. I have already used my notes from each of their presentations in recent conversations with colleagues. In many ways, their ideas have impacted my development as a graduate student, as a beginning therapist, and as a researcher. I also deeply appreciated the other presentations I attended and I only wish I had time to see them all. Third, the banquet: once again, the food and drink were excellent. A highlight of the evening was Jay Efran's entertaining and "better than ever" magic show. However, the very best trick of the evening may be one that was actually pulled on him: when asked to present the Lifetime Achievement award to a colleague, Jay was astounded to find that the plaque was actually inscribed with his own name! The audience congratulated Jay with a well-deserved standing ovation. Jay's award was followed by two other awards as Bob Neimeyer was honored as the first recipient of the George Kelly Award and as Heather Hardison was announced as the winner of the student paper award. The banquet concluded with the inauguration of Sara Bridges as the next president of the Constructivist Psychology Network, while the outgoing president, Jonathan Raskin, was honored with a crown and a birthday cake. For me, the conference was a meaningful celebration of past achievements as well as a glimpse towards the future. As we remembered Michael Mahoney during a memorial service, we also remembered the impact of other scholars--past and present--whether we knew them in person, found glimpses of them through their books, or felt touched by them through someone they mentored. Thanks to all of you: peers, mentors, authors, and, especially, to those who did not quite know me before San Marcos but who nonetheless took the time to answer my questions or to simply discuss theories to life. In many ways, this conference pulled me closer to the constructivist community. Our organization’s name contains the word “Network” and normally networking feels kind of tiring to me. At San Marcos, it did not. It felt rewarding. So while I left San Marcos feeling thankful and refreshed from the beaches, Sea World, the wine, and the fish tacos, I received so much more from this conference, both theoretically and personally. I can’t wait for the next constructivist conference. Although my student loans probably won’t get me to Australia in 2007, they will have to find a way to cover a trip to Victoria in 2008!
Incoming newsletter editor Caroline Stanley and conference organizer Spencer McWilliams at the Constructivist Psychology Network conference in San Marcos, July 2006.
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