Over a holiday weekend in early September, political scientists gathered in the heart of Boston in a mall (well, in a conference center and two hotels located in the Prudential Center) for APSA, the American Political Science Association’s annual conference. Check out what they had to say when they weren’t complaining about school starting, navigating geographically themed conference rooms, or laboring on Labor Day weekend.
1. Person 1: “What’s that noise?”
Person 2: “Oh, that’s the protest we were emailed about.”
2. “Why is there a metal detector? What’s with the security state?”
3. “Sorry, I can’t do lunch. I need to convince one of the publishers to buy my soul. I mean, my manuscript.”
4. “This interview room looks like speed dating in hell.”
5. “That panel was dangerously second-wave-y.”
6. “OK, so this guy is just mansplaining his paper from yesterday in this panel.”
7. “Everyone on the panel stuck to their six-minute time limit!”
8. “Did Condoleezza Rice even apply for this award?”
9. “How am I? I’m post-panel with wings and a sundae in the hotel bar.”
10. “Theorists really have the best style.”
11. “I can’t decide if being in the middle of a mall is a good thing or a bad thing.”
This article was commissioned by Mary Zaborskis. 
