This year’s International Communication Association (ICA) conference officially took place in the Washington Hilton—or the Hinckley Hilton, as it is called by many a local—just north of Dupont Circle. By holding receptions in bars around DC, the conference organizers ensured that conversations big and small would spill outside the main venue. What follows, then, is an inevitably partial compilation of what communications scholars around the city had to say between May 23 and May 28 about the past and future of their field.
1. “We love our Americans. But, they do seem to nominate themselves for all of the awards.”
2. “Is tweeting a form of public engagement? We are still trying to answer that question.”
3. “Habermas is still alive. Can you believe it? That should be a T-shirt.”
4. “I know acronyms that died before some of you were born.”
5. “And my presentation is about what we do while we wait for the socialist revolution.”
6. “I hate talking about my own work in Q and A time, but, let me talk about my work a bit.”
7. Person 1: “What is a center?”
Person 2: “Well, I don’t know how to fully explain this, but it’s kind of like an extension of a professor. [beat] You, you might be working for a center and not even know it.”
8.“Someone is presenting three of their own papers on a single panel.”
9. “We received a grant from Facebook, but it’s not like they’ll ever give us access to their data.”
10. “Got a text telling me that the journalism division business meeting was just a bunch of white men.”
11. “Tweeting out the low sound level at the Annenberg East/West party, that seems like the ultimate burn.”
12. “Meeting generations of your advisor’s advisees all in one day is treacherous shit.”
13. “You know the problem with conferences? I can never go poop when I attend them. Never. No pooping. For days.”
14. “Things happen in divisions. Division annihilation is possible. It might be that some interest groups should die.”
15. “I love this reception. You know why? Nobody asks me to do anything here. I can just be.”
16. “OK. No table. No nothing. Thanks, ICA. I’m sure that’s ’cause this panel is on race.”
17. Person 1: “That person didn’t register for ICA, they just snuck in and attended sessions for a few days.”
Person 2: “White privilege.”
This article was commissioned by Mary Zaborskis. 
