News Feed

25.3.2024

SAM apurahasäätiö ja FASA jakoivat tänä vuonna jo kolmannen kerran apurahoja tukeakseen Yhdysvaltojen tutkimukseen liittyviä konferenssiosallistumisia Euroopassa ja Yhdysvalloissa. Tänä vuonna Euroopan konferenssiosallistumisiin jaettiin kaksi apurahaa, kun taas Yhdysvaltain konferenssiosallistumisen apurahaa ei tänä vuonna myönnetty.

Euroopan konferenssiapurahat myönnettiin:

Väitöskirjatutkija Aino Kirjoselle syyskuussa pidettävään International Society for Cultural History ISCH 2024 -konferenssiin. Kirjonen tutkii väitöskirjassaan ja siihen pohjautuvassa konferenssiesitelmässään yhdysvaltalaisessa yliopistokoulutuksessa rakennettuja sivistyksen ihanteita vuosina 1890—1914.

Väitöskirjatutkija Lotta Leiwolle huhtikuussa pidettävään European Association for American Studies -konferenssiin. Leiwo tutkii väitöskirjassaan Yhdysvaltain suomalaisten naisten poliittista roolia ja luontoon liittyvää retoriikkaa Amerikan Suomalaisessa Sosialistijärjestössä 1900-luvun alkupuolella. Hänen konferenssiesitelmänsä käsittelee suomalaista asutuskolonialismia sekä Yhdysvaltain suomalaisten naisten roolia Amerikan Suomalaisessa Sosialistijärjestössä Toveritar-nimisen sanomalehden näkövinkkelistä.

16.2.2024

Members of the FASA board 2024-2025 were elected in the annual general meeting held on 16.2.2024 (online). See this link for more information.

5.2.2024

The annual general meeting of FASA will be held on Zoom on 16 February 2024 (10:00–12:00). If you wish to participate, please contact FASA at fasafinland@gmail.com. The FASA Board is elected in this meeting and all FASA members can candidate themselves to become members of the Board! All FASA members are welcome to participate! 

3.9.2023

The entry published in August is entitled “Civil war bluejackets and the search for Finland’s American civil war sailors.” The author, Dr. Damian Shiels, is a Research Fellow based at Northumbria University, England where he works on the Civil War Bluejackets Project.

To view the column, please click the title.

28.8.2023

The CFP for the next Nordic Association for American Studies (NAAS) conference is now live! “ASPIRATIONS,” will take place at the University of Turku, Finland on June 4-6, 2025. 

The organizers, the John Morton Center for North American Studies (JMC), University of Turku, and the Finnish American Studies Association (FASA), welcome proposals that think through, reflect upon, and reconsider the significance of Aspirations in the pasts, presents, and futures of the United States. 

In particular, the organizers welcome unexpected juxtapositions and collaborations between participants from different institutions and fields of study, hoping that the conference will serve as a forum for advancing scholarly, epistemological, and creative aspirations. In addition to the traditional paper and panel formats, workshop sessions as well as alternative format proposals that reinvent the traditional paper session are accepted.

Please send your abstracts (individual papers max. 250 words and panel/workshop/alternative sessions max. 500 words) by June 15, 2024. 

Please find the full CFP attached to this email and more information on the conference website. Any inquiries can be directed to naasturku2025@gmail.com.

31.7.2023

The 35th Biennial European Association for American Studies conference, “1924–2024: The American Immigrant Narrative Revisited,” takes place at Amerikahaus Munich on April 2–7, 2024. It is hosted by the Bavarian American Academy (BAA). Proposals can be submitted by September 15, 2023. Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by November 15, 2023.

Please find the call for abstracts here.

5.6.2023

The 20th Maple Leaf and Eagle conference will take place May 14–17 2024 at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

The deadline for abstracts is on October 29, at 23.59 (11.59pm) Eastern European Time. Submit your application at https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/124523/lomake.html .

For further information, please see the conference website or contact the organizing committee at mapleleaf-eagle@helsinki.fi

29.5.2023

Nordic Association for American Studies (NAAS) will hold its 28th Biennial NAAS Conference at the University of Turku on June 4–6, 2025. The event is organized by FASA and The John Morton Center for American Studies, University of Turku. The CFP will be available in August.

15.5.2023

American Studies in Scandinavia 55:1 is now available (and free for all)! Check out the new issue here.

15.5.2023

The European Association for American Studies (EAAS) invites submissions for its annual Rob Kroes Publication Award for an unpublished book-length manuscript. The competition is open to all members of the twenty-two national and joint-national American Studies organizations in EAAS (including FASA).

Authors of eligible manuscripts are invited to nominate their work. We urge scholars who know of eligible manuscripts written by others to inform those authors of the opportunity. The award is open to authors of English-language manuscripts only. Entrants are requested to write a 1–2-page précis or abstract explaining why the manuscript is a significant and original contribution to American Studies. Please submit a pdf-version of your manuscript, with the brief essay, to EAAS Book Series Editor, Marek Paryż at m.a.paryz@uw.edu.pl

For all the details, visit the EAAS website.

2.5.2023

The entry published in May is entitled “DeSantis and Dissent.” The author, Anne Brixius, is a doctoral researcher in History and Cultural Heritage and a member of the North American Studies program at the University of Helsinki.

To view the column, please click the title.

5.4.2023

Helmikuun vuosikokouksessa valittu uusi puheenjohtajamme Nina Öhman kirjoittaa FASA:sta sekä omasta työstään musiikintutkijana Yhdysvaltain tutkimuksen kentällä SAM Magazinessa. Lue koko juttu täältä.

3.3.2023

Members of the FASA board 2023-2024 were elected in the annual general meeting held on 17.2.2023 (online). See this link for more information.

30.01.2023

23.01.2023

The annual general meeting of FASA will be held in February 2023 online (Zoom). The date and time of the meeting will be announced in the next FASA newsletter (30.01.2023) and it will be posted on the FASA website. All members of FASA will receive the link to the meeting via FASA newsletter. The FASA Board is elected in this meeting and all FASA members can candidate themselves to become members of the board! All FASA members are welcome to participate!

23.01.2023

For more information, click here.

11.1.2023

It is time to renew your membership for 2023. As of 2022 the journal American Studies in Scandinavia has been fully online and freely available, so our membership categories include full member for 22€ and student/ independent scholar/retiree for 15€. On how to renew and/or join FASA, check our website.

12.12.2022

Date: 27.01.2023

Time: 10:00-17:00 (followed by an optional dinner, self-paid)

Place: University of Turku, Educarium Building (in-person only)

Building on the success of our 2018 workshop for junior scholars, the Finnish American Studies Association and the John Morton Center for North American Studies is pleased to announce How to Survive the Academic Jungle II: A Workshop for Junior American Studies Scholars. This workshop offers panel discussions geared towards helping junior scholars (including everyone from new PhD candidates to those who have recently received their doctorates) develop their academic profiles and careers. It also serves as an opportunity for the community of North American Studies scholars in Finland to meet and discuss the development of our field. This event is free for members of FASA, including lunch and coffee/tea, but please make sure to register in advance. To join FASA, see fasa.fi/membership/

Please register by January 13! See the QR-code on our banner or visit this link to register: https://konsta.utu.fi/Default.aspx?tabid=88&tap=14443

6.12.2022

SAVE THE DATE! FASA and the John Morton Center for North American Studies (JMC) are organizing a workshop for junior scholars: “How to Survive the Academic Jungle 2.” The event will take place at the University of Turku on January 27, 2023. Stay tuned for more information.

18.11.2022

SAM Foundation and The Fin­nish Ame­ri­can Stu­dies As­so­ci­a­ti­on (FASA) are jointly offering a conference grant for doctoral researchers in American Studies. The grant can also be used for attending summer schools.

Application deadline 15 January 2023 (5 p.m.). For more information, visit the SAM website.

18.11.2022

The New Sweden History Conference (NSHC) explores the history of the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655) and its legacy in colonial America. The conference takes place on Saturday, November 4, 2023 in Philadelphia.

Deadline for abstracts is Friday, June 2, 2023.

For more information, see the attachment below.

18.11.2022

The new entry published in November 2022 titled ”Uusia suuntia alkuperäiskansojen historioille” is written by Sami Lakomäki. To view the column, please click the title.

7.11.2022

FASA, SAM, and the Helsinki University Faculty of Arts are organizing a panel discussion regarding the 2022 US midterm elections. The panel discussion is going to be held on 11 November. The panelists in the event are Rani-Henrik Andersson (University of Helsinki), Outi Hakola (University of Eastern Finland), Benita Heiskanen (University of Turku, The John Morton Center for North American Studies), and Mikko Saikku (University of Helsinki).

The discussion is moderated by FASA vice president Reetta Humalajoki (University of Turku) ja YLE reporter Ville Hupa (US Correspondent for Svenska YLE, 2019-2022).

The event is held at Tiedekulma at the University of Helsinki and it can also be viewed online. For more information, please visit  https://www.samsuomi.fi/tapahtuma/sam-suomi-keskustelutilaisuus-yhdysvaltain-valivaalit-2022-pohjois-amerikan-tutkijat-vastaavat/

7.11.2022

During September and October, there have been two new entries published in the FASA column:

“Kulttuurisotien sumuverho peittää alleen todellisia yhteiskunnallisia kipupisteitä” by Pekka Kolehmainen

and

“Mustien naiskirjailijoiden mieskuvia” by Tuula Kolehmainen.

To view the columns, click the title.

7.11.2022

Call for applications to Heidelberg Center for American Studies SPRING ACADEMY 2023, deadline 15 November 2022.

See this link for more information.

22.8.2022

Nordic Association for American Studies (NAAS) will hold its The 27th Biennial NAAS Conference in Uppsala May 25-27, 2023.

The submission deadline for proposals is September 1, 2022.

For more information, please view the CFP document below. You can also visit the conference website.

22.8.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry titled “Vallan ja rodun käsitteet USA-tutkimuksessa” is written by Ari Helo.

To view the column, click here.

22.8.2022

The Danish Association for American Studies (DAAS) has a new website.

Click here to visit the new site.

13.7.2022

Nordic Association of American Studies (NAAS) has a new website. Visit the association’s new site by clicking here.

15.6.2022

A new issue of American Studies in Scandinavia has been published and is available online.

Click here to view the issue.

14.6.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry titled “Aseväkivallan ja sen ehkäisyn monet kasvot” is written by Mila Seppälä.

To view the column, click here.

30.5.2022

European Association for American Studies (EAAS) Postgraduate Travel Grant application deadline is 30 June 2022.

For more information, please visit the EAAS website.

30.5.2022

Guest lecture “The Black Arts Movement in Chicago: A Moment in America and Black Culture” by Professor of English (Washington State University) Thabiti Lewis is held at the University of Helsinki (Metsätalo) on 13 June 2022, 2pm-4pm.

For more information, see the attachment below.

23.5.2022

The final webinar of the FASA-SAM webinar series Spotlight USA: Embracing Diversity in Spring 2022 is going be held this Wednesday 25 May 2022, 5pm-6:30pm.

The webinar is free for members of FASA.

The webinar is titled Ilmaston vai demokratian kriisi? and it will be held in Finnish.

To sign up and to view more information, please click the title of the webinar above.

16.5.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry titled “Amerikkalaisen unelman päivänpaisteinen vankila” is written by Pekka Kilpeläinen.

To view the column, click here.

9.5.2022

Member of FASA! Are you interested in writing your own entry to the FASA column?

FASA is searching for writers for entries to be published in August, September, November, and December 2022.

Your entry should present your research to the readers of SAM Magazine. In addition, you can comment on topical issues or connect them with the scope of your research. For more detailed description on the nature of the column, please see the entry written by FASA president Janne Lahti.

The entries are to be written in Finnish and be app. 4000 – 6000 characters in length. Additionally, you should provide 1-3 images to accompany your text. 

If you are interested, please send an email to fasafinland@gmail.com by 15.6.2022.

You can view the column in SAM Magazine. Links to all previous column entries are listed on the FASA website.

We encourage FASA members in all career stages to contact us and present your research to the general public!

9.5.2022

To view the Maple Leaf & Eagle 2022 Conference website, click here.

25.4.2022

The 27th biennial conference of the Nordic Association for American Studies (NAAS) has a website.

Please visit NAAS2023.com to view the call for papers and other information.

15.4.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The new entry titled “Kadonneet alkuperäiskansojen naiset ja historian synkkä perintö” is written by Iina Hakola.

To view the column, click here.

6.4.2022

Nordic Association for American Studies (NAAS) will hold its The 27th Biennial NAAS Conference in Uppsala May 25-27, 2023.

The call for papers for the upcoming conference has been published and available! The submission deadline for proposals is September 1, 2022.

For more information, please view the CFP document below.

5.4.2022

5.4.2022

FASA wants to inform its members about a call for papers for an edited volume on transatlantic slavery and abolition practices in the nordic region. The deadline for an initial abstract is the 2 of May 2022.

“We will develop the new book collaboratively over a period of around two years, with an informal and
fully funded workshop at Swedish Institute for North American Studies (SINAS), Uppsala University, discussing chapters-in-progress. We plan for an open access, peer reviewed anthology with an introduction in Swedish. We welcome papers in Scandinavian languages, and English.”

For more information, please read the full CFP:

28.3.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The new entry titled “Kuulokulmia afrikka­lai­sa­me­rik­ka­laisen gospelmusiikin historiaan Suomessa” is written by Nina Öhman.

To view the column, click here.

18.3.2022

The FASA-SAM webinar series program for Spring 2022 has been published. Each webinar includes different speakers and moderators. By clicking each webinar title you can read more information on the individual webinars and sign up to partcipate.

23.3.2022, 17:00-18:00 Miten ymmärrämme USA:n asekulttuuria?

20.4.2022, 17:00-18:00 Mikä Yhdysvaltoja oikein riivaa?

25.5.2022, 17:00-18:00 Ilmaston vai demokratian kriisi?

The webinars are free for all FASA members

18.3.2022

Maple Leaf & Eagle Conference in North American Studies 2022 has an updated program. The conference takes place in Helsinki, 18-20 May 2022.

You can view the conference program and other information on the conference website.

14.3.2022

FASA – SAM Webinar series Spotlight USA: Embracing Diversity -webinar series continues. The first webinar is going to be held on the 23.3.2022.

The webinar is free to all members of FASA!

The topic of the webinar is the US gun culture, which will be discussed by Benita Heiskanen (Professor of North American Studies, University of Turku) and Mikko Saikku (McDonnell Douglas Professor of American Studies, University of Helsinki). The discussion will be moderated by Pekka Kolhemainen (Ph.D Cultural History, University of Turku)

The discussion will be held in Finnish

You can sign up for the webinar here.

17.2.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The new entry titled “Ei pelkkä “historian synkkä luku”: Kanadan asuntolakoulut ja kolonialismin rakenteellinen perintö” is written by Hanna Rask.

To view the column, click here.

4.2.2022

Starting in 2022, the journal American Studies in Scandinavia is available only online and it is fully open access. Click here to see the newest publication.

Additionally, you can read and download older issues through the journal achives.

20.1.2022

FASA members are invited to American Studies Network webinar titled “Rethinking Whiteness in 21st-century American Studies”.

The webinar is free to all students and members of European American Studies community, and there is no need to register in advance.

Further information and the link to the webinar are available in the poster below.

20.1.2022

FASA is going to hold an annual meeting on 11 February, 11 am. The meeting will be held online and the link to it will be sent to all members of FASA.

In the meeting, the FASA board for 2022-2023 will be chosen. All FASA members can candidate themselves to become members of the board!

For further information, contact FASA through fasafinland@gmail.com

11.1.2022

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The new entry titled “Ikuisen sodan varjossa: Yhdysvaltalainen terroris­min­vas­taisen sodan veteraa­ni­kir­jal­lisuus” is written by Ari Räisänen.

To view the column, click here.

11.1.2022

Happy New Year 2022!

It is time to renew your FASA membership for 2022.

Please note that as of 2022, the journal American Studies in Scandinavia is only available online for free. Thus, our membership categories have been updated to include only two categories:

1. Standard membership for 22€/year
2. Student / Retiree membership for 15€ /year

For more information on membership and payments, click here.

22.12.2021

Online symposium on “Sugar Island’s Early Finnish History” will be organized on January 15, 2022.

The symposium is organized by the HUMANA-project  in collaboration with Finlandia University, Hancok, Michigan, the Kone Foundation, and the Migration Institute of Finland.

The event will be online and open to the public.

You can register by sending an email to saara.kekki@helsinki.fi, after which we will send you a zoom link. The organizers hope to see many of you there and especially the Sugar Island and Sault St. Marie area friends.

17.12.2021

34th European Association for American Studies (EAAS) Conference is going to be held in Madrid 6-8 April 2022. The theme of the upcoming conference is Wastelands.

Registration for the conference is open, and the organizers are offering early-bird special prizes until 23 January 2022.

for more information, please visit the conference website.

14.12.2021

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry is titled “Amerikan­suo­ma­lainen yhteisö rakentaa itseymmärrystään uuden histori­a­kult­tuurin kautta” and it is written by Jari Nikkola.

Click here to view the column.

7.12.2021

Finnish doctoral candidate members of FASA and SAM can now apply for a new conference grant!

SAM Foundation and The Fin­nish Ame­ri­ca Stu­dies As­so­ci­a­ti­on (FASA) are jointly offering a conference grant in 2022. ­

SAM and FASA want to support Finnish doctoral students who research the United States and facilitate their participation to conferences arranged in Europe and in the United States.

The grant is meant to cover general expenses, such as conference participation fees, travel, and lodging.

Three grants in the amount of 200 to 400 euros will be awarded annually. The application period is 1.12.2021-10.1.2022.

For more information, please visit SAM Foundation website “Konferenssiapurahaa vuodelle 2022”.

25.11.2021

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry titled “Kulttuurisota – mitä se itse asiassa tarkoittaa?” comes from the pen of Olli Saukko.

Click here to view the column.

25.10.2021

FASA would like to invite you to participate to a webinar on 3 November 2021.

The webinar is organized together with SAM (Suomi-Amerikka Yhdistysten Liitto) and part of the Spotlight USA: Embracing Diversity webinar series.

Participation is open and free for FASA members!

Huom! Webinaarin kieli on suomi.

​QAnon on kattava salaliittoteoria, yhdistelmä lukuisia vanhempia salaliittoteorioita ja menneisyydestä tuttuja pelkoja ja ahdistuksia, joiden juuret ovat syvällä Yhdysvaltojen historiassa.Miksi QAnonin kaltaisilla salaliittoteorioilla on kannattajansa Yhdysvalloissa? Mikä salaliittoteorioita yhdistää? Entä ketä ne hyödyttävät?

Aiheesta keskustelevat Outi Hakola (dosentti, Helsingin yliopisto), Niko Heikkilä (tohtorikoulutettava, Turun yliopisto) ja Tom Lippo (asianajaja, Washington D.C.).  Moderaattorina toimii Helsingin Sanomien toimituspäällikkö Laura Saarikoski, joka työskenteli Yhdysvallat-kirjeenvaihtajana vuodet 2014-18.*

*https://samsuomi.fi/event/uhkaavatko-salaliittoteoriat-demokratiaa-ja-yhteiskunnallisia-rakenteita/

Voit ilmoittautua webinaariin täällä.  

​To learn more about the joint FASA – SAM webinar series, click here.

25.10.2021

The Maple Leaf & Eagle Conference 2022: Call for Papers  deadline has been extended to

October 29, 2021. 

For more information, visit the conference website. 

CFP: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/maple-leaf-eagle-conference/call-papers

15.10.2021

FASA would like to invite you to participate to a webinar on 20 October. NOTE! There has been a change in schedule. The webinar starts at 3 pm.

The webinar is organized together with SAM (Suomi-Amerikka Yhdistysten Liitto) and part of the Spotlight USA: Embracing Diversity webinar series.

Participation is open and free for FASA members!

Mark Hersey (associate professor, Mississippi state university and Fulbright Bicentennial Chair in American Studies, Helsinki university) and Saara Kekki (reseacher, Helsinki university) will discuss among other things about how ethnic and racial identities have been inscribed onto the US landscape. The discussion is moderated by Stephen Lee.*

*https://samsuomi.fi/event/understanding-race-and-privilege-webinar/

You can sign up here.

​To learn more about the joint FASA – SAM webinar series, click here.

11.10.2021

The new entry of the FASA column in SAM Magazine has been published.

The entry titled 

“Alkuperäiskansat, perinteinen tieto ja ympäristönsuojelu” 

is written by Rani-Henrik Andersson.

11.10.2021

The Maple Leaf & Eagle Conference 2022: Call for Papers  is open for submission until October 15, 2021. 

For more information, visit the conference website. 

CFP: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/maple-leaf-eagle-conference/call-papers

5.10.2021

FASA would like to invite you to participate to a webinar on 6 October.

The webinar is organized together with SAM (Suomi-Amerikka Yhdistysten Liitto). 

Participation is open and free for FASA members!

​Huom! Webinaarin kieli on suomi.

Asiantuntijamme Reetta Humalajoki (yliopistonlehtori, Turun yliopisto), Janne Lahti (dosentti, Helsingin yliopisto) ja Hanna Rask (tohtorikoulutettava, Helsingin yliopisto) keskustelevat muun muassa miten kolonialismin luomat rakenteet ja valtasuhteet ovat yhä läsnä amerikkalaisessa yhteiskunnassa ja miten hahmotamme menneisyyttä. Keskustelun moderoijana toimii Marko Korkeakoski.*

* https://samsuomi.fi/event/kolonialismin-jatkuvuudet-ja-perinnot-nykypaivana-webinaari/

​Voit ilmoittautua webinaariin täällä  

​To learn more about the joint FASA – SAM webinar series, click here.

24.9.2021

FASA would like to invite you to participate to a webinar on 6 October.

The webinar is organized together with SAM (Suomi-Amerikka Yhdistysten Liitto).

Huom! Webinaarin kieli on suomi.

Voit ilmoittauta webinaariin täällä  

​To learn more about the joint FASA – SAM webinar series, click here.

24.9.2021

34th European Association for American Studies Conference, 6-8 April 2022, Madrid. 

​Call for papers is open until 30 September 2021.

​The theme of the upcoming conference is waste / wastelands, as the organizers elaborate on their site:

The year 2022 marks the centenary of the publication of T.S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land. The title of the conference alludes to Eliot’s work and the main themes in it, expanding the idea of the wasteland to the study of the United States. Hence, the overarching theme of the conference is open to all kinds of reflections around the concept of “wasteland” and waste. EAAS 2022 invites proposals that address the concept of waste in U.S. culture, history, and politics.* 

*https://eaas2022.com/

For more information on the conference and submission, please visit eaas2022.com

​

24.9.2021

What is the Year of Researched-Based Knowledge?

The Year of Research-Based Knowledge is a joint initiative organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Academy of Finland and the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies. Its aim is to make research-based knowledge even more visible and accessible, and to intensify the collaboration between organisations working with research-based knowledge.*

*https://tutkittutieto.fi/en/what-is-the-year-of-research-based-knowledge/

For more information, please visit Tutkittutieto.fi

13.9.2021

The Maple Leaf & Eagle Conference 2022: Call for Papers has been published and is open for submission until

October 15, 2021. 

​For more information, visit the conference website. 

CFP: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/maple-leaf-eagle-conference/call-papers

13.9.2021

FASA would like to invite you to participate to a webinar on 22 September. The webinar is organized together with SAM (Suomi-Amerikka Yhdistysten Liitto).

To sign up for the webinar, please visit:  https://fb.me/e/1OrYcYacY

​To learn more about the joint FASA – SAM webinar series, click here.

13.9.2021

The new entry of the FASA column has been published. The entry is written by Pasi J. Kallio and is titled “Yhdysvaltain histori­an­tut­ki­muksen lyhyt historia: taivaan kirkkaudesta sirpalesuolle”

13.9.2021

Last Spring FASA organized a logo competition and received several design suggestions for the new logo. FASA is happy to announce that the winner of the competition is Jaakko Dickman’s design.

​FASA wants to thank all designers who participated and submitted their suggestions!