National Associates Committee

By Murrye Bernard, Editor
Murrye is a freelance writer and intern architect in New York City. 

It’s hard to believe it has been an entire year since I began my position as editor of AssociateNews.  At the time I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, only that I wanted to be involved somehow.  Well, that, and I got a kick out of telling people that I was the editor of a national publication.  But like any position, it demanded commitment, which grew as we added new features – from the expanded layout with images to the new blog. What started as a one person job has grown into a job for three (I’m not kidding – we selected three people to take over next year).   And then, somewhere in the middle of all of this… life happened.

I went from being an intern in Little Rock, Arkansas to selling my house, my car, and packing up for New York City.  I also left the traditional realm of internship to explore writing further through freelance work and writing proposals for a firm.  Yet, through editing this newsletter, I have actually been more in touch than ever with the profession of architecture and the issues emerging professionals face.   I’ve made it a point to share a little of myself through my ‘letters from the editor.’ My intention was to inspire you to, in turn, share your personal struggles and victories with me and other emerging professionals. By far, the most rewarding part of being editor was reading your feedback. 

I especially enjoyed the responses to my first issue about why you wanted to become an architect. As trite as it may sound, I think it really does help to read that others are going through the same things – struggles and victories alike.  Though my term at AssociateNews has come to an end, I will become the Director of Forward, the other (quarterly) publication of the NAC.  The three new editors – Bonnie Sen, editor-in-chief; Christina Noble, news editor; and Peter Antinoro, web editor – will take over AssociateNews beginning with the next issue in January.  I look forward to the new directions they will take this newsletter and hope you will continue to provide your invaluable feedback.   

Thanks for reading me.

In this week’s AIArchitect article, “Let Them Be Architects,” Erin Nunes Cooper, AIA, of the National Associates Committee, explains that Intern Architects are creating quite a stir at their offices, state boards, and AIA chapters. They are loudly seeking a change in the title of “intern,” because it does not accurately describe what they do or who they are. Further, she says, it causes confusion to anyone outside the architecture profession.  

The problem with "intern" is that it typically describes a student who is still in school and engaged in work experience, often for academic credit. Architects specifically use the term for graduates who are not yet licensed, and many professionals on the path to licensure find this unacceptable.

Should we call them “architects”? What do you think?