public Conference(
      final Date the_deadline_submission,
      final Date the_deadline_review,
      final Date the_deadline_decision) {
    // Initialize each Role with an empty Set of Users.
    for (Role r : Role.values()) {
      my_roles.put(r, new HashSet<User>());
    }

    setDeadlineSubmission(the_deadline_submission);
    my_deadline_review = the_deadline_review;
    my_deadline_decision = the_deadline_decision;
  }