Greetings from Lawrence, Kansas!
In just 16 days, the Institute begins and 403 people will descend on The University of Kansas! I can't wait for you all to get here. In this email, I want to draw your attention to several resources which may help you plan your trip. Start at the just-revamped webpage for "Local Information": http://rhetoricsociety.org/aws/RSA/pt/sp/institute_localinfo. Here you'll find all sorts of things, including most of the following:
A new "Schedule of Events." A version of this has been posted for some time, but we tweaked a few things. We extended Check-In hours, changed a few rooms, and added a social event for/by grad students to Wednesday evening's schedule.
Pay particular attention to the Check-in times and locations. It's very important that we get you checked-in. At Check-In, you'll receive two very important things: your program and name tag. Your program will provide some good info (like how to get on KU's Passport Network—a high speed network set up just for the Institute) and your name tag serves as your entry ticket to all the social events.
What should you do after you get checked in? Good question. If you are attending a seminar, you can grab some free food/drink and head to your seminar room (room assingments have now been listed online and are in the program). If you are a Seminar Leader, you can head across the hallway to Leader Orientation (See Schedule of Events). If you are coming only for a workshop, you'll check in the morning of June 7. After you do so, head to the 5th floor of the KS Union for the Plenary Luncheon.
You will not want to miss the Luncheon. Professor Frank Farmer will be giving a keynote titled "Making Stuff and Doing Things: Bricolage and the Making of Local Publics." It's a great title and—I promise—even a better talk. Be there!
If you are staying in one of the downtown hotels, we have now posted the Bus Schedule. Busses are available to bring people back and forth from the downtown hotels and the University of Kansas. It is a very short bus ride: 1.4 miles at most. Check out the "Conference Sites" link for more information on the hotels, their role in the Institute, and the distances between them.
Are you traveling with friends, partners, spouses, or anyone else not registered for the program? They are welcome to attend all social events (including receptions and meals) by registering as a "guest." The cost is $75 for all three major social events: the Friday Luncheon, the Friday evening reception, and the Saturday Dinner. To register a guest, please contact a registration specialist at 785-864-5823, toll-free at 877-404-5823.
Should you have any other questions about your trip, don't hesitate to shoot me an email!
Dave Tell
Director, 2013 RSA Summer Institute
davetell@ku.edu