Seminar Description

Seminar Location, Housing and Academic Resources

San Diego is a wonderful place to spend a summer. For recreation, the University affords a variety of sports activities, and boasts a state-of-the-art gym, complete with climbing wall! There are, of course, the world famous San Diego Beaches and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park . Gourmets will be pleased with our numerous and varied restaurants. Theatre-goers can take part in an extensive summer schedule, including Shakespeare and contemporary drama at many venues, while sports enthusiasts can enjoy our new downtown stadium, reachable by public transport from the University campus. Humphreys-by-the-Bay hosts the best contemporary music talent in an outdoor facility. Surrounding the county are many hiking and biking trails and we will have at least one meeting at the Mission Gorge Trails Park , followed by lunch and a hardy hike in its fields and rolling hills.

Beyond the immediate San Diego area, of course, lies the larger Southern California region, with all the excitement and stimulation this part of California has to offer--shopping, theatre, museums, Hollywood, cultural diversity. We are 15 miles from the Mexico border. The renowned Getty Museum is near enough to visit for those who want to enjoy its delights.

The seminar will be restricted to fifteen participants, each of whom will receive a stipend of $4400. The first half will be available upon arrival, less housing deposit, and the second check at the beginning of the fourth week.

As “visiting scholars” all participants will have faculty access to and borrowing privileges for the collections of SDSU's outstanding Love Library. (I have alerted one of the librarians to our need for a group-use room for part of the time we are together so I can guide you through the use of the Library of Congress's online Arendt archives.) Visiting Scholar status also will permit participants to take advantage of SDSU's recreational facilities at special rates and to use on-site computer facilities in the faculty room (MACs and PCs are available). Internet access will also be available in your residence.

Housing in San Diego is not easy to come by, but the Office of Housing and Residential Life has helped locate housing among the University's residences. We have found what I think is an excellent location. Adjacent to the campus, on Montezuma Road , is University Towers (UT), which is a suite-styled dormitory building. In this building, a ten-minute walk to our campus seminar meeting room, we have secured accommodations on the top floor, our own “mini-wing.” Participants in 2006 and 2008 were housed there and were generally satisfied with the facilities. Other groups also rent this space in the summer, so you need to be prepared to “share the common spaces” with non-seminar participants. Each mini-suite is fully furnished with two separate bedrooms separated by a shared bath. Ordinarily shared bedrooms, we have negotiated for each bedroom to be single-person occupancy. The rooms are internet-wired, telephone-equipped, and each has a mini-fridge and microwave. Linen changes are included (weekly) and there are on-site laundry facilities (minimal charge). Meals are available in the adjacent dining facilities for an additional fee. There is 24-hour security, 24-hour use of on-site computer room, a game room and TV room, and a swimming pool. Estimated cost is $1960 for the entire stay, without meals. A small additional fee will give you access the excellent gym facilities nearby in the Aztec Recreation Center (ARC). I am pleased that this excellent rate will make your stay affordable, leaving funds for transportation, research and other expenses from your stipend.

I strongly urge all selected participants to choose this option because it enables all participants to be housed together, facilitating collegiality. I cannot stress too much how important living near one another is to the seminar's success. Late night conversations, informal meetings, shared meals—all these facilitate dialogue. My assistant, Simone Arias, and I can put those few who may prefer to seek private apartment or house rentals in touch with resources. But such housing will be very costly in San Diego in the summer. You will be asked to indicate special needs or requests if and when you are selected.