SDA 2011 Annual Meeting
19-21 October
Our Tallahassee meeting is over.... 162 members have registered.
For the first time since 1980, the SDA conference will return to Tallahassee, with the local arrangements organized by demographers from Florida State University. The 2011 conference will also return to the previous custom of holding the opening reception on a Wednesday, and conducting the two main days of scientific sections on Thursday and Friday of the 3rd week of October. SDA has a contract with the Doubletree Hotel (part of the Hilton chain) for this meeting; meeting rates are $119 per night for single or double occupancy.
Please send any comments or suggestions to local arrangements chair Woody Carlson.
CONFERENCE WEEK EVENTS
FSU Wind OrchestraTuesday, October 18, 8 PM, Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on the FSU Campus
The FSU College of Music is rated one of the top ten music programs in the country, and performers in these university ensembles often go on to music careers with prestigious symphony orchestras around the U.S. and the world.
SDA DINNER
Thursday, October 20, 6:30-7:30PM Cash Bar, 7:30-10PM Dinner, Mary Brogan Museum at Kleman Plaza, four blocks from the Doubletree Hotel
The annual conference dinner event will take place surrounded by the museum's latest exhibition, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. More than 100 artifacts offer visitors a look at this iconic ship and its passengers, drawing them back to 1912 and a chronological journey through the life of the Titanic, moving through the ship's construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts. Over the past 15 years, more than 22 million people have seen this powerful exhibition in major museums worldwide from Chicago to Los Angeles and Paris to London.
Friday Night Block Party
Friday, October 21, 5PM to 10PM, Kleman Plaza four blocks from the Doubletree Hotel
Public event features live music, food, entertainment and Seminole cheer provided by the Marching Chiefs and FSU Cheerleaders. Lots of fans and students will be in attendance!
Sugarland: The Incredible Machine Tour with special guest Sara Bareilles
Friday, October 21, 7:30 pm, Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center
This American country music duo is composed of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (background vocals, lead vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and harmonica).
Downtown Marketplace
Saturday, October 22, directly in front of the Doubletree Hotel
Saturday from 9am until 2pm the Downtown MarketPlace features fresh homegrown produce and organic items, fresh bread and eggs, fresh cut flowers and native plants. Local musicians play their music on stage, authors and poets present readings of their latest books, and regional artists show their arts and fine crafts.
FSU Football
Saturday, October 22, Doak Campbell Stadium on the FSU Campus
FSU's first home ACC game, slated for Oct. 22 against the Maryland Terrapins, will be Military Appreciation Day at Doak Campbell Stadium. If you are going to the game, get your tickets early and be sure to reserve your conference hotel room for additional nights--there are NO other rooms in town for that weekend.
Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, October 22, 2011, Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on FSU Campus
WAGNER - Prelude to Act III from Lohengrin
WAGNER - Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde (Shirley Close, soprano)
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 9, "Choral"
Jesus Christ Superstar
October 19-22, 8 PM at Fallon Theater on the FSU campus
FSU's School of Theatre is one of the nation's top-tier theatre training programs. Tickets for this well-known musical are $20 for adults and $18 for 62 or older; see the School of Theatre website for details.
TALLAHASSEE PLACES OF INTEREST
Wakulla Springs State Park (open 7 days a week, about 15 miles south of Tallahassee)Home of one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world, this park plays host to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, deer, and birds. Daily guided riverboat tours provide a closer view of wildlife, and glass bottom boat tours are offered when the water is clear. Swimming is a popular activity during the hot summer months. A nature trail offers a leisurely walk along the upland wooded areas of the park. The Wakulla Springs Lodge was built in 1937 by financier Edward Ball and is open year-round. A full-service dining room overlooks the spring; lodge meeting facilities offer an excellent place for retreats. Wakulla Springs State Park and Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Natural Landmark.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (just north of I-10, off US 319-Thomasville Road in Tallahassee. Park open from 8:00 a.m. to sundown, gardens open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 365 days a year)
The gardens feature a picturesque brick walkway, a secret garden, a reflection pool, a walled garden and hundreds of azalea and camellia plants. Lake Hall offers swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating for canoers and kayakers. Pavilions and grills along the shore provide a perfect setting for picnicking. Two short nature trails through the woods overlook the lake. Admission is $6 per car (2-8 persons) or $4 per car (1 person).
Tom Brown Park (hours of operation: Sunrise to Sunset)
Located in the eastern part of Tallahassee, just east of Capital Circle SE between Mahan Drive and Apalachee Parkway, this is the City of Tallahassee's premier place to play, with a dog park , lake and picnic areas, handicapped-accessible playground, BMX track, Frisbee golf course, forest hiking trails, numerous baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, and wide open spaces.
Mission San Luis (immediately northwest of the FSU campus, Hours Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
The history and archaeology of this 17th-century western capital of Spanish Florida is interpreted with Apalachee and Spanish artifacts from the site. Modern day visitors to Mission San Luis discover a re-created community where time stands still. There they meet the people of San Luis going about the tasks that sustained life centuries ago. They walk the plaza where the Apalachees played their traditional ball games. They visit the most important structure in the Apalachee village, the council house, and also stop at the home of the Spanish Deputy Governor. Visitors are welcomed at the church built under the supervision of Franciscans, and at the friary where they lived. Mission San Luis is a very special place where history comes to life.
Challenger Learning Center (two blocks from Doubletree Hotel)
200 South Duval Street, Tallahassee, FLORIDA 32301
The Challenger Learning Center, a 32,000 square foot facility located on beautiful Kleman Plaza in downtown Tallahassee, features a state-of-the-art space mission simulator and utilizes the immersiveness of an IMAX theatre and a domed high-definition planetarium to create a holistic educational and entertaining experience.