Re: Kansas Fest

[buggie@enzu.unm.edu (stephen e buggie)]

I'd vote for Rice University as a site for KFest!

Too much importance is given to Avila College as the "traditional" meeting
site.  I've been once to Avila College and it is .... bland.  Its also 20
miles from the K.C. airport, making local travel expensive.  Avila College
could serve also as a mental institution based on its styling ...

I attend 2-3 academic meetings of national societies every year, and these
societies ALWAYS rotate the venue of their conferences.  I agree that the
midwest is the most central location, therefore economical, but there are
many other suitable midwestern places besides always Avila College!

If Kansas City is the "most hallowed ground," then I nominate PARK COLLEGE
in Kansas City.  Its only 5 miles from the K.C. airport, and is MUCH MORE
ATTRACTIVE than Avila College.  It is located on scenic cliffs above the
river, has EXOTIC rooms carved out of chalk-walled underground caves, and
likely would be less costly than Avila College. Its above-ground buildings
are traditional ivy-covered collegiate halls with great views.  [How
do I know this? I interviewed for a teaching post at Park College in
1994.] 

Finally, Park College has a hotel across the street where KFest outcasts
could hold a parallel "separate but equal" Apple II conference, with
spicy San Francisco pizzas provided by Dr. Tom Turley!     ;-)


Steve Buggie			buggie@unm.edu





Rubywand (rubywand@swbell.net) wrote:
: Tom Zuchowski writes ...

: > .... 
: > Well, the big plusses for the present location of Kfest is that it's cheap,
: > centrally located geographically, gives us an entire dorm building that we
: > =own= for the duration of the conference, and is of historical
: > significance. You lose at least three of those if you move it anywhere
: > else. To top it off, Kfest is put on by volunteers who do not make one cent
: > off of it; this makes it more attractive to continue to use existing
: > measures that are already known.
: > 
: > There was a big push to move it to Chicago a few years ago (being pushed by
: > Chicago residents, naturally <g>). It pretty much preserves or even
: > enhances the central location as far as air travel is concerned, too. But
: > it was shaking out that nobody was quite sure where to put it that would
: > work out for lodging and meeting  and socializing facilities. Those are
: > major wrinkles that must be resolved if it is ever moved.
: > 

:      Just about everyone would like to have the Fest moved to a nearby 
: location. Europeans would prefer an "Amsterdam Fest", Australians would like 
: a "Sidney Fest", etc..

:      It would, one observes, be easy to stage the Fest in Houston, Texas. 
: Rice's college dorms are nearly empty during the summer and there are lots of 
: neat 'bunkers' and maze-like runs for staging balloon fights. A nice plus is 
: that Galveston's beaches are just 45 minutes away via the Gulf Freeway. No 
: doubt, the local Apple group would be happy to handle reservations, 
: programming, etc..

:      On the other hand, Kansas Fest has become a tradition; and, traditions 
: are important. This is why the notion of excluding or not welcoming any Apple 
: II personality because he or she might be unpopular with a few other Apple II 
: personalities is so objectionable. As far as flame wars and other such 
: contentions are concerned, the Fest should be 'neutral ground'.

:      Cindy and the other Kansas Fest people have, evidently, done a good job 
: of handling the event in the past. Certainly, Steve Buggie's II Alive report 
: of KF '96 describes an interesting, fun experience.

:      If the Fest's current managers can get their act together, uphold 
: tradition, and stage an event which welcomes all II users, then, it is 
: probably just as well to stick with Kansas. Besides, what better place for an 
: Apple II gathering than the well-known 'jumping off' point for Oz?!
:             
:  
: Rubywand