[URBANTH-L]Proposal from SUNTA Panel Organizer

[Angela Jancius]

dear angela, 

As a senior foreign member of the AAA I was shocked by the way decisions 
were made and by the outcome. 

I heard from dozens (literally) of European colleagues that they prepaid 
for a session or a paper and then heard in August that it would not 
materialize. However, payments were not reimbursed. In my case we proposed a 
session (with 5 graduates) on urban context and cultural essentialism;  this 
cost a lot of money.
 
I decided to come to SF anyhow and organized myself (with family) to combine 
this trip with a visit to the reservation (Navajo). Tickets were booked and 
paid, and hotels likewise. Now they move the show to Atlanta, to the Hilton 
there. What is the matter here? Is having a bourgeois festivity including 
jumping the pickets more important than meeting each other, and allowing for 
graduates and for less wealthy people? I am shocked. 

Are we the professional organization which stands for equal opportunities 
for all (including the young and less wealthy in the world)? This behavior 
is unforgivable. 

I read that SUNTA may not move with the rest, and that they may organize
something (at graduate level or at senior level or both) in the SF area. There
are plenty of campuses, so that should be possible. I strongly support the
initiative and want to attend, even at a cost. I want to involve people
(scholars and artists) in a conference on 'Making sense in the city' ('end of
2006 in Ghent, Europe). I would like to meet colleagues, graduates and artists
for that purpose, but I refuse to go along and lose much money (we have to book
months in advance, you know, and with serious loss of money when we cancel) 
for the sake of a Hilton! 

It is the case that the USA is less hospitable than it used to be: we as 
Europeans are better off, since we only need a passport and our 
fingerprints(!!!) when we enter, but others will have an even harder time. 
Is the AAA aware of this and can they at least think of 'the other' when 
they make decisions? I am really appalled. 
   
I would be most pleased if you could send this message through the network. 
I hope the meetings in San Francisco will take place for a bunch of us. 
sincerely, 

Prof. Rik Pinxten 

Mon, 25 Oct 2004 23:55:12 -0400 
From:  VIRGINIA CORNUE <cornue at netcommail.com> 
To:  Angela Jancius <acjancius at ysu.edu> 

I think this is a wonderful idea. Bold and radical. Maybe the mayor would 
turn over Golden Gate Park to the AAA for the weekend and there could be a 
tent city. Virginia Cornue PTL Rutgers Anthropology 

From: "Kelly, Hilarie" <hkelly at Exchange.FULLERTON.EDU> 

To all interested parties: 

There is an article in the Tuesday, Oct. 26 LA Times Business section on 
page 1, titled "U.S. Travel Business on Road to Recovery."  It says that 
"Hilton Hotels Corp.'s earnings jumped 79% in the third quarter, and the 
company expects more good times ahead." 
On page 8: "Hilton said that even San Francisco, hurt by a slump in the 
tech industry, showed signs of improvement. 'A company like Hilton is 
particularly well-situated for this recovery because it has so many 
large gateway properties in the major cities and tourist resorts," 
[Carl] Winston said.  And Hilton expects more good times ahead, in part 
because it isn't as dependent on bargain-hunting leisure travelers as in 
recent years.  Having more business travelers makes it easier to raise 
room rates, said Marc Grossman, the chain's senior vice-president of 
corporate affairs.  The company is seeing a turnaround in the convention 
business, he said, which will 'really help next year because we own a 
lot of these big 1,000-room hotels that cater to groups and 
conventions.'" 



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