US newsletter Internat#28 NYC July 30 2013
(this mail is also posted in the Dropbox)
Dear all, I hope you've had a rewarding summer break so far and that it is not entirely over. Although autumn might still seem far away, it is nevertheless high time to start the more detailed planning for our US trip.
And here is the first attempt to convey some important information. In this first ”US newsletter” (which will be available in the dropbox) you find info on the following: 1. Preparatory group assignments for the Parsons open colloquium (Thu Oct 3) - colloquium prompt 2. Travel options/ccommodation NYC-Pittsburgh 3. Alternative post-workshop program in NYC Oct 4-6 1. Eduardo Staszowski and Scott Brown (design PhD studentin anthropology at The New School) have been planning for the open colloquium that will be held on our 3rd day in NY, on Thursday Oct 3 at 9-12.30, with invited senior researchers (Parsons faculty and some others like Carl Di Salvo from Georgia Tech; final list of participants to be announced within short). The topic of the colloquium will be loosely related to workshop theme ("Transdisciplinary and collaborative learning processes in design") but more oriented towards current design strategies, more specifically to the theme of a special issue of the Journal of Design Strategies, published by Parsons – (New) Public Goods - Design, Aesthetics and Politics – which will open for a possible publication of the outcomes of the colloquium in the issue of the journal. The idea is that you PhD students will facilitate and moderate the colloquium. You will work in two groups - one group will put together a video as an input to the theme. The other group will develop a format for the colloquium. Attached (and uploaded in the Dropbox) you will find material for this preparatory assignment, including the designated groups. If you feel you would like to change groups you could negotiate that internally. The material include
– a draft of the colloquium;
– a colloquium prompt describing the topic;
– written responses on the draft from the participants (all not yet available).
2. As previously announced, we will all have the possibility to go from NYC to Pittsburgh on Fri Oct 4 to take part in the symposium "Critiquing the North American PhD in Design" at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on Oct 5. The travel options are the following - by air - roundtripca USD 160, 1h30 min, lots of depts. - by train - the classic Pennsylvanian scenic ride, - leaves NYC at 10.52 am, arrives at 8.05 pm, returns 7.30 am and arrives NYC 4.50 pm - roundtrip USD 146 - by bus - - leaves at 6/9.50 am and arrives 1.35/5.25 pm, returns 6 am/1 pm and arrives in NYC 2.05/9.05 pm - USD 64 roundtrip. There is, however, no cheap accommodation as I had hoped. Hotels in Pittsburgh close to the uni are not cheap, there are no hostals, distances are big and public transport bad. The university's recommendations can be found here Fares are around USD 150 per night. 3. The NY-Pittsburgh travel is, however, quite a trip, and having checked on the travel alternatives, including the accommodation options, which are few and expensive, I think it it is not justifiable for most of you and not the right way to spend your valuable time. Since Pelle, Bo, Peter and I will attend, I think we are well reprsented at least on the senior level. Instead, I am suggesting the development of an alternative/optional program for the days Oct 4-6 in NYC including study visits, special talks with Parsons faculty, perhaps time for interviews, exhibition visits; could be a number of different options relevant to the theme or to your research, the outcome of which you would then be able to report back to the larger D! group at the next internat. I hope this seems interesting to you and I am waiting for your responses. Finally, I would like those of you who have not sent me your itineraries to do so.
Maria