Thoughts on the 2011 ISCSC Conference

Here are some thoughts on the goings-on at Tulane last week:

BEST WAY TO COME THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: Tulane U., for allowing us to use the Business School.

BEST LAST-MINUTE FIX: Moving the reception to the Holy Name of Jesus Parish Center (Many thanks again to the Rev. Donald Hawkins, S.J.).

GREATEST IDEA THAT TURNED OUT TO BE JUST (BARELY) ACCEPTABLE: Sun Ray Grill.

WORST PROBLEM THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A PLUS: Eating in the Food Court, because of the variety.

BEST RECOVERY WITH GRACE AND PATIENCE: Andrew Targowski, who had to wait until Saturday morning to give an abbreviated presidential address.

HEALTHIEST CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT: TIE! Lynn Rhodes, who looks every bit the American Western outdoorswoman, and Pedro Geiger (on general principles).

CLOSEST CALL: Lois Holcomb; thank God she did not hurt herself when she fell after the banquet.

MOST PROLIFIC READER AND REVIEWER OF BOOKS SINCE WRITING WAS INVENTED (which she informed us was during the period of Homo Erectus): Laina “Queen Bee” Farhat-Holzman.

BEST MONARCHIST: Thomas Palfrey.

BEST PUERTO RICAN-TURNED-CANADIAN ARISTOCRAT: Ricardo Duchesne.

BEST BOYAR: Vlad Alalykin-Izekov.

BEST FACE PUT ON A BAD SITUATION: Rev. Walter Baer on church-state issues in China.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY THAT WAS NOT CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL: Mariana Tepfenhart and the European right-wingers.

MOST INTERESTING (SENTIMENTAL) METHOD OF TRAVEL: Railroad: George von der Muhll rode the City of New Orleans into the City of New Orleans, as he had when he was a child. Appropriately, the darned thing broke down in the middle of the day in the Mississippi heat, about two hours outside of New Orleans.

I AM JUST NOT THAT SMART: Walter Benesch on “Thinking about Unthinkability”; I hope I looked like I understood at least a little.

MOST CONGENIAL PARTICIPANT: This one is easy. Prof. Hermenegilde Rwantabagu, who traveled for two days to make it to the conference, always had a pleasant look on his face, was soft-spoken and polite, and never complained about a thing. He is someone to emulate. TWO RUNNERS-UP: Isaac Tseggai and Hisanori Kato.

AND FINALLY,
LONGEST STAY IN THE BIG EASY: the Diaz-Stevens-Arroyo’s, who are still here having a great time.
(NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH BEST TIME HAD IN THE FRENCH QUARTER, A/K/A “WHERE WAS ASHOK DURING THE MORNING SESSIONS?”).

THANKS TO BILL McGAUGHEY AND MICHAEL ANDREGG FOR ALL THEIR HELP.

AND TO ALL THE REST WHO ATTENDED AND/OR PARTICIPATED IN THE 2011 ISCSC CONFERENCE:

THANK YOU ALL FOR A GREAT CONFERENCE, AND SEE YOU NEXT YEAR IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Relieved,
Reed (and Christine)