The 2018 Comparative Studies Student Association conference “When I Was/Am/Will Be: Interrupting Empire” (hereafter conference) is held from Thursday 18 October through Saturday 20 October 2018 at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The conference takes place in the Culture and Society (CU) building on the south end of campus. FAU’s address is 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431.
We plan to host a registration and pre-conference event in the late afternoon on 18 October, a full day of panels on the 19th, and then 2/3rds of a day’s worth of panels followed by a creative reading on the 20th. Updates to the conference schedule will be posted to this site, as well as via Twitter. If you are traveling from outside of the area, please be sure to let the Conference Executive Committee know if you have any needs regarding scheduling, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Airports, Public Transportation, and Private Transportation
FAU is in Boca Raton, Florida; equidistant from Palm Beach International (PBI) and Ft. Lauderdale International (FLL) airports. Both airports have Tri-Rail stations where you can connect between either airport and the Yamato Road (Boca Raton) station for $5.00 one-way. You can also use the Palm Tran bus service to connect from the Yamato Road station to your hotel as well as to FAU.
Cars are a major part of life in South Florida, especially in Boca Raton. You may want to rent one if you plan to stay beyond or travel outside of the conference. In addition to the rental car options at either airport, South Florida has both Uber and Lyft services.
Hotels and Airbnb
There are several hotels within walking distance of the Yamato Road station, including Embassy Suites Boca Raton, Holiday Inn Boca Raton-North, Spring Hil Suites, and TownePlace Suites. Hotels closer to campus include Courtyard by Marriot, Marriot Boca Raton, Renaissance Hotel, and Wyndham Boca Raton. In all of these cases, you may be able to secure shuttle services from the hotel to FAU, but you will want to double-check this wherever you are staying. Of course, you are free to get away from campus altogether and book rooms in downtown Boca Raton or along the beach. Regardless, October is the start of tourist season here in South Florida, so please book your hotel rooms as soon as possible. It also may be possible for one of us on site to assist with transportation; please reach out to the Conference Executive Committee for more information.
If staying at a hotel isn’t your thing, there are plenty of Airbnb rooms and homes in and around campus. You’ll want to narrow your search to the following zipcodes: 33431, 33486, and 33432.
Weather
Boca Raton is a tropical, coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures in mid to late October average around 84 F during the day and 72 F in the evenings. As we’re a tropical location, humidity and thunderstorms are a daily part of our lives, so please consider packing an umbrella or rain gear.
Attire
Please dress as comfortably as you’d like. If you want to class it up, you’re more than welcome to do so. If this is your first time in the tropics, you may want to leave the wool and tweed at home. However, the same tropical weather outside often means that inside rooms are heavily air-conditioned. You may want to consider bringing a light sweater or hoodie just in case. For example, the women and men of the Conference Executive Committee generally dress in long pants, some sort of light button down top, and comfortable shoes. The only caveat for your attire is that if you are planning on doing a lot of walking, you will want to wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to members of the Conference Executive Committee should you have any questions about conference logistics.
