Reacting Summer Conference

Invigorate your classes. Activate your teaching. Engage your students.

The Reacting to the Past Conference, hosted by the University of Colorado’s Center for Teaching & Learning and the Arts & Sciences Support of Education Through Technology’s Innovation Incubator, will be held in person in Boulder from June 13-16, 2022, in the Center for Academic Success and Engagement building. Our goal is to provide a conference that will rejuvenate and encourage faculty in their pursuit of active learning through Reacting to the Past!

Register for this Event

 to save money on your registration! Individual memberships start at just $25. ASSETT’s Student Success Innovation Incubator team purchased a system-wide  membership! With this membership, ALL CU faculty and staff have full access to the Reacting Consortium Library. Sign for your free account (using your institutional email address) and save money on your registration! 

 

During March

During April

May and later

Grad Student/TA

$350

$375 

$400

Consortium Member

$400

$425

$450

Non-Member

$450

$475

$475

The 鶹Ƶ is committed to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities.  If you are planning to attend this event and require accommodations, please contact (your unit/contact here or adacoordinator@colorado.edu) no later than 7 days before the event.  We will make all reasonable efforts to fulfill requests submitted after the deadline.   

Conference Schedule

Sunday's Agenda

5:00-6:30 PM

Reception for New Comers at  

1235 Pennsylvania Ave

Boulder, CO 80302

Monday's Agenda

8:30-9:30 AM

Check-In, Breakfast

9:30-10:00 AM

Welcoming Remarks & Introduction to RTTP

10:00-11:30 AM

Game Session 1: Set-Up & Historical Context

11:30-12:00 PM

Faction Meetings

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00-2:30 PM

Game Session 2: Debate & Discussion

2:30 - 2:45 PM

Break 

2:45 - 3:45 PM

Game Session 3: Debate Continues

3:45 - 4:45 PM

Pedagogy Session(s)


Tuesday's Agenda

8:30-9:30 AM

Breakfast 

9:30-11:00 AM

Game Session 4: Debate Continues

11:00-12:30 PM

Game Session 5: Post Mortem

12:30-1:30 PM

Break & Grab & Go box Lunch 

1:30-3:00 PM 

Optional Game Play: Fall of Athens 

3:00-4:30 PM

Happy Hour

Wednesday's Agenda

8:30-9:30 AM

Breakfast

9:30-10:00 AM

 Faction Meetings

10:00-11:30 AM

Game Session 1: Set-Up & Historical Context

11:30-12:00 PM

Faction Meetings

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00-2:30 PM

Game Session 2: Debate & Discussion

2:30-2:45 PM

Break 

2:45-3:45 PM

Game Session 3: Debate Continues

3:45-4:45 PM

Pedagogy Session(s)

Thursday's Agenda

8:30-9:30 AM

Breakfast 

9:30-11:00 AM

Game Session 4: Debate Continues

11:00-12:30 PM

Game Session 5: Post Mortem

The Reacting pedagogy is best understood by experiencing as students do, albeit in abbreviated versions. This game workshop provides a condensed gameplay experience, broad context for the simulation and mechanics, and includes post-game guidance on how to use it in your own classroom.

Participants will be sent a gamebook outlining the topics and debates of a historical moment, as well as a detailed role sheet for a historical actor in those debates. Participants prepare and engage as that historical actor, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific Victory Objectives. You need not be a specialist to play--or to run--a Reacting game, but you should plan on doing some preparatory reading

During this four-day event, you have two options:

  • play two games in succession; one on Monday-Tuesday, the other on Wednesday-Thursday, OR
  • play one game on Monday-Tuesday, and partake in a hands-on workshop designed to prepare you more fully to teach with Reacting to the Past

Games offered on June 13-14 include:

  • Bacon's Rebellion. 1676-1677: Race, Class. and Frontier Conflict in Colonial Virginia 
  • The Trial of Galileo: Aristotelianism, the "New Cosmology," and the Catholic Church, 1616-1633
  • Rousseau, Burke, and Revolution in France, 1791
  •  Defining a Nation: India on the Eve of Independence, 1945

All of these games are appropriate for newcomers to Reacting, as well as non-specialists in these topics.

Games offered on June 15-16 include:

  • Rage Against the Machine: Technology, Rebellion, and the Industrial Revolution in England, 1817
  • Radical Reconstruction in New Orleans, 1868-76
  • Memory and Monument Building: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 1980-1982

In lieu of a second game, conferees can choose to participate in a series of structured workshops designed to walk you through the process of syllabus revision, assessment strategies, and curricular integration, so you'll be feel prepared and confident when implementing RTTP on your campus.

Panels:

In addition to the game sessions, participants will enjoy panels with both students who have played games and experienced faculty gamerunners. 

Travel

Boulder is served by the Denver International Airport (DEN), with daily flights to pretty much every major city in North America. The airport is about 45 minutes away by car.  

Bus Service

The RTD (Regional Transportation Denver) provides regular express bus service called SkyRide between Boulder and DIA hourly from the wee hours of the morning until just after midnight.  The route to Boulder is the AB/AB1, and takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to Boulder (). 

To take the bus to the Millennium Harvest House, you will need to take two buses, plus you will have an additional 5-10 minute walk to your hotel from the final bus stop.  Use the RTD trip planner () to find the best combination of buses, depending on your destination and departure time.  And be sure to ask your driver for a transfer ticket for your next bus.  (Total travel time will likely be between 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours).

To take the bus to the conference: take the AB/AB1 into Boulder to the stop at Broadway and Euclid. This lets you out right in front of the University Memorial Center (UMC). The Center for Academic Success and Engagement is a 10 minute walk from the UMC.

Bus fares to and from the airport are currently $10.30 one way.  There are a few ways to pay - purchase a ticket in advance online through RTD’s website. . If you arrive at DIA during normal business hours, you can purchase tickets at the DEN Transit Center. Or, if you carry cash, you can pay on the bus – but you will need to have exact fare.

Van Service

GreenRide Boulder provides service to Boulder hotels for $30 each way.  The shuttle picks up at DIA on the East Terminal, Level 5:  go out door 507, then walk to Island 5.See   Guests staying at the Millennium can save $3 each way by traveling to a nearby hub, and walking for 5-10 minutes to the hotel after dropoff. Total travel time = 1.5 hours.

SuperShuttle provides service to Boulder hotels for $27 to $33 each way, with the cost depending on location.  See .  Total travel time = 1.25-2 hours.

Taxis

Taxis are the most efficient – but also the most expensive – way to get to and from the airport.  Taxis currently charge a flat rate of $84.00 one way between Boulder and DIA, plus an additional $4.15 gate fee for trips originating at the airport.  Taxis pick-up and drop-off from DIA Main Terminal Level 5, Island 1, outside Doors 505, 507 and 511 (Terminal East), and Doors 506, 510 and 512 (Terminal West).  If you need to call a taxi, we recommend Boulder Yellow Cab:  .

Getting to the 鶹Ƶ

The Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) building is located at 1725 Euclid Avenue, Boulder CO 80309.  If you plan to drive to campus, use the underground garage in CASE as there is limited public parking on campus. Note that the conference will cover your parking fees for this event.

Lodging

A block of rooms has been reserved for June 12-15, 2022 at the  at a courtesy rate of $145/night (before taxes) for a Superior King suite. Note that when booking your room you should click on “Book Now” and not “Continue Booking”.

Other hotels around the area include: The Fairfield Inn & Suites Boulder, Boulder Twin Holiday Inn Express Boulder, or Homewood Suites by Hilton. Finally, if these options don’t fit into your budget, check out . 

Walking to the conference – For those staying at the Millennium, the conference is about a 20-25 minute walk away. It is uphill, so be prepared.

Walking around town – The conference hotel is within 1.25-1.5 miles of pretty much anywhere you would want to go downtown, and the walk is relatively flat because it is along a creek bed. If the weather cooperates, this is the best way to see Boulder!

Public transportation – Boulder is well served by a network of local and regional buses. Fares are $3.00 one-way for in-town travel.  Or you can purchase a Day Pass for $6.00 for unlimited rides. If you are buying your ticket on the bus, be sure to have exact change!

Buses with names (SKIP, HOP) are local Boulder buses; buses with numbers (209, 204) are regional RTD buses. You can look up the schedules for all buses on RTD’s website (rtd-denver.com). 

If you want to get to the conference from your hotel, the best bus to take is the HOP (a cute little shuttle bus painted with the word HOP on it). From the Millennium, you can catch the HOP at the southeast corner of Folsom & Arapahoe.  Ask the driver to let you out at Euclid and 17th on campus.

The that connects campus to the Hill, downtown Boulder, and various retail areas in central Boulder. HOPs run frequently in both directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise), every 12-20 minutes 7am-10pm.

Many other buses run later into the evening.  If you plan to get back to your hotel by bus, check out the routes online before you leave so you know what options you have.

Short-term Bicycle Rentals – If you are going for a short trip (30 minutes or less), and between locations that have BCycle bike rental stations, this is a great option to get around cheaply and quickly.  (boulder.bcycle.com) charges $15.00 a day for unlimited numbers of rentals (or $5.00/30 minutes) – so long as you get your bike to one of their rental stations within 30 minutes. You can purchase your day pass online or at any of their bike stations.

At the Millennium, you will want to take a short walk to 2789 Taft Drive.  Both locations are a short walk from the hotels. From there, you can ride to the conference (there is a BStation at 18th & Euclid, just across the street from CASE, where the conference takes place). Or you can explore downtown and beyond!

Taxis/etc. – Do not expect to be able to hail a taxi on the street in Boulder! is a local cab company that offers online pre-booking of taxis, which is recommended especially if you are going outside of the downtown area.  They can be reached at 303-699-8747. You can also take your chances and wait for a cab at the cab stand at 11th and Pearl downtown. And of course Über and Lyft also operate in the area.

Boulder is known for its amazing views of the Flatirons and outdoor activities. While there’s a lot to do and see, here are just a few noteworthy ideas if you want to venture out and explore the city! Note: If you plan to drive around the City of Boulder, there is street and garage parking available. You can also use the to find and pay for parking.

This is the undergrad student neighborhood just to the west of campus across Broadway.  The place to go if you want some cheap food, college bars, a tattoo and more.  Most of the shops and restaurants are clustered in just a few blocks.  They are building some conference centers on the north end, so beware of construction.

Boulder’s downtown more or less runs parallel to Boulder Creek, just to its north.  The center of the action is Pearl Street, which is a pedestrian mall for four blocks stretching from 11th through 15th Streets.  The area west of 11th street is also referred to as “West Pearl”, and the area east of 15th street is called “East Pearl”.

Downtown Boulder showcases smaller and locally owned retail, but you will still find some name brand chains mixed in with the rest. 

A sprawling open air shopping center with lots of chain restaurants and name brands and a movie theater. If you’re hoping for more familiar names in the Boulder area, you’ll probably find them here.

Boulder is known for its farm-to-table food, and the Boulder County Farmer’s Market is one of the best ways to check out the local goods. The main market is on Saturdays from 8am-2pm and has plenty of lunch options, but there is a smaller market on Wednesdays from 4pm-8pm as well. Right next to the must-see Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and an easy walk to Pearl Street.

A professional theatre company associated with the university. One of the oldest Shakespeare festivals in the United States brings professional talent from all over the Denver area and the country together to produce shows in the outdoor Mary Rippon Theatre (backdropped by a stunning view of the sun setting behind the Flatirons) and the indoor University Theatre from June to August.

A park that holds one of the most common photo-ops in Boulder and access to the most popular trailheads into the Flatirons. If you like to hike, you can park inside the park or the surrounding neighborhoods and make your way up to the top. If hikes aren’t your thing but the views are, you can take a car up to Flagstaff and walk around the accessible and beginner-friendly trails.

We will be offering coffee and tea throughout the conference.  But if you want to get something special, or to get away from the conference to caffeinate, here’s how to do it like a local!

Caffeine

On campus:

Starbucks, first floor of the UMC.  Full service Starbucks. Serves hot/iced beverages, coffees, pastries, snacks, and whole beans.

, first floor of ATLAS building.  Serves a variety of loose-leaf teas and coffee/espresso drinks.  A local Boulder tea and coffee chain.

Gravity Cafe, three locations: 1st floor of the Engineering Center (one near the main lobby, one near ECCS). 2nd floor of the Koelbel building (near the Rustandy connection to the Engineering Center).  Offers everything from coffee and espresso to smoothies and sandwiches!

, Norlin library. This location is a more barebones version of the local chain described below.

The Hill:

, 1101 13th St.  Another independent coffee shop trying to do nicer things with tea and coffee, like a cold nitro brew.

, 1142 13th Street.  If what you crave is bubble tea/boba, this is THE place to go.  Too bad they aren’t open until later in the day.

Downtown:

, 1825B Pearl Street (East Pearl)This is THE coffee shop to go to if you want the premier espresso drink experience in Boulder.  Renowned nationally among espresso aficionados for their use of vintage equipment and techniques.

, 1015 Pearl Street (West or East Pearl).  High end baristas with attitude, hipster clientele, pour overs, excellent espresso drinks, okay tea, and tons of latte options.  Local Boulder chain.

, three locations: 1709 Pearl Street (Downtown), Campus (Norlin Library), 2907 55th Street (East Pearl).  One of the most popular cafes in all of Boulder, world-class espresso locally roasted and beautifully crafted. Along with coffee, they serve wine and beer in the evenings to go with their nightly festivities, including live music.

, 1770 13th St (south of Pearl Street). A truly unique Boulder landmark shipped piece by piece from Tajikistan. Described in more depth below.

Beer

Boulder County is home to over 40 craft breweries, with over 20 located within the city of Boulder.  While some of the area’s brews may be available on tap or in bottles or cans back home, many more are not. Nowhere is the state’s recent beer renaissance more evident than around Boulder, with its range of breweries from the quite large (e.g. Avery, Boulder Brewing) to very small (e.g. J. Wells) capacity.

Check their websites to see if there will be food available, as that’s not a given at many craft breweries.  If they don’t, they are often just fine with you ordering in something to eat.

, 1535 Pearl (East Pearl).  A popular and often-crowded spot, with a vegetarian-friendly pub menu and about a dozen in-house brews along with a few guest taps.

2209 Central Ave (North Boulder, near Valmont) Speciality is sours and lagers, developed by the same team as 4 Noses.

, 3201 Walnut St (near Hyatt Place).  One of Boulder’s older brewpubs, with about ten taps, outdoor and spacious indoor seating, and a simple pub menu.

, 3550 Frontier Place (near Hyatt Place).  A relatively high capacity brewery in an industrial park off of east Pearl.  McDevitt Taco Supply is a semi-permanent taco truck “attached” to the brewery, so you can count on being able to get food.

Other Alcohol

, 835 Walnut St (West Pearl) A relaxed hipster cocktail bar with unique concoctions, small bites, and a daily happy hour.

, 1109 Walnut Street (west side of Pearl Street) A conglomeration of different local and international cuisine, with eats ranging from Trinidadian to patisserie. Occasional live music, dancing after 10PM Th/F/S. 

, 1401 Pearl Street (east side of Pearl Street). Eclectic food and occasional live music. Known for its cocktails and lively atmosphere. If it’s nice outside, you’ll definitely want to check out the rooftop deck.

A note about Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free dining: This is Boulder. You can find options catering to your dietary preferences almost anywhere you go. 

$ - Cheap Eats → $$$$ - Luxury Dining Experience

** - Staff favorites  

The Hill:

$ - , (Pizza, Burgers). 1165 13th Street.  A world renowned landmark college bar/restaurant with character and a long history painted on its walls and ceilings. Known for having the “best burger in Boulder,” this restaurant has been around since 1923 and is a must-see. 

$ - , (Salads, Rice Bowls, Sandwiches, Soup). 1100 13th Street.  Healthy food, order-at-the-counter style.

$ - , (Sandwiches). 1215 13th Street. Half Fast Subs has about every type of sub sandwich you can think of, boasting the largest sandwich selection in America.

** $$ - (Spanish & Moroccan inspired restaurant) 1235 Pennsylvania Ave. This local favorite serves traditional dishes from Spain and Morocco. You won't be disappointed as there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Downtown:

** $$ - , (Eclectic eats/Afternoon Tea). 1770 13th Street.  International.  Don’t be fooled by the name, the Teahouse (exquisitely handcrafted by artisans in Dushanbe, Boulder’s sister city) serves a full menu of ethnic dishes from around the world.  This is an extraordinary and unique setting, and not to be missed!

$$$$ - , (New American/Farm to Table). 1964 13th Street.  Farm to Table.  Literally.  The restaurant owners own the farm, and raise everything from the vegetables and herbs to the cows and the pigs.  They try to use every part of the animals they raise, which means that you may find some delicious organ meat dishes on the menu of their sister restaurant, Bramble & Hare.  Intimate, multi-course dining.  

$$$ - , (New American/Farm to Table). 1047 Pearl Street. Farm to Table.  They specialize in Colorado native produce, meats, drinks, and cheeses.  Try not to get seated in the basement.  Nice outdoor seating for people-watching - if you can get it.

$$ - , (Japanese Sushi / Sashimi).  1136 Pearl Street. A modern atmosphere restaurant that features a range of Japanese cuisine, known for their sushi and sashimi. 

$$ - , (Sushi / Hawaiian). 1117 Pearl Street. A modern sushi bar with a very lively atmosphere, Hapa serves a fusion between sushi and hawaiian-influenced eats.

$$ - , (Burgers, BBQ). 926 Pearl Street.  A popular gastropub with a solid tap list of about 15 rotating brews, often featuring Colorado as well as west coast beers. Features great barbecue food as well.  Look for patio seating on the roof with Flatiron views.

$$ - , (Latin / Mexican). 1101 Walnut Street. The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, nicknamed “The Rio”, is a Boulder institution that has been around for quite some time now. Standard Tex/Mex fare, but they also boast the strongest margaritas in town and have a rooftop patio with a view of the foothills.

$$ - , (Italian). 1001 Pearl Street.  A popular Italian Restaurant that has been around since the late 1980s. This restaurant features great home-style Italian cuisine, including pizza and a wide variety of pasta dishes.

** $$ - , (Street Tacos / Bowls). 1048 Pearl Street. Known for its upscale feel, bartaco serves a variety of street cuisine and cocktails. You can’t go wrong with the glazed pork belly here. 

$$ - , (Indian). 1214 Walnut Street. Serves traditional Indian dishes in an upscale atmosphere.  

Other options around Boulder:

$$$$ - , (Steakhouse). 1138 Flagstaff Road. If you’re looking for something a little more formal and fancy, Flagstaff house is a great option. This restaurant is known for its world-renowned views and cuisine as it sits atop Flagstaff mountain in boulder.

$ - , (Empanadas / Argentinian). 2525 Arapahoe Avenue. Serves traditional Empanadas and Argentinean cuisine. The restaurant features a bright, colorful, and truly unique atmosphere. 

** $$ - , (Breakfast / Brunch). 2600 Canyon Blvd. If you are around for breakfast or brunch, you can’t go wrong with The Buff. This restaurant features incredible coffee and a range of breakfast options, from Eggs Benedict to French Toast. They have an incredibly quick turn around time as well and great service. 

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