CALICO 2026 Social Events

Butler County America250 Time Travel Trail

Download a free mobile pass to your phone and journey through time, exploring historic sites and landmarks around Oxford and Butler County, Ohio. Check in at 10+ locations and earn an America250 Butler County plush eagle!

For attendees who would like to complete the Time Travel Trail between Tuesday and Friday afternoon, a representative from Travel Butler County will have a table at the Marcum Conference Center Lobby on Friday, July 10^th from 12:30pm to 4:30pm to check out and claim their American eagle! The representative will also be on hand to give out any advice for sightseeing and activities to do in Butler County.

For attendees who would like to complete the Time Travel Trail between Friday evening and Sunday morning, Travel Butler County has agreed to loan out extra eagles to be awarded. Please check in with your conference host, Daniel Meyers, or the registration desk to arrange for a pickup time for your reward upon completion of the game.

Ten of the eleven sites are all within a 2-mile radius of Marcum Conference Center:

• Black Covered Bridge (1.2km/0.8mi from Marcum using the Miami Trail System)
• DeWitt Log Homestead (1.8km/1.1mi from Marcum using the Miami Trail System)
• Freedom Summer Memorial
• Karl E. Limper Geology Museum
• Langstroth Cottage
• McGuffey House and Museum
• Robert A. Hefner Museum of Natural History
• Western College for Women Historic District
• Uptown Oxford Historic District
• University Historic District
• Hueston Woods State Park Pioneer Farm Museum (7.9km/4.9mi from Marcum — you’ll need a car for this one)

PRO TIP: Because the locations are geofenced, if you encounter an error where you cannot check in at a particular site, try turning off your phone’s WiFi connection and connect with cellular/mobile data instead. Your phone may be on the MiamiOH-Visitor network and thinking you are in a different place on campus than where you actually are.

CALICO 2026 Game: Is It AI?

This game presents 20 pairs of creative works: 5 poems, 5 motivational quotes, 5 images, and 5 jokes. In each pair, one was created by a human and the other by artificial intelligence. To create the AI versions, we asked ChatGPT to generate an original piece that closely matched human-created work.

Your challenge is to determine which item in each pair was generated by AI. Record your guess on a game card available at the registration desk. Posters of each set of challenges have been posted in the hallway of the Marcum Conference Center. When finished, turn your card in at the registration desk by the end of the day on Friday.

At the end of the activity, participants with the highest number of correct answers will be entered into a prize draw. Winners will be announced on Saturday morning.

Good luck—and trust your instincts!

myaamionki: The Place of the Miamis
with Andrew Sawyer

Andrew Sawyer, Education Outreach Specialist at the Myaamia Center at Miami University will present “myaamionki: The Place of the Miamis”. He will discuss the history of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, their relationship with Miami University, their historic homelands, and the sovereign Miami Tribe today.

Andrew works with faculty, departments, and offices across campus to promote and share the work being done at the Myaamia Center. Prior to this he served as the Site Manager / Anthropologist at SunWatch Indian Village / Archaeological Park in Dayton, Ohio and as an Adjunct Instructor in Anthropology at the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College.

This event is free to attend.

An Evening Wine Tasting Event
with Jack Keegan

Raise a glass with one of Miami University’s most beloved traditions! Join John “Jack” Keegan, HA ’06, legendary wine educator, for an evening of flavor, stories, and expert insight as we sip our way through a curated selection of wines. Jack will lead us through a guided tasting experience—sharing his deep knowledge of winemaking, vineyard tales, and stunning photos from around the world. You’ll enjoy multiple wines paired with light hors d’oeuvres designed to complement the tasting. Whether you’re a casual sipper or a seasoned connoisseur, this is the perfect way to reconnect with CALICO friends and celebrate in style.

Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at the conference registration page.