(This month's Student Column was written by a guest author: Riva Tukachinsky, U of Arizona, a member of the ICA Student Affairs Committee.)

This year's ICA conference, held in Phoenix, presents graduate students with a wonderful opportunity to meet peers and first-class world scholars, as well as to explore the American Southwest and bring home authentic American Indian craft souvenirs.

Located at the heart of the state of Arizona, Phoenix is a vast metropolis - the sixth most populated city in the U.S. It therefore offers all the cultural attractions of a major city: a vibrant artistic and musical scene, top notch museums, and dinning places to suit every taste. But for those willing to step outside the convenience of the downtown, Phoenix is the perfect starting point for exploring the fascinating history of America - from Native American reservations to the Grand Canyon.

Below are brief descriptions of just a few suggestions for graduate students conferencing in Phoenix.

First Friday: A free art studio tour on the first Friday of every month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This is a great opportunity for art lovers to familiarize themselves with the rich art world of Phoenix. Maps of First Friday's routes are available at Phoenix Art Museum and a free shuttle eases the commute between shops.

Live music:  A large number of bars and nightclubs feature live music, everything from jazz to hip-hop every night of the week. "The Last Leaf," "Rythroom," "Char's Has The Blues" to name just a few.

FilmBar: A place to have a glass of wine or a beer and to enjoy a variety of entertainment arts: independent, foreign, and cult films, as well as standup comedy shows and live bands performances. Some of the movies are free!

Museums:  For museum lovers Phoenix offers a wealth of attractions: exhibits on the Native Americans history and culture at The Heard Museum; a showcase of the desert flora at the Desert Botanic Gardens; one of the richest collections of art in the Southwest in the Phoenix Art Museum, minerals and mining museum, musical instruments museum and more.

Hiking: Phoenix was recognized by National Geographic as one of the best hiking cities in the U.S.. Enjoy the gorgeous desert scenery, wildlife and remains of ancient civilizations (you can even join an ICA organized hike).

Used books: Looking for rare books or a cheap bestseller for the flight home? Try Phoenix used bookstores. Some specialize in out-of-print books, whereas "Bookman's" buys, sells, and exchanges popular books, records, CDs, DVDs, music scores, games, and unexpected random objects (toys, antiques, musical instruments, and more).

Salt River: A popular recreational attraction is tubing down the cool mountain stream of Salt River, just a short driving distance from Phoenix.

American Indian culture: Those interested in learning more about the Native American history and culture will appreciate the Hoo-hoogam Ki Museum located in the Salt River Indian Reservation, and will enjoy the Pueblo Grande - the 1000-year-old remains of a Native American village.

The Grand Canyon: This awesome geological landscape was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site for its natural beauty and rich history. Consider taking advantage of the ICA organized trip (that includes transportation, entrance fees and food).

For those attending the Political Communication preconference in Tucson, Arizona, 4th Avenue in Tucson has a downtown spirit with many small shops that are fun to explore. From there, a short walk following the rout of a historic trolley (which, unfortunately is currently closed for renovation) leads to University Avenue, loaded with bars and restaurants ending at the University of Arizona main gate. For traveling outside the city, I would recommend visiting Biosphare2. An enormous greenhouse that imitates five different ecosystems, it is used for conducting various experiments about sustainability and climate change. Two groups of scientists spent several years in isolation from the rest of the world in Biosphare2, attempting to create and maintain a self-sustaining environment. Today, although the facility is still used for research, it is open for the public.