Welcome back! We’re kicking off the Fall Nerd Nite lineup with talks about sex-linked inheritance, photography, and Robert’s Rules.
When: Thursday September 28th, 2023, at 7:30 pm
(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm with drinks and snacks available all night!)
Where: The Lobby at Fringe Theatre Adventures
Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton
How much: $25
Adrien Veczan: Visual Arts: Painting & Photography
Adrien will explore how the invention of photography disrupted the art world; how photography tried but failed to render painting obsolete, and what each medium can learn from the other.
Adrien Veczan is a photographer best known for his large-scale productions and expert use of complex lighting.
His career started with an internship at the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia, after which he joined the Toronto Star and later the Canadian Press. Adrien has worked for Reuters, the Globe and Mail, USA Today. His photos have been published in the Guardian, the Washington Post and the New York Times. His job has given him access to countless icons including Robert De Niro, LeBron James and Queen Elizabeth II.
Adrien’s elegant, thoughtful advertising photography has reached millions of eyes on billboards and magazines ranging from Wired to Playboy and from People to The Economist. Advertising agencies turn to Adrien knowing even their most challenging projects will be executed smoothly.
Between campaigns, Adrien enjoys working on fine art projects that allow him to experiment and develop new techniques. His series Telephone took him to four continents and revealed the evolution of the device in a groundbreaking way. In 2017, his first solo exhibition in Alberta, Whyte Avenue, showcased the historic and eclectic Edmonton neighbourhood. In 2021 Intermission, an exhibition based on Edward Hopper composition, premiered at the Saddlery Gallery.
www.veczan.com – Web
@veczan – Instagram
Amanda Henry: Better Meetings: Or I How Learned How to Stop Worrying about Robert’s Rules of Order
We spend a lot of time in meetings, and almost as much time grumbling about what a painful experience it is. You’ve probably been in a meeting that used Robert’s Rules of Order, but…it probably wasn’t being used correctly. We’ll explore what Robert’s Rules of Order are, how to use them better, and an argument in favour of a better way to run modern meetings.
Amanda is a versatile strategic planner, researcher, writer, and facilitator, though she has a tough time in rooms that don’t get Star Trek references. She has facilitated dozens of workshops and meetings around Edmonton on topics in governance, strategic planning, and other tools and tactics that help non-profit boards get where they want to go. She was a governance nerd before it was cool.
@amjhenry – Instagram
@amjhenry – Threads
Dr. Kate St. Onge: Sex-Linked Inheritance
Dr. Kate St.Onge is currently a lecturer in the department of biology sciences at the University of Alberta. She teaches in the areas of genetics, evolution and botany. She completed her PhD at Uppsala University in Sweden but Edmonton is her home town. Outside of work, she is a big fan of true crime podcasts!
Do you like or dislike the outdoors? Nerd Nite #73 is for you. Do you vote or not vote (holy crap please go vote)? Nerd Nite #73 is for you!
When: Wednesday May 24th, 2023, at 7:30 pm (not Thursday!)
(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm and the Fringe Grounds Cafe is open until 8:00!)
Where: Studio Theatre at Fringe Theatre Adventures
Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton
How much: $25
Featuring
Our DJ for NN#73 is Kena Léon, co-founder of Sapphic Speakeasy, which promotes safe dance spaces for female-identifying people on the spectrum.
Trent Wilkie: The Wilderness Lie
To some, the outdoors is a challenge; something to be conquered. The writing trope of ‘man vs. nature’ comes to mind. It is inherently a toxic relationship. The reality though is that any personification of outdoor pursuits can be dangerous. To paraphrase Madmen’s Don Draper, “The natural world is indifferent”.
Trent Wilkie is a writer/performer in Edmonton. Trent has written for CBC Radio, Fangoria Magazine, Exclaim Magazine, his blog/podcast The UnDad, and was the editor of several publications that are now defunct (a coincidence, he thinks). As well, he has written close to 100 sketches for collectives such as Mostly Water Theatre and The Regretzky Entertainment Group. Trent has also been a professional canoe guide for over 15 years and has paddled all over Canada.
@thetrentwilkie – Bird App
@thetrentwilkie – Instagram
Michael Ross: Whose Vote is it Anyway? Where the election system’s made up and your votes may not matter
Voting is fun and (usually) safe. But the way ballots are analyzed can directly change the results, allow for dishonest strategic voting, or even punish you for voting honestly in the first place. For one night and one night only, let’s take a deep dive into ways to vote, ways to count votes, and discover the single best voting system ever developed.
Michael Ross is allegedly a professional engineer, gets too excited by overanalyzing things with excel, and likes board games more than most people.
@mikerobe007 – Bird App
@mikerobe007 – Instagram
Scott Hebert: How Video Games Will Save Education
What is gamification? Why will it save education? How is life an RPG? All of these questions, and more, will be answered in this talk!
Scott Hebert is an educator of 12 years who has made it his goal to eliminate the stereotype that school is boring. In an effort to do this he has been recognized both provincially (Alberta Excellent in Teaching Award in 2013) and Internationally (Best Gamification in Education Project Globally in 2015 and Global Teacher Prize Top 50 Teachers in the World 2020) for his efforts towards promoting Gamification in the classroom. He lives by the message, “Would you want to be in your classroom?” and strives to achieve this goal daily. He is a single dad to two kids, lives in Fort Saskatchewan and teaches in Sherwood Park out of Elk Island Catholic School.
@MrHebertPE – Instagram
… and so do we! We promise. Well, at least once a month. And it’s on the day of Nerd Nite. Speaking of Nerd Nite, this month’s show is, as always, on the last Thursday of the month.
When: April 27, 2023, at 7:30 pm
(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm and the Fringe Grounds Cafe is open until 8:00!)
Where: Studio Theatre at Fringe Theatre Adventures
Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton
How much: $25
Featuring
Our DJ for NN#72 is Kelly Spriggs, aka. Triggs. He co-founded Umbral Sound System and is big in Edmonton’s Bass community.
Eliza Odyjewski: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Superstitions on Steroids Alongside a Faulty Alarm System
Eliza’s talk will address common misconceptions as portrayed in mainstream media about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). As someone with OCD, she will use analogies, visual aids such as comics, and humour, to re-educate the audience about OCD, and in doing so, she hopes to remove some of the stigma toward OCD and other mental health disorders. She will also provide a list of resources at the end of her talk.
Eliza is a Jane of all trades in the realm of creativity. She is a visual artist, designer, photographer, interior decorator, amateur comedian, aspiring musician, and professional nap-taker. The topic of mental health is important to her because she feels that mental health knowledge and treatment should be accessible to everyone, and no one should have to struggle alone.
Stephen Raitz: Why walking and rolling matters in an auto-centric city
Sometimes it feels futile to advocate for better active transportation infrastructure in Edmonton when our transportation system is so focused on moving by automobile. But, every journey in Edmonton includes a walk and roll includes at some point. It’s the most fun, active, and sustainable part of our commute. Making it the safest and best option available has major positive repercussions for our communities.
Stephen Raitz is a Registered Professional Planner and is currently a Law Student at the U of A. He has been a part of the Paths For People Board since 2018, always equipped with a lot of enthusiasm for ensuring that everyone can walk, roll, or cycle around our city safely. Stephen is also an improviser with Rapid Fire Theatre.
@pathsforppl, @stephenraitz – Bird App
@pathsforpeople, @raitz.runs – Instagram
Rebecca Calder: From The Arena to Tanagra: The Feminisation of Starfleet
Okay so in 2267, Captain Kirk is marooned on a planet where he has to fight a giant lizard man. In 2368, Captain Picard is marooned on a planet where he has to team up with a lizard man. In 2014, I used this as an excuse to write an academic paper on how Star Fleet as an organization moved from relatively less feminist to relatively more feminist organizational structures (I got an A, obviously). In 2023, I’m going to be shoving this down your throat.
Rebecca Calder is a currently unemployed raging feminist who thinks she is extremely funny and that you should be grateful for the opportunity to hear her speak. The provided photo is one of her hosting Nerd Nite 69 (Nice) with two other Nerd Bosses cropped out. You’re welcome.
@beccstrats on Instagram and, Riker help us, TikTok.
