Calling all ghouls, ghosts, and geeky creatures of the night! Join us at DC9 on Saturday, October 19th for the Halloween edition of Nerd Nite! Prepare for a night of frightful fun as we delve into spine-chilling topics that will tickle your brain and raise your spirits!
Discover why Dewey Decimal might just give you chills! Set sail with us to discover how very queer the ocean is! And dive deep into the mysteries of menstrual magic—because periods can be a scream!
“Library Call Numbers : What Do They Mean and Why Do They Have So Many Problems?” Andrea Schuba
“LGBTs of the seas” Jai Tiarks
“Balancing Horror-mones: A stumbling guide to understanding periods and using them to take back power” Amanda Matheis and Tiffany Atkinson
Date: Saturday, September 21st Time: Doors at 6, show at 6:30 Where: DC9 Nightclub
“What’s the Worst that Can Happen in 38 Minutes: The Anglo-Zanzibar War” by Andy Weld Description: The Anglo-Zanzibar War was the shortest war in history! Why did it happen? How did happen? What did it mean for England, Zanzibar and Colonial Africa more broadly? Let’s find out! Bio: Andy Weld is a writer, actor, director and occasional PR professional with a passion for, and undergraduate degree in, African History. Andy has performed sketch comedy all over the US and Canada with DC sketch group Bad Medicine and, in 2022, wrote and directed his first play, Stranded.
“But Daddy! I love him!: Exploring the Manifestation of Trauma in The Little Mermaid”by Saundra Bishop Description: Trauma is a topic all of us are aware of but let’s explore different definitions of trauma, how it manifests through behavior, and possible ways to address it: through case studies of characters in our childhood cartoon The Little Mermaid. Let’s dig deep into why King Triton lashes out, why Ariel falls in love so easily, and why Prince Eric is so clueless! After this, you’ll see this classic movie in a whole new way. Bio: Saundra Bishop is the founder, CEO, and Clinical Director of Beyond the BASICS and the author of The Trauma Informed Behavior Management Handbook. She was also a foster parent for 7 years and adopted 3 of her 4 kids from foster care. She was asked to write a 10 word bio once and came up with “I’m basically an octopus: smart, fierce, and live like I have 8 arms” and it pretty much sums her up‐ including her penchant for using extra words for pizzaz. The History Of Dungeons & Dragons”by Trevor Valle Description: D&D has become, once again, a household name. When did it all start, and why is it different (and WAY BETTER) today? Bio: Trevor Valle is a professional DM, and has been playing D&D and other role-playing games for over 4 decades. He also likes dead stuff, accelerating stuff, and flying stuff, but those are different talks.
Date: Saturday, August 17th Time: Doors at 6, show at 6:30 Where: DC9 Nightclub
“Sharks, lies, and videotape: dispatches from shark week’s biggest critic”by David Shiffman Talk Description: Nerd Nite veteran and shark conservation scientist Dr. David Shiffman breaks down why the Discovery Channel’s long-running documentary series Shark Week is a dumpster fire. Bio: Dr. David Shiffman is a marine conservation biologist who studies sharks and how to protect them. His writings have appeared in National Geographic, the Washington post, scientific American, and a monthly column with scuba diving magazine, and he is the author of “why sharks matter.” He’s given invited professional lectures on all seven continents, and invites you to follow him on social media @ whysharksmatter where he’s always happy to answer any questions anyone has about sharks.
“Let’s Make a Game! or Why Some Games Suck”by Sarah Clancy Talk Description: We all know what it’s like to be let down by an anticipated piece of media. Follow Sarah as she guides the audience down the winding path of why some video games fall short of expectations. Bio: Based out of Milwaukee, Sarah Clancy is a comedian, reader, and ne’er-do-well who is frequently held hostage by cats.
“That Time We Discovered The Proof for a Major Open Question in Mathematics in a 4chan Post About Anime from 2011”by Quill Nebeker Talk Description: What do three Computer Scientists with a combined 13,901 citations, two Von Neumann Prizes, and a literal asteroid named for one of them all have in common? None of them found the proof for a math problem they wrote 40 years ago. That was 4chan. Bio: Quill Nebeker used to produce theatricals in DC with The Arcanists like The Tarot Reading, The Internet: LIVE!! (with Rae Pendergrass) and SHRINES. Now, she’s at NC State studying mathematics. She just concluded a research program with Dr. Fulton Gonzalez at Tufts, studying waves on discrete graph structures. (They actually got something! Ask her about it if you’re into mathematical physics!) Otherwise can still see her whenever she gets roped into just one last job again, either by these nerds or by the classically-minded reprobates at Shakespeare in the Pub.
