Saturday, June 22nd, Nerd Nite Asheville presents: Nerd Day!
Nerd Day is a family-friendly version of Nerd Nite. The presentations are curated to be suitable for kids of all ages, but interesting to everyone!
FREE ADMISSION! Reserve your free tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-day-asheville-june
This is likely to be our only free show, so don’t miss out!
Meet your presenters for Nerd Day June:
Jared Rennie
Watching Weather 22,000 Miles Away
Weather can be beautiful and destructive at the same time. WIth advances in technology, we are now able to see different types of weather all around the world, in real time, FROM SPACE! Cameras onboard these satellites 22,000 miles away are able to see many types of phenomena, including hurricanes, wildfies, and flooding. Come learn how we visualize these events, and see incredible orbital satellite images of our planet.
Jared Rennie (he/him) is a research meteorologist for NOAA who sits on a treasure trove of data. Originally from Boston, he moved to Asheville in 2010 to perform climate research, primarily focusing on heat waves. Recently, he has shifted efforts towards science communication, bridging the gap between climate extremes and vulnerable communities.
Sara Rivera
The Fabulous World of Fireflies!
Have you ever seen fireflies at night? Their magical summertime glows light up our world and make it magical! But how many kinds of fireflies are there? What do fireflies eat? How do they glow? And how do their flashing butts help us make new medicine?? Learn from our own Firefly Expert about the lives of our fabulous flashing friends and how we can help protect them!
Sara Rivera (she/they) is finishing her Master’s degree at Western Carolina University studying fireflies. They are also the founder of the science communication effort THEM in STEM (theminstem.com, Instagram @them.instem), which focuses on making science accessible through local Firefly Walks, Science Storytimes, and endlessly entertaining public talks! In July, she will start as an Insect Curator for the Great Smoky Mountains, where she will be able to keep studying and protecting all our amazing local insects!
Tavi
Why Disney’s Moana is Culturally Amazing
Moana is one of Disney’s most treasured animated films, in no small part because of the care taken to accurately and beautifully represent Polynesian culture. Tavi will explain the culture represented in the film, along with live demonstrations of Polynesian dance, music and costumes! What culture does Moana’s costume come from? What dances are they performing in their village? What are all the legends that Maui refers to during his song? All these questions and more will be answered at: Why Disney’s Moana is Culturally Amazing!
Raised in Western North Carolina, Tavi didn’t learn of his Māori Heritage until he was 17, this led him to the decision to move to Hawaii to go to school as well learn of his culture. In 2015, Tavi started training, dancing and performing at the Polynesian Cultural Center. His extensive training included multiple Pacific Cultures such as Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand, the home of the Māori) and the Siva Afi (Samoan Fire Dance.) While performing at the PCC at night, Tavi attended Brigham Young University – Hawaii where he received a Degree in Mathematics and a minor in Pacific Island Studies. He now lives in Asheville, NC and continues to perform and train all over the South including; North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia under the name ‘NCFireknife’. He alsp volunteers his time during Asian American Pacific Island Heritage Month to present at various Public Schools and teach Students about Pacific Culture. Tavi will be performing the Siva Afi after the show at Nerd Nite!
With your host, Von
Von is thrilled to finally launch Nerd Nite Asheville’s first family friendly event!
Von (they/them) is a local performer known for their radioactive style, political commentary, and inability to shut up about Star Trek. A lifelong nerd of both science and theater, they were an avid lover of Nerd Nite in Los Angeles before moving to Asheville and starting the local Nerd Nite Chapter.
As a kid, Von had a pass to the Museum of Science in Boston, and would hang out among the exhibits for hours every week. Von hopes to help the next generation of kids fall in love with learning.