Spring is here, the blossoms are blooming, and so is your brain! This month you will learn everything you never knew you wanted to know about male mice. Plus badass Black librarians who fought censorship and improved libraries forever, and what actually happens in your brain when you read. And Von will explain that “Allamaraine!” thing everyone is always yelling.
April 10th, 2025 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
Pre-sale tickets $10, door $15 (cash preferred, Venmo etc. available). Get your pre-sale tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-nite-asheville-april-2025
This month’s lineup:
Jeremy Morris
The Challenging Life of a Male Mouse
Male mice have a tough life. They have to travel extensively to find food, patrol their territory, find mates, and avoid predators. In addition, they have to fight other males to control territories and gain opportunities to reproduce. However, many of the anatomical traits that make a mouse good at running or fighting directly conflict with each other, leading to trade-offs between these important behaviors. In this talk, you’ll learn about these trade-offs and how they interact with ever-changing environmental factors, leading to an evolutionary scenario for which there is no ideal solution.
Dr. Jeremy Morris is an evolutionary biologist and professor at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. His research focuses on anatomy and physiology related to animal performance. Dr. Morris is also very interested in public engagement in science and has brought science and conservation projects to public audiences in prisons, museums, and other venues. Dr. Morris is an avid traveler and has spent several years traveling abroad and spends much of his free time trail running, rock climbing, skiing, and pursuing other adventures.
Zoe Bergmire-Sweat
How Black Librarians Fought Censorship (and Improved Your Life)
Librarians have been subverting censorship efforts for centuries! And yet, over the span of 50 years, librarians’ efforts and the effects of their work rippled beyond library walls into American society. Their names and identities did not. 5 female black librarians of the 20th century decolonized library shelves, preserved black history, spoke truth to power, set the standards for library collections, and created a brand new library service. How they managed to do all of that is instrumental in standing up to censorship efforts today!
Zoe is a current Youth Services librarian at Buncombe County Public Libraries. She has been paid for working in libraries for 8 years, but she has been in libraries for over two decades! She has a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies, and an undergraduate in creative writing. When she’s not surrounded by literature, or attending Nerd Nites she can be found with a crafting group which meets at Purl’s Yarn Emporium to work on their creations while watching nerdy shows. IG: @pistachio_poet BlueSky: @zoeelizab-s.bsky.social
Jess McLean
Reading and the Brain
Ever wonder what your brain actually does when you read? This talk will break down the science of reading, revealing how four brain processors work together to turn squiggles on a page into meaning. We’ll explore why learning letter sounds (phonics!) is essential for cracking the alphabetic code—and why the literacy crisis in the U.S. is a problem we can’t afford to ignore.
Jess is an Asheville native and Nerd Nite superfan. As Co-Executive Director of Read 2 Succeed Asheville/Buncombe (R2S), Jess has spent years studying the science of reading and applying that knowledge as a reading instructor and education advocate. When not at the office, you can probably find Jess watching Star Trek with her husband, gardening, cooking a delicious vegetarian meal, or texting everyone she knows about getting tickets for the next Nerd Nite! https://www.r2sasheville.org/
With your host, Von
This month’s Star Trek mini-feature: Allamaraine!?
You’ve heard it at every show. You’ve maybe even yelled it yourself. Now you will get to see the origin… the legend… the iconic episode of Deep Space Nine that gave us our rallying cry, Move Along Home. An episode so infamous that it has Star Trek fans debating whether it is one of the best or worst episodes of all time. (Spoiler: it’s both.) Allamaraine!
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.
Von claims this show for the Romulan Empire. (IG: @nerdniteAVL)