Happy New Year, my nerds! It’s been a long, chilly break, but at long last we are ready to kick off the new year at our NEW VENUE!! While we will always be thankful to the Gastropub for their years of support, the time has come to level up our game with our new hosts at the Cellar at Front Street Taproom!
The vibes in this place are amazing. The Cellar is located below Front Street Taproom, at 614 Front Street on Main Avenue in Fargo, just south of Downtown.
We’ve been hard at work figuring out tech/ lights/ sound, as well as rounding up some choice speakers + topics to kick off our 2024 season! Details:
When the Past is Present: Wet Plate Collodion Photography
Learn about the amazing Victorian wet plate collodion process invented in 1851, what a tintype and ambrotype is, the basic steps of creating an image, and how Kary will be using this amazing form of image making to bring the past into the present at historical sites across the Dakotas in 2024.
Kary Janousek: After modeling for a series of ambrotypes photographs in Bismarck, I fell in love with this beautiful technique. I studied the wet plate collodion process and took my first image in the Autumn of 2019. I live in Fargo North Dakota where I operate my natural light Victorian studio part-time and sell vintage and antique hats. I have had eight solo art exhibitions in the last four years of practice.
Fin-de-siècle Cabaret Culture in Paris: The Highs and the Lows
This talk addresses the transformation of Paris in the late 19th century. From a medieval city with cramped streets lacking basic infrastructure such as modern plumbing, Paris became a modernized cosmopolitan spectacle, a city that offered pleasure and entertainment. We’ll examine some contemporary artworks depicting popular establishments that featured drink, music, dance as well as risqué encounters for well-heeled locals and international (male) tourists. Central to understanding these establishments are the people who worked there- from servers to performers—whose own lives were often fraught with economic and social challenges.
Anna Sigrídur Arnar received her PhD with Honors in Art History from the University of Chicago. Her research has been supported by awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Robert Motherwell Book Award from the Dedalus Foundation in New York, among others. She has taught History of Art at MSUM for over twenty years. Later this summer, she will serve as Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks.
I’m Fuzzy, Round, and Cool
(This is the first time someone has sent a picture as their teaser. I like how succinct it is LOL.)
Daryl Ritchison is the Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN). He spends his time on research, public outreach, development, and enhancement of tools for NDAWN, a network of 193 weather stations in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. He is a well-known public speaker on various topics including short and long term weather forecasts, NDAWN usage, weather risk management, and climate.
In addition to our new venue, we’re also undergoing a slight schedule shift- Nerd Nites will now be on the third Thursday of each month (excepting this month bc there was a conflict) at 7PM, which is great for me because a Friday hangover is easier than a Thursday one. 🙂
SO see your beautiful faces on Thursday, January 25th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at our fabulous new venue for some drinks, some laughs, and some learning. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same price either way- we eat the fees because we love you. And because we’re hungry).
Woooowwwww thank you SO MUCH to our fantastic speakers Gina, Becky, and Kevin, + the Fargo Theatre and Holiday Inn catering for helping us send off Season 8 of FNN with a bang. Unfortunately for y’all nerds jonesing for more nerdery, we are done for the year (our normal operating schedule takes us too close to Xmas). BUT don’t you worry- to paraphrase the Terminator, we’ll be back NEXT YEAR, January 25th with your next dose of shenanigans, obscure facts, and curiosities. For a temporary fix, may I recommend:
Signing up for some pole classes at Zero Gravity Alternative Fitness. Insider tip: make sure to look for the free class dates/ times so you can try for free, and book early because they fill up FAST.
Spelunking your way to a missing link discovery with the Netflix doc ‘Unknown: Cave of Bones’. (Idk if I can share a link here, but the cover looks like this:
Lastly, to make sure you are receiving event updates, I recommend signing up for the Fargo Nerd Nite mailing list- text NERDNITE to 33777 to enroll. We love social media as much as the next bored teenager but frankly it’s only reliable for meme transmission, not so much as an advertising mechanism. (Don’t tell the Zuck I said that). Don’t worry- you will only receive emails about upcoming events as we are far too lazy to publish a newsletter, and not near smart or important enough to sell your information to other email lists.
And that’s it, nerds! See your beautiful faces in 2024. Until then, stay curious.
What’s up my nerds? Welp, we are down to the last show of 2023 so we decided to go out with a bang by ripping off an idea from Nerd Nite Miami and celebrating the best of this season! All of the talks in this month’s show are encores to some of our favorite talks from the last year- check it:
‘Small spelunkers required’: The Discovery of Our New Hominin Cousins, Homo naledi
The human family tree continues to grow as many discoveries have been made in the last 20 years. Homo naledi seems to be a true cousin of modern humans that we had no idea existed until 2013, but one site is producing an abundance of information. The discovery was not made as most would think, and the conditions of exploration and excavation have some unusual requirements. Information released in the last five months is being added for this encore.
Becky Reichenbach wanted to be like the Professor on Gilligan’s Island when she grew up so dabbled in a lot of things and acquired a broad science background. This led to teaching about every science course offered in high school for 20 years before settling down to chase an advanced degree. She now holds a dual Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and STEM Education. She’s currently a project coordinator and instructor at NDSU.
Pole Dance Confidential: The Perceptions and Reality of a Misunderstood Art
You think you know about pole dance…but do you? Join Gina Bushey for an enlightening and honest presentation about pole dance to answer the questions you’ve been too nervous to ask, in addition to those which may not even have occurred to you TO ask.
Gina Bushey graduated from NDSU in 2002 with a BS in Interpersonal Communication and a minor in Anthropology. She has an extensive history in performing arts and public speaking, and has co-owned Zero Gravity Alternative Fitness in Fargo since 2016. She teaches pole fitness, produces in-house showcases, and has medaled in numerous competitions across the Midwest.
The History of the Rapier: 1400-1800
The weapon of the Three Musketeers in detail! This is an in-depth look at the development of the rapier, how it came to be, how they were used, where they were used, what they looked like and how they changed over time. This will include live fencing demonstrations of three different rapier varieties. Examples will be present so as to show what these weapons looked like up close!
Kevin Wander is a Graduate Student at NSDU studying Russian Military History. He has a passion for historical fencing of all kinds and has been fencing for 7 years. He also runs the Fargo-Moorhead Historical Fencing Club.
…and just to really do it right, we’re going back to the Fargo Theatre for the big screen and big sound we love, and also because Kevin is going to need room to swing swords around. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 15th, 8PM (doors at 7:30) for some drinks, some laughs, some door prizes, and the last nerdy awesome you’re going to get until next year, because we don’t compete with Santa season. Grab your tickets in advance on Eventbrite, or bring a Hamilton to the door (same price either way- we eat the fees bc we love you. And bc we’re hungry).
Greetings nerds! ‘Tis the season for cooler nights, scary movies, diabetes-inducing amounts of candy, and of course: NERD NITE. Speaker details:
Linda Slaughter’s Life & Legacy
Linda Slaughter was instrumental in the creation of North Dakota’s first schools, early historical preservation efforts, and the state’s Suffrage movement. So why did it take until the year 2023 for a biography to be published about her life?
Lis Fricker is a born and raised Fargoan, and attended NDSU for a Bachelors in Public History, a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies, and a Masters in History.
The Civil War Isn’t as Far in the Past as You Think-Products Available Then You Can Still Get Today
So you think the Civil War is past and you have no connection to it? Come and join me, and a trip to the grocery store, Barnes & Noble, or hearing about the stock market will never be the same again!
Alan Fricker is a self-professed history nerd. While his primary historical interests are the Civil War, World War II, railroading and firefighting, he can also talk your ears off about politics, economics, and photography. He is also is good at spouting off miscellaneous historical factoids unasked! He works as a medical editor by day, and is a history hunter with his reading and Fort Abercrombie site interpreter’s work at night and on some weekends. He holds a master degree in history from NDSU.
Unfortunately, our third speaker on the history of local cemeteries had to back out due to health issues, but we’ll make it up to you with some trivia and candy. See your beautiful faces next Wednesday, October 18th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite. Same price either way, bc we’re nice like that.
What a great Nerd Nite last night! We learned that having a great lawn may be more about less work than more work, found out exactly how much and why Brian hates our projector (its…a lot), and that the cross sections of trees that scientists keep for study are called…get this…cookies. How feckin adorable.
Our next nite is inbound, October 18th, 7PM, Fargo Billiards. Mark ya calendars and stay tuned.
Greetings, nerds! Anyone else just liiiiiiving for these cooler temps? F that 90+ degree business. Give me my hoodie, my bonfire, and my Nerd Nite, and I am a happy camper. Topics for this month:
Fall Lawn Tips Growing a lawn can be challenging. Fortunately, September is a great month to improve the health of your lawn for next year. Learn about fertilizing, optimal mowing height, weed management and practices to increase your lawn’s density.
Dr. Esther McGinnis graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in Applied Plant Sciences. She is the North Dakota State University Extension Horticulturist and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Her graduate students research pollinator plants, plants for rain gardens, and spotted wing drosophilia.
Projector Pranks and Pixel Predicaments Navigating Accessibility Challenges in Presentations and maybe a short overview of what accessibility is in user interfaces.
Brian Glaeske, user interface whisperer by day, pixel pusher by night. Bringing a touch of magic to every user interface design.
IfTrees Could Talk In the language of rings, trees tell us stories about the past. Trees told us that the great flood of 1826 in Winnipeg extended back upstream into the United States. Before European settlers came to the Dakotas, fires of the western shortgrass prairies occurred about every 25 years, on average. Again, the trees told us. The language of tree rings tells us about past environments, ecological disturbances and human history. Let’s explore this language and discover the world around us.
Dr. Joe Zeleznik grew up in the northern hardwood forests of northeast Ohio, and studied forestry in West Virginia, Michigan and New York before setting out to be a forester in the Great Plains. He’s been the NDSU Extension Forestry Specialist for more than 20 years. He studies tree rings throughout North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, learning about the environment and human history through the fascinating science of dendrochronology.
Oh yeah. We’re getting that dad lawn. We’re uncovering secrets in Nature. We’re even learning how to improve future Nerd Nite presentations. See your gorgeous faces this Wednesday, September 20th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same price to you either way, bc we’re nice like that).
Happy Sunday nerds! Apologies for the late update here- pride weekend got the better of me. Deets for this Wednesday’s show:
5 C’s to Improve Your Relationships
Aria will be discussing how the 5 C’s: Consent, Communication, Compromise, Consideration and Compersion will improve relationships.
Aria is a master of the fine art of arguing and is always right, no matter what others may say. She’s spent her entire life fighting everything from her parents to her customers to get what she deserves. She’s also incredibly humble.
Massage and Mental Health: The Healing Power of Intentional Touch
Massage has long been thought of as either a luxury item or erotic foreplay. Though it can be both, it is much more than that. For thousands of years practitioners all over the world have been using massage to soothe physical ailments, relieve muscle tension, and restore harmony within the mind, body, and spirit.
Kathleen O’Neill graduated valedictorian from Elite Massage Academy, is a Licensed Massage Therapist, and Operations Manager at Elite Therapeutic Massage. Not only is she a passionate practitioner of massage, but a reaper of the many benefits. Coming from a life of chaos she found peace within the world of massage, and seeks to educate the masses on this under-utilized form of healthcare.
Edible Landscaping for People and Pollinators in the Northern Plains
…pretty much says it all. 😀
April Johnson is the NDSU Extension Pollinator Technician and a graduate student in Natural Resource Management. She is passionate about edible landscaping and has over 20 edible perennial food crops on her ¼ acre city plot, with plans for more.
So we’ll see your gorgeous faces this Wednesday, August 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same price to you either way, bc we’re nice like that).
Did you miss last’s night’s Nerd Nite? Poor you. But don’t worry- there is more nerdery inbound next month. Stay tuned for details, but for now, mark ya calendar for Wednesday August 16th 2023, 7PM, Fargo Billiards. See your fabulous face there.
