February Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Aria Harveland
You may have heard of the term “TERF”, but have you heard of the term “SWERF”? In her presentation, sex educator and relationship coach Aria Harveland will explore how prostitution fits within our ever evolving social systems. She’ll examine current regulations around the world and how they fall short. She’ll also discuss the experiences of current-day sex workers. Together, we’ll ask why prostitution should or shouldn’t be legal.
Trauma, the Brain, & What it Means for All of Us
January Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Laura Hanley
The impact of trauma on the wellbeing of individuals and our society has received increasing awareness in recent decades. Laura Hanley, trauma therapist and avowed nerd, will discuss how traumatic experiences influence the brain and why trauma early in life shapes our development and affects our health—even decades later. Trauma awareness has an interesting history that she’ll share with us and she’ll explain how and why “trigger” has become the new buzzword. Drawing from research on the topic and with insight from her own experiences, you’ll learn ways to address trauma that you or others may have experienced…and you’ll find out who the heck SAMHSA is and the meaning of their four R’s.
January Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Daniel Zwilling
BJJ Black Belt and general know-it-all, Professor Daniel Zwilling, discusses just a few of the hundreds of reasons that he thinks absolutely everyone should try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (that you haven’t heard before). You will hear from an unathletic 30-something about some of the physical, mental, and social benefits of the practice. This will be liberally peppered with anecdotes from 15 years of combat sports training.
December Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Kevin Hanson
A Red Cross certified trainer will present an informal review of the 2 year certification curriculum and answer questions in a quick 20 minute presentation. Training manikins and AED simulators will be on hand for demonstrations.
December Nerd Nite on the Rocks
by Rick Rentz
Take the surprising journey of the flying disc from humble beginnings to million dollar contracts. Minnesota’s Disc Sports Hall of Fame member, Rick Rentz, will share the historical highlights of disc skills from Freestyle to Ultimate and then Disc Golf to name a few. Highlights will include seeing the ashes of the father of Disc Golf fly across the room!
November Nerd Nite on the Rocks
with Dana Adams
Dana will discuss Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Minnesota and its impact on local turkey producers. She’ll explain what an outbreak is and the appropriate mitigation response. She’ll also tell us about historic incidences of avian influenza including the 2015 response and it’s impact– and the more recent 2022 outbreak and initial steps that were taken. You’ll go away with some take home facts to share over Thanksgiving with the fam.
November Nerd Nite on the Rocks
by Andrew and Melissa Grosberg
Join mead maker Andrew Grosberg as he discusses mead, the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man. He will discuss the history of mead from its advent over 12,000 years ago to its rise, fall, and rise again in popularity. Learn what makes for different flavors of mead, from the honey that is used to the flavoring added.
November Nerd Nite on the Rocks
by Danielle Palmateer
Dynamic Body Balancing is a blend of gentle, hands-on techniques in craniosacral therapy, myofascial unwinding, and hands-off biofield therapy. It works to release restrictions in a strong, yet delicate soft tissue in the body – the fascia. We’ll learn how those restrictions can cause a whole host of physical symptoms, how they can lead to an inability to process and release emotional trauma, and why we MUST NOT separate the body, mind, and spirit in our pursuit of optimal health and happiness. Danielle will demonstrate how to tap into feeling your own energy field (the Force, if you will), and a few of the techniques used during a Dynamic Body Balancing session.
October Nerd Nite on the Rocks
by Jamie Jensen
What’s green, red, and black all over? It’s Batman’s feminine adversaries, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Cat Woman. These lovely ladies, and several others like them, have a lot more in common than their sexy figures. Join Jamie as she takes us for a deep dive into the history of the female villains of the Batman comics. Learn the circumstances surrounding their origin stories and their creation as addendums for their male counterparts. Find out how they add complexity to comics by introducing moral gray areas and serving as foils to the more straightforward “good versus evil” of male villains.
October 6th Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Matt Love, Fire Chief
Firefighting has changed a little since the days of “Johnny and Roy”! Specifically, “what is burning”, “what’s it burning in”, and the science-based strategies and tactics employed by fire professionals have come a long way. Using real-life depictions and video from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, St. Cloud Fire Chief Matthew Love will identify key change aspects, fire dynamics involved in this change, and flow path considerations for the modern firefighter.