Friday, March 29, 2013

Nerd Nite Abilene KS to Kickoff on April 25


Push up your glasses and grab a drink, it’s time for Nerd Nite in Abilene!  Nerd Nite is a global organization with over fifty venues all over the world that bring people together for three presentations on vastly different topics with drinks throughout the night.  Nerd Nite will premiere on April 25 at the Great Plains Theatre.  Doors open at 7:00pm, presentations begin at 7:30pm.  During the night, three presenters will speak on orphan trains, soil, and geek culture.

“History of the Orphan Trains” presented by Amanda Wahlmeier will cover the history of the Orphan Trains from 1854 - 1929, and how this movement helped shift American society from placing orphaned and abandoned children in orphanages to placing them with individual families.  Wahlmeier has served as curator for the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia since January 2012, and had this to say, “This movement was such an important part of American history, I love that I have the opportunity to preserve it.”

“The Dirtiest Presentation Ever” by Austin Bontrager.  With degrees in Environmental Soil Science and Agronomy, Austin Bontrager knows quite a bit about dirt.  In his presentation, Bontrager will focus on the life of soil, what we can learn from studying soils, and why it is such an invaluable resource.

“Comic-Con International and the Geekification of America” by Kevin Dilmore.  When San Diego’s Golden State Comic-Con drew all of 300 people in 1970, organizers never imagined they were laying the groundwork for what now is arguably the largest annual pop-culture event in the world.  Join Abilene native, author and Comic-Con veteran Kevin Dilmore for a look inside Comic-Con International and how its 150,000 annual attendees help shape what we see from the movie, television, videogame and publishing industries.

Be sure to come out to the Great Plains Theatre on April 25 for Nerd Nite, doors open and drinks are served at 7:00pm, presentations begin at 7:30pm.  Admission is free.  Be there and be square.

Nerd Nite is sponsored by the Dickinson County Historical Society, Great Plains Theatre, Keller Photography & Design, and Kansas Humanities Council.  For more information, visit abileneks.nerdnite.com.  You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and RSVP here.