Jupiter and Beyond
Summer Science Saturday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 20
Kuiper Space Sciences Building, 1629 E. University Blvd., UA Campus
621-4861, www.lpl.arizona.edu/sic/sss
Saturday is the 44th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory will celebrate by hosting an event focused on planetary science. The emphasis this year is on exploring the outer solar system.
The event is free and includes activities for all ages. Children can participate in hands-on science activities involving magnets, comets made out of dry ice and viewings of the sun.
"I think getting kids involved in science is really a wonderful thing ... they come and have fun and don't realize they are doing science," said program coordinator Maria Schuchardt.
Schuchardt says many planetary scientists at the UA have told her that they got into science because someone bought them a telescope or took them to a science museum.
"You never know what's going to spark somebody, what's going to be a pivotal moment," Schuchardt said. "Were just opening it up, giving families the opportunity to come and experience science."
From 11 a.m. to noon, high school students can take part in the spaceship landing contest, which involves designing and constructing a spaceship out of the materials provided. The spaceship will hold an egg, and the goal is to land the spaceship without cracking the egg.
There will also be three lectures for adults, all of which will be given in Room 308 of the Kuiper building. The first lecture, at 1 p.m., is "Exploring the Solar System" and will be given by Alfred McEwan. At 2, Michael Sussman will speak on "Uranus: The Planet That Woke Up." And at 3, Rob Zellem will tackle "Exoplanets: Exploration, Discovery and Understanding."
—N.H-G.
Rare Originals
20th-Century First Editions
Through Wednesday, Sept. 4
UA Poetry Center, 1508 E. Helen St.
626-3765
An exhibit of first editions at the UA Poetry Center includes works by T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, William Butler Yeats, Marianne Moore, Frank Stanford and Elizabeth Bishop.
"These are really, really beautiful books. We have first editions from all across the poetic landscape of the 20th century and these are really special," library specialist Sarah Kortemeier said.
"It's neat to be able to see a poem in its originally published state, or in its original collected state," she said. "They're very beautiful and very emblematic of their times. A first edition is often an interesting historical artifact."
Staffers at the Poetry Center keep the lights dimmed to protect the sensitive pages, but they're willing to turn the lights up if someone wants a better look at the exhibit. Still, some of the books are too valuable to be left out all the time.
"We do have two copies of the first edition of T.S. Eliot's "Wasteland." Those are displayed by photograph in this exhibit," Kortemeier said. "We don't have them in the cases for security purposes, but they're quite lovely."
The books in the free exhibit are usually found in the poetry center's L.R. Benes Rare Book Room.
"Our rare book room and are archival materials are open to researchers," Kortemeier said. "These are not books that you're going to come across while browsing through our stacks."
The exhibit is just behind the front desk at the Poetry Center, tucked behind two large, red sofas. During the summer, the Poetry Center is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday and Thursday; and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Hours will change slightly at the end of August. Check poetry.arizona.edu for details.
—C.G.
Art Against Rape
Hey Baby! Art Against Sexual Assault
5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday, July 19
MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave.
624-5019
Manuel Abril has dedicated a lot of his life to art, and to the prevention of sexual violence.
Abril is an artist, but he also works for Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault. He's facilitated film classes focusing on sexual violence prevention at high schools and worked as a sexual violence prevention educator. Now, Abril and his SACASA co-worker Rowan Frost will be leading a conversation about what artists can do to take a stand against sexual violence.
"It's art against sexual assault," Abril said. "Is this a viable way to address sexual assault as a societal problem? Is it a viable way to take a look at rape culture?"
Rape culture is an environment that validates and perpetuates rape. People are surrounded with language, entertainment, laws and images that make violence against women seem normal; people believe that rape is inevitable.
Abril's goal is to bring more people into the conversation about why rape is not something we have to live with. The problem is getting more people to notice the culture and stand up against it.
"How do we get outside of the community where we are already speaking to the choir?" Abril asked. "When we get out of our small community, how do we talk to an audience? How do we treat them?
"I'm wondering how social creativity will have an impact on art generally," Abril said. "People collaborate and share resources and use creative methods to solve a social problem. Not that it's ever been successful in terms of sexual assault, but we can try."
Hey Baby! Art Against Sexual Assault is part of an ongoing social creativity project and exhibition series. The free event has three components: a coaster design contest, reproducible art and a gallery show.
—C.G.
Wet Blackjack
Splashjack 2013
8 p.m., Saturday, July 20
Breakers Water Park, 8555 W. Tangerine Road
foothillsoptimistcluboftucson.com
Bring your bathing suit and your blackjack skills to Breakers, where the Foothills Optimist Club is holding a fundraiser.
Splashjack is a 21-and-older casino night and blackjack tournament. The $40 admission ($50 at the door) includes two drink tickets, two raffle tickets and $100 in gambling chips to use in the casino games, which will be played for raffle tickets. Patrons also can partake of an all-you-can-eat hot dog bar plus all the soda they can drink.
Raffle prizes include an Xbox 360 with Kinect and three games; a night at the Westward Look Resort, including dinner; and $50 gift card to the Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery.
During the blackjack tournament, each table plays 21 hands of blackjack. The top two players at each table move on to the next round. There will be two tables in the final round, and the top three people from each table will win cash prizes.
Tables are covered in plastic, so participants are welcome to get soaked in the wave pool before setting up for a night of gambling.
Splashjack will benefit three of the Optimist Club's projects: providing pool passes to children from low-income families; the Marana MCAT program, which helps struggling high school students graduate; and starting a junior Optimist Club for kids around Tucson.
Event chairwoman Jennifer Oswald is new to the club, but she's passionate about starting a program for children.
Kids will "volunteer in their community, they'll do things that they're passionate about," she said. "Splashjack is going to help me start up a few of those clubs around Tucson, with kids able to go out in the community and volunteer."
Tickets are available at foothilsopitmistcluboftucson.com. Participation in the blackjack tournament costs an additional $5.
—C.G.
