[Freeschooldenver] Free School celebrates Pi Day in oh so many ways...

[Free School Denver]

Attention all math geeks, would-be pastry chefs, and lovers of all kinds
of knowledge and learning:

This coming week, in honor of Pi Day (3/14, get it?), Free School Denver
brings you Pi Day editions of three different classes!  Come together with
your fellow freeschool students to geek out about one of the coolest
numbers ever!  Come to one, two, or all three!

Sunday, 3.14
Kink Tank - Pi Day edition
Discussion of sexualizing nerdiness, plus the phenomenon of slash lit. 
Pie will be served.  Bring your favorite piece of slash lit, your favorite
xkcd strip, some pie to share, or just your nerdiliscious or nerd-curious
self!
*see full class description below
7:00pm @ Starship Nunu (1264 Lipan St.)

Monday, 3.15
Pastry Class - (almost) Pi Day edition
Bake some delicious pies while geeking out about math.
6:00pm @ Abel's Abode (1243 Vine St. #3)

Thursday, 3.18
Math History Class - (almost) Pi Day edition
Learn about the history of Pi as it was conceptualized by different
ancient cultures, while eating pie.
6:00pm @ Abel's Abode (1243 Vine St. #3)
*note the date change from the calendar (originally listed as taking place
on Tuesday)


Happy Pi Day!



*full class description for Kink Tank:

Kink Tank presents...  Kink Tank Pi Day edition 2010!
Sexualizing Nerdiness/Slash Lit

To celebrate Pi Day (3.14, get it?) we will be discussing the broad topic
of the intersection of all things sexy and all things nerdy, as well as
the phenomenon of slash lit.
In U.S. and other Western culture, nerds and geeks have always been
portrayed as the very unchic end of the over-simplified dichotomy of
hot-attractive-desirable-sociable-jock-or-sexy-chick/unattractive-undesirable-unhygenic-socially-awkward-androgynified-male-or-occasionally-female.
 Recent efforts by the Nerd Girls attempt to sexualize nerdiness and
empower cisgendered female engineers, but in a way that some would say
values a conventional heterosexist sex appeal above all else and relegates
nerdy women to compulsory femmeness in order to balance out the apparently
inherently masculinizing and unsexy aspects of nerdy things like
engineering.  Others prescribe nerdiness as an antidote to a consumerist
and hyper-sexualized society.
We ask each other:  Is there something that can be inherently sexy and
desirable about even the "negatively" stereotypical qualities of nerds
(none of this
you-can-still-be-outwardly-sexy-despite-your-internal-nerdiness stuff)? 
Can the supposed inability to be properly self-conscious about everything
and always say "the right thing at the right time" in order to appear
"cool" not only be endearing but also a way of engaging in more deeply
authentic communication and connection with people?  Can it actually be
really really hot to watch somebody just let go and geek out over
something that they are really into, not being afraid to see the giddy
beauty and joy in something that most other people would be bored with?   
How can nerdiness be used as a means of genderfuck and queering the
mainstream, rather than enforcing gender and heterosexist norms?  How can
it be used to counter hyper-consumerism and sex-negativity?  Is there a
link between kinky role-play and LARPing?  And is it true that 87% of all
Trekkies are virgins?  *Should* it be true?
Also, we will learn about/talk about slash lit.  Slash lit, or slash
fiction, is a form of fan fiction in which fans (geeks?) write stories
about characters from movies, TV shows, or other media, and about the
(usually male) homoerotic or homoromantic relationships these (otherwise
hetero) characters are engaged in.  Disagreements abound about whether
"true" slash lit consists strictly of male-on-male interactions between
straight media characters, or whether it can be expanded to include
female-on-female interactions (known as femslash), "real person slash,"
original stories involving non-canonical characters, or even any and all
erotic fan fiction.  Limited demographic data shows that most slash
authors, or slashers, are heterosexual women with college degrees.  Come
discuss what constitutes slash, how it is written, queer aspects of slash,
ethical issues, or anything else related to erotic fan fiction.
Pie will of course be served (probably with vegan and gluten-free options
available).
Bring your favorite piece of slash lit, your favorite xkcd comic, some pie
to share, or just your nerdiliscious self.  (Note:  attendance is open to
all regardless of whether or not you self-identify as a nerd, geek,
engineer, Trekkie, slasher, LARPer, gamer, techophile, or other nerdy
beast.)

Recommended reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_fiction
http://www.geekstudies.org/2008/06/nerd-girls-sex-appeal-and-stereotypes
http://www.nerdgirls.org/
http://www.theocentric.com/relationships/parenting/why_we_need_nerds.html
http://www.xkcd.com