Tag: Ignite Denver

SparkPlug: Bhopal Disaster by Mariah Master

Mariah Master gave her Spark at Ignite Denver 21 on Thursday, November 5, 2015. She asked us to share this information about the Union Carbide disaster in 1984, and what they are doing to help.

 
In 1984, the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India spewed a toxic cloud over the community, taking thousands of lives. Within 2 weeks the death toll grew to 8,000 people. While there are some whom have heard of the disaster, what most people don’t realize is that 30 years after the incident, people are still being affected.

In January 2016, the Integrative Health Care Program at Metro State University will be traveling to Bhopal to facilitate a service-learning project at the Sambhavna Clinic. The clinic is an integrated health center that provides free conventional and Ayurvedic medicine to the survivors of the Bhopal community who continue to suffer from severe health issues.

Often in life, there comes rebirth from destruction, beauty born from pain. So where is the beauty in this catastrophe? Our group of students think we may have found one answer. Since the tragedy, the people of Bhopal who may have never thought they would be empowered to use their voice have stood up to fight for what they deserve. Many have succeeded with the Sambhavna Clinic.

So how exactly are 14 Denver students making connection with such an immense situation on the other side of the world? Well, similar to the hard working passionate people of Bhopal, we too have been stepping into authoritative roles. We have taken full control of our education by making this trip happen. We have jumped through many hoops and pushed ourselves harder than we ever imagined possible. Only 2% of Metro students travel abroad. We have many faculty members talking by making this trip happen. The work we have done to make this happen – for ourselves by ourselves – has many people in awe, including each one of us.

We hope to build a long-lasting relationship with the Clinic. Our fundraising efforts will pay doctors salaries, update the facilities, and bring needed health education materials. We are reaching out to our greater community for their support in helping us raise funds in order to help see this vision flourish.

From the other side of the world, we are all linked in one way or another, and when we put our attention on that which is progressive and meaningful, huge things happen.

Donate to our crownfunding page at: https://advance.msudenver.edu/giving/bhopal

Tuesday Two! Two more reasons to attend Ignite Denver 21.

As if you needed two more reasons than 14 engaging speakers, right? (If you don’t have your tickets yet, get them here: https://ignitedenver.org/tickets/

Reason #1: Biker Jim’s Dogs is back to serve up pre-Ignite Denver food in front of the Oriental Theater! Gotta get you some. They even have a vegan dog in addition to the standard reindeer, elk, or beef. Tasty.

bikerjim

Dogs & caramelized onions
Dogs & caramelized onions

Reason #2: Afterparty music by Dandu! Pretty chill, will be perfect for a Thursday night.

Bonus reason #3! Our MC is the brilliant and funny Kat Atwell. (No pressure, Kat.)

Here’s her opening Spark from Ignite Denver #20 for a little preview of what you can expect on Thursday night!

Tuesday Two! Alcohol. (There, I said it.)

Our lives don’t revolve around alcohol. Far from it. But we do enjoy a libation from time to time. Responsibly, of course. And in moderation. (What’s that saying? “All things in moderation, including moderation.”)

We’ve distilled two talks about alcohol from the long history of Ignite Denver, and we’d like you to watch them responsibly. And perhaps in moderation.

Scott Sheridan: Interesting Facts About the Wines of the World – Ignite Denver 6

Joseph Labrecque: Absinthe: Artistic Rituals, Intestinal Parasites, and Psychoactive Madness! – Ignite Denver 12

(Stick with the meandering camerawork here, folks. It’s an interesting Spark!)

Someone might talk about alcohol at Ignite Denver 21. We don’t know. It’s up to you to vote.

Come out to Ignite Denver 21! Buy tickets here. Early bird pricing! What what.

Bonus alcohol video! “D.R.I.N.K.” by The Jazz Butcher (The video is just some pictures of folks who seem like they like drinking. The song is by The Jazz Butcher.)

Tuesday Two! Hop in the Wayback Machine!

For this Tuesday Two, we decided to go old-school and show you our humble beginnings: The first two videos uploaded to our YouTube channel! It’s always good to reflect back as we move forward, and we certainly appreciate how far we’ve come in the almost six years since Ignite Denver 5. Well, maybe we haven’t come that far…. Our speakers are still fantastic and irreverent, our crowds are still a bit rowdy (a few drinks can do that to you), and it’s still just 20 slides in 5 minutes. We also still have a great community in Denver who supports the craziness, three times a year.

With that in mind, here’s where it all started – on our YouTube channel, at least.

An Bui – How To Pick Up Chicks – Tips From A Totally Hetero Woman

Krista Jurczenia – Cupcakes and Dating: A Comparative Study

Bonus video! Our most recent upload from our most recent event – Kat Atwell: Welcome to Ignite Denver 20

Want to be part of the craziness of Ignite Denver 21 on November 5th? Submit a Spark by THIS FRIDAY, October 2nd!

Just want to watch the craziness? Tickets are now available at Early Bird prices. Either way, we’ll see you in November!

Tuesday Two! Computers And You

Not everyone is comfortable around computers. In fact, it might be safe to say that most people have a certain amount of anxiety around these little communication devices that are ever-present in our lives. Sometimes things go wrong. Luckily, we’ve had a couple of people give Sparks at Ignite Denver about what you can try when you need to fix your computer –  or what to say when you need to communicate to someone else what’s going on.

Eric Fickes – I Wish You Weren’t So Dumb About Computers – Ignite Denver 9

Jacob Anderson – 10 Things Every Computer Repair Person Wished You Knew (Or Tried) – Ignite Denver 20

Do you have something to tell us? Submit a Spark of your own for Ignite Denver 21!

Click here to purchase tickets for Ignite Denver 21

Help us put on the show! Volunteer at Ignite Denver.

Second Annual June-O-Ween at Ignite Denver 17

Last year at Ignite Denver 14’s June-O-Ween extravaganza, you wonderful people brought your A game. Of course there were incredible presentations from Erika NapoletanoKevin White and many of Denver’s finest minds (as you all have come to expect from Ignite Denver events). What really made the night a one-of-a-kind soiree though was all the attendees dressed to the nines in their Halloween finest. (If you haven’t seen all of the wonderful Chipper Booth pictures from that night, be sure to check them out!)

Ignite Denver 14 presenters in their June-O-Ween costumes
Ignite Denver 14 presenters in their June-O-Ween costumes

So we just couldn’t resist bringing a night filled with ghouls and goblins back to the summer season with June-O-Ween at Ignite Denver 17 on Friday, June 13 at the Oriental Theater. It will be a Friday the Thirteenth to remember as we combine some of Denver’s most innovative thinkers with alcohol and everyone’s scary, skanky, and just plain bonkers costume creations.

Thinking about presenting at Ignite Denver 17? WONDERFUL! Be sure to attend our workshop series to learn everything you wanted to know about Ignite Denver (and probably a couple of TMIs along with it). All workshops are at Shift Workspaces and start at 6pm:

  • April 21 – Creating a Compelling Pitch/Spark
  • May 5  – Presenting at Ignite
  • May 19 – Creating a Good Ignite Presentation
  • May 27 – First Run Through (required)
  • June 2 – Second Run Through (required)

Please don’t hesitate to contact us through Facebook or Twitter if you have any questions about upcoming workshops or topics for a presentation.

Strap on those thinking caps now and start brainstorming your spark and/or costume for Ignite Denver 17! Don’t forget to check back in with us for more announcements about June-O-Ween speakers, sponsors and other exciting surprises.

Ignite Denver 14
Bad Habit (Erika Napoletano) & Sexual Predator (Amy Little) at last year’s June-O-Ween
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