SK16 Workshop Schedule

Come learn things with us!

Friday, July 26

11:00 a.m.

Midway 10 (main stage)

Touch the Banana: Hosting Science Activities for Kids
Ben Blanchard

Minnesota Atheists has run a party room for kids of all ages at CONvergence for several years. Come learn about how we do it.

Midway 9

Morality, Ethics, and Gygaxian Alignment, a Character Building Exercise with Orcs
Louis Doench

The participants will create quick and dirty basic D&D style characters, with the classic Gygaxian alignment chart playing central stage as the first element in character building. We’ll explore the where the original D&D morality systems came from AND why it has been discarded in the latest wave of TTRPG’s. Then everybody will have a chance to play a version of the most basic dungeon ever. Orc and Pie 

CN: Fantasy violence

2:00 p.m.

Midway 10 (main stage)

Strategies for Building Effective Activism Campaigns.
Debbie Goddard

Come joining the amazing and downright superhuman Debbie Goddard to learn about campaign structure/planning, and tactics (with lots of social psychology stuff in there heck yeah).

Midway 9

Predators and Parasocial Relationships
Stephanie Zvan

On the heels of the news that yet another celebrity has used fame and a reputation for being a cool guy to indulge in non-consensual behavior, let’s talk about parasocial relationships. What are they, and can we do anything to discourage them, or at least to inject some reality into the situation?

CN: Harassment, abuse, grooming

3:00 p.m.

Midway 10 (main stage)

New Research on Goal Striving in Christians vs. Nonreligious: How to Align Goals with Personal Values
Ryan Goffredi

I’m a PhD student in psychology at Mizzou and I research personal motivations and goal pursuit. I’ll start with a brief overview of my research findings in goal striving between Christians and Nonreligious samples before switching to the interactive portion. This will consist of facilitating a discussion about personal values (i.e., what they find to be personally meaningful in their lives), followed by an exercise that will help attendees measure how well aligned their current goals are with their personal values and I will offer suggestions for creating future goals that are autonomously motivated and personally meaningful. 

Midway 9

Smell the Sweet Science – Clinical Microbiology
Maddy Love

Participants will learn some basics of microorganisms and how we identify them in the clinical laboratory. Hands-on activities include streaking agar plates, performing biochemical testing, using flow charts to identify pathogens, and experiencing the same smells I experience daily in the clinical microbiology lab.

CN: Health topics

Sunday, July 28

10:00 a.m.

Midway 10 (main stage)

Patriarchal White Christian Nationalism and Libraries
Josiah Mannion, Idaho American Atheists

I’ll discuss some of what we’ve experienced in North Idaho as regards book banning, how it connects to the broader white nationalism and christian supremacy movements, and solicit stories of the situations where participants live, and discuss ways to get involved and ways to build community and connect with other folks working on these and related grassroots, state, and national efforts.

CN: White Nationalism & Christian Supremacy attacks on library almost always involve discussions of pornography, and accusations of pornography, and discrimination against all queer identities

Midway 9

I Couldn’t Live Without You (Attending This Codependency Workshop)
Eli Heina Dadabhoy

Codependency and other therapy terms have gained much in the way of colloquial popularity lately. With this spread has come dilution and confusion regarding the concepts behind those terms. This workshop will explore the myths and truths around codependency and all the other un-fun concepts that come up when discussing dysfunctional relationships.

CN: Abusive relationships in general, child abuse, substance use (not in detail but topics like this will come up)

11:00 a.m.

Midway 10 (main stage)

Finance Adulting 101
Rebecca Hammond

Oh, why didn’t they teach us about things like taxes in school? Rebecca has done accounting professionally for several years. Bring your questions and your frustrations.

Midway 9

Chocolate Making
James Hammond

James has provided the chocolates we’ve used to fundraise for several years. Come find out how to make some for yourself.

Noon

Midway 10 (main stage)

Brainstorming for Skepticon 17
Rebecca Hammond

The theme for next year’s Skepticon is “Glow Up”. What does a Skepticon glow-up look like to you?