We had an election, the people have spoken and an executive team was formed.
President: Stephanie Van Dyk
Vice President: Alex Radtke
VP Communications: Jonathan Wilinofsky
Treasurer: Scott Dornian
Ombudsperson: Kristin Crowther
Go go, exec-utive!
Hey everyone!
Here comes a massive update of really cool things we are doing this month. If you’re looking for interesting ways to spend your study breaks, we have quite the buffet of events.
AGM
We are holding elections and making plans for the next year of UBC Freethinkers. You should come out, have your say, feel good about participating in democracy and eat free snacks. Wednesday, March 28, 5:30pm. See the Facebook event for more details.
Lectures
We have two excellent lectures coming up, from prominent speakers whom we were really fortunate to book.
This Thursday, we have Ted Cox coming in for the following event:
See Facebook for the details.
Then, we have Will Gervais, presenting his work on anti-atheist prejudice. You may recall that his research recieved quite a lot of press when it was released – see here, here and here. His talk, entitled “Do You Believe In Atheists? Distrust and Anti-Atheist Prejudice” is on Thursday, 7:00pm, 22 March, in BUCH A103. See Facebook for more info. [edit: fixed details]
Feynman’s Funtimes.
Games, as per usual! Thursday, March 29, 6pm, IBLC 158. See the Facebook Event.
Russel’s Tea Parties
We are holding weekly events on Wednesday at 5:30 which are turning into quite the lively discussion groups and all-round good time. You should come! See our Facebook group for details on the most recent event, discussion topics and all that. They are always held in the Frank Forward Building, UBC Room 217.
And, since you made it through all that, check out these cuties.
See you soon,
Stephanie
Come to breakfast tomorrow and give us your thoughts on the new location. It will be awesome.
Here’s the deets:
When: 10am, Feb 12. (Note the new time!)
Where: Rhizome Cafe, 317 Broadway.
Check out the Facebook event:
Stephanie
Due to multiple requests, we are trying something new and you should all check it out.
From Daniel, our wonderful VP:
…we have decided to start hosting a weekly meeting where we will talk about a variety of topics relating to atheism, secularism and skepticism! In the future we are hoping to get a more permanent room but at the moment the rooms will change week to week. For future weeks the event will be for members only ( you will be able to purchase membership there) but for this week anyone can join us.
For the first week we will get to know each other by discussing our own paths to atheism/agnosticism/skepticism and what got us interested in joining a club promoting that world view. Does anyone come from a deeply religious background? Has anyone faced difficulty in “coming out” as an atheist or agnostic?
It’s this Wednesday at 5:30 in IBLC 461.
Here’s the Facebook event!
See you there,
Stephanie
Feeling like you need more skepticism in your life than one club can provide? Here are a few things happening around the city that might interest you:
Skeptics in the Pub Richmond
Again, as the name implies, and this time with a different location! See the Facebook event for more info.
Where: Legends Pub & Restaurant, 6511 Buswell St, Richmond
When: Thursday, 26 January 2012 at 7:30 pm.
Atheists Are Nice!
From the Facebook event:
It’s cold out there and a lot of homeless people are in desperate need of warm socks. Atheist Republic happens to have 1000 pairs! Atheist Republic wants to invite Vancouver atheists, skeptics and humanists to come and help pass these socks to the homeless people on East Hasting. No donations are required (although you can bring food or clothing to hand out but its not required) so join us if you are free …
Where: East Hastings
When: Saturday, 28 January 2012 from 6:30 to 11:30 pm.
Café Sci: Beyond Nemo: Coral reefs in a warming world
From the Facebook event:
The speaker for the evening will be Simon Donner, an Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Geography who is interested in why the climate matters. His talk will be on …
“Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the ocean, are thought to be more sensitive to climate change than any other ecosystem on the planet. Drawing on his research in the Central Equatorial Pacific nation of Kiribati, Simon Donner will talk about the effects of changes in climate and ocean chemistry on tropical corals and the potential for adaptation.”
Where: Railroad Club, 579 Dunsmuir St
When: Tuesday, 31 January 2012 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm.
Check em out!
Stephanie
Hello everyone!
Hopefully you’ve had a wonderful break from school, work or what have you. Now that it’s a new semester, it’s time for some sweet events.
Breakfast of Champions
You know the drill! See the Facebook event for all the details
When: Sunday, Jan. 15th at 10:30am
Where: New location! Rhizome Cafe Inc. at 317 Broadway E, Vancouver, BC
Map:
Feynman’s Funtime
Games are back after a wee hiatus. Come join us for some snacks, conversation and games of all sorts. More info on Facebook.
When: Friday, Jan. 20 at 6pm – 11pmish
Where: ILBC 191
Also, here’s some political commentary:
Stephanie
Hey Freethinkers!
This Friday, we are having one of our biggest events of the year. It’s going to be freaking epic:
Dr. Hugh Ross, President of Reasons to Believe, and Dr. Rob Tarzwell, Centre for Inquiry Advisory Fellow, will present a lively discussion/debate followed by always exciting audience Q/A. This FREE event will be the third time Reasons to Believe and the UBC Freethinkers Club have teamed up to host this always popular discussion on the existence of God.
Hugh Ross is an old-Earth creationist. Rob Tarzwell is a faculty member of the UBC School of Medicine. They will be debating whether science demonstrate the existence of God.
When: Friday, 04 November, 19:00 – 21:00
Where: Buchanan A101
Cost: By donation.
More information is on the Facebook event. Show up early – seating is first come, first serve. We will likely be going out for drinks or food or fun after, so if you are interested in that, take a look at my profile pic and come say high at the event.
See you then!
Stephanie
Just an reminder about an event tomorrow!
On Saturday, CFI Vancouver is hosting “Science and God”, a lecture by Dr. Victor Stenger. You might know Dr. Stenger as the author of God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist. This event is happening on campus, which is nice for us. 
Here’s the abstract:
“Science is based on the objective observation of the world as presented to our senses. Religion is based on faith in the existence of a transcendent world beyond the senses. Thus, science and religion are fundamentally incompatible. This incompatibility is more than just an intellectual debate among scholars. Belief in ancient myths joins with other negative forces in our society to keep most of the world from advancing scientifically, economically, and socially at a time when a rapid advancement in these areas is absolutely essential for the survival of humanity.
It is commonly believed that science has nothing to say about God, that it can’t prove or disprove the existence of God. While may be true for every conceivable god, it’s not the case for a god with the attributes of the God worshipped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Such a God is believed play such an important role in the operation of the universe and in the lives of humans that his existence should have been confirmed by now.”
And here are the deets:
Where: Wesbrook 100
When: 7:00pm on Saturday, Oct. 22/11
Cost: $5 for UBC Freethinkers members, CFI members and $7 for students. $10 for everyone else.
To buy tickets or for more info, go here:
Stephanie
On Friday (Yep, tomorrow!), it’s time for another night of games, pizza, and skeptics!
Come out, and it will be awesome.
When: 21 October · 17:00 – 21:00
Where: IBLC Room 185
Cost: Free for members*, $2 for non-members.
As always, pizza will be available for $1.50 for a large slice and pop for a dollar.
Stephanie
*Memberships are available for $5.
THIS Sunday, it’s time for breakfast again!
When: Sunday, Oct 16 · 10:30am – 12:00pm
Where: The King’s Head Pub *
Here’s a map, with directions from UBC to the pub.
Go check out the Facebook event for more details.
* We’ll call ahead this time, we promise.
