Guess what? You’re in luck! Why? Because GeekGirlCon is looking for amazing, passionate individuals to join our team, and that means YOU!
(Image Description: A gif of the actor Jenny Slate in a TV interview shrugging her shoulders and moving her head from side to side with her arms up. The caption says “Welcome.” Source: Giphy.)
Part of what makes GeekGirlCon so incredible is that we are powered by a team of volunteers. Each of us is committed to making every aspect of our convention and organization as fun, exciting, inclusive, and informative as it possibly can be.
(Image Description: A gif of A group of people wearing coordinating clothes jumping up against a black background. The caption says “Teamwork!” Source: Giphy.)
Currently, we have a wide variety of opportunities to get involved and help out, whether with a larger commitment of a staff role throughout the year, individual event volunteers, or GeekGirlCon Agents and Special Agents.
From Director of Creative Services to Director of Digital Experiences to Senior Designed Copywriter to Executive Director (wrangling all of the exciting elements that make GeekGirlCon possible!), we have a wide variety of roles to fit your interests, skills, and desired time commitment.
For more information on available positions and detailed role descriptions, check us out at https://geekgirlcon.com/get-involved/volunteer/. Help us make GeekGirlCon ‘18 better than ever by joining our hard-working, fun-loving, tight-knit team!
(Image Description: A gif of David Tennant as Doctor Who looking urgent and yelling. The caption says “Allons-y!” Source: Giphy.)
We’re in late summer now, and you know what that means? The GeekGirlCon ‘18 countdown can officially begin! For the record, we’ve got 77 days to go.
Everyone has their favorite facet of con-going, whether it’s the panels or the mainstage events or the new friends or just being in a new city for a few days—there’s always something. For some people, it’s the opportunity to get more involved in the operations side of things that makes a con special.
If that’s somewhere near where you fall, I have a quick reminder for you: Applications to be an Agent (AKA the GeekGirlCon volunteers who work only during the con) are closing this upcoming Monday, August 13 at 10:00 p.m.
If you were already planning on volunteering, get those applications in! If you’re on the fence about it, let me give you a couple of details about what you’d be signing up for.
First of all, we need all Agents to be at least 16 years old.
This year, the con falls on Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28. We ask that Agents are available to take two shifts (4-5 hours each) over the course of the weekend. There are many different kinds of roles you’ll be choosing from!
As an Agent, you’ll be required to review some training materials and adhere to our Code of Conduct.
You’ll get a free pass to the con and access to our Agent Headquarters!
You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at con operations and get to know the other awesome folks working as volunteers.
When you’re ready, click through to the application here. And once again, the deadline is August 13. If you have questions about the application, feel free to email volunteer@geekgirlcon.com with them.
We’re excited to hear from you!
[Image Description: Bob Ross speaking in front of a black background. The caption reads, “I’m glad you could join me today!”] Source: Giphy
A couple weeks back, I had the opportunity to go to Bungie’s Gender Diversity in Games Mixer at the studio.
Mixers can be rough. Anyone that frequents them can vouch for that. Especially if you go alone, like I did, they force you out of your comfort zone and can be fairly nerve wracking regardless of what stage you’re at professionally. But this group was a little different—the atmosphere was welcoming, and it felt like a group of friends gathering to chat. The gaming industry is pretty tight as is, but the circle of women is even smaller.
It wasn’t difficult to start conversations, and perhaps that was because we gathered together as we face similar challenges every day, but more importantly, we gathered to bond over our love of games. We talked about what we did, who we worked for, and those of us who didn’t work for Bungie oogled a little at the memorabilia that lined the walls.
Do you love movies? Events? Community? If so, join us Friday, August 10 for the 16th Annual Skyway Outdoor Cinema Festival’s showing of Wonder Woman! GeekGirlCon will once again be emceeing the pre-show with a trivia contest to give away some 2-day passes to the con!
Source: Giphy. Description: a gif of Wonder Woman climbing out of a trench into enemy fire and stopping a bullet with one of her gauntlets.
The showing will take place at 12702 Renton Ave S, Seattle 98178 behind the 7-11. The pre-show will kick off at 8:00 p.m., so plan to arrive and get settled by 7:00 p.m.
For additional details, info about which food trucks will be there, helpful tips, and more, check out the Facebook event page.
One area of geekdom that I haven’t delved much into so far has been cosplay. I’ve tested my chops as a gamer, a pop culture nerd, and within the realms of academic geekery, but building objects to represent my geekiness isn’t something I have much experience with. I’m learning how to be more crafty, but I’m also the type of person who took up crochet and literally tied their hand together, so I can’t say that I’m super confident in my skills for how to create something tangible from a video game.
This is a story about my forays into a whole new world of working with power tools, sports equipment, various spray paints, and friends, and working against my type-A mentality.
August is right at our heels, my fellow geeks! It’s sunny, it’s hot, it’s the perfect time to get out and about and explore some of the incredible events our lovely city has to offer! (Though, it’s just as good a time to stay inside a temperature-controlled house all day and fully submit to a combination of gaming/reading/TV-marathoning. Just saying.) Without further ado, here’s what’s coming up in August:
Image Description: A gif from the TV series “Golden Girls” of a person spraying themselves with a spray bottle in a kitchen. Source: Giphy.
1000 2nd Ave 1000 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
Join us for daily weekday (M-F) VIGIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS in front of the Seattle ICE office, 1000 2nd Ave (between Spring and Madison in downtown Seattle). We are a group of concerned human beings who gather every day in front of the Seattle offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Many of us are here from 8 to 10 am every workday, but we encourage people to come any time between 8am and 6 pm, or later. Bring your friends. Bring a sign if you can. Our goal is to be a constant visual reminder that we repudiate ICE’s/CBP’s activities. Our presence is peaceful and we are not engaging in civil disobedience. Every day at this address, ICE and CBP agents report to work, and immigrants arrive for hearings at the Seattle Immigration Court on the 25th floor. ICE’s lawyers are on the 29th floor; its investigators, who work in joint task forces with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff under the name of “Homeland Security Investigations,” or HSI, are on the 23rd floor. CBP, also known as the Border Patrol, has its Seattle field office on the 22nd floor. There are also other offices in the building unrelated to immigration enforcement. The U.S. government continues to subject migrants and refugees to an organized campaign of cruelty and abuse. For years, it has broken up families, detained migrants in inhuman conditions, and frustrated the right to asylum. Under President Trump, it has seized children from parents, threatened migrant families with indefinite detention, declared victims of gang violence and domestic violence ineligible for asylum, and slashed the number of refugee admissions. These policies are accompanied by a rhetoric of hate targeting migrants and refugees. Our government’s policies, implemented by ICE and CBP, violate fundamental rights to asylum, due process, and family life. They cause anguish, terror, and lasting psychological harm. They threaten the safety and well-being of children. We will not rest until our government respects the human rights of migrants and refugees. We call on our leaders to end the systematic mistreatment of migrants and refugees. We call on public employees to refuse to implement or assist such mistreatment. We call on our fellow human beings to oppose it with all their might.
Central Cinema 1411 21st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
Presented in collaboration with Pacific Science Center. Join Pacific Science Center and Central Cinema as we show the Disney family favorite “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” paired with a talk by Rae Eaton, research scientist with The Bush Lab and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington. Making Prototypes: Out of the Garage, Into the Lab: Building a shrink ray is harder than it looks. It takes a lot more than a few home tools and wires to turn an idea into a prototype. Rae discusses the challenges home inventors can run into, and explores the benefits a lab offers versus working by oneself in their garage. Rae Eaton is a 4th year graduate student in the University of Washington’s Department of Chemistry and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington. Working under Prof. Matt Bush, Rae designs, constructs, and tests new scientific instruments to understand the shape of proteins and their interactions with other chemicals and proteins, all to help research the causes of and treatments for chronic diseases. Her work focuses on studying current instruments and techniques to maximize the precision and accuracy of these tests. Since a home laboratory is currently out of her price range, Rae spends her free time baking, knitting, and otherwise learning about any craft that involves making things.
The Michael Birawer Gallery – Seattle 1003 1st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
For the month of August we have a killer ‘Double Feature’! Two amazing, fresh, exciting urban artists. Joshua Monuteaux brings us his recycled, re-purposed, mixed media material pop art pieces. Phillipé Ducasse comes at us with emotional, colorful, incredible paintings entitled, “beautifuL sLum”! This is a pretty sweet show and we are over-the-top crazy about it! Yes, you will be too. Come hang out, grab a beverage and meet these two amazing artists. And don’t forget, we got original works by Uyen Tran-Gjerde, Brooke Borcherding, Arlon Rosenoff, Alexandra Wass, Cheryl Zahniser, Patri O’Connor, Keegan Hall, C.A. Pierce. See you all Thursday, August 2!
Jet City Improv 5510 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
Joined by Seattle improvisers Nathan Cox and Alison Luhrs, Mike is bringing the show on the road! For the first hour, they will discuss part of Deathly Hallows, and after intermission, there will be a Q&A!
Peddler Brewing Company 1514 NW Leary Way, Seattle, Washington 98107
Join Exhale Pro-Voice, NARAL Pro-Choice WA and Repro Health Happy Hour Seattle for an afternoon of empowering conversation on reproductive choice and the pro-voice story sharing philosophy. Exhale, an after abortion counseling talkline, has been engaged in listening to callers with abortion experiences for over 15 years. Our pro-voice approach provides the space to listen without judgment and to create a brave and respectful space for our callers. Under the leadership of our new Executive Director, Susan Chorley, we are sharing our pro-voice model through storytelling events and community conversations across the country. The time for open and honest sharing across difference is now. It is through open-hearted conversations and personal stories that we can create community and bridge the abortion divide, using radical empathy and authentic listening. We’re thrilled to be hosted by Peddler brewing company, a family-friendly space with delicious beer on tap and a food truck on site. Join us in the outdoor beer garden for this afternoon of abortion story sharing and conversation.
The Lab at Ada’s 425 15th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112
Join the writers and engineers of Botnik Studios (creators of this predictive text Harry Potter chapter and this computer-generated Coachella poster) along with their friends for a night of readings, sketches, songs and interactive experiments at The Lab. Featuring performances from: Jamie Brew – CEO of Botnik and former head writer at Clickhole Elle O’Brien – Consulting Chief Scientist at Botnik Kai Curtis – Master of Text Scraping at Botnik And special guests! Doors open at 7:00pm, show begins at 7:30pm. Full bar available, 21+ with ID.
Blanche Lavizzo Park 2100 South Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington 98144
A short time from now, in a park very close to here, Hello Earth will bring you the first segment in a galactic saga of rebellion, family, and friendship. Like Outdoor Trek the past seven years, A New Hope uses creative casting and innovative stage techniques to bring this classic film to life! Families welcome. Hot dogs for sale most days. Come join the Rebellion!
1009 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122-3824, United States
Come out and join us for the very first Macabre Market! Celebrate the dark side of life with vendors selling jewelry, art and clothing. The bar will be open! 21+ only, non-smoking. Come be our guests! Our event takes place at The Mercury @ Machinewerks. Mercury is a private club for members and their guests. August vendors include: Half-Caff Crochet City Street Vomit Blessed Beads Jewelry Capybara Cafe Ground by the Sound Bawdy Love Kinky Bricks ScarletRabbit Psychopomp Designs The poshness monster Son of Dawn Icon Alchemy Hidden From The Light Studios Merlyn’s Realm Spirit Boards Tormented Artifacts Miniature Wytche Tarot Swamp Swag Creations Come out and see us!
REBATEnsemble Theatre Group 1900 NW 89th St, Seattle, Washington 98117
Banished from her uncles shiny tech megacorp, Rosalind decides to seek herself (and her father) in the great outdoors, armed with nothing but trail mix, her loyal cousin Celia, and her wit. Disguised as a young man and his sister, the pair ventures out of the city theyve always known into a mystical place known as the Forest of Arden, where they encounter a strange cast of characters, including the lovestruck Orlando, who has escaped to the forest in order to avoid his brothers wrath. Music, poetry, and love unite in this compelling journey of community and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We return to Volunteer Park (where we last played “THE TEMPEST”) for Shakespeare’s famous gender-bender love comedy. Audiences will literally follow Rosalind and Orlando into the “forest of Arden” because, well, why not? “All the world’s a stage” after all. Bring your walking shoes, picnic blankets, and arm chairs and end the summer with us and Shakespeare in the Park! Featuring a score of original songs, dancing, singing and even some Judo. CREATIVE / CAST Director – Megan Brewer Stage Manager – Rebecca Hsia Assistant Director – Hannah Hadjes Costume Design – Amelia Wade Production Manager – Rojo Davis Fight Choreographer – Tom Dang Featuring the talents of: Mara Palma Alanah Pascual Chris Wong Frank Sun Season Qiu Duncan Pound Hannah Prendergast John Han Andrew Forrest Morgan Patton Nick Eveland Buddy Todd Tickets Available at the Door SUGGESTED DONATION: $15 ***For a guaranteed seat, please consider visiting www.rebatensemble.org and registering at the suggested donation price
The Vera Project Warren and Republican, Seattle, Washington 98109
Rainbow Remix is a Family Event for all ages Celebrating LGBTQ+ children & families 🌈❤ Cat Valley https://catvalley.bandcamp.com/ WIGS Dj Christian Science Art by: Kaya Nieves, James Meyers, Fennec Nightingale and Lucia Santos Photos by Jordan Nicholson of Gender Family Alliance for Li’l Woody’s Benefitting: Gender Family Alliance and the Rainbow Book Fund for Seattle Public Schools The Vera Project 6-9 pm $5 *Collecting Period Supplies for One Million Tampons
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
The Hillman City Collaboratory 5623 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, Washington 98118
We’re back! We’ve found an accessible safe place we can regular host letter writing nights in! Join us to write letters to prisoners of war and political prisoners. We’ll also be talking about the upcoming #August21 prisoner strike so bring your questions and enthusiasm about abolishing prisons! This is also a good time to bring any general prisoner support questions you might have. We will also be providing all the supplies. Rain City ABC and Hillman City are committed in providing safe and accessible place. There are two ADA compliant all gender bathrooms. We ask that folx come as scent free as possible and sober. We look forward to seeing you!
Museum of Pop Culture 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109 Seattle Mini Maker Faire is the greatest show (and tell) on earth! Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. You won’t want to miss it!
Seattle Hempfest 3130 Alaska Way, Seattle, Washington 98121
Join us Friday August 17, High noon – 8 PM & Saturday/Sunday August 18 – 19, 10:00 am – 8:00 PM for three days of more freedom than you’ll find anyplace else on earth! Our 4 stages will feature hundreds of bands & speakers to entertain and feed your brain knowledge about cannabis law reform and where we are with our burgeoning legalization. Our Stage Schedules are https://www.hempfest.org/festival/schedule/ Seattle’s Hempfest features ~400 vending booths along 3 gorgeous Seattle waterfront parks. You can check out our Vendor Directory https://www.hempfest.org/festival/directory/ Have you booked your stay yet? Or having trouble to find the best deal? Well, we have you covered! HERE is an accommodation map where you can find the best deals for your stay and being close to the action. Book ASAP! Rooms are filling fast! https://www.hempfest.org/festival/accommodations/ Our new NO WAIT entrance, The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass, is accessible at 3rd Ave W & W Harris Streets just north of Seattle Center. This new entrance has great parking potential being just 4 blocks north of Key Arena. It’ll take you across the busy Elliot & Western Avenues, and drop you right in Main Stage! Take The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass! Do you want a safe and secure place to store your things while you attend Seattle Hempfest? Personal lockers will be available so you can free up your hands and avoid losing any personal items during the fest. They’re only $15 and need to be booked in advance before they sell out! Full info https://www.hempfest.org/festival/locker-rental/ General attendee information https://www.hempfest.org/festival/attendees/ Want to vend? Full info https://www.hempfest.org/get-involved/vending/ Seattle Hempfest is free, but free speech is not. Suggested donation is $10 per day – remember to give as the Hempfest you save is your own!
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Press and media geeks, applications are officially open for GeekGirlCon’18 Press Passes! Whether you’re an independent content creator (YouTuber, Twitch Streamer, blogger, etc.) or a large-media-outlet representative, if you support our mission of celebrating, honoring, and uniting women in STEM, media, arts, and every other geeky pursuit, we’d love to have you help us spread the GeekGirl word. GGC’18 is set to be our biggest year yet, and if you want special press access to all of the geeky fun, turn in your Press Pass request today!
The Fashion Show was one of my favorite events of GeekGirlCon ’17, and we’re excited to be bringing it back for ’18!
GeekGirlCon is a celebration of diversity, and the Fashion Show is no different. We are looking for a diverse group of models to walk the runway sporting the wears of our highlighted designers. This year’s Fashion Show will be held on the evening of October 27, and models will even receive a complementary pass to the convention on Saturday!
There are a couple requirements to becoming a model this year:
Children cannot apply to be a model.
Models must be available before the scheduled start time to prep for the Fashion Show.
Models will need to provide some measurements as a part of their application so that the designers can select models according to the stock they have available.
Applications close July 30 at 9PM PST, so apply online today!
I was going to suggest we collectively agree not to think about how fleeting summer is, but you know what comes after summer? GEEKGIRLCON!
GeekGirlCon ‘18 falls on the weekend of October 27 and 28, and passes are on sale now! Fortunately, we’re still in our early bird pricing period. As it stands now, two-day passes are 45 dollars and one-day passes are 30 dollars. Kid passes (ages 6-12) are 10 dollars each, and littles (ages 0-5) can attend for free! We have so much programming geared at kids, and keeping their passes affordable is really important to us.
Personally, I suggest you snag your passes now, as prices will incrementally increase as we near October. And do remember, we partner with Con or Bust to get passes to people of color who are interested in attending. Check it out!
Once you’ve sorted out your passes, you can take a look at Hotel Max, which is the hotel we set up convention-weekend discounts with each year. If you’re not local, reserving a room there is a cool way to make sure pesky things like commute times and downtown Seattle traffic don’t interfere with all the awesome. The GeekGirlCon ‘18 per-night rate is currently 169 dollars, and the hotel itself is only a couple of blocks away from the conference center. So, great news all around.
That’s all I have for you right now. The bottom line: get your passes, reserve your hotel rooms. We’ll see you in October!
[Image Description: Egon from Ghostbusters nods head while closing a door. The caption reads, “See you then.”] Source: Tenor
Image description: Jo sitting, looking up to where a tan ferret is perched on her head, licking its lips. Source: Jo Lau
In this edition of Hey, Staffer, I’m taking the reigns from Jo (JC) and interviewing her for a change. I have been honored to work for the past year under Jo as a GeekGirlCon Copywriter to her Manager of Editorial Services. Jo has recently transitioned into a new role here at GGC–read on to learn about her new position, her “drunk toddler-puppy hybrid” pets, and plenty more!
Who are you and what do you do at GeekGirlCon?
Hi! I’m Jo, or JC Lau. I’m GeekGirlCon’s Campaign Project Manager! My job is to make sure that our various campaigns are coordinated and that all the different teams that touch them are aligned on how we want to show the world our best side. It involves taking marketing requests from other departments, parsing out the requisite tasks for each marketing team, and then making sure it all gets done. It’s a lot of herding cats, but the cats are lovely and want to make things work out.
