Thursday, Feb. 16: Play Reading: “The Fruit Stand” by Sravya Tadepelli at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (1430 Johnson Ln.), 4 p.m., free
Political science major and playwright Sravya Tadepelli wrote “The Fruit Stand” in response to the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, North Carolina. The play’s events are fictionalized accounts of a conversation between governor Nikki Haley and two lawmakers, one white and one black. The play discusses issues like racism and violence in the aftermath of the shooting. There will be a talkback with the playwright and others involved after the reading.
“The Fruit Stand” will also be staged as a part of University Theatre’s showcase of student-written plays in March, so this reading at the JSMA will serve as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
For more information, visit the museum’s website.
-Sararosa Davies
Friday, Feb. 17: Dimond Saints at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave), 9 p.m., tickets $15-$20
Electric DJ duo Dimond Saints will be returning to Eugene for the second time since forming in 2013. Based out of the Dimond district in East Oakland, the group is comprised of Acid-Crunk specialist An-ten-nae and prolific beat-maker Releece. Although the duo have mostly remained in the underground EDM scene, they’ve already made a significant impact on the electronic music community. The group performed at music festivals such as Symbiosis and Lighting in a Bottle in 2016.
The EDM duo is currently touring in support of their recently released third studio album, “Prism in the Dark.” The 14-track record features vocals from electronic-pop singer Yaarrohs and Los Angeles DJ HAANA.
Portland DJ Pacific Patterns, who is known for his electrifying live performances, will open for Dimond Saints.
Find tickets online or at the UO ticket office.
-Zach Price
Friday, Feb. 17: Free Speech on Campus: A Challenge for Our Times at Knight Law Center (1515 Agate St.), 4 p.m., free
Free speech is a topic that is increasingly at the forefront of discussion, not only at the University of Oregon but also across the U.S. This event, put on by the UO Law School, will be centered around the interplay between academic freedom and first amendment rights; it will touch on localized issues such as the blackface incident, but will also expand toward a broader conversation of first amendment rights and censorship.
Geoffrey R. Stone, the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor from the University of Chicago, will be speaking at the event and will examine these issues surrounding free speech. While examining the history of academic freedom, Stone will also address how universities can facilitate a mutual respect on the basis of community and first amendment rights.
For more information, visit the UO events calendar.
-Carleigh Oeth
Saturday, Feb. 18 and Saturday Feb. 19: 32nd Annual Oregon Asian Celebration at Lane Events Center, (796 W 13th Ave), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., $6-$10, free for children under 12 and students
The 32nd Annual Oregon Asian Celebration is a two-day festival that will feature a wide array of festivities and performances. Cooking demonstrations from various regions will begin at almost every hour, and there will also be a couples Canoodle noodle eating competition beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday. For couples wishing to compete, there will also be children’s room where they can practice Gyotaku fish print making with members of the JSMA.
At 5:25 p.m. on Friday, Tirta Tari, a Balinese dancing group from Lane Community College will dance the Legong Kutir, a 200-year-old dance. University of Oregon’s Ahiru Daiko club will demonstrate Japanese Taiko drumming at 2:10. You can also see various martial arts performances, a fashion show, a dragon puppet show and a Chinese Lion Dance.
For more information, visit http://asiancelebration.org/
-Craig Wright
Wednesday, Feb. 22: Building Telescopes at Lokey Laboratories (1443 E. 13th Ave.), 7 p.m., free
If you’ve ever wondered how to construct a homemade telescope, wonder no more. Renowned telescope builder Jerry Oltion will be giving a lecture in the Prince Science Commons Visualizations Lab. During the one-hour lecture, Oltion will be discussing how to build telescopes at home: what materials are needed, how to use it once completed and what it will enable you to see.
In addition to being an editor of an amateur telescope-making column in the Sky and Telescope journal, Oltion is also an award-winning science-fiction writer. Next Wednesday, reach for the stars by joining Oltion to learn how to forge your own view into the universe.
To learn more, visit https://library.uoregon.edu/oltion_telescope_workshop.
