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Chris Worfolk
25-02-2009, 02:20 PM
Exciting times people. We're only a little over 7 weeks away until...

Leeds Rationalist Week 2009

As with every year, this year is going to be our biggest year ever. We've expanded the range of events, the volume of stuff we're doing, the size of the marquee - in general everything is going to be bigger and better. It's certainly going to blow away what the Christian Union and Islamic Society did for their awareness weeks this year.

Details

As many of you will know, we erect a marquee opposite our union and hold everything in there. This year's marquee will be twice as big as last year's so we can actually fit everyone in when we hold the big religious debates and it will also be open 24/7 this year so any time, day or night, that someone wants to pop in for a free hot drink and a chat, we'll be open.

We're really aiming to dispell some of the myths surrounding atheists being bastards, as I've said we'll be doing free hot drinks any time day or night as well as awareness of things like the organ donar's register and hopefully some blood drive stuff too.

Events

We'll be running somewhere in the region of 40 events during the region of 40 events throughout the week so basically any time someone wants to come in, there will be something going on.

Highlights include a number of guest speakers, several debates, some with religious societies on campus, joint events with other important societies such as LGBT, loads of talks, fun stuff like a pub quiz, horror movie marathon and loads more stuff.

Get Involved

As you can imagine it's a mission staffing a tent 24/7 so we're always looking for more people to get involved. Hopefully many of you, at least those societies reasonably close, will be able to make it down for some of the stuff.

If you want to come down and help out that would be fantastic (especially you Oxford, I know you're on holiday that week :p ). We have a travel budget this year so if you want to come down and do some shifts we can pay your travel costs and sort you out with accommodation as well.

If you're thinking of running your own awareness week it would be a fantastic learning experience (I hope, lol) so I would highly recommend you come down if only to see how it's done. So yeah, if anyone can spare some time get in touch.

The Details

It's taking place April 19th - 25th, starting at about noon on the Sunday and running through until about 4am on the Saturday morning when the union's nightclubs have kicked out.

I'll post more details as we start confirming more events and generally getting stuff sorted. It's going to be amazing!

Chris Worfolk
24-03-2009, 01:26 PM
Our timetable has now been finalised...

Sunday
Noon: Sunday lunch
2pm: Setup
7pm: Launch party
10pm: Horror movie night

Monday
6am: Breakfast
10am: Ethical meat
Noon: Introduction to Rationalism talk
2pm: The amazingly improbable universe talk
4pm: Board games
7pm: Gender and Religion talk
9pm: Humanism talk
10pm: Recharge (hot drinks all night)

Tuesday
6am: Breakfast
10am: It's Only Water
Noon: Evolution talk
2pm: Why are evil dictators always atheists? Talk
4pm: Cartoons
7pm: Islam debate
9pm: Dinner party
10pm: Recharge (hot drinks all night)

Wednesday
6am: Breakfast
10am: Pro Life Through Pro Choice
Noon: Talk by Dr. Gijsbert Stoet
2pm: Genome talk
4pm: Pub quiz
7pm: Debate with Christian Union, "this house believes in the power of prayer"
9pm: Band night
10pm: Recharge (hot drinks all night)

Thursday
6am: Breakfast
10am: Organ Donor's Register
Noon: Ask an Atheist (open Q&A)
2pm: Was Jesus an atheist? Talk
4pm: Make your own god
7pm: LGBT event
9pm: Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster service
10pm: Recharge (hot drinks all night)

Friday
6am: Breakfast
10am: Do something amazing - give blood
Noon: Where do atheists get their morals? Talk
2pm: "How to have better sex" talk
4pm: Breaking the superstitions workshop
7pm: Talk by Mike Lake
9pm: Students talk about why they are atheists
10pm: All night debate

ChloeC-F
24-03-2009, 11:03 PM
This is the most epic thing I've ever seen

Chris Worfolk
24-03-2009, 11:48 PM
Heh cheers, it's been slowly coming along for a while now and now that we're only four weeks away I'm starting to get very twitchy lol. We just had the first of our final series of planning meetings tonight, came in at just under two and a half hours which isn't too bad going, though it tripled my to do list lol.

grammar king mike
25-03-2009, 10:48 AM
It does look pret-ty awesome. Might see if I can make it down for a bit of it.

Is that not during your Easter break?

Chris Worfolk
25-03-2009, 12:46 PM
No, it's the first week back for us.

ChloeC-F
25-03-2009, 01:14 PM
Chris. How much do you love me? I want to hear how much.
I just got of the phone to the BBC and they're considering covering Rationalist Week.
(they called about something else but I dropped it in there)

Chris Worfolk
25-03-2009, 01:24 PM
Ha, that's amazing! It would be awesome if they do decide to cover it, this is the kind of publicity the AHS needs, showing students actually getting out there and doing stuff.

Ellis Pugh
25-03-2009, 02:36 PM
Well we're also on hols, but I'll try to come down, and talk some of the exec along too.

Chris Worfolk
16-04-2009, 02:23 PM
Well it's only three days to go! There is a strange mix of excitment and nervousness in the air but I can't wait to get stuck in now, it's going to be amazing.

If anyone does manage to make it down (and I highly recommend you do if only to get some experience of how these events run for running your own awareness week) drop me a call and we can probably get someone to meet you from however you're getting here. Also if you want to stay for a period we can certainly provide somewhere to sleep.

If you can't make it down you can watch the live webcast at pretty much any time day or night (there may be some outages while we offline the generator but these should hopefully be short) on our live webcast at:
http://leeds.atheistsoc.org/webcasts

This should get going sometime on Sunday afternoon and should certainly be up and running for the 7pm launch party.

You can find a full events timable in a slightly prettier format than I posted here on our website at:
http://leeds.atheistsoc.org/rationalistweek

Chris

Jenna
16-04-2009, 04:24 PM
I really love this programme of events, I'd love to be there all week! I really don't think I can come at all though :-( big sad face. I'll see what I can do.
Esp love the evil atheist dictators talk :-)

Chris Worfolk
19-04-2009, 08:43 PM
The live webcast is now online (it has been since about 6:30) for anyone who wants to check it out:
http://leeds.atheistsoc.org/webcasts

There will probably be some drop outs and down time as the university wireless is a bid unreliable but hopefully it should be on for all the events.

ChloeC-F
20-04-2009, 12:34 AM
Good luck Chris! And please let me know about those media things so i can get you some coverage (news article copy, local bbc contacts if you have any)

ChloeC-F
20-04-2009, 10:37 AM
Also, it'd be good to get someone to write a broadsheet comment piece about this. If I'd thought about this properly a few months ago I'd have realised that that would mean inviting a famous dude to RW to give a talk and absorb the atmosphere. Bit late now but could still be done? Would any of your speakers consider writing about it or would you consider inviting a columnist like Sue Blackmore or Ariane Sherine at this late stage? (And maybe adding them to the bill)

AlexMagd
20-04-2009, 11:47 AM
I think we'd be lucky to get a column before the week's out since it's very short notice. Worth a go though eh? :)

ChloeC-F
20-04-2009, 12:30 PM
I didn't intend to get them to write or publish it this week, but it would help if they attended the festival...

Found the YEP article

ChloeC-F
20-04-2009, 03:40 PM
Wahey! BBC central are contacting your local news - trying to interest them in covering the end of the week. Try to wash between now and then if possible :p

Chris Worfolk
20-04-2009, 03:47 PM
Awesome. Yeah the YEP coverage as a nice start. Might be a bit too much of a mission from someone based in London to come up although I can't think of anyone local that would make a suitable alternative.

ChloeC-F
20-04-2009, 03:53 PM
Your local BBC News team. Apparently your regional news is called 'Up t' North' according to London but this seems unlikely to me...
Also, they are, as usual, interested in the fact you had death threats a while back. It always gets them so there you go - i know you're fine at answering questions on it. I've given your number and Norm's.

grammar king mike
20-04-2009, 07:58 PM
I think they mean Look North... heh.

What's YEP? Edit: nvm, found it.

AlexMagd
27-04-2009, 06:38 PM
http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/269

Chris Worfolk
27-04-2009, 07:47 PM
Photos are now online:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2437664&id=197803802&op=6
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2439750&id=197803802&op=6
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2439753&id=197803802&op=6
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2439766&id=197803802

Those are mine. There are also a load more...

Heini: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=638505719&aid=247117
Liz: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=512091224&aid=78130
Liz (part II): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=512091224&aid=78823
Sophie: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=197814454&aid=2438751
Chris H: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=508455085&aid=119594

I'll pick out the best ones and get some hi-res versions for you Alex. Indeed, if you have some kind of memory stick I will bring them down on my laptop on Saturday and save the hassle of having to transfer overly large files.

AlexMagd
27-04-2009, 10:31 PM
I'll try and dig out my USB stick :)

grammar king mike
27-04-2009, 10:36 PM
Looks brilliant, wish I could've come down.