Updates All Over...

There are many, many things going on at the Beagle right now, and I thought that I'd take a minute here to lay out a few of them for you, faithful reader:

New look website: the H.M.S. Beagle website has been updated to make it easier to navigate and use. If you have questions, comments, or problems, let me know via email - I've got a second generation of improvements planned, but this framework had to go in place first.

Social Networking: we've expanded our presence on Facebook and Twitter. The Twitter updates also fold neatly back into both the main website and this blog (they're over there on the right). Follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and keep up with all of the latest happenings at the Beagle. And make certain that you let us know if you became a fan, read the blog, or saw the main website after clicking through our advertisement on Facebook - it'll help us to keep track of how effective those adverts are!

Workshops, Workshops, Workshops: under the Events / Activities tab on the website, you'll find all of the things that we're doing, including the Events Calendar, with all sorts of useful information; updates on our Astronomy-related activities, including Star Parties, Telescope Basics Workshops, and Star-Hopping Workshops; additionally, we have Workshops in Chemistry, Electronics, Robotics, Rocks & Minerals, and Rocketry planned for the summer, take a look at those listings as well!

Fossil Digs: we're very, very excited about our upcoming Fossil Digs, including our First Trilobite Jam in Delta, Utah this July, and our usual Science Club fossil digs in June. Make sure that you plan to attend, and let us know via email if you have questions!

Special Events: right now, we're delighted to be planning a party on a Sunday, 11 April 2010 for Yuri's Night, and international celebration of manned spaceflight (sadly, I'll be out of town for this, but I'm hoping we'll get to swing by the one in San Francisco). The Beagle's Yuri's Night fun will include a showing of "October Skies", free rocket launches (bring your rocket!) in association with the Kansas City Rocketry Association (KCAR), and an evening of star-gazing with Leif! All of this fun is free for the whole family (weather permitting, of course); check out our Special Events Page for more information.

So that's what we've been doing, instead of writing blog entries... There's a great deal going on at the Beagle, and we hope that you'll stop in, sign up, and support us in continuing to provide great science-based activities in the Kansas City area!

High School Students' Science Alliance Update

I've asked David Dunalewicz, our roving high school correspondent / part-time lackey (don't worry, David, I'm a lackey too), to provide his impressions on "how it went", with regard to the High School Students' Science Alliance meeting which was held last Monday. He's provided this assessment:

"The recently formed High School Students' Science Alliance had their very first meeting on January 11th. We had a very nice turnout, and we got a lot decided about how the group will operate in the future. Those in attendance engaged in a discussion on one of the Beagle's favorite scientists-Charles Darwin-and enjoyed a one hour insight into his fascinating life, and how his observations and research completely changed science forever. We are happy to say that this meeting was a very successful start to the Science Alliance, and we look forward to expanding the group in the future."

This being an undertaking largely by-and-for the high school set, it's a Facebook-driven sort of thingy. So be sure to take a look at the HSSSA (surely there's an entertaining acronym there somewhere) group, or to check out the Beagle's own large-looming Facebook entry, and find out what's going on. You can also email us at the Beagle, or check the Beagle's website. After all, it's what all the really cool* kids are doing...

Congratulations to David and everyone involved, and here's to hopes for many more successful meetings to come!

* "cool" here defined as "those who almost definitely will not have a future career involving frozen slabs of ground beef". Not strictly an OED definition, but you get the point.