We'll be back soon, kiddos! 12/16/2009
TCN is run by college students, and right now it's finals time. Once this messy and ugly week of tests is over, we'll be back and ready to nerd it up Chicago style. See you soon! Love, ElleJay, Mykie, and Rina ...and we invite you to join us! What better way to show that you are not just ANY nerd but a nerd who cares than by attending a benefit to help lost girls in Africa? Dominican University in River Forest, IL (close to the green line in Oak Park,) will be hosting the Safe at Home Benefit for Lost Girls on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 P.M in the Parmer Atrium. "What is a lost girl, and what the heck is this all about?" you ask. Here's the info straight from the university: " Safe at Home: A benefit for lost girls HNSM 465 Senior Honors Students are pleased to host a benefit for Heshima House, a community based organization for refugee girls in Kenya, Africa. The girls are unaccompanied minors that are forced to live in Nairobi due to the ongoing war in their native land. They have no safe or secure place to truly call home, except for Heshima. In Swahili, the word Heshima means respect, honor, and dignity. This home provides exactly that by devoting time and funds to offer education, counseling, life skills, foster care services and even shelter. "Safe at Home: A benefit for lost girls" will feature guest speakers including Anne Sweeney, Founder of Heshima Kenya. Also included will be a gallery of the girls’ own paintings, other artwork, and photography (also seen in the photos above). All are welcomed and encouraged to attend! “Every child deserves to live with peace and dignity, to believe and rebuild, to belong and feel safe, to live as a child.” Questions? Please contact Mickey Sweeney at msweeney@dom.edu or safeathome@dom.edu " For more details become a fan of the Safe at Home Facebook page. Of course, TCN crew will be there filming, so by coming not only will you become a more informed individual, but you will have the chance to be interviewed by ElleJay! That's right. When you arrive, say you found about the event through TheChicagoNerd.com, and YOU could be in the video that will be posted in our Places to Go section. Just remember folks, REAL jedi don't just walk around with an awesome lightsaber, they help those in need.  Happy October, Nerdlings! 10/14/2009
 Are you getting ready for Halloween nerd style? Do you have a costume so geeky that it will make fellow nerds giggle? Send us your photos! If we think your costume is ridiculous enough, we'll feature it on the site! Here are the rules: 1. Absolutely no nudity please. We like raw nerdiness but not THAT raw. 2. Be respectful. TheChicagoNerd.com loves all different kinds of people. Anything offensive will not be considered. 3. Be creative and have fun... ...and when you're ready, email me (ElleJay) at ellejay@thechicagonerd.com. Winning entries will be posted on November 2nd, so please email us by November 1st. In the meantime, go forth and be ghoulishly geeky! Nerds at Heart! 09/15/2009
Want to find out how nerds in Chicago find love? Our interview with Nerds at Heart is in our Places to Go section so you can learn the awkward ways of geeky dating. Rina Cali experienced it first hand by participating in the game-board competition glory. Here's what she had to say: "If you’re like me, casual conversation with the opposite sex is feasible (maybe… on a good day), but having the guts to make a move on someone you’re attracted to? HIGHLY improbable. I just can’t do it! I freeze up, stutter, and/or do something embarrassing – robbing me of what little courage I may have had. (Sometimes, I wish they offered a how-to class on the subject as part of my university’s curricula.) Luckily, with the help of the lovely ladies behind “Nerds at Heart,” the process isn’t as daunting as it would normally be. Julia Borcherts and Bathsheba Birman, who started the “Nerds at Heart” dating service back in 2006, implemented a simple yet inspired concept: Get singles into a room together + Have them play board games = People get to know each other in an unthreatening and fun way. Genius! Throw in prize giveaways and a free cocktail or two and you have the makings of a good time. So far, “Nerds at Heart” events – which include dating for straight, gay, and lesbian nerds – are offered throughout the year on a semi-regular basis at different venues around Chicago (though recently, they have started holding Twin Cities events as well). As part of TheChicagoNerd team, I was lucky enough to attend one of them this past August at the Holiday Club – a quirky retro bar/lounge in Wrigleyville. When I arrived at the venue that night, I filled out a name tag and received a pocket protector as a free gift at the door. (Sweet! I’ve never actually had a pocket protector before.) I ordered my cocktail (an Amaretto Sour), and checked out the prize table while waiting for other people to arrive. Some of the fun prizes included: tickets to theater shows, Japanese manga, a tattoo poetry kit (think of magnetic poetry but for your body and not a fridge), an umbrella hat, a measuring tape and pen combo, chemistry lab equipment stencils, etc. (P.S. I was a little miffed that I didn’t get to win any of the prizes, but oh well…) As people started filing in, I also started feeling my social anxiety kicking in. You know that feeling you get at a school dance when everyone is standing around and not talking much while the music is playing? (Yeah. Awkward.) But after a few more sips of my drink, I went up to another wallflower, started a conversation, and began feeling more at ease. (I wouldn’t recommend getting shwasted at this function, but to each his own.) Soon, Julia and Bathsheba officially started the evening's program and broke the ice with a quick trivia round that determined who was the nerdiest of us all. (Lol.) We then broke off into tables predetermined by the number on our name tags. At each table, there were a variety of games to choose from, but we stealthily stole "Apples to Apples" from another table. (Epic win!) It's a great game. Any number of people can partake. Plus, the noise level doesn’t detract from game play, unlike say “Catch Phrase” would have. After a quick break and a trivia round, we were mixed up into different tables for another round of games and prizes for the winners. I liked this system since I was given the opportunity to play with a mostly new group of people. (Strangely, by a random fluke, three people from my previous game ended up at the same table with me yet again. What are the odds?) Once the festivities officially ended, the location reverted back to the normal bar setting. This was the best time to talk to the individuals I didn't get a chance to before and/or exchange contact information with. (FYI: Unlike speed dating, you still have to take the effort to ask for another person’s number.) Overall, I had a great time! If you feel uncomfortable going at it alone, going with a friend or two makes the night flow easier. Just don’t use them as a crutch. You’re there to meet and mingle with new people after all. You don’t want to have a missed connections moment. That happens too much in everyday life (at least for me), so if you feel a spark with someone, go for it! " Thanks, Rina! TheChicagoNerd team is in awe of your great bravery! Now, my nerdlings, get out of here and watch the video! Our Next Place of The Week Is... 08/25/2009
...clearly the best speed dating service that has ever existed. Are you looking for love in all of the "cool" places? Psssh, no wonder why you haven't found the right person for you! If you're a nerd, it's only logical that you should have a nerdy mate, right? Nerds at Heart, a nerd-o-centric speed dating service, will help you find your true love! In fact, we'll be there on Thursday to show you just how easy and fun it is. Don't worry, everyone there is just as awkward as you are.  Once you've seen the footage... 08/06/2009
Why not take a closer look at The Hollywood Mirror by taking a trip to the Gallery? (Hint: the question's rhetorical. Go look, you fool!) SWEET VICTORY IS OURS... 08/01/2009
over the numerous technical difficulties we were experiencing! Wahoo! Which means...oh yes, the interview with The Hollywood Mirror will be up tonight! We just finished the editing and are currently working on uploading it to YouTube now. Our next Place to Go is in the works, and we will let you know once we reach a final decision. Live long and nerdy my friends! The Hollywood Mirror... 07/15/2009
...was all kinds of awesome. We can't wait for you to see all the fun we had. Okay! Break Over! 07/08/2009
 Just a short delay... 06/27/2009
We've been having some trouble getting back in contact with our next feature, but we will keep you updated as soon as we know what is going on. | ellejayyour techie extraordinaire ArchivesDecember 2009 |
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