Squirrels are a common sight in Lindley Park, but not in the rural area 10 miles away where Connie Mandeville and her family make their home. The unexpected appearance in the yard of a squirrel they dubbed “Filbert” delighted her children and grandchildren. Because Filbert was alone, they tried to relocate him to a more conventional environment, with quite unexpected results!
Connie is one of 11 presenters at the next PechaKucha Night Wednesday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Ellen Theatre.
In keeping with the downhome, local character of PK, Sam Buenrostro will talk about his new project, Howdy Karaoke. Once a week, Sam drives around Bozeman with three other locals and they take turns singing their favorite Karaoke song. Then, they share something important and positive about the community.
Marjorie Smith, who spent several years as a journalist in the Pacific in the 1960s, will share the remarkable story of Japanese Corporal Shoichi Yokoi, who was serving in Guam during World War II when it was liberated by US troops. Like many others, he fled into the jungle. In 1972, 28 years later, he was finally discovered, completely alone, but still certain he would eventually see the Emperor’s Navy on the horizon, coming back to rescue him.
Building community takes many forms. Bethany Green’s love for Christmas inspired her to serve as Downtown Bozeman Christmas Stroll’s Master of Ceremonies. Her love for the holiday has been tested over the years by family challenges and the death of a brother, but she realizes now that the real Christmas magic is built, brick by brick, by parents and messy families doing their best.
For Noah Pontiff, sports are much less about the scoreboard than about connection and camaraderie. As the owner of Overtime Sports, he tries to create a space where people can find that same sense of belonging through volleyball, kickball, cornhole, flag football and a variety of other activities.
Gabrielle McElwain says she has never been much of a sports person, but an unexpected trip to the Olympics in 2010 completely changed her mind. You don’t need deep pockets or insider access to share in the resilience, pride, heartbreak and joy, Gabrielle says. Since 2010, she has been to Olympics in London, Sochi, Korea and Paris.
One of the many ways to contribute to your community is to be a mentor. Amy Crees, development and outreach manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Big Sky Country, will describe how mentors shaped her development and why she sees it as her life’s mission to make sure kids have the kind of support that changes not only their own outcomes, but the future of their communities.
An important form of mentoring is teaching. Carol Brenner spent 20 years teaching children the 12 key virtues, or superpowers, found in Shakespeare plays to help them develop creativity, confidence, mastery and moral strength, as well as better language skills. In “Finding Bacon in Ham-let,” Carol will speak on the secret wisdom embedded in the plays, the authorship controversy and other thought-provoking topics providing keys to personal and business success.
One of the many lessons from Shakespeare’s plays and well-known myths is that many of the most important things we learn in life occur only after a great tragedy. In “Beyond the Veil: A Journey of Self-Revelation,” Ally Leadbetter, describes how these moments can bring “the uncomfortable shedding of who we thought we were.” These “descents” are often framed as breakdowns, yet well-known myths reveal that they are actually breakthroughs.
Yet another way to play an important role in your local community is to participate in government and educate citizens about how it works. EJ Porth and Jackie Haines, two of seven elected officials on the Gallatin County Local Government Study Commission, will use historical photographs and humor to tell the story of how Montana developed “the most beautiful and progressive constitution in the United States.”
Bozeman is, of course, but a small speck in the world community. Marcus Pearson, who describes himself as a professional lawyer and an amateur lover of maps, will present on “The Longitude Problem: Why Humans Want to Know Where on Earth We Are.” His talk examines how different societies view the world through unique lenses based on their perception of the world around them.
Actor and director Cara Wilder, who emceed PK Bozeman’s first PechaKucha Night 14 years ago, will emcee the November show.
Moka Boutique, 36 West Main Street, is the presenting sponsor.
PechaKucha offers anyone with a passion or a vision--designers, artists, inventors, architects, adventurers, entrepreneurs—an opportunity to share their ideas with the community during a fast-paced, friendly social get-together. There's just one catch—presenters have only 20 slides x 20 seconds each, a total of 6 minutes, 40 seconds!
Tickets are available at theellentheatre.com for $9 (including facility fee). Students may purchase tickets at the door for $5.50.
Also check out other Sports events in Bozeman, Arts events in Bozeman, Theatre events in Bozeman.
