Green Fix
Gary Griggs ‘Perils in Paradise’
Paradise comes with a price. Santa Cruzans are slowly beginning to realize this, as the climate continues to wreak havoc with floods, earthquakes, landslides and coastal storms. Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Director of the Marine Sciences at UCSC Gary Griggs will explain how Santa Cruz is just an adolescent in geologic time, with a constantly changing landscape. Griggs will explore how our past can provide insights into the future and whether or not paradise will be a safe place to live.
Info: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. santacruzmuseum.org. $15.
Art Seen
Power Hour of Fun
How many high-fives can you give in a minute? Find out at cheerleader-in-chief Elise Granata’s wildly popular annual event to bring people together. You’ll get prompts like when to yell, speed-draw, laugh in groups, and even play hide-and-go-seek at the Museum of Art & History with 150 other people. Granata says it’s a life-changing experience, and this year, armed with a bubble gun and gold spandex, she’s bringing it to the next level.
Info: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20. Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $5-$10.
Thursday 1/19
Sierra Club Santa Cruz ‘Adrift on the Colorado River’
Learn all about the history of the Grand Canyon with biologist and outdoorswoman Haven Livingston—a field biologist, whitewater kayak instructor, writer, artist, rock climber and outdoor guide—through a fun float down the Colorado River, and journey through biological, cultural and geologic time. Ever wondered what weeks of immersion into one of this nation’s deepest canyons can do to your body and soul? Find out through Livingston’s 240-mile kayaking journey.
Info: 6:30 p.m. Live Oak Grange Hall, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. Free.
Friday 1/20
Roxane Gay ‘Difficult Women’
She’s the winner of the 2015 PEN Center USA Freedom to Write Award, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and nominee for the NAACP Image Award for Literary Work and frequent New York Times columnist. Roxane Gay has been carving out her space in the world of intersectional works of art, and with Difficult Women, brings it to new heights. Difficult Women tells the story of privilege, haunting, marriage, impersonation, fight clubs, strippers, spies and more.
Info: 6:30 p.m. Veterans Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com. $28.
Friday 1/20
Inauguration Day General Strike
On Jan. 20, people across the United States and 30 cities will walk out of schools, step off the job, and come out of their homes in a nationwide general strike.They’re coming together to say no to a Trump presidency, boycott the inauguration, and support inclusive communities, climate action and collective organizing. Students will be marching from UCSC and other local schools to arrive at the clock tower at noon, which will be followed by an afternoon of workshops, art in action, music, teach-ins and a general assembly.
Info: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Town Clock Park Santa Cruz, 101 Water St., Santa Cruz. facebook.com/GeneralStrikeSC. Free.
Tuesday 1/24
24 Steps to a Successful Start-Up
How do you create a product that will solve a problem? How can you enhance your community? If you’re the type looking to use your skills and passion for change, MIT’s 24-step framework for finding product-market fits can help find a customer-vetted solution to a Santa Cruz problem. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, participants can learn the first step of “market segmentation and customer discovery” with light food and drinks from Big Wave BBQ. RSVP at the website.
Info: 6 p.m. The Satellite Flexible Workspace & Digital Media Studio, 325 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. meetup.com/de24sc. Free.
Wednesday 1/25
Vibrant Food, Vibrant Life
We know, we know—it’s mid-January and sticking to those resolutions is rough. That’s why Beth Love, author of Tastes Like Love, is going to lead you through experiential exercises to help get clear about your biggest dietary challengers, what you want instead, and next steps to move toward your goals. Love will teach about the benefits of whole foods and plant-based diets, present strategies for improving health and debunk common myths. Registration required
Info: 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Dominican Hospital-Rehabilitation Services, 610 Frederick St., Santa Cruz. 607-1374. diginityhealth.org. Free. Advance registration required.
Update 1/20/17 9:42 a.m.: Time corrected for ’24 Steps to a Successful Start-Up’.
Update 1/20/17 12:55 p.m.: Time corrected for ‘Vibrant Food, Vibrant Life’.
