If You Go
Who: Bill Nye the Science Guy
Where: Goldstein Auditorium
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
How Much: $5 for students, $8 for general public
Bill Nye may be the only scientist to own approximately six dozen ties - and along with his quirky attire, the scientist and television star also will bring his multiple personalities to Syracuse tonight.
Nye, a scientist, engineer, comedian, author, actor and inventor, is debuting at Goldstein Auditorium at 7 p.m. The Society of Physics Students, which is sponsoring the event, recognizes that Nye is a man with a mission to help make science entertaining and accessible.
The "Science Guy" plans to give an engaging, scientific presentation that will conclude with a question-and-answer session, said the group's president Jessica McIver.
"It will be just like watching his show, except not broadcast on TV," said the junior physics and magazine journalism major.
Nye intends to supplement his presentation with tech-savvy visuals and sound effects. However, safety issues will prevent him from conducting any experiments.
Expectations for the event are high. Students have been bombarding the Schine Box Office since tickets went on sale March 5 to see the childhood icon who still rides his bike to work.
"Last year, my high school wanted to bring Bill Nye to speak to students," said Lindsay Kulkin, a freshman bioengineering major. "But our science research department couldn't afford to bring him to the yearly symposium."
"That's one the benefits of being part of a large institution like Syracuse - we get to see amazing speakers like this. I've only heard good things about him."
Kulkin's bioengineering seminar was pushed back an hour tonight to allow students to see Nye.
When the box office closed for the day at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, more than 1,000 tickets had been sold, McIver said. Almost 500 alone were sold in the first three days tickets went on sale.
"Students should hurry to buy tickets," said Carl Goodrich, vice president of The Society of Physics Students and a junior physics and math major. "People are eating [the tickets] up."
The show is expected to sell out all 1,500 seats, especially since local high school teachers are purchasing tickets for their science classes. SU students had first grabs, but sales opened to the general public last Wednesday.
Nye, formerly an engineer at Boeing, became "Bill Nye the Science Guy" on the Seattle comedy show "Almost Live." His quirky science series has won 28 Emmys in five years. He's well worth the $25,000 that the Student Association allocated for the event, said McIver.
The doors open tonight at 6:15, and The Society of Physics Students advises ticket holders to arrive as early as possible. Seating will be first-come, first-serve.
mehess@syr.edu
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