Published: Dec. 1, 2015

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and fall break. I am Sarah Ellsworth: IPHY major, Boulder native, and event connoisseur, writing to you from the comfort of beautiful Ƶ-Boulder on all of your weekly opportunities for community involvement, educational whatnot and supreme fun. As always, enjoy your week!

Wednesday, Dec. 2

December LASP Public Lecture: "The Origins and Mystery of the Aurora."If you’ve always wondered about the aurora borealis, or “Northern Lights,” and how they come about, then wonder no more. Swing by the LASP Space Technology Research Center on East Campus at 7:30 p.m. for a free lecture on the history and science of this incredible natural phenomenon. .

Neptune Mountaineering Beacon and Avalanche Awareness clinics.Weather forecasters are predicting a huge year of snow with El Niño coming, so if you’re planning to do any backcountry skiing this season, you should consider attending Neptune Mountaineering and the Colorado Mountain School’s avalanche and beacon safety clinic. The beacon clinic is at 5 p.m. and the avalanche awareness clinic follows at 6 p.m. at Neptune Mountaineering on 633 S. Broadway (not far from Kittredge). .

Thursday, Dec. 3

Elf movie screening.Program Council presents the will-be-a-classic-one-day holiday movie Elf, starring the hilarious Will Ferrell as one of Santa’s elves. The movie starts at 8 p.m. in Chem 140 and is free for everyone. Wear your ugliest holiday sweater for the Ugly Sweater Contest- there will be prizes. movie screening.

Friday, Dec. 4

Yoga for every student.If the cold leaves you wanting for an inside workout, and the end of the semester rush leaves you wanting for some relaxation, then get thyself down to Flemming 244 between 3 and 4 p.m. for a free yoga session. You will learn stress reducing moves and simple breathing techniques from a certified yoga instructor, and mats will be provided. Just remember to dress comfortably!

Holiday Music Festival 2015.The Ƶ College of Music presents the annual holiday music festival, showcasing some of the tunes of the season we all know and love with choirs, bands, full orchestras, and soloists. Tickets are $15, and I recommend the 7:30 p.m. show in Macky Auditorium because ticket availability is still good! .

Ƶ Swing Dance Winter Formal.Join the Ƶ Swing Dance Group at 7 p.m. for swing dancing lessons for all skill levels directly preceding the 2015 Winter Formal Dance from 8 to 11:30 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom. There will be two live jazz bands to provide the tunes for your swing dancing fun and the event is free to Ƶ students with a Buff OneCard. Don’t forget to wear your classy clothes! .

Saturday, Dec. 5

Cold River City concert.The Fox Theater welcomes the rocking local band at 9 p.m. for another swinging funky bluesy jam sesh! These guys really know how to throw down with some stellar music, so bring your dancing shoes. Tickets start at $12. .

Ice Skating at the Rec.Get to the Rec Center this weekend to ring in the season of winter with a little skating. It’s BYOHC (Bring Your Own Hot Chocolate). Bonus points if you wear a nice costume. Check out the Rec Center website for open skating hours each day. .

Lights of December Parade.Join half of the population of Boulder in opening up the holiday season with the 28th annual downtown Boulder Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. The parade, which features musical groups, boy scout and girl scout troops, local businesses and the occasional random citizen who just loves to make parade floats, spirals throughout Pearl Street Mall and downtown Boulder and is not hard to find. It’s a family friendly parade, so keep it classy. .

Ƶ on the Weekend: "Why Watching Modern Dance Is so Hard: 10 Hot Tips for Finding Pleasure in the Form." Watching modern dance can be extremely confusing. What are they doing? Why are they doing that? What is the hidden symbolism behind that smooth and cool tripping of the light fantastic? Erika Randall unravels these exhilarating mysteries in a 1 to 2:30 p.m. show-and-tell of decoding and enjoying modern dance. It takes place in the Caruthers Biotech Building on the lesser known East Campus. Be there or be square! .