Thursday, April 13 through Saturday, April 15: 23rd Annual Hopes Conference at the UO School of Allied Arts and Architecture (1206 University St.), 12-8 p.m., free

The theme of the 23rd Annual Hopes Conference is displacement, specifically the global displacement of resources, populations and natural rights. Each panel, workshop, speaker and social mixer will base discussion around how and where to intervene “amid these conditions of change,” and how to harness “opportunities of displacement to cultivate more resilient systems.” 

The main panel is “Divided Cities: Modern Gentrification” hosted by University of Oregon student group STAnDD [Supporting the Advancement of Diversity in Design]. Speakers and hosts include a variety of design professionals, including design principal at NYC-based studio SCAPE Gena Wirth; agriculturalist and soil physician James Cassidy; and United States High Commissioner for Refugees head of the CCCM unit Andrew Cusack. There is also a dinner gathering on Saturday night to close the conference, catered by Falling Sky Brewery. All events are free and open to the public.

-Casey Miller

Thursday and Friday, April 13 and 14: Eugene Symphony: ‘The Damnation of Faust’ at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (7th and Willamette) 8 p.m., $22-$68.25, student discounts available

The Eugene Symphony will be performing the works of classic French composer Hector Berlioz through its modernized performance of “The Damnation of Faust.” The performance will feature the Eugene Symphony Chorus performing in tandem with a display of digital imagery created by the Harmonic Laboratory.

“The Damnation of Faust,” a story of seduction and damnation, is a pseudo-opera that has long defied classification and has historically been difficult to perform. Modern musicians have strived to recreate the performance as Berlioz originally envisioned it using modern technology and techniques.

You can learn more about the performance at eugenesymphony.org.

-Mathew Brock

Friday, April 14: Light Up the Night Bike Ride (1225 East 18th Ave.), 7-9 p.m., Free

If you are looking for a bike ride unlike any other, the UO Outdoor Program will be a hosting a nighttime ride with all bikes decked out in colorful lights on Friday evening just before sunset. The ride will start on campus and weave over to Alton Baker Park to see the sunset along the river. This event is free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to gather at the Outdoor Program Barn to get strobe lights and reflectors on their bikes before the ride. The group will also start the evening ride from the Outdoor Program Barn.

For more information about the ride or other UO outdoor program events, visit the outdoor program website at www.outdoorprogram.edu.

-Leanne Harloff

Saturday, April 15: Ab-Soul at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave), 9 p.m., tickets $23 advance, $27 at the door, $65 for Meet & Greet

L.A.-born rapper Ab-Soul (Herbert Anthony Stevens IV) has made a name for himself by being abstract and unexpected. After signing with the rap powerhouse label Top Dawg Entertainment in 2007, he released four commercially successful albums and received praise for his varied musical style. One-fourth of the Black Hippy supergroup (which includes Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy-Q), Ab-Soul’s production and lyrical content manage to mix the mainstream and metaphysical. His latest project, “Do What Thou Wilt.,” showcases his skill behind the mic while tackling issues of drug use and religion (often in the same song). 

Ab-Soul’s existential, heady style will captivate those looking outside the conventions of popular rap when he comes to Eugene’s WOW Hall on Saturday. Expect a night of philosophical bangers.

Tickets are available here: http://www.wowhall.org/events/ab-soul-nick-grant

–Dana Alston

Tuesday, April 18: Worn Wear at Lillis Business Complex, (955 E 13th Ave), 1o a.m.–5 p.m.

UO’s Net Impact chapter has helped arrange for Patagonia’s clothing repair truck to make a stop at UO. The outdoor-wear company has sent its clothing repair truck to visit colleges across the nation in order to help educate students on how to repair old clothing. The campaign’s mission is to inspire a community that focuses on repurposing, reusing and reducing waste of all kinds. Clothing repair technicians will be fixing all types of clothing — with the exception of backpacks and shoes — and from any brand. 

The repair truck will be stationed in front of the Lillis Business Complex following a sustainable consumption conference hosted by Patagonia’s own Rick Ridgeway. A variety of other UO outdoor programs are set to accompany the repair truck on Tuesday. Those who have clothing that needs to be repaired or recycled, but can’t make it to next week’s event can send their items into Patagonia through its website at Patagonia.com/worn-wear . 

-Zach Price

The post Things to do this week: Annual Hope Conference, Light Up the Night Bike Ride and Ab-Soul at WOW Hall appeared first on Emerald Media.