Sci-fi meets education at BabelCon

By Stephen Sharp

Science fiction and fantasy lovers will be treated to a weekend of fun and knowledge as the third edition of BabelCon will take place this weekend at the Holiday Inn Select in Baton Rouge, La. The event is sponsored by the Science and Engineering Education Foundation.

Sydney Lejeune, the treasurer and one of the founding board members of BabelCon, said that the purpose of the event is to use pop culture from the science-fiction and fantasy genres to teach people, including those as young as 5 years old, about different fields of science.

The name BabelCon is derived from the "Babel Conference," a meeting of diplomats in the popular television series "Star Trek.” The two-day event will run from 10 a.m. Saturday until 5 p.m. Sunday.

The event's guest speakers will be highlighted by "Battlestar Galatica" mainstay Richard Hatch, who plays Apollo in the current series. LSU professors Robin Roberts and Geoff Clayton will also be presenters.

Registration is open at the convention’s Web site, http://www.babelcon.org, and tickets are available at the door of the event.

The Science and Engineering Education Foundation was founded by four volunteers, including Lejeune, who felt that not enough people, especially children, were taking an interest in science and engineering. They began this convention two years ago in the hopes of raising awareness in these fields through the popular media, including television shows, movies, books, games and other outlets.

Several convention "tracks" will be available for attendees to follow, each with its own theme. The tracks include science fiction, paranormal, science, anime and gaming. The convention will also offer activities for children, a Renaissance fair and merchandise for sale.

In 2007, 450 people attended the convention, and organizers estimate that number will increase to between 800 and 1,200 for this year’s event.

The Holiday Inn Select is located at 4728 Constitution Ave.