Although only 6 years old and getting ready to enter first grade at St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic school in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, Olivia was given special permission to attend the camp that is designed for rising 2nd to 4th graders. That is because despite her young age, Olivia is already so passionate about becoming an astronaut that she is learning to speak Russian so she can communicate on the International Space Station and plays soccer and field hockey to ensure she will have the necessary physical stamina.

The Belicove family, transplants to New Albany, Indiana, from Rochester, New York, discovered Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium soon after moving to the area. Olivia had been enamored with all things space since she was just 4 years old and watched the “Ready Jet Go!” PBS Kids show that introduces children aged 3 to 8 to space, earth science and technology.

Olivia became a frequent GSH&RP visitor, using money she received at Christmas to buy a family membership. When Olivia went to the Women’s History Month keynote presentation at the planetarium in March, she met the speaker, Sophia Mitchell, a NASA aerospace engineer and Louisville native. Sophia spent a great deal of time talking with Olivia, encouraging her to pursue her dreams. She gave Olivia her email address in order to stay in touch.

Olivia is using the children’s book “Astronaut’s Handbook” to plot her course. Rather than cartoons, she prefers to watch major space events on television such as NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson making her record-breaking spacewalk or the SpaceX Dragon docking with the ISS in the wee hours of the morning. When the family asked Olivia where she wanted to go on vacation this year, rather than opting for Disney World, she chose the Kennedy Space Center, where she got to meet astronauts and watch lots of space videos.

During camp this summer, Olivia bonded with camp leader and planetarium educator Brenna Ausbrooks, who has her bachelor of science degree in physics with an emphasis in astrophysics, a master of arts degree in teaching in high school physics and is working on her doctorate in curriculum development.

“Next summer cannot come soon enough for Olivia to go to camp again,” said Olivia’s mom, Jamie.

The author is Paula McGuffey, assistant director of GSH&RP.

Tonight, all graduate students are invited to the Graduate Student Council’s Halloween Party at 8 p.m. at Hopcat, 1064 Bardstown Rd. This event includes free food and a costume contest with prizes.

The Student Activities Board is hosting the classic fright film, “Dawn of the Dead” on Saturday beginning with a 2 p.m. showing at The Floyd Theater. The movie follows a growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead.

On Saturday, the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium is hosting its Fright Light Halloween Party from 1-4 p.m. Cost is $5 per person and includes treats for the kids and a laser music show featuring songs such as the “Monster Mash,” “Purple People Eaters” and more. Showtimes are 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Other activities run from 1-3:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Oct. 29, go trick or treating with the Greeks. The fraternity and sorority life community at UofL invites all faculty, staff and students to bring their children to a safe and fun Halloween extravaganza from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Community Park. The event will include food and trick or treating along Greek Row.

Join the University Writing Center and the White Squirrel Literary & Arts Magazine on Halloween night, Tuesday, from 7-8:30 p.m. for an evening of scary stories. This is an “open mic” event in Ekstrom Library’s University Writing Center (first floor), so bring your favorite and original scary stories and poems to share. Costumes are welcome, and candy will be provided. There will also be a six-word scary story contest with a prize.

Also on Oct. 31, the University Symphony Orchestra will host its Halloween Spooktacular. The concert, at 8 p.m. in Comstock Hall, will be directed by Kimcherie Lloyd, and will include a variety of spooky song favorites.

Finally, show off your jack-o-lantern carving/decorating skills for a chance to win a prize. Submissions can be made either by using the hashtag #Cardoween on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or by emailing photos to ultoday@louisville.edu.

UofL’s Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium is offering a of the film before it officially debuts on KET in August.

Preview times are: July 23 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and July 27 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free but and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Rauch Planetarium is one of just two Kentucky locations offering the preview (the other is Eastern Kentucky University’s Hummel Planetarium).

“The Farthest” will be shown on KET Aug. 23 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) and on KET2 Aug. 24 at the same times.

The film marks the 40^th anniversary of the mission. The story of the Voyager’s two ships — each with less computing power than a cellphone — provides details on how scientists used slingshot trajectories to send them to the fringes of our solar system, employed aluminum foil to protect them from radiation, overcame near disasters at launch and equipped the ships with “gifts” just in case they were discovered by aliens.

Before the Louisville preview screening, viewers will also be treated to a brief immersive flight through our solar system using technology unique to UofL’s planetarium.

The Johns Hopkins University professor, also former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is known for his science diplomacy work with other countries.

Agre’s free, public, general-interest talk about “Bridging Science and Society: Advocating for Human Rights and Diplomacy While Fighting Disease Worldwide” will begin at 12:30 p.m. May 9 in Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium.

The Chemistry Graduate Student Association in the College of Arts and Sciences sponsors the annual Derbytime lecture series with Clariant, a Switzerland-based chemical company with operations in Louisville. Students invite the lecturer to attend the Kentucky Derby with them.

“CGSA is pleased to host Dr. Agre as the 2017 Derby Lecturer, not only due to his vast scientific achievements but also for his unique experiences in science diplomacy across the globe,” said Kelsey Kaht, CGSA president. “This is a perfect mix for our Derby Lecture Series because we encourage the entire Louisville community to come together to appreciate science, and we think that is easily achieved through Dr. Agre as his work expands beyond the typical lab bench.”

Agre led visits of U.S. scientists to Iran, Myanmar, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to foster collaborations on peaceful science projects and disease eradication in attempts to reduce tensions between countries.

The professor is director of Johns Hopkins’ Malaria Research Institute. He won the famous chemistry prize in 2003 with Roderick MacKinnon. Agre was recognized for his discovery of aquaporins, which channel water molecules rapidly through cell membranes in animals and plants.

His more technical talk, “Aquaporin Water Channels: From Atomic Structure to Malaria,” will begin at 1:30 p.m. May 8, also at the planetarium.