Death-defying outdoorsman to open Galaxy Series

Aron Ralston of Boulder, Colo., whose book “Between a Rock and Hard Place” inspired the movie “127 Hours,” will appear in the Memorial Hall auditorium Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.

Ralston made national headlines in 2003 after escaping the weight of a half-ton boulder by severing his right forearm with a dull pocketknife. Not only did he escape from the boulder, he applied a tourniquet and found the strength to hike and rappel for five hours through Blue John Canyon before searchers in a helicopter rescued him.

Aided by radical prosthetic devices that he helped design, Ralston has expanded his adventures to the world’s great peaks, deserts and rivers. He lays claim to being the only person to have solo-climbed all 59 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot-high mountains in winter; the only person with a disability to have skied from the summit of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain; and the first amputee to row a raft through the Grand Canyon.

Ralston’s book of the life-altering experience qualified for New York Times’ list of best-sellers. The movie, directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and three Golden Globes.

Ralston’s presentation is just one of five outstanding events scheduled for this season of the Galaxy Series.

The other Galaxy Series event this fall is the Kenya Safari Acrobats’ show “Lost in Africa” on Nov. 8. Described as a spectacle for the eyes, ears and the heart, the show features “death defying stunts, comedy, audience participation and heart-pounding music” targeted to all ages.

The spring semester schedule has a touch of local flavor, with a Feb. 17 afternoon concert by pianist Dr. James Margetts, CSC associate professor of music. Margetts will perform on the first piano purchased by the college, a 1919 Steinway, that was recently refurbished with the financial support of retired CSC music professor Dr. Jackson Hammitt and his wife, Peg.

Other performances include renowned vocalist Terry Barber on Feb. 7 and New York-based music and comedy group The Water Coolers on March 21.

All Galaxy Series events are in Memorial Hall. To ensure seating, ticket reservations are encouraged by contacting the CSC box office at boxoffice@csc.edu or 308-432-6207.