Tweet

CSI at SCI was the latest installment of Mixology Night at the Science Center of Iowa. There were a couple of bright spots, but at the end of the day even the presence of alcohol was not enough to turn the CSI themed event into the potentially fun night it could have been.

One of the things that the science center got right was the decent variety of beer and mixed drinks that weren’t outrageously priced. There were at least ten different beers to choose from that cost no more than $4 and the mixed drinks were better than expected for only $5.

The other major part of the night that went well and actually fit the CSI theme was the presentation of what a real crime scene investigator does. The presenter showed the audience many interesting facets of his job via PowerPoint slideshow.

One of the most disappointing aspects of Mixology Night was the music. DJ Cosmo was out of touch with the crowd’s demographics. He played older music from the 80s, which was fine earlier in the night when the crowd had older couples there. The problem was he did not adapt to his audience later in the night, which were much younger. The music was at its best when DJ Cosmo went on his hour-long break.

Most of the exhibits were open to the paying visitors, except for the Star Theater and the IMAX Theater, which was a letdown since the exhibits that were open did not correlate well with an adult-themed event such as Mixology Night. The event was supposed to be a fun night for couples to enjoy, but the exhibits were still set up in a way that would appeal more to kids on a field trip than adults looking to go on a date.

For example, the Geometry Playground was obviously set up in a way that tried to expose kids to math concepts in a more exciting manner. This type of exhibit became unappealing to me because I wasn’t at the Science Center to learn; I was there to have a good time. The same problems occurred in the “what on earth?” and “when things get moving” exhibits. They were obviously geared towards kids, and that was counter-effective to Mixology Night.

The latest version of Mixology Night did not live up to its intended purpose. The event was intended to be a hip place for couples to have a few drinks and enjoy a more thought-provoking night together. That’s a good goal, but in order to be successful there must be an understanding of the target audience. CSI at SCI did not really seem to reflect this at all, as shown by the lack of rock-solid entertainment and the general boredom that accompanied it.