“Our destiny beyond the Earth is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security.”
President Donald Trump’s statements to the National Space Council in June were meant to be taken seriously. But some, like Danny Hughes, owner and operator of Loosey’s Downtown Gainesville, feel differently.
At 9 p.m. Friday, Loosey’s will host Space Force Recruitment Night. Admission for the event costs $5, and it will feature a costume contest, drink specials and musical performances from The Mermers, Cartridge Carnage and Jason Guy Smiley.
For Hughes, the event is not so much a grandiose statement as it is an opportunity for levity in an otherwise black hole of political discourse.
“We’re not really even making fun of the president,” Hughes said. “It’s just that he said we’re going to fight a war in space, and it’s something we wanted to capitalize on.”
Hughes said Loosey’s is more often a music venue than it is a themed party location. However, with the summer drawing closer to its event horizon, Hughes wanted to have some fun before the season ended.
Originally, the idea for this event was pitched to Hughes by Jason Guy Smiley, a folk punk musician, after the president’s remarks in June. Hughes was skeptical at first but eventually grew to enjoy the satirical nature of the concept.
Hughes said the event itself is open to both sides of the political spectrum. The emphasis is on the final frontier, not political discourse.
Even so, the eventual reality of space exploration is not too absurd an idea for Hughes. Even among some UF students, the Space Force has been a long time coming.
“This is nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek response to what’s all happening out there,” Hughes said. “No matter where you stand on the political spectrum you can at least appreciate that.”
Hughes said he would accept the opportunity to go to space in a heartbeat. But to even be considered for an astronaut candidate position at NASA, a person needs at least nine years of professional experience in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics related field.
Much to the president’s dismay, NASA has since suspended its recruitment of prospective astronauts. For now, a pseudo-parody military recruitment event will have to do.
Hughes does not know what will come out of this event. Still, whether humans go to war with Martians or not, he remains hopeful for the future.
“It’s taken years for Gainesville to grow into itself,” Hughes said. “We’re playing all this by the seat of our pants, but I’m always excited to see what happens.”
