When you’re bogged down by classes, keeping up to date and staying socially and culturally aware is hard. Stay in touch by checking out some of these events that will keep you #woke about the world around you.

Tuesday: “I Got You, Babe” at Pro Arts Gallery in downtown Oakland

Pro Arts Gallery is one of the many free art galleries that belong to the internationally renowned Oakland Art Murmur. The gallery’s latest exhibition, “I Got You, Babe,” spotlights up-and-coming local artists Kate Kuaimoku and Oskar Lawrence Brent Malone. “I Got You, Babe” explores the intersections between art, political practice and identity, diverging subjects such as art making and police brutality. The opening reception will take place at the gallery Tuesday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesday: Bernadette Mayer Holloway Poetry Reading at Maude Fife Room at Wheeler Hall  

Through the Holloway Reading Series, UC Berkeley’s English department sponsors a night of readings to recognize acclaimed and rising contemporary poets. Taking place in the beautiful Maude Fife Room, the events are free and open to the public, and they are usually followed by a Q&A and book signing. This month, the Holloway Reading Series features Bernadette Mayer, an American avant-garde writer and visual artist who experiments with stream-of-consciousness and mythology in her writing. She is joined by Christian Nagler, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s theater, dance and performance studies department.

Thursday to Saturday: Watch ‘The Vagina Monologues’

V-Day at Berkeley produces “The Vagina Monologues” annually, which is inspired by Eve Ensler’s renowned play of the same name. Profits generated are donated to nonprofit organizations that support survivors of sexual and gendered violence. This year’s theme is “Redefining. Reframing. Reclaiming.” This year, V-Day’s “Vagina Monologues” aims to showcase untold stories, particularly raising awareness of people who identify as transgender or nonbinary. You can catch the show at 7 p.m. this Thursday through Saturday.

Thursday and Saturday: Watch the Democratic and Republican Debates

You probably know this year’s presidential candidates through memes and tweets, but do you really know what they have to say and what their stances on issues and policies are? Get yourself educated (and quite possibly, entertained) by watching this week’s two debates.
Debates help us better understand the political climate as well as the rhetoric behind matters such as gender, religion and political affiliation in the commentary that surrounds the candidates. This week, there will be two debates: the Democratic debate hosted by PBS in Wisconsin on Thursday, and the Republican debate hosted by CBS News in South Carolina on Saturday.