Friday, February 22

There seems to be a little bit of everything on campus tonight, so take your pick. First, things that cost money. The Muslim Students Association is having their 12th annual Eid dinner and lecture. This one is called “Islam and the West: Confrontation or Accommodation?” and the lecturer is John Esposito, editor of The Oxford History of Islam. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $8. For half that price, you can go check out Fat Girl at Doc. If the title piques your interest the movie is about two sisters “plunged into a summer of sexual discovery.” Or you could check out the Brentano String Quartet with guest Mark Strand, former U. S. Poet Laureate. It costs $11 and starts at 8 p.m. in Mandel Hall. If you like a little more sex in your music, then you can go to the third floor theater in the Reynolds Club, where UT is presenting Mature Audiences Only, which is exactly what it sounds like and only costs $5. Then right after that’s over, you can run across the street to the University Church where Off-Off Campus continues their “5 Guys, a Girl, and a Cookie” series starting at 9. Then if you feel like drinking some more, DU is having a “Spring Break Yo Neck” party starting at 10:30 p.m. and costing $5. And now the ever-important free stuff. The Hong Kong Student Association is showing a screening of the 2000 romantic comedy Needing You at 7 p.m. in Harper 130. It’s an office romance about a woman named Kinki. Or, do you like mocktails? How about drag contests? Then you want to get to Ida Noyes tonight starting at 9 p.m. for Mardi Gras. If you want a couple of laughs before you arrive fashionably late to that though, you can check out the last free Afterglow of the 16th generation of Off-Off, which starts at 10 p.m. in the University Church. One warning about showing up to Mardi Gras late: show up too late, and there will be no more samosas available. Show up even later than that, and there might not be any beer left. Now, though that may not seem like that big a deal, don’t forget that once the beer runs out, the cute first-years start losing interest in sticking around, and then, before you know it, you’re running out of people to make out with — or at least adorn with the cheap little beads the COUP folk are handing out. Make sure to at least check out Planck Length at 10 p.m. during Mardi Gras, though. Please try to keep your shouting of “TAKE IT OFF!” to a minimum, however. The guitarist thanks you in advance for that tiny courtesy.

Saturday, February 23

The quarter is almost over and it’s nice. Unfortunately it also means not much is happening tonight. I recommend checking out Mature Audiences Only. Or you can go and see Spy Game at Doc.

Sunday, February 24

First things first, there’s a new episode of The Simpsons tonight at 7 p.m., and while yes, last week’s episode was only so-so (the Toronto bit was dead on though), every week I hold out hope for a good new episode. After The Simpsons, if you’re looking for something to listen to, you should walk over to the Fulton Recital Hall at 1010 East 59th Street, fourth floor. Starting at 8 p.m. they are going to have a free music concert by the new music ensemble.

Monday, February 25

First, a lecture. “The Performance of Xavante Indians in National and International Arenas: A Politics of Recognition” will be held today at 3:30 p.m. in Haskell Hall 315 and will be given by Laurie Graham from the University of Iowa. And now not one, but two Purim parties. Hillel is giving one in the President’s apartment of I-House. Theirs starts with a Megillah reading at 6:30 p.m., a party at 7:30 p.m., a performance by the ever-funny Occam’s Razor at 8:15 p.m. and a costume contest somewhere in between. Or you could go the Jewish Graduate Student Forum’s Purim U.S.A. which starts at 7:30 p.m. in Hutch. Once there you can enjoy free food, enter a raffle, or meet “Rabbi” Abe Lincoln.

Tuesday, February 26

“Jambaar or Jumbax?” That’s what I want to know. And now I can find out. Erin Augis will be discussing “Jambaar or Jumbax? Negotiating Spirituality and Sexuality as a Sunnite Woman” today at 5 p.m. in Pick 218. After hearing about all that you can head over to the University Church where there will be a panel discussion starting at 7 p.m. on “Bush’s War at Home: Fighting Racism and Recession”. And if that’s boring, you can go to Mandel Hall where you can hear Henning Kraggerud on violin and Helge Kjekshus on piano in their Chicago debut. The tickets cost $5. And if you’re feeling like taking on a hefty project, you can go to Doc to check out the first 273 minutes of the epic film Shoah. Or you can just go home and check out the new episode of Buffy.

Wednesday, February 27

The Kubrick series at Doc is almost over and tonight is the last good movie of the series, Full Metal Jacket. Please don’t try and argue for Eyes Wide Shut. Anyway, check this movie out: it’s worth seeing on the big screen.

Thursday, February 28

Shakespeare, murder, cannibalism, rape, bastard children, insanity, Romans, a great cast, and an interesting director. Titus, which is playing tonight at Doc, has it all. Some moments in the movie don’t quite work, but this movie is worth it just to see a rarely performed Shakespeare done well. Plus, Anthony Hopkins eating people is always fun. Or you can check out UT’s production of The Bacchae in the first floor theater of the Reynolds Club.

Got anything you want put into Voices STD? Anything at all? E-mail garthj@uchicago with the subject STD, and it most probably will make it.