Friday / February 3
The Diamond and Ice Ball lights up Bloomingdale’s this evening. Enjoy Nitrous Foxide playing live, ice sculptures by Corazón Tequila, an open bar from Skyy Vodka, models displaying jewels and upscale clothes, food from 10 restaurants, a caviar tasting, and chocolate. (6–9 p.m., $40, 900 North Michigan Avenue)
Noctis Sero, promoter of alcohol-free fun, is back with Campus Gym Night. Enjoy free FitChicago classes, DDR, dodgeball, pick-up basketball, mocktails, and free sports stress balls tonight at Ratner. (8–11 p.m., free, 5530 South Ellis Avenue)
Check out some talented high school students at Walter Payton College Prep’s “After Hours—An Evening of Jazz at Payton,” featuring singing, a jazz quintet, and spoken-word poetry. Following the event, a “meet the artists” reception, the first in a series celebrating Black History Month, will take place. (7 p.m., $5, 1034 North Wells Street)
Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman makes her Chicago debut in Mandel Hall. Join the ranks of Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela, both of whom have heard her sing. (8 p.m., $5 with student ID, 5706 South University Avenue)
For this week’s Center for Gender Studies brown bag lunch, anthropology prof Judith Farquar gives a talk called, “Saving and Expenditure, Money and Sex: A Chinese Rural Romance,” about Ermo, a 1994 Zhou Xiaowen film. (12:15 p.m., free, 5733 South University Avenue)
The Law School hosts a panel, “Protecting Cultural Heritage: International Law after the War in Iraq,” about the need for stronger laws protecting cultural property in wartime. (3-5 p.m., free, 1111 East 60th Street)
Check out UT’s “Poodle with Guitar and Dark Glasses” and “Not I” tonight in the Reynolds Club third-floor theater. (8 p.m., $5 with student ID, 5706 South University Avenue)
Off-Off Campus presents an all-female cast for “Baby Got Back Problems,” preceded by a musical act and followed by an “afterglow show” by Off-Off’s 20th generation. (8:15 p.m., $4, 5655 South University Avenue)
Saturday / February 4
A salsa dance party takes over the Ida Noyes third-floor theater tonight. Stop by to enjoy the refreshments, the Latin music, and, of course, the dancing. (9 p.m.–12 a.m., $4, 1212 East 59th Street)
Head over to Mandel Hall for the 26th annual KSO Show, “Who’s Got the Remote?!” Before the show, enjoy a dinner banquet in Hutch; I’ll be one of your servers. (8 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 at the door, 5706 South University Avenue)
Sunday / February 5
Join Motet Choir as they venture off campus to sing Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices for the Latin mass at St. John Cantius Church. (12:30 p.m., free, 825 North Carpenter Street)
Electronic artist Sharam Jey—who has remixed songs by Moby, No Doubt, and Salt ’n’ Pepa, among others—appears at Four, along with DJ Kam and DJ Solange. Help yourself to free Effen cocktails from 10 to 11 p.m. (10 p.m.–4 a.m., $10, 1551 West Division Street)
Kitsch’n River North and Newcity present the Super Throwback Football Party in honor of the Super Bowl. Watch the game on Kitsch’n River North’s huge TV while eating “retro munchies.” There’s also a handheld football video game tournament, goodies from Beer Nuts, and gifts from Kitsch’n River North, David Barton Gym, and the Chopping Block Cooking School. (5 p.m., free, 600 West Chicago Avenue)
Not into the retro thing? Head to the campus Super Bowl XL Party at Uncle Joe’s and score some free football stress balls, food, and drinks. (4 p.m., free, 5706 South University Avenue)
The Film Studies Center’s two-day symposium, Cinema and Modernity, kicks off with a screening of 1928 King Vidor film The Crowd, with live piano accompaniment and an introduction by cinema and media studies department chair Tom Gunning. Come back tomorrow for a full day of events. (7 p.m., free, 5811 South Ellis Avenue)
Monday / February 6
Learn about affordable housing projects planned for Chicago and the south suburbs at an affordable housing panel in the Harris School. Buffet is served before the event, with a reception following. (6 p.m., free, 1155 East 60th Street)
Tuesday / February 7
The Emerging Writers Series—in which a professional emerging writer and U of C writer read together—features alumna Kalisha Buckhanon, A.B.’99, and fourth-year Voices contributor Jenna Telesca this time around. A reception follows the Rosenwald 405 reading. (5:30 p.m., free, 1101 East 58th Street)
Fans of NPR program “This American Life” might be interested in heading to the Art Institute tonight to hear New Yorker writer and Chicago Humanities Festival director Lawrence Weschler talk about his new book, Everything that Rises: A Book of Convergences, with Ira Glass. Call (312) 494-9509 for reservations, which are required, though the event is free. (6 p.m., free, 111 South Michigan Avenue)
Wednesday / February 8
UT’s “Ivona, Princess of Burgundia” opens today in the Reynolds Club third-floor theater. (8 p.m., $5 with student ID, 5706 South University Avenue)
Thursday / February 9
After being closed for all of January, Metro Smartbar re-opens tonight, welcoming Dmitri from Paris. As always, you must be 21 to join the fun. (10 p.m., $15, 3730 North Clark Street)
The Classical Entertainment Society hosts a 14-hour Homerathon—no, not a Simpsons-fest, but a collaborative reading of the Odyssey. Drop by the Bartlett Lounge any time of the day to participate, or contact the Society in advance if you’d like to reserve a time or excerpt. (8 a.m.–10 p.m., free, Bartlett Lounge)
Have an event you’d like to see in STD? Send an e-mail to htyoo@uchicago.edu
