EWWD for October 23

Another week goes by, another week where I don't want to talk about Cyclone football. But I will, because it's homecoming. The Huskers behaved themselves pretty well, I think -- ran into a lot when I was at the concert at Papa's Corner. A lot of them seemed to be older, not students. I was surprised at their attendance at this event since one thing about the band I was going to see, is it's loud. As in, a friend who goes to their concerts regularly actually brought hearing protection so he could be up near the stage.

As for homecoming itself, prepare for another weekend with a large number of visitors -- but these are mostly alumni who should have a fair amount of respect for their alma mater and its surrounding neighborhoods. I'm really sorry to be missing it, as I'm in Minnesota for a cousin's wedding. There are also a lot of extra events going around surrounding homecoming, especailly at the new alumni center, as well as lots of reunions of various groups, like the Alumni Band. It's an evening game, which means extended tailgating.

Reimann is doing that Halloween event for kids again on Sunday. At the Varisty, Tonight is your last night for The Duchess (mentioned last week) and "An American Carol" -- the old Dickens tale done as a thinly veiled send-up of Micheal Moore. Tomorrow starts Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (which I am planning to see) and Quarantine (horror, no thanks for me)

Only thing in Greekland for the next week is Greek Trick or Treat on Wednesday. (the city's trick or treat night will be next Friday, on Halloween itself.) If you'd like for your child to participate, I'm guessing Jenn Plegman-Galvin will have more info. She'd probably be able to give information on the Rake-a-thon too, which is a fundraiser happening through November. Proceeds for that go to the MS foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

The event of the week, besides homecoming, is the BB King concert at Stephens on Wednesday. I bought tickets as a birthday present to my husband, and I am really looking forward to it. Concerts at the M-shop include a member of the Indigo Girls doing a solo show Saturday, and a folk singer/songwriter on Tuesday. Not much of interest from the Music Department this week, but Band Extravaganza is coming up in a couple of weeks.

If you want to make a really big day of Cyclone sports, there's a volleyball match at 2:00 Saturday (before the homecoming game). It's free and the first 300 fans get free Coldstone ice cream.

In lectures, there's one on the financial crisis in the Great Hall and one on climate change in the Sun Room tonight, and Monday and Tuesday an author will be talking about the environmental effects of meat eating in the Pioneer and Oak rooms, respectively. Monday features a talk on biofuels in the Sun Room, and Tuesday's lecture in the Sun Room is on the Middle East.

Entertainment round-up

Yikes, I've gotten behind. Well, I've been a bit busy and haven't made it to anything other than the Kansas game. We don't need to talk about that, or Cyclone football in general. Then again, we do, because this weekend is the Nebraska game, and regardless of whether you're a fan or not, this affects everyone in the neighborhood. The Iowa game, which is here in Ames in odd years, has a reputation for the out-of-town guests sometimes getting out of hand (or at least being higher profile, since there are so many.) Huskers, whom we host in the even-numbered years, are just as bad both in terms of numbers and collective respect for property. Be prepared. Whatever you do in terms of signs, minimizing the potential for vandalism, and Sunday morning cleanup -- make sure you're ready for it.

Besides going to the Nebraska game Saturday, I'll be at the bar formerly known as Peoples (Papa's Corner) on Friday -- the local band playing that night has a friend in it. No solid plans other than that, but I will review anything I do make it to.

Besides the football game, there's volleyball Wednesday and soccer Friday.

If you've got kids, Rieman has an event involving various mascots and Halloween activities on Sunday. Thursday at 8 they have a lecture by an author who writes about ethnic Americans and how they express and transmit their culture through gardening.

In music, there's a concert Sunday night by the Ames Piano Quartet featuring a work by Felix Mendelssohn at Music Hall, and a Mexican group at Stephens on Friday (only $10). The M-shop has something going on pretty much every night this week, check out their website for prices, showtimes, and to get links to bands' sites. And from the category of "Buy tickets now" (even though the event isn't for another 2 weeks): BB King at Stephens on the 29th.

The movies in the neighborhood are an adaptation of an autobiography of a British writer in New York, which has gotten bad reviews; and a historical piece starting Kira Knightley as an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, who had similar marital difficulties.

One Greek philanthropy - "Crescent Cakes" at Gamma Phi Beta Sunday morning. I'm guessing that means pancakes since it's breakfast.

The big event (besides Nebraska) is in Lectures: John Kerry (isn't it great to be in a swing state?) on Wednesday. If you want a different political perspective, an editor from The National Review will be promoting his book, Liberal Fascism, on Thursday. There are also lectures tonight on sustainable agriculture in the Great Hall, and immigration in the Sun Room; tomorrow on food and health; photography of the white house; and marketing in Hollywood (that last one given by an alumnus who worked on the promotional campaigns for Braveheart and Titanic); and two others on Thursday (besides the national review guy and the gardens) on environmental impacts of ethanol production, and global citizenship.