By: Seth Culp-Ressler | Features Editor
Today marks the beginning of yet another semester up on the Bluff, meaning the three-week break from essays, homework and studying is over. Not all is lost, however, because with the fresh term comes a host of new and exciting campus events, well-deserved distractions from the day-to-day grind of the school year. More than that, they provide a great opportunity to build our little Duquesne community. If you had impeccable attendance to events last semester, great work. Keep it up. But if you rarely, if ever, made it out and about to any of the numerous University happenings on (and off) campus last term, consider this your formal invitation from us at The Duke to dive in and get involved.
January
Just as students will be easing back into school this month, campus events will also not quite be in full swing. Even then, that’s not to say there aren’t any interesting opportunities to be had.
The earliest notable event will be on Jan 17, with the first of many Duquesne Program Council Outdoor Adventure Series trips. This particular one will be a day of snowshoeing in Frick Park, a good way to get into the winter spirit.
A week later on Jan 24 will be yet another DPC Outdoor Adventure Series trip, this time venturing out to Seven Springs Mountain Resort for some downhill skiing, yet another chance to get out in the white powder.
The month will close out on Jan 27 with a Spring Semester Welcome Back Party hosted by the International Students Organization.
February
The second month of the New Year is when Duquesne events really hit their stride, starting with Founders Week. Running from Jan 31 to Feb 6, Founders Week is a celebration of the University’s founding group, the Spiritans. Talks, dinners, presentations and more are all part of the festivities.
February’s first week will also mark the opening of A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, a show put on by Duquesne’s very own theatre company, the Red Masquers. The show will run for two weeks, Feb 5 to 7 and Feb 12 to 14.
DPC is hosting two Outdoor Adventure Series trips in February, a hiking expedition in Riverview Park on Feb 7 and yet another snowshoeing journey in Laurel Hill on Feb 22.
Those looking to get a foot in the door for potential employers need not look any further than the Spring Job and Internship Fair, held in the Union Ballroom on Feb 11.
Students can return to the ballroom the next night, Feb 12, for a slightly different experience—comedian Julian McCullough. McCullough has made appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central and NPR’s This American Life. There’s no better way to fight the winter blues than with some good old-fashioned laughs.
Of course, February isn’t complete without some sort of Valentine’s Day celebration, and indeed the night of Feb 14 Alpha Phi Delta will be sponsoring the 45th annual Valentine’s Day Ball in the Union Ballroom. All proceeds benefit the ALS Association.
Rounding out the shortest month of the year is Phi Kappa Theta, who hold a fish fry every week of Lent in the Union Concourse. The first is on Ash Wednesday, Feb 18, with all others falling every Friday until Mar 27. All proceeds will go to the Children’s Miracle Network.
March
After the whirlwind of February, March comparatively scales the events back a bit. As previously mentioned, there will be a Lenten Fish Fry every Friday in March. Additionally, Phi Kappa Theta will be sponsoring Monte Carlo Night on Mar 21 in the Union Ballroom. There will be food, prizes, live entertainment and Vegas-style gaming all night, and semi-formal attire is required. Proceeds from the event will also be going to the Children’s Miracle Network.
DPC is also active in March, putting on two more Outdoor Adventure Series trips. The first is a geocaching excursion in South Park, and the second is a Hiking & Service Project in Dead Man’s Hollow. Both trips will be on Mar 21.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting the 9th annual Unity Banquet in the Power Center Ballroom on Mar 27. The banquet connects the communities of Duquesne and Pittsburgh with prevalent thinkers in the fields of multicultural and social justice issues.
While no firm date has yet been announced, March should also see the International Students Organization’s ISO Night. Held in the Union Ballroom, this event is full of food, performances and booths, all of which celebrate the different cultures of the world. ISO Night is always one of the biggest events of the year, so be on the lookout for an official date, as you won’t want to miss it.
April
Rounding out the term, April offers up just enough to help make that final push to summer break. DPC will be finishing up their Outdoor Adventure Series trips with two outings in April. The penultimate trip is on Apr 11, and will be a Trail Ride & Service Project in the North Shore. The final trip for the year will be help on Apr 25 at Ohiopyle State Park, where students will be able to go white water rafting.
From Apr 12 to 18 will be Greek Week, the annual celebration of the fraternities and sororities up on the bluff. Throughout the week there will be cookouts, games, a blood drive and much, much more. If you’re involved in Greek Life here at Duquesne, Greek Week is your time to shine.
The Red Masquers will be putting on their second and final full-length show of the semester, Album, for the weeks of Apr 16 to 18 and Apr 23 to 25. The following week, on Apr 29, the Masquers will put on One Acts for Charity, where a collection of student directed and performed one act plays will be put on to raise money for a to-be-announced charity.
Ongoing Events
While every month does have unique events going on, there are also some more persistent and regular events throughout the semester that are just as worthy of attendance.
Every week DPC will be showing a film in the Union Nitespot as part of their Spring Film Series. Just a few of this coming semester’s selections include Fury, Big Hero 6, St. Vincent and The Theory of Everything. The films are show at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and at 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
Also in the Nitespot, every Friday at 9 p.m., are DU Nites—a collection of various activities to partake in. Some of the upcoming nights include milkshakes, epic bingo, duct tape crafts night and even a Build a Bear Workshop night. If you’re ever bored on a Friday, the Nitespot is the place to be.
DPC also hosts various events at the Red Ring Bar and Grille. Three trivia nights will be held at the restaurant this coming term on Feb 2, Mar 18 and Apr 9. Red Ring will also host two nights featuring a band of the month, those will be on Feb 26 and Mar 26.
Finally, to round everything out, for those more politically minded students, or even folks merely concerned with Duquesne’s proceedings, Jan 11 will be the first Student Government Association meeting. These gatherings are held bi-weekly and are open to all students.
So there you have it, a handy guide for your Spring 2015 Duquesne events. Tack it up on the wall, throw it on your bulletin board or just file it away in a desk drawer. Use it as a reason to get out, get involved, grow the Duquesne community and maybe even have some fun at the same time. With this list on hand, you have no excuse to not join in.
