During the week of Oct. 25, Billikens After Dark will be sponsoring OkSoberfest. Every night there will be an alcohol-free event for students to attend.
“We provide students with alternative programs to keep [them] safe,” said Alex Chapman, Billikens After Dark intern. “We use what works and fill in what’s missing.”
Billikens After Dark sponsors events put on by various organizations, as well as their own events. The program, under the directive of Student Development, seeks to “provide alternatives to the typical college scene.” In the past, the program has sponsored Capture the Flag and Trivia Night during homecoming, and Cardboard City in the beginning of October.
Billikens After Dark was started in 2008 out of the Department of Housing and Residence Life. This is the first time the program is completely sponsoring OkSoberfest.
“Amazingly, it’s taking off,” Chapman said.
On Oct. 29, Billikens After Dark and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority are sponsoring Rockin’ for the Ribbon: Battle of the Bands. The concert will raise money for breast cancer awareness and education, ZTA’s national philanthropy.
“In years past, we have done a concert with [Beyond All Reason] and [Bare Naked Statues], and this year we just wanted to take it up a notch and really get the campus community involved and excited,” said Katie Miller, philanthropy chair with ZTA. “I wanted to create a way of drawing in the St. Louis community as well.”
Tickets will be sold during the week in Busch Student Center and at the door. The concert will be at West Pine Gym and will feature eight bands, including The Rescue, The Diligents, Artificial Mischief and Building Rome. Fraternity and sorority acts will entertain between bands.
“A lot of the bands performing are either fraternity bands or college student bands,” Miller said. “It should be a fun and exciting concert atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.”
On Oct. 30, Student Health Advocates and Peer Education (SHAPE) is sponsoring a Midnight Run.
“SHAPE is all about promoting healthy lifestyles for students,” said Tina Vollmer, president of SHAPE. “OkSoberfest really gives us a unique opportunity to combine two things we are really passionate about: Alcohol Awareness, and living a healthy lifestyle.”
The event was started during the celebration of 2008’s OkSoberfest, and the Midnight Run will start at 11 p.m.
“It is a really fun event that was very successful last year,” Vollmer said. “It is really fun to do something active and fun with other students at night.”
OkSoberfest will also feature a guest speaker on alcohol awareness, a movie feature (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and a rally on Billiken Row in celebration of the season opener for the men’s basketball team. For a full schedule of OkSoberfest events, go to http://www.slu.edu/x26988.xml.
