Valentine’s Day Pink Party w/ Tila Tequila
February 14h at Home Nightclub, 1 Ameristar Blvd. St. Charles, 10PM
A Valentine’s Day party with music, dancing, and…Tila Tequila!

Concert for the Earthquake Victims of Haiti
February 13th at the Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 7PM
A rock show of local artists to benefit Haiti. Tickets are $10.

Loveline w/ Dr. Drew
February 10th at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Rd., 7PM.
Loveline’s Dr. Drew Pinsky comes to UM-St. Louis to discuss sex and love and answer questions from the audience. Tickets run from $5-18.

This Halloween weekend, the Tivoli is having midnight showings of the movie on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are now available online for $9. Based on the high participation levels, I advise getting tickets now and arriving at the theater early, especially if you’re going with a larger group and want seats together.

If you’ve never been to a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” here are some things to expect and be ready for. First off, there is audience participation. When certain characters appear on the screen or certain things are said, there are appropriate responses. For instance, whenever character Brad Majors’ name is said, you call him an “a-hole.” These added lines are not complicated and it is easy to catch on.

Second, as an audience member, you can get your own prop bag. Like the added lines, certain props are used at certain times in the movie. At the Tivoli, there are cues that give you instructions. For example, during the wedding scene of the movie, the screen will say “Throw Rice.” It’s all pretty simple. Prop bags usually cost about $5.

Last, the show has a live performance part in which local performers dance, act or sing along with the movie. The finer details and how closely the actors stick to the actual movie are up to them and can therefore vary from show to show.

“But wait a second,” you may be thinking, “isn’t this the movie where guys have to dress up as corset-wearing transvestites? I can’t do that.” Yes, you can. And honestly, you’ll look like a bigger loser if you don’t. While no one is required to dress up for the show, it’s highly encouraged that both genders come in heavy makeup and attired in anything made of black leather, fishnets or feathers. It’s one of the few events where dressing normally will not only get you noticed but probably picked on.

And before you say “Rocky Horror” is not your thing, you should really go and check it out. It’s the type of event where you can really make whatever you want out of it. You can dress full out, dance in the aisle, and sing with the strangers sitting behind you. Or you can wear a boa over your polo shirt and laugh discreetly at everything going on around you. Either way, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is definitely a freak show, but one that’ll have you coming back. Even if it’s just to do the Time Warp again.

The Darkness is constructed yearly at 1525 S. Eighth St., and this year it will stay open through the first week of November. The attraction spans two floors and takes about 20 minutes through which to walk. Scarefest.com lists specific hours and directions, which may be necessary due to the highway construction. The Web site also offers $2-off coupons, making the entrance fee $18 instead of the usual $20.

But enough logistics. This place will scare you to the bone. I’ll admit that I’m naturally on the jumpy side, but almost every person I saw walking through the attraction screamed at least once.

“At one point my jacket got caught on something, and my friends kept walking,” senior Scott Lichtor said. “I thought I was going to die right there.”

Another senior, who wished to remain anonymous, said he screamed like a little girl. And honestly, even if you consider yourself fearless, there is such a wide variety of creepy things in this warehouse attraction that something is bound to give you the willies—from carnage to monsters to children with those freaky “redrum” looks.

While some special effects are mechanical, there are also actors, dressed up in an assortment of costumes, who will not only jump out at you but also follow you. Be warned: They’re trained to smell fear. They will single out whoever screams the loudest or, in a slightly sexist strategy, whoever is a girl.

If you’ve been to The Darkness before, you’ll still be entertained, as it changes each year. The classic scares are still there, including the room decorated like a dungeon and one clearly belonging to a murderous butcher. But there is also a fairly impressive twist at the end this year. I won’t say anything more, but it’s pretty cool.

So if you’re looking for things to do this month while the weather is cooling, the leaves are falling and the nerves are ripe for scaring, head down to The Darkness. As senior Albert Tzeng said, “It’s freaking scary.”

To be on the safe side, it’s best to avoid spreading whatever you’ve got to others, which means sealing your sneezing and coughing self away from the world and its happenings. But not to worry; that doesn’t strand you in a land of phlegm and boredom. There are plenty of things you can do when your immune system has you down. Of course there are always the old sick-day standbys: used tissue basketball and the daytime dramas of Maury and Jerry Springer. But now the Internet is bursting with Web sites full of entertainment.

Googling “swine flu” will tell you everything you need to know: symptoms, developments on the vaccine and the fact that Marilyn Manson has been diagnosed with it. You can also spend hours reading about questionable things that are done to prevent the illness. For instance, according to The New York Times, the Egyptian government ordered all pigs in the country to be slaughtered, but now the streets of Cairo are filled with garbage that the pigs once ate.

There are also tons of flu-related games available online now. “The Great Flu,” at thegreatflu.com, allows you to try and contain world outbreaks of various flu strains on a limited budget. Freeonlinegames.com also has a game that allows you to protect the city from herds of pigs. It’s a great way to get out your frustration.

And always remember, if you’re computer savvy and feeling healthy enough, you can always add something of your own to the Internet to help those all over the country stuck at home sick. You never know; it could be the next big thing on YouTube. But until you feel better, remember this: Whatever you do, follow the advice of the “Swine Flu Skank,” a preventative video from the United Kingdom, and use tissues to “catch it, bin it, kill it!”

Other happenings

$1 Pitcher Thursdays: Oct. 1 at Dante’s, 3221 Olive St., 10 p.m.–3 a.m.
Dollar pitchers every Thursday at Dante’s. 18 to enter, but 21 and over pay no cover.

That ’80s Club: Oct. 2 at Rue 13, 1311 Washington Ave., 9 p.m.–3 a.m.
Everybody Wang Chung Tonight and every Friday to the greatest hits of the ’80s.

Star Party: Oct. 2 St. Louis Science Center in Forest Park, 7 p.m.–10 p.m.
St. Louis Astronomical Society hosts a free event allowing all to ask questions and see the stars through provided telescopes.

St. Louis Wine Festival: Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 at Forest Park, noon–7 p.m. on Saturday and noon–6 p.m. Sunday.
Festival celebrating local wineries and restaurants with wine tastings and food. Admission is $20 in advance and includes 10 wine tastings.

Taste of St. Louis: Oct. 2–4 at Soldier’s Memorial Park, 12th & Market streets
4 p.m–11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m on Sunday.
Festival of local restaurants with food to buy and live music. Performers include The Presidents of the United States of America and Tonic.

While hookah originated in India and has deep, traditional ties with the Middle East, it has quickly become a favorite among college students. Hookah involves smoking flavored tobacco from water pipes, and it is often done at social gatherings or lounges.

If you’ve ever wanted to try hookah, you’re in luck because St. Louis is home to a variety of restaurants and bars that embrace the social culture of smoking hookah. Just to name a few locations on the Loop, there’s Layal at 6227 Delmar Blvd. and Ranoush at 6501 Delmar Blvd. Closer downtown is Nara, which is at 1326 Washington Ave.

Of the two closer to campus, Layal has received great reviews. It’s on the smaller side and serves individual hookahs. Ranoush is the new comer in the neighborhood, but it has already begun to draw a decent crowd.

“This place is always popping on the weekends,” senior Eric Lee said.

Ranoush serves reasonably priced group hookahs; in fact, six friends and I shared two hookahs without any problems. More experienced hookah smokers recommend trying any of the fruit flavors, but flavors can also include piña colada and ice cream. The flavors and design of a hookah give it a much smoother taster than traditional tobacco products. Even if you’re not a smoker, hookah won’t seem overly harsh (although it must be noted that it has the same health risks of regular smoking).

Smoking hookah is more about the laid-back, communal experience than the nicotine buzz associated with smoking cigarettes anyway.

“[Hookah is] part of the overall experience,” said Emanuel Taranu, a waiter at Ranoush. “I really enjoy it when people come in for something off the menu, have some tea and then finish with hookah.”

Trying out any of these establishments can be a great way for friends to hang out and relax. So next time you’re on the Loop and you hear that Middle Eastern music calling you’re name, stop in and try a smoke. Hookah resist?

Other Happenings

LONDON CALLING
Sept. 26 at Halo Bar, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m. A night of dancing like they do across the pond, with DJs playing a mix of American and European club favorites.

DANCING IN THE STREET
Sept. 26 at Grand Center, 3526 Washington Ave., 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Free dance festival with performances of all kind, lessons and other music- and movement-related activities.

DINE ON DANCE
Sept. 25 at Strauss Park, Washington Avenue and North Grand Boulevard, noon. Bring a bagged lunch to a free, outdoor dance performance.

SHOWING OF THE “WIZARD OF OZ”
Sept. 23 at the Esquire Theater, 6706 Clayton Rd, 7 p.m. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of this classic and unforgettable film for one night only. 5 p.m.

BOTTLES FOR 5 BUCKS
Sept. 23 at Bar Louie, 14 Maryland Plaza, 5 p.m. to close Self-explanatory. Five Bud bottles for $5.

LEGENDS IN CONCERT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, Lumiere Casino, 999 N. 2nd St., 7 p.m. Come see your favorite stars in concert, or at least impersonators of your favorites. $15 admission.