Entertainment and drinking alcohol can seem virtually synonymous on college campuses, but one ISU group is working to change that image.

ISU After Dark is an organization formed to bring late-night activities to Iowa State without the presence of drugs or alcohol.

“We create, plan, organize, implement and carry out social events that we think our peers would be interested in attending,” says Michele Hart, ISU After Dark president.

The next ISU After Dark event is a date auction and dance on Friday at 9 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Other upcoming events planned for the spring semester include an all-day and all-night gaming activity in the Towers commons area, an inflatable games night at the Lied Recreation Center, a video dance party and a night with improvisational comedy troupe Mission Improvable. ISU After Dark is working to organize a sixth event for spring that would be an outdoor, drive-in style movie.

All the events are alcohol-free, but group members say the organization is not anti-alcohol.

“We’re not against drinking like most people think,” says Hart, junior in marketing. “We’re just trying to plan events for students to attend if they don’t feel like partying every night.”

Students don’t seem to have enough affordable options for entertainment on campus, says Sara Kellogg, program director for the Office of Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention and co-adviser for ISU After Dark.

“Movies and dinner are expensive for students,” Kellogg says. “A six-pack can be bought for $3 to $5, and that’s often the cheapest way for students to socialize.”

Kellogg says several other Big Ten and Big 12 schools have similar organizations, which is where ISU After Dark got many of the group’s ideas for entertainment.

“All the universities we looked at had to start small,” Kellogg says.

“We’re starting this off as a pilot project, to gauge the initial interest of students. Then we can grow from there.”

“Up All Night,” a similar program at West Virginia University spends up to $8,000 each weekend on their late-night events. Although ISU After Dark doesn’t have West Virginia’s budget, Kellogg says the program is growing.