Thanks to efforts of the Student Union Board, a variety of movies, programs and activities are planned and underway for the year to keep Iowa State students busy.

Under the leadership of 12 directors and four advisers, SUB is a student organization that plans, produces and promotes various activities in the ISU’s Memorial Union.

“SUB is the program policy board for student-related things at the Union,” said Lisa Kratz, program manager for the Memorial Union. “They are in charge of things like SUB movies, the [Maintenance Shop] shows and policies on student office space.”

Michael Gonsalves, president of SUB, said the organization’s main goal this year is “to top our success from last year. We had attendance records for the SUB movies and M-Shop events.”

Another goal of the board is to get involved in student-sponsored events.

“We want other student groups to know they can come to us if they need help organizing an event,” Gonsalves said. “We have people who know how to contact artists. We do it every day.”

SUB is offering a variety of entertainment, but this year’s main attraction is Network Event Theater (NET).

“We will be showing movies about a week before they are released in the theaters,” said Timothy Hellman, NET director. “Its promotional. Corporate sponsors pay so students can see the movies for free and tell their friends about them.”

NET is a national program, Hellman said, and at least 20 other universities participate.

The movies will be broadcast via satellite in the Great Hall of the MU.

Admission is free; however, students need to pick up a ticket in the West Student Office reception area before the showing, Hellman said.

A listing of coming NET attractions is available on the Web page at www.stu.org.iastate.edu/SUB/NET.

SUB also sets up live music at the M-Shop, featuring folk bands, ska, jazz, rock, blues and pop.

“We have a lot of college-level bands booked for this year, which we’re really excited about,” Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves also said programmers really want to push the idea that the M-Shop is open to students.

“We want students to know the space is available for performance-based events,” he said.

In the experienced hands of the student directors, SUB looks toward a successful year of entertainment, Gonsalves said.

“More than half of our directors are back,” he said. “Everyone enjoys their job and has a lot of knowledge. We have a great basis for a really exciting year.”

Some other SUB-planned events include:

* Grandma Mojo’s Moonshine Revival, a sketch comedy made up of ISU students and performed at the M-Shop. “The place is always packed for them,” Gonsalves said.

* Also appearing in the M-Shop is Cafe au Lait, a multicultural event in which members from the Ames community can perform. “People have talents from reading stories to playing an instrument or dancing,” Gonsalves said.

* SUB movies, ranging from classics such as “ET” to more recent thrillers like “Strange Days,” are shown on Thursdays and weekends in the Pioneer Room of the MU.

* The Workspace, located in the basement of the MU, offers classes such as yoga, Persian tile design, glass-bead making, dance, watercolor, airbrush, jewelry, ceramics and woodworking.