The Student Union Board (SUB) offers many entertainment opportunities to students throughout the year.

This semester, the SUB line-up includes concerts, comedy nights, open mic nights, cultural events and Cyclone Cinema.

Luke Juffer, a senior in economics and philosophy and the vice president of administration, said the event programming board puts on a variety of events each semester.

“We are an event programming board run by students, for students,” Juffer said. “We do over 100 events a semester, ranging from Cyclone Cinema, M-Shop concerts, Grandma Mojo’s improv comedy, Open Mic Night, comedy nights and multicultural events.”

“Like I said, completely student-run,” Juffer said. “We have directors that put on the events, and then our members are volunteers that help at the events. So that’s how people get involved in our club, that’s what our members do.”

In addition to their own events, SUB brings in entertainment for AfterDark and WinterFest events, Dorothy Sargent, a senior in performing arts and SUB president, said.

“We have a bookmark of doing the 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. acts of ISU AfterDark,” Sargent said. “I don’t know when that collaboration started, it’s just one of those ‘we do it because we can’ things.”

This semester’s first AfterDark was on Aug. 29 and featured actor Steve Burns, known from Blue’s Clues and Young Sheldon, and magician Ben Seidman, from Netflix’s Brainchild.

“I loved ISU AfterDark,” Brooklyn Lally, a freshman in biology, said. “I thought it was a good way to get people involved at the beginning of the year, because not a lot of people know everyone.”

There will be two more AfterDark events this semester on Oct. 3 and Nov. 7. 

Sargent said one of the larger events, Cyclone Cinema, was brought to campus by the current SUB advisor, Jim Brockpahler.

“Jim has been the advisor for Student Union Board for a long time,” Sargent said. “He kind of brought Cyclone Cinema to campus.”

Cyclone Cinema, located in Carver Hall, shows recently released movies to ISU students for free. Lally said she is looking forward to attending Cyclone Cinema in the future.

“I’m looking forward to some of the cinema nights with a bunch of girls on my floor, actually,” Lally said. 

A highlight for this semester includes an outdoor showing of Jurassic World Rebirth on the North Campanile Lawn on Sept. 26.

Another event with long-standing tradition is the Maintenance Shop, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. 

“A lot of the artists we get are sort of on the smaller end now, but sometimes get bigger,” Juffer said. 

While the venue attracts smaller artists, Sargent explained that over the years, many up-and-coming bands have performed. 

“We had The Lumineers and the Smashing Pumpkins, a bunch of bands before they were huge,” Sargent said. 

“That’s kind of a draw, because you can see them before they get big,” Juffer said. 

Events this semester include the following. All events start at 8 p.m.

September

• Sept. 11 – Dan Rodriguez & Heather Maloney, an indie folk group
• Sept. 16 – Open Mic Night
• Sept. 17 – SUB Comedy Night w/ Nick Murphy
• Sept. 20 – Andrea von Kampen, a folk group
• Sept. 24 – Grandma Mojo’s
• Sept. 30 – Open Mic Night

October

• Oct. 2 – Weary Ramblers, a folk group
• Oct. 4 – Pullstring & Colin Bracewell w/ Kibble, an alternative rock group
• Oct. 8 – Grandma Mojo’s
• Oct. 10 – Mississippi Heat, a blues group
• Oct. 14 – Open Mic Night
• Oct. 16 – SUB Comedy Night
• Oct. 22 – Grandma Mojo’s
• Oct. 28 – Open Mic Night
• Oct. 29 – Thee Sinseers & The Altons, an R&B/soul rock group

November

• Nov. 5 – Grandma Mojo’s
• Nov. 8 – Mexican Slum Rats w/ Love Letter, an alt-indie/emo-fusion group
• Nov. 11 – Open Mic Night
• Nov. 15 – Slow Mass & The Casket Lottery, a rock group
• Nov. 19 – Grandma Mojo’s

December

• Dec. 3 – Grandma Mojo’s

Juffer said applications for the SUB executive board will open Sept. 24.

“That’s a good way to get involved with the leadership aspect of it,” Juffer said. “We also have events literally all the time, so if anyone is ever looking for something fun, there is always something SUB is up to.”

“You don’t always want to be thinking about computer science or whatever essay you have due the next week, so it’s nothing longer than two or three hours of your day to just go and relax,” Sargent said.