Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech Union, the largest student programming organization, announced its spring entertainment schedule this week.

Tonight, VTU will sponsor an acoustic cafe in Johnston Student Center from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The event is free and open to any student who wishes to perform. Other acoustic cafes, all on Fridays, will be held on March 19, April 2 and April 23.

On Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m., astronaut Fred Haise will speak in Squires Student Center’s Haymarket Theatre about the idea that failure is not an option.

Winterfest, a free indoor carnival, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom. There will be moon bounces, magicians and games. The carnival is family-oriented and open to the public.

Businesses and student organizations that would like to have a booth at the festival can sign up through Feb. 18.

Four films will also be shown in February. “Where the Wild Things Are” will be shown on Friday, Feb. 5. “New Moon,” based on the popular novel by Stephanie Meyer, will play on Friday, Feb. 12 as well as Saturday, Feb. 13. “Pirate Radio” will run on Friday, Feb. 19 and the most recent Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog” will be shown on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Other movies will be shown later in the semester, including “Sherlock Holmes,” on March 19.

All films will run from 8 p.m. until about 10 p.m. The cost is $2 for students and $3 for non-students.

Other notable events coming up this semester include several musical performances.

Grammy-nominated gospel singer Kim Burrell will perform in Burruss Hall on Saturday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $20 for non-students.

Dominic Gaudios, a classical guitarist who also plays exotic instruments such as the Australian didgeridoo, will perform on Monday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Burruss Hall. Tickets are $7 for students and $20 for non-students.

On Wednesday, April 14, Michael Lang, one of the creators of the Woodstock music festival, will speak about his experiences. The event will be held in Haymarket Theatre in Squires at 7:30 p.m.

Soundfest, a free showcase of local bands, will be held on Friday, April 30 in the Commonwealth Ballroom in Squires. The bands have not yet been announced. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

On Saturday, May 1, VTU will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 5 issue of the Collegiate Times.