Darius White, the University Board chair, said the organization wants to continue to focus on reaching a diverse group of students while providing each person with entertainment.

Some of the activities that are scheduled for this semester include a number of speakers, student competitions, performances and an “Up All Night.”

The “Flashback Friday” themed night will take place from 7-11 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom, University Union and the Bridge Lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Jan. 20.

“We will have everything from inflatable to novelty giveaways,” White said.

The University Board will also have a number of speakers to talk with students this semester.

These topics will consist of someone talking about the Illuminati on Feb. 23.

The Illuminati is a supposedly secret society with ties to many historical and current figures.

“That is a topic that students, and people in general, find very interesting,” White said. “They are not sure what the Illuminati, or a secret society, is and what it stands for, so just to get more information about that will be interesting.”

White said there are also many competitive events that the University Board has scheduled for this semester.

The University Board will have a Battle of the Bands on Jan. 26, where bands will be competing to be the top band on campus.

The second Eastern’s Best Dance Crew competition will also take place April 18.

White said he thinks students like the competitive events because students packed the Grand Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union during Eastern’s Best Dance Crew last year.

“It’s fun just to have the bragging right to say you are Eastern’s best dance crew for a year,” White said.

Along with the new events are the annual events that take place.

These events will continue to include weekend movies that are played Friday and Saturday nights at 6 p.m. in the Buzzard Auditorium, comedians at least two Tuesdays a month, and a monthly open mic night on the last Wednesday.

This semester some of these events will be focused on a certain topic, such as Black History Month or Women’s Heritage Month.

These events include comedian Arvin Mitchell for Black History Month on Feb. 7. There will also be a ladies’ night out event with comedian Cristela Alonzo on March 27.

White said they try to schedule their events to give students a break from their classes.

“We try our best to continue to be an outlet of enjoyment as well as to educate students on different topics,” White said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.