Will it rain on Dillo Day? Trusty meteorologist Tom Skilling of Chicago’s WGN television says it’s unlikely. He predicts 80 degrees and little chance of precipitation, as they say in the weather business. If it does rain, though, concerts will be moved to Patten Gym and a WildCARD will be required for entry.

We now know who DM will give the bulk of its available money to next year, but what of the pesky perennial secondary beneficiary, the Evanston Community Foundation? Well, they just handed out $172,000 in grants to various Evanston groups, according to this Evanston Now article, which says that’s 7.6 percent more than last year.

Ever wonder how far-reaching our professors’ research is? Well, readers of India’s Business Standard may stumble upon a story called “Boys ‘not born better at maths’ than girls,” citing the result of a 2003 Kellogg study. Better late than never?

Dillo Day is so close that you can almost taste it. But before you spend Saturday in various states of foolishness, get your dose of classical culture by attending Lovers and Madmen’s production of Pericles by none other than Billy Shakespeare. The first show takes place at the Rock at 7 p.m.

You can also listen to Evanston Running Club member Nancy Rollins talk about how she became an elite runner. This is the last Running Club seminar this quarter, and it will take place at 7 p.m. in the Lake Room in Norris.

On an entirely different note, NU’s financial software is apparently asking for a budget increase of almost $10 million just for consulting. That sounds like a lot of money for people when we don’t know what they’re doing.

It’s never too early to start your own business. Well, maybe that’s not true, but at the Undergraduate Entrepreneur Panel, you can find out how students make some dough outside of class. Speaking at 5 p.m. at the ITW Auditorium in Ford will be Institute for Student Business Education leader and ASG President Neal Sales-Griffin and helicopter photographer Bill Pulte, among others.

Maybe CTECs can actually make a difference. Five Northwestern faculty members have been awarded McCormick Awards for “outstanding teaching:“ David Chopp, Julia Stern and David Tolchinsky have been named the 2008 Charles Deering McCormick Professors of Teaching Excellence, while Lane Fenrich and Eric Schulz have been named the 2008 Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Lecturers. You have a whole summer to decide whether you want to take Schulz’s “turbo” intermediate microeconomics course or try Chopp’s Web-based tool identifying the best time — from a student viewpoint — for faculty office hours.

But enough with school. The sixth annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival brings two powerful films to Lincoln Park’s Cinematheque, off of the Fullerton El stop. Cocalero, a film about controversial Bolivian President Evo Morales, will be screened at 7 p.m. followed by White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at 9 p.m. Both movies were nominated for the grand jury prize at Sundance Film Fest.

Downtown may be too far for some and that’s the beauty of the Block Cinema. It shows Fear Eats the Soul at 8 p.m. English and African American Studies professor Alexander Weheliye will hold a discussion after that. Fear Eats the Soul is a “short, tough tale… that reveals melodrama in the cheap loneliness and banality of everyday life.”

For an afternoon diversion, listen to Performance Studies Professor Esailama Diouf discuss African culture. Staging the African: Transnational Flows of West African Dance and Cultural Identity will be held at 620 Library Place in the seminar room at noon.

Food is best when it’s free, but coupons ain’t bad either. Bar Louie, Prairie Moon, J.K. Sweet, BLU Lounge, Nevin’s and Bat-17 are all giving discounted burgers (Bar Louie), wings (Prairie Moon) and everything in between (J.K. Sweet) today. Mayfest is sponsoring, and offers potential prizes for attendees.

Can democracy exist in the Middle East? You probably don’t have an answer to that question either, but you might get a better idea if you spend your early evening (7 p.m.) at Fisk 217 learning about the “balance between democracy and Islam” from a Dr. Jane El-Yacoubi, a political science professor and Muslim convert, according to the e-flier.

If your looking for a less conciliatory tone from your speaker, why not hear from conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg? You’ll probably come away with an opinion about him — his recent book is called Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning.

If your heart wasn’t warmed enough by lacrosse’s fourth consecutive national title, read this story about a young superfan who happens to be a brain tumor survivor. “It’s become a tradition for the team to get her on the field each time they win, this year in front of a Northwestern crowd sporting ‘Friends of Jaclyn’ t-shirts along with their Northwestern purple,” the article reads. And you said nobody cares about lacrosse.

Loved Dirty Dancing? Learn to salsa from BLAST! Tickets to their Spring Fling go on sale today, but get ‘em soon because they’re only on sale until Wednesday. Get them at the Norris Box Office, right next to Starbucks, and don’t forget your semi-formal attire (to the event, not the box office).

It’s business time for ASG this week. The Campus Public Relations Committee (aka the people who tell you what ASG is doing) are having a meeting that is open to the public tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in the ASG office.

If you just can’t stand to stay on campus tomorrow, venture into Chicago to support School of Music performers play at Millennium Park. At 6 p.m. in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, multiple NU ensembles will play Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Strauss’s “Alpine Symphony,” among others.

The lacrosse team may be dancing in Maryland, but sad news for followers of NU’s softball team: They’ve been knocked out of the NCAA tournament. There’s always next year, right?

Student film not your kind of entertainment? Well, there’s plenty for all the senses this weekend.

Chemistry Professor Eberhard Zwergel has his spring show on North Beach at 7:30 p.m. What’s a spring show, you ask? Cool chemistry explosions, of course.

Wanna see student-produced sketch comedy? Well, you get one shot at seeing NSTV’s sketch comedy premiere show on Saturday. According to the NUlink post, if you like “pretzels, hobos, ninjas, love, betrayal, and choreographed dances,” then go to Leverone Hall at 9 p.m. with $5 in your pocket.

If you think $5 is better spent on a cappella music, then save it for one of the many shows this weekend. Purple Haze’s spring show continues tonight and Saturday night. It’s at 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. both nights. Thunk is having their spring show at Shanley at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday night, and Freshmen 15 will be at the McCormick Tribune Center at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. both nights.

Speaking of future events, with commencement only a few weeks away, and one student group is still unhappy with Northwestern’s rescinding of an honorary degree for Barack Obama’s pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright “in light of the controversy surrounding” him. For Members Only President Zachary Parker has sent a second letter to President Henry Bienen about the matter. Here’s part of what he said:

The University’s rhetoric about preserving the “celebratory nature of Commencement” is an attempt to undermine the importance and significance of Northwestern’s actions in stripping an honorary degree from a Board approved recipient. Never in Northwestern University’s history has one’s honorary degree been rescinded, nor has one been as publicly humiliated or chastised by the University as Reverend Wright. Setting such precedence, at the expense of Reverend Wright, is reprehensible and distasteful to Black students and alumni. To assure that the “celebratory nature of Commencement” is preserved, and that the University does not engage in the unprecedented and unwarranted act of rescinding individual’s honorary degree; and to ensure that hundreds of undergraduates, graduates and alumni are not left feeling ignored and offended, FMO has suggested the following:

Suggestions:

- Hold a ceremony for Reverend Wright to receive his deserved honorary degree outside of Commencement, where his family and community can participate.
- Change the tradition of presenting honorary degrees at Commencement so as to assure that this problem does not occur again in the future.
- Convene a faculty committee to review the decision to rescind Dr. Wright’s degree.
- Convene a faculty committee to develop a set of rules governing when a degree can be withdrawn.
- Increase the transparency of the University’s decisions on such matters to minimize the feelings of rejection and unimportance felt by undergraduates, graduates and alumni alike.

Parker also attached comments from unnamed professors, students and alumni supporting his letter and voicing displeasure with the university’s handling of the situation. Parker and Black Alumni Association President Ce Cole Dillon have criticized Bienen in previous letters, which Bienen called “way off base.”

“The statement we released makes clear that we wanted the focus of Commencement to be on graduating students and their families, not on any matters surrounding Dr. Wright,” he said in an e-mail.

President Neal Sales-Griffin has made his proposal for “meteoric change” to ASG’s senate. The senate votes next Wednesday, but you can voice your opinions about a possible facelift today at an open forum at 7 p.m. at Norris’ Lake Room. Ahead of that, check out their proposals: the preface, which ASG treasurer Claire Lew says “highlights and clarifies the new ASG structure,” and the mission statement and a summary of the proposed changes.

Apparently, we can have faith in our leaders — at least, according to research led by Kellogg professor Adam Galinsky. In this study, researchers found that power does not necessarily lead to corruption, and that people in positions of power actually tend to make less mistakes. Hmm.

At last, a fun way to prevent cancer: getting naked. According to Feinberg professor June Robinson, being comfortable while naked around your partner increases the chances of detecting melanoma responsible for skin cancer. So forget trying to hide those love handles and other unsightly bits: it’s for a good cause.

If you feel more at ease expressing your feelings while fully clothed, come to the Rainbow Rhyme and Rhythm: An Evening of Expression at 9 p.m. to share a poem, do a song or skit, or just sit back and enjoy. The event takes place at the Gathering Place on the ground floor of Norris.

In other artsy events, Purple Haze’s Spring Show, “Miss Teen Paducah, Kentucky” opens at 10 p.m. in the Jones Great Room. Now I don’t really know what “Miss Teen Paducah entails,” but let’s just hope it involves moments as wonderfully epic and intellectual as this.

Let your cloudy Wednesday be brightened by the multi-colored Rock. The Rainbow Alliance painted the Rock for Rainbow Week, which brings Rent star Anthony Rapp to campus. Rapp will talk about being gay in the entertainment industry, and his career on and off Broadway in Harris 107 at 8 p.m.

If Rent wasn’t your thing, there’s plenty of substantive films playing on campus. In the Family, a film about a woman faced with the looming likelihood of developing breast cancer based on a predictive genetic test, will be screened at Ryan Auditorium at 7 p.m. Block Cinema will show Black Girl, a 1966 Senegalese film about life after colonization. Professor Richard Iton will hold a discussion after the 8:30 p.m. screening.

Baskin Robbins is taking a twist on Wedensday’s colloquial label of hump day, inviting soon-to-be moms to celebrate “bump day.” Even if you don’t fall under that category, you might want to pass along the news to expecting women, who can receive some free soft serve ice cream.

Is the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? Explore your brain in 60 seconds and learn which side of it you use more.

In spite of the stresses Northwestern students love to whine about, being hunted by a pack of hyenas probably isn’t one of them. Commiserate with Simba and company at Mayfest and A&O’s Lion King sing-along. It’s free and will be at 9 p.m. on the Norris East Lawn. Hakuna Matata!

Rainbow Week continues promoting LGBTQ issues today with a bonfire at the firepit on the Lakefill. Check it out at 9 p.m. — there’ll be free food.

For some, Star Trek was a show. For others it became a lifestyle. If you’re one of the latter (no judgments here) or just an enthusiastic viewer, go watch George Takei, aka Mr. Sulu, speak at 7 p.m. in Tech auditorium. It’s free and being put on by the Asian Pacific American Coalition.

If you’re one of the few kids on campus who’s not counting down the days ’till summer, it’s probably not for want of more time to hang out in Tech. If it’s the fear of you and your significant other spending the next three months apart, seek comfort at a long-distance relationship seminar by CAPS. You can “discuss creative ways to communicate and ways to create balance in your life,” or learn how best to make googly-eyes across state lines, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 619 Emerson.

Think meal-plan czar Sodexho jips you, the innocent meal-eater? Just don’t complain to the people serving you food. A starting food service worker at Sodexho at Northwestern gets $7.40 per hour, or a whole $1.10 per hour less than an average entering worker at its DePaul branch, according to the Chicago Tribune.

If you ordered your copy of the Syllabus, you can pick that up today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rock. And don’t worry if you didn’t order one, the staff will be selling them all day at the Rock, too.

LGBT? Don’t know what that stands for? This is the week to find out. There’s a themed lunch at the Allison dining hall today, and the theme is “Coming Out Over the Summer.” If you have class, you can always come out and paint the Rock tonight in support of Rainbow Week, or attend a talk on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Sexual Health and Assault at 7 p.m. The talk will be held in Kresge 2-420.

Can’t get over those days playing with the alphabet and Big Bird? Well, we can’t promise that jolly yellow giant, but Maria is coming to town. She’ll be in Tech LR3 at 6:30 p.m. courtesy of Alianza.

Get your walking shoes on and keep them on for a while. Relay for Life begins tomorrow, as walking teams set out to raise money for the American Cancer Society. According to their Web site, it’s still not too late to sign up.

If your feet need a rest and you prefer to put your dollars elsewhere, check the second part of Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands at Nevin’s Pub, Friday at 9 p.m.

And while the Cannes Film Festival has spread out the red carpet for the 61st time, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese is hosting its own series of movie days. You can ensconce yourselves in Harris 107 today for Chasing the Law. The director will be there to introduce the film and lead a question-and-answer session after. Be there at 5 p.m.

If Transformers and good old Counter-Strike were not enough for you, what about a robot clash live in the Ford Design Center? Student-designed robots will compete neck and neck at the 17th Annual Undergraduate Design Competition at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. Let’s see who wins and who goes to scrap.

The World Press Photo exhibition is skipping Chicago once again! But you won’t regret seeing online this year’s winners and all Photos of The Year since 1955 only to find out that the world hasn’t changed that much at all.

If you are looking for entertainment tonight, you are in luck: an array of possibilities stand before you. Looking for an event that brings together Jews, African-Americans and free food? Then show up at Hardin Hall in the Rebecca Crowne Center at 6:30 p.m. for the Black Jewish Freedom Seder to listen to speakers and enjoy free kosher soul food.

Witness Boomshaka’s awesomeness by attending their tenth annual spring show, called “Restore Chaos”, this weekend in the McCormick Auditorium. According to the event description on NU Link, the show will be “an energetic, wall-shaking collection of student-written pieces that explore the nature of chaos.” Tickets can be bought at the Norris Box Office beforehand.

“Melancholy Play” by WAVE Productions also opens today at Shanley Pavillion.

If you feel like dancing and supporting some Northwestern bands, go to Nevin’s at 9 p.m. for Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands. The winner will get to play for all you Dillo Day drunks.

But if you happen to be a girl, I would suggest thinking twice before drinking yourself under the table this weekend. A study by researchers from Northwestern and the University of Illinois confirmed the existence of a link between drinking and breast cancer.

Wednesday can be a day of intellectual stimulation, social responsibility and Chicago exploration… if weather permits.

Tomorrow marks the first Green City Marketof the season. Get up early and venture to Lincoln Park between 7:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to peruse aisles of organic meat, produce, artisanal cheeses and many more foods for the stomach and the soul.

After fulfilling your inner locavore, stay downtown for the World Fair Trade Day Festival in the Loop’s Daley Plaza. Wherever you stand on the issue, you can still learn about or buy socially- and environmentally-friendly goods from clothing to kitchen supplies. Vendors such as Ten Thousand Villages will sell fair-trade products from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If El frustrations deter downtown diversions, exercise your mind with NCDC’s panel discussion on American Immigration Policy. Community activists and Northwestern professors will debate in Tech M345 at 7 p.m.

The Senior VP of the Field Museum will come to Northwestern to discuss the evolution of evolutionary thought. You can explore the new Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion building on 2200 Campus Drive and investigate how history, museums, science and religion interact to shape evolutionary philosophy. The event will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Room 2401.

If you’re inexplicably already awake (or, more likely, still awake) between 7 and 9 a.m. today, head over to SPAC for free blood pressure and weight screening, “Ask The Trainer” sessions, and a free trial membership in NUFitRec’s group classes.

Those 1,500 students who were quick enough to get their tickets for NU Day at Wrigley will get to watch the Cubs play against the San Diego Padres today.

Researchers continue to investigate really tiny things that don’t seem very important. They recently discovered that perhaps “fight or flight” responses in the body are coordinated by neurons, rather than in individual cells as previously believed.

Evanston criminals could use some common sense. Consider this guy, who was caught by police after he was seen acting suspiciously: carrying a plastic bag with a flashlight in it that was still turned on.

Correction appended

Because he “felt compelled to address” the concerns of some black students, FMO Coordinator Zachary Parker wrote a letter to President Henry Bienen condemning the university’s revoking of Jeremiah Wright’s honorary degree, Parker said in a Sunday night interview. Students thought the decision was unjust, and that they have not been afforded a voice, he said. “Inequality and unfair treatment from the top continues to go unnoticed.”

If you also feel that way, head over to the Multicultural Center, 1936 Sheridan Road, at 8 p.m. for “Got Diversity?”, which promises to let you “share your experiences with and opinions of self-segregation on Northwestern’s campus.” Judging by that description (and by some other measures), there may be some gripes to be had.

But you may have to budget your time if you prefer world issues to our community’s. Model Arab League couldn’t have picked better timing to hold an event titled “The political crisis in Lebanon.” If you want to learn the historical context of the latest disturbing news dispatches from Beirut, hit up Swift 107 at 7:30 p.m.

Violence is a wee problem near these parts too, but at least some Northwestern professors are paying attention. After a study, they decreed that an anti-gun program called CeaseFire is helpful at preventing shootings in Chicago. Funny, because the governor cut its budget by $6.2 million last year.

Correction — May 12, 2008: The original version of this article incorrectly stated Zachary Parker’s last name. North by Northwestern regrets the error.