Members of Northwestern’s University Campus Ministry painted the Rock today, taking the opportunity to say Happy 4th Birthday to an unknown Connor.

Defining who they are on the University Campus Ministry Web site, the group says: “We are a group of students who share with each other a common commitment to God and a spiritual life. We come from many backgrounds - like Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic or just no-name spirituality.”

A group of students showing Hamlet in Rock painted the Rock today. They’re advertising for the rock opera’s screening, taking place in Swift 107 at 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

From the Facebook event page:

“It’s Shakespeare meets German Rock opera in space, put on film by the incomparable Dr. Rudolf Volz. Pretty simple, really. Come to sing along with the amazing musical numbers like “Frailty (thy name is woman)” “This was your HUSBAND!” and the moving ballad “To Be Or Not To Be,” stay to witness the best stage fighting ever put on film.”

Admission is $3, and proceeds will go to Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts in Myanmar.

In an e-mail, organizer Michael Gsovski told the group’s Rock-painting story:

“When we were trying to find masking tape for fliers, we ran across some black and gold spray paint in the ISRC storage room and decided to take advantage of the Rock as a promotional space while it was open. The paint color was really fortunate, as by using the black already on the rock from yesterday’s pattern, we could save our extremely limited supply.”

Members of the chess group 64 Squares painted today’s Rock. On its Web site, the group says: “we are dedicated to promoting chess in the Northwestern community by providing a comfortable chess-playing environment. We also present students with the opportunity to play in a chess league and in intercollegiate matches.”

Members of the Northwestern University Outing Club painted today’s Rock, but not to advertise for anything in particular.

Club President Justin Li said in an e-mail:

“We just thought it would be fun for members of the group to play four square and wage nerf gun wars while guarding the rock, and finally paint it at midnight. If there’s anything we’re celebrating, it’s the great weather yesterday and the opportunity to be outdoors!”

According to their Web site: “The Outing Club is a student run organization for those interested in outdoors recreation. We plan various excursions year round with destinations all over the country.”

The men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. painted the Rock today. The Iota Nu chapter of the organization was founded at Northwestern in 1978, and rechartered in 2002.

Chapter President Leon Mayr said in an e-mail:

“We paint the Rock every time we are close to initiating new members into our Fraternity. Tonight, we will have an event to demonstrate how the prospective members have worked to become members and what they have learned during the intake process.”

The prospective members will perform in front of the Rock tonight at 10:14 p.m.

Members of the student theater group Lovers and Madmen painted the Rock as part of the backdrop for Pericles, their Spring Show at the Rock. Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Shakespeare play about a prince and his daughter.

The group will be performing at the Rock this Thursday, Friday and Sunday. More information can be found at the Facebook event page.

Members of Delta Zeta sorority and Phi Delta Theta fraternity painted today’s Rock to advertise for their first annual Phi Delta Zeta Spring Olympics. Teams of four pay $20 to compete in “Olympic-style events with a twist.”

Proceeds from the event benefit The Painted Turtle, a camp in California for seriously ill children, as well as the Elizabeth Mae Kobeszka Memorial Scholarship. Beth Kobeszka, a Delta Zeta alumna, graduated from Northwestern University in 2005. She died last year in a bike racing accident.

The Spring Olympics take place Sunday, May 25 at 1 p.m. on the Norris East Lawn.

Members of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Beta Theta Pi painted the Rock today to advertise for their Tennis Tournament and Car Wash. Mixed double teams pay $15 to participate in the tournament, taking place in the Garrett Parking Lot this Saturday, May 24 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature Kiss 103.5 FM, and all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental.

The women of Pi Beta Phi painted today’s Rock to advertise for Pie Phight, their annual Spring philanthropy event. Teams of four compete in events involving pudding, whipped cream and pie in an effort to raise money for Literacy Chicago. Pie Phight will take place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the Norris South Lawn.

Members of Rainbow Alliance, NU’s undergraduate gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied student group, painted the Rock last night to advertise for Rainbow Week 2008. From May 18 to May 23 the group is hosting speakers, learning activities and social events, with keynote speaker Anthony Rapp Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Harris 107.

A full schedule of the week’s events can be found at the group’s Web site.

The Rock was a given an imprisoned look today by some students involved in protesting the Prison Industrial Complex. After an educational panel about the criminal justice system in Illinois and the potential alternatives to incarceration, students will sleep at the Rock and fast for about 24 hours. The panel and fast is sponsored by NORML-SSDP, College Democrats and Race Alliance Network.

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Chi Omega painted the Rock last night to advertise for the annual Watermelon Bust philanthropy event.

According to the Facebook event page, Watermelon Bust is “a Watermelon Olympiad on a scale you’ve never seen before: greased watermelon relays, quartered watermelon speed eating, watermelon batting and catching practice, tug-of-war into a pool of watermelon juice, and much, much more!!! Teams of 4 are only $20 bucks and the money goes to the Evanston Women’s Shelter.”

The event will take place Saturday, May 17 at 1 p.m. in front of the Lambda Chi Alpha house.

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) painted today’s Rock. According to its Facebook group page, SJP is an advocacy group that is “organized according to democratic principles in order to promote justice, human rights, liberation, and self-determination for the Palestinian People.”

In an e-mail, SJP member Shireen Mirza explained the symbolism that went into the final product.

“The rock equals Palestine (hence the flag) and the cage around the rock symbolizes the occupied state of Palestine at the moment,” she said. “It also references to the Apartheid Wall that is constructed around present-day Palestine. We have asked students to tie ribbons on the cage in solidarity with the movement.

For the Palestinian people, Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of Al-Nakba (”the catastrophe”). May 15 was the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which ended in defeat for the Palestinians.

Mirza also discussed the point SJP is trying to make.

“We choose a message pertaining to Palestine rather than attempting to attack Israel,” she said. “‘60 years of Oppression. 60 years of Resilience. How much longer?’ As well as ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere.’”

The women of Alpha Phi painted today’s Rock to advertise for their annual Mud Olympics. Teams of four pay $28 to compete in mud activities to raise money for cardiac care. Prizes include tickets to a White Sox game and to Second City. Mud Olympics takes place Sunday May 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the Lakefill.

The Spring Pledge Class of the Illinois Alpha chapter of Phi Delta Theta painted today’s Rock. You can compare it to the Winter Pledge Class’ Rock here.