Members of Alternative Student Breaks (ASB) painted today’s Rock, to remind students that participant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
From the group’s Web site:
“Alternative Student Breaks is a student-run service-learning organization that sends Northwestern students on week long trips…to locations throughout the country to do volunteer work at various [...]

Based on what appears on the back, it seems Phi Kappa Psi painted Friday’s Rock to welcome alumni from NU’s class of 1968. The alumni are back to celebrate their 40th Reunion! Wow. Hope all the alums enjoy homecoming weekend!

Members of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority painted today’s Rock as part of their Splash Bash event. The women had a dunk tank at the Rock from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. today, offering two throws for $1. Proceeds from the event went to Greek Build, the Greek community’s Habitat for Humanity project.

Mayfest painted today’s Rock, exactly 228 days before Dillo Day 2009 takes place. Mayfest is the student group that puts on the annual day-long lakefill event. The 2008 edition featured Common, Third Eye Blind and Broken Social Scene.

Today’s Rock was originally painted by Students for Ecological and Environmental Development (SEED) to advertise for their event featuring Will Steger. The polar explorer will be speaking on campus Tuesday, October 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the McCormick Auditorium in Norris.
But the Rock’s current appearance is a result of the African American Freshman Advisory [...]

Members of the Marching Band painted today’s Rock to promote tomorrow’s home football game against the Michigan Spartans.
Marching Band members are trying to rally support for the Northwestern Wildcats by asking students to wear all purple to the game that might put NU’s record at 6-0.
The Northwestern Wildcats host the Michigan State Spartans Oct. 11 [...]

Members of the Northwestern University Equestrian Team (NUET) painted today’s Rock. According to the group’s Web site:
“The Northwestern University Equestrian Team is a co-ed Northwestern University club sport and competes in Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 9, Region 2 shows.”

Dance Marathon organizers painted the Rock today to promote an information session they’re holding tonight. Students can learn more about becoming a dancer or committee member from DM’s executive board.
DM 2009’s primary beneficiary is Project Kindle. From the NU DM Web site:
“Project Kindle was established in 1998 by Eva Payne, who saw few [...]

A new, unofficial student group painted today’s Rock in celebration of Chinese National Day, which officially is October 1. The group is tentatively called the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association (CUSA).
“Our group is more of a social and cultural group,” said Weinberg sophomore Ye Yuan. “We want to strengthen relations between Chinese students on [...]

A&O Productions painted today’s Rock to promote ticket sales for their fall blowout show featuring Death Cab for Cutie and So Many Dynamos.
Tickets are available starting at 9 a.m. at the Norris Box Office for $15 each. Students can buy four tickets per Wildcard, with a limit of one Wildcard per person. [...]

Wildcat Welcome Transfer Coordinators bonded with some of their advisees by painted the Rock today. Organizers said they participated in the campus tradition to show fellow transfers some love. “This whole week is very freshmen-oriented,” said Weinberg junior Corrie Lazar. “We just wanted to make sure the transfer students felt welcomed too.”

The Wildcat Welcome Board of Directors painted the Rock to welcome the Northwestern University Class of 2012. From their Web site:
“Wildcat Welcome is a week-long orientation program for new freshmen and transfer students. Along with peer advisee group members, [new students] will participate in discussions to learn about the University and our community values, [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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.”