NEWS AND NOTES

What to do on-campus

• On Sunday, Feb. 21, the opening reception for the Susan Schary art exhibit will be held in the Grace and Joseph Gorevin Fine Arts Gallery on the second floor of the Holy Spirit Library from 3 to 5 p.m.

What to do off-campus

• On Thursday, Feb. 18, the band Brothers Past will be performing at Sala Salu in Newark, Del. The show starts at 10 p.m. and is 18 to enter, 21 to drink. The band features sophomore Joe D' Amico.

The following movies will be released on Friday, Feb. 19:

• The comedy "Office Space," from "Beavis and Butthead" creator Mike Judge and starring Jennifer Aniston;

• The drama "October Sky," which is based on a true story; range from $14.98 to $16.98. They make no guarantees about automatic shipments, unlike Columbia House's Play.

• The comedy "Jawbreaker," starring Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz.

Aside from the mail-order options, there is also CDNow, an on-line music service. CDNow sells CDs for greatly discounted prices, up to 30 percent off regular prices, which makes many selections cost around $11 or $12. Orders can be placed through the website by submitting a credit card number.

So are these alternative music sources as great as they seem?

The free CDs that originally entice people to join are obviously the main attraction for most. However, the regular club prices are not that cheap compared to typical retail prices, especially when the requisite shipping and handling charges are factored into the cost.

Is there any compelling reason to remain in the club once the freebies are in hand?

In the case of CDNow, which is not a music club, there are no free CDs.

Time is another issue to consider. Columbia House and BMG both take weeks to deliver selections, while CDNow can deliver within a few days, but may take up to two weeks.

Convenience is one of the benefits of these other outlets. It is easier to browse through a catalog or an on-line list in the comfort of your own home than to wander aimlessly through aisles and aisles of CDs in the stores.

Before joining a record club, check their catalog for the music they sell. Some artists are exclusively sold through one service, but not the other, while some music is not available through mail order.

For more information...

• www.columbiahouse.com

• www.bmgmusicservice.com

• www.cdnow.com

On Saturday, Feb. 20, Sugar Ray and Everlast will be performing at the Electric Factory at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19.50 or $25.50 on the day of the show.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, the following CDs will be available in stores:

• TLC's "Fan Mail";

• Sebadoh's "The Sebadoh";

• The Roots' "Things Fall Apart";

• Blondie's "No Exit."

The following is the current schedule for the laser light shows held on Friday and Saturday nights at the Fels Planetarium in the Franklin Institute, located at 222 N. 20th St. in Philadel-phia:

• 7:00 p.m.-The Beatles Laser Anthology

• 8: 15 p.m.-Laser Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon

• 9:30 p.m.-Laser Beastie Boys

• 10:45 p.m.-LaserY-100

• 12:00 a.m.-Laser Floyd: The Wall

• Tickets cost $8.

On Tuesday,Feb. 16,sopranoMaroisAnn Early performedworksby Bach, Handel,Schubert and othersin the WidenerCenterLectureHall. Her performance,entitled"Piecesof a Dream,,. waspart of the CulturalKaleidoscopefestivities.

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