The month of November has many events in store for the St. John’s community.

The Guyanese Student Association will be hosting its second annual Diwali celebration, the “festival of lights.” Diwali is a Hindu holiday that is celebrated for the Hindu New Year.

The event will be taking place Nov. 8 at Council Hall and doors open at 7 p.m. The event will be $5 for St. John’s students and $7 for non-St. John’s students. The event consists of a dinner, fashion show and various performances.

Tickets for the event are available in Bent Hall, room G6, and can be purchased from Shivie Sukhdeo.

The money collected from the event will be donated to charity. The two charities are Kids First Fund and the Heifer Foundation, which is a non-profit organization.

“This year’s event should be much more entertaining,” president of the Guyanese Student’s Association, Sukhdeo, said.

Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and Campus Ministry are holding a community service project Nov. 8. The event, “Night Without A Home,” has been put together to give students a sense of how the homeless must live.

Organizers hope to make people aware of the harsh reality of homelessness by sleeping out on the Great Lawn, Brian Chambers of Phi Beta Sigma explained.

Students will be on the Great Lawn until 2 a.m. From there they will be spending the remainder of the night at Donovan Hall, which will be set up like a homeless shelter.

The event will be raising money for the Red Cross and the Jamaica’s Women’s National Assessment Shelter. The goal for the event is to have 100 participants. However, there are sponsor sheets available for those who cannot participate.

Haraya, the Pan African Students Coalition, will be holding its second annual talent show later this month. The event will be held in Marillac Auditorium on Nov. 14. Admission for the event is $5 for St. John’s students and $7 for non students.

Some of the proceeds will go towards the Black Leadership Conference in Richmond, Va.

“We hope it turns out better than last year,” Travis Haylock, the social committees chair, said.

“Now that we have experience we are trying to put everything together more smoothly.”

Other events for the month:

* A Jamaican Heritage Society food fair will take place on Nov. 14. The event will be held in Marillac Auditorium from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m.

* The Residence Hall Association will be holding its weekly “This Thursday Program.” The program is held every Thursday and each week the organization puts together something new to bring the students together.

* On Nov. 7 there will be caricatures at the Montgoris Dining Hall from 9 p.m. until midnight. On Nov. 14 there will be Karaoke in the Montgoris Dining Hall from 9 p.m. until midnight.

* Students for Life will be putting together a bowl-a-thon on Nov. 22. The event will be from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m. at the AMF Van Wych Lanes in Richmond Hill. For more information contact Cathy at ext. 3106 or Mary Beth at 718-969-9675.

* On Nov. 15 C.A.U.S.E will be holding a Dance-A-Thon in Marillac Auditorium from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

* There will be a trip to RENT this month on Nov. 14. The event is sponsored by Campus Activities and Student Government, Inc. Tickets are $35 and the bus leaves from alumni hall at 6 p.m. For more information contact 718-990-6258. All sales for this trip are final.

* The St. John’s men’s and women’s basketball season also begins this month.

The men’s team will start their season with an exhibition game against the Harlem Globetrotters on Nov. 8.

The women’s team will look to beat their own attendance record at Alumni Hall during their home opener on Nov. 22 against Buffalo. Admission is free and a lucky student will receive free tuition for the spring 2003 semester.