A pair of new initiatives are aiming to establish Loker Commons as more than just an eatery.

Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Complex officials are seeking to enhance the Commons' atmosphere by inviting performers to play at the coffee house and students to submit material for the large LED board.

A regular performance series is currently underway on Thursday and Saturday nights in the coffee house, according to Monica A. Henderson '99, the student coordinator at Memorial Hall.

"It's a space that's there for undergrads to use," Henderson said. "I'm hoping it's going to take off and that people will use it to express themselves."

Performers first took the stage at the coffee house as part of Loker's opening ceremony on January 4. Since then, five shows have taken place in the semi-enclosed, 100-seat venue, Henderson said.

Henderson said she has lined up performers for every Thursday and Saturday through Spring Break. She said she plans to continue scheduling further acts throughout the spring.

PK&J, a guitar duo, are slated for tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m., and a jazz show will take place next Thursday.

According to Ray Traietti, a staff assistant for the Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Complex, the coffee house is ideal for amateur performers.

"It's an informal space where people can get together and perform their art," Traietti said. "It's a good way to catch up with a lot of talent out there."

Patrick R. Koppula '97 of PK&J, which has played at the coffee house twice since January, said he has enjoyed the performances.

Koppula said the venue has bright lighting, a good sound system and a high-quality piano.

But he added that the two pillars in the middle of the space tend to get in the way of the audience.

"Most of the time we play in the houses coffee house and in the coffee houses in Boston and Cambridge," Koppula said. "One day we said, 'This would be a nice place to play."

If there is enough demand, Traietti said, the complex will consider holding performances on other days of the week.

Those interested in performing can pick up an application in Room 27 in the basement of Memorial Hall, Traietti said. Tryouts are not required.

LED Board

The second initiative, the LED contest, is designed to encourage students to contribute to the board's programmed displays, according to Brian Yankee, production manager for the complex.

"Basically, the concept behind the board is that [it] should be used as a means of creative expression for the Harvard community," Yankee said.

"What we hope to accomplish is that eventually all the material on the board will be created by students," he added.

The first-, second- and third-place finishers in the contest will receive Crimson Cash prizes of $100, $50 and $25 from Harvard Dining Services, Yankee said.

"[Contestants] are going to be judged primarily on the idea [and] how unique and interesting the concept is," he said.

Submission entry forms are also available from Yankee. But Yankee said students are welcome to contribute the LED board at any time.

The board's initial sequences, featuring quotes from "Alice in Wonderland" and the U.S. Constitution, were created by an outside graphic arts firm as a temporary display until students came up with their own ideas, Yankee said.

The submission deadline for the contest is April 17.