Chess players of all ages and skill levels are welcome instruction from the chess players of Dudley Square, so come down and manipulate those little pawns. 6 to 8 p.m. Dudley Branch Library, 65 Warren St., Roxbury. 442-6186. FREE. Also on November 9 and 12.

Through Sunday, November 8, if interested in helping the hungry and tasting some funky vegetables not often served at area dining halls, stop by a few local restaurants to partake in the Annual Collard Greens Festival. Some extra special collard greens are dished up for every lucky patron as part of the Food for Free initiative (a Cambridge based hunger relief organization committed to providing fresh food to nutritionally-vulnerable people in the community). Middle East Restaurant, 472 Mass. Ave., Central Square East Coast Grill, 1271 Cambridge St. Redbones Barbecue, 55 Chester St., Davis Square Asmara Restaurant, 739 Mass Ave., Central Square.

Get out those "worn-in" khakis and your Patagonia retro fleece and find those prep-school roots by dropping by the Paradise for a little drumming action by the different-is-better band, Rusted Root. Make sure you're prepared for some mind altering bongo-bashing as this band goes crazy looking for some kind of ethnic background through some funky rhythm and jarring lyrics. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave. Boston. 562-8800. Ticket prices vary.

Impress your Spanish TF with a little Latin lovin' after session at Temporada Latina, a haven of fabulous salsa and merengue dance instruction between 8:30 and 11 p.m. at Ryles Jazz Club (second floor). Drive your next date wild with some quasi-Lambada moves straight out of Dirty Dancing. 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge. 876-9330. $10-12, $7-10 after 10 p.m.

It'll be a big night in the local sports bars, as the Bruins take on the Mapleleafs at the Fleet Center. If the idea of an entire night surrounded by rowdy drunk people screaming at talking pictures seems a little old, why not go to the game itself? All it takes is a phone call and $20 to $75 depending on how well you want to see the puck and how much money you want to save for the after-party. Pre-game it at Fours Boston at 166 Canal St., North Station T-stop. Then head over to the rink. Just be sure you root for the right team. 7:30 p.m., Fleet Center Call (617)931-2000 for tickets.

Granted it's not on the First Night's curriculum, but Claudio Monteverdi's L'Incoronzione di Poppea may still be one hell of a cultural experience. Forego a night at the Grille and hustle over to the Agassiz for the Harvard-Radcliffe Early Music Society and the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra's presention of Monteverdi's final opera 8 p.m., Agassiz Theater, Radcliffe Yard. Tickets $7.

Well, Monet in the 20th Century at the Museum of Fine Arts isn't going anywhere for a while, but if you don't hurry, you might miss the fascinating exhibit, Egyptian Funerary Arts and Ancient Near East Galleries. It really doesn't get much better than this. Embalmed crocodiles, ancient death masks and true to life (no pun intended) mummies are all on display until November 8. 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 267-9300 $10, seniors and students $8.

If you are sick of the dirth of attractive mates at Harvard, don't despair. Dick Syatt's Singles Dances are every Thursday. Even if you are satisfied with the dating scene, go as a joke. It's fun. 8 p.m. village Green, Rt. 1 North, Danvers. 978-443-8131, $3-7 cover.

FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER

VES concentrators interested in getting out of Gund Hall and the Carpenter Center should take note of this architectural gem: Frank Gehry, an archictect from Santa Monica, California, is visiting MIT this semester. He is delivering "Current Works," a lecture with Dean William Mitchell and James Glympf of Frank O. Gehry and Associates. Reception follows. 7 p.m. Wong Auditorium, MIT Tang Center, 2 Amherst St. 253-7791. FREE.

Decide to kick back on Friday night to avoid the crowds of couples infiltrating the Square? Simply slip back to the era of leg warmers, Belinda Carlisle, and He-Man and bask in the nostalgia of 80s night on Mix 98.5 FM. From 7 p.m. to midnight, get into the groove with a little Thriller and sounds of the evercool Bangles.

The Boston arts community has been waiting anxiously for three years. Finally, the wait is over--the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's Blue Room is reopening. The room holds several of the Museum's most noteworthy 19th-century acquisitions, including Manet, Delacroix, and Courbet, as well as letters and photographs of such notables as Emerson, the Jameses, Oliver Wendell Holmes and George Santayana. Tues. to Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 280 The Fenway, Boston. 566-1401. $10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 college students, free for those under 18.

Get your weekend off to a swingin' start with the masters of modern jive themselves. The novelty of the jitterbug shows no signs of wearing off any time soon and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies are still going strong. Catch them at the Roxy for yet another stimulating Swing Night. 9 p.m. 279 Tremont St. 338-7699. $10 Cover.

Midterms aren't funny. But the Comedy Connection is. One of the funniest comedy clubs around, with a full bar, food and national headlines, this is something every Harvard student needs to go to. This weekend provides the perfect opportunity with Frank Santos, an R-rated hypnotist headlining. 245 Quincy Street, 248 9700. $15.

At last, a movie that truly captures the essence of Harvard intellect. If you've been watching Happy Gilmore on video every Friday night, now's your chance to absorb the latest of Adam Sandler's comic genius. The Waterboy, long awaited by the masses, arrives in a theater near you tonight. Check local listings for theaters and showtimes.

Maybe you're more of a purist. Maybe the combination Adam Sandler, football, and potty humor just doesn't do anything for you. In that case, you might want to pass on the Waterboy and spend $7.75 on a ticket for the opening of The Wizard of Oz, digitally remastered in all its emerald glory.Check your local listings for theaters and showtimes.

Or take off your shoes and kick-it freestyle at Dance Friday 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Main Street, Watertown Square. 924-7276. $5

SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER

It's easy to get bored with the standards of the New England music scene, but Johnny D's Uptown in Davis Square is giving Boston a chance to broaden its horizons. Tonight the club is hosting the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, who bring a wild mix of klezmer, funk, rock and second line sounds with them. 8 p.m. Johnny D's Uptown. 17 Holland St., Davis Square, Somerville. 776-2004. $8 cover.

Forget Wellesley. Disco night at The Phoenix Landing promises dancing on tables and sing-alongs with favorites of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s as the BOOM BOOM ROOM takes over the bar with DJ Vinny. The Boston Tab voted it one of the top 10 places for romance in the city--if the music's loud, she won't be able to hear his stupid jokes. 512 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. 576-6260. FREE.

Wild Women, listen up. New Words is catering to you with "Women in the Wild: True Stories of Adventure and Connection." What else is there to do at 6 p.m. on Saturday? New Words, 186 Hampshire Street. 876-5310. FREE.

The Master Singers are coming! The Master Singers are coming! What has the residents of Lexington so excited? Not the Revolution, but "Chorus and Guitar," a presentation of selections from Mozart's Die Zauberflote, Fernando Sor, Whitman Brown, Joaquin Rodrigo and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco 8 p.m. First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Rd., Lexington. (781) 862-6459. $14, $12 seniors and students.

The early bird catches the worm, and in this case, rising early on a Saturday will yield its own rewards. Tickets for Billy Joel's concert at the Fleet Center on December 3rd go on sale at 10 a.m. Though they'll cost a pretty penny, who wouldn't put their last dollar down to hear a live rendition of "We Didn't Start the Fire" from the Piano Man himself? Call 931-2000 for ticket information.

Has the recent influx of children of the 80s got you reminscing about the days when Cindy Lauper was an American icon and "Smurfs on Ice" was the ultimate in Saturday night entertainment? Slip into your leg warmers and party at the Leverett 80s Dance. 9 p.m., Leverett Dining Hall. $5.

Can't get enough a cappella? Join the Harvard-Radcliffe Oppurtunes for their Wham Bam Thank You Jam. 8 p.m., Sanders Theatre, $6.

SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER

The School of the Americas, allegedly a factory for right-wing assassins, is the recipient of the 22nd Annual Sacco-Vanzetti Memorial Award. The Rev. Nick Cardell, recently released from a six month sentence for protesting the school at Fort Bennings, Georgia, will be receiving the award on behalf of the school. 11 a.m., Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St., Copley Square. 266-6710.

Sappho, the famous ancient Greek lesbian poet, is coming to Newton. Really. Well, she'll be represented by local composer Patricia Van Ness, who will present a talk entitled "Sappho, Beauty and Medieval Music Devices: Composing a Premiere for Full Chorus and Soprano Solo." 2 p.m., Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St. 499-4868. FREE.

Not often do eclectic musicians make it to puritanical New England; however, if ready for some rumbombozo, check out the mixture of African, Cuban and Puerto Rican culture in the rumba and bomba dance and mucic troupe stopping by our chilly city this week-end. World Music presents Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas and Los Hermanos Cepeda at Sanders Theatre at 7:30 p.m., both just aching to add some spice and salsa to the clam chowder state we call home. Call 876-4275. $12-25.

Need to show that special someone that there's more to you than a dinner at the Border and an Adam Sandler movie? Pull that hair back in a casually messy do, don some paint-splattered black clothing, and a wooly sweater, and take a little jaunt towards Porter Square to let your tortured-artist personality emerge at the Lizard Lounge. (You know you're there when you see a gargantuan lizard plastered to an otherwise bland piece of aluminum siding.) The Jeff Robinson Trio presents "Jazz and Poetry"--enough poetry to titillate even the most avid of English concentrators. 1667 Mass Ave. 547-0759. FREE.

So you're looking to relax on a Sunday afternoon. Forget about sleeping in and take the trip over to the Computer Museum for a Walk Through the Computer 2000. Ever wondered how that creature on your desk actually functions? This two story working model of a personal computer allows visitors to explore the world of their PCs. Dance on the keyboard or dive into the ethernet card at the Computer Museum. 300 Congress St., 423-6758. $5.

Okay, so touring a gargantuan model of your word processor wasn't what you had in mind. Maybe an hour or two at the World Trade Center's Titanica exhibit will flood you with emotion the same way Kate Winslet did when she sobbed, "I'll never let go." Or maybe it won't. Even if you're long past the Titanic movie phase, this exhibit is still fascinating. Examine jewelry, furnishings, and currency removed from the legendary ship, and then scurry over to the IMAX film Titanica. First showing: 9 a.m.; last showing: 8 p.m. World Trade Center Boston. $13.95.

MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER

Bibliophiles, collectors of esoterica and rare manuscripts, take heed! Eclectic Collecting, an ongoing exhibit at the Boston Public Library's Central Branch, offers a chance to see a selection of the library's recent acquisitions of rare and fine press books, manuscripts and broadsides, as well as artists' books. Mon. through Thurs., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. 1 to 5 p.m. Central Library, Copley Square. 536-5400. FREE.

Lorett Mickley, an atmospheric chemist, is giving a talk at the Bunting Institute today on "Investigating the Relationship between Tropospheric Ozone and Climate Change." 4 p.m. 34 Concord Ave., Cambridge. 495-8212. FREE.

Whodunit? "Lizzie Borden: The Mystery Continues," by Christopher Daley, marshalled the evidence into a fascinating slide show and lecture about the crime scene and trial. 7 p.m. Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main St., Charlestown. 242-1248. FREE.

The Boston Public Library does it again. Today, the "Making a Difference" film series will be showcasing Weapons of the Spirits, the inspirational and true story about a French village that sheltered Jews from the Nazi terror during World War II. 6 p.m., Rabb Lecture Hall, Central Branch Library, Copley Square. 536-5400. FREE.

TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER

The world may or may not end in a nuclear conflagration. Phillip Morrison and Kosta Tsipis offer "Reason Enough to Hope: America and the World of the 21st Century," as they discuss arms control and global security and development. The talk is hosted by WBUR's Christopher Lydon. 5:30 p.m. Wong Auditorium, MIT Tang Center, 2 Amherst St. 253-5249. FREE.

If you've got the time on a Tuesday night, the trip to the Middle East will be well worth your while. For all of you who want the Funk, you'll get enough to tide you over for the rest of your college years if you head over to see the legendary Parliament Funkadelic. Who knows, it might even bring you closer to that vision of college you idealized from PCU. 490 Mass Ave. 864-EAST.

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER

Start training for the Boston Volvo Village Thanksgiving Day 5K Road Race. No one should ever run without some sort of preparation first (unless, of course, you are Eli Ceryak). The race is to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and all runners receive a long-sleeve t-shirt and a gift bag of sponsor goodies. Volunteers are also needed. Registration, 7:30 a.m., start time 9 a.m., Boston Volvo Village, 75 North Beacon St., Brighton. Runner's fee $15.