What do The Cheese Monkeys, Happy Hour and Hispanic Heritage Month all have in common? They are all highlights on Program Council’s fall calendar.

This year Program Council’s Literary Festival kicks off on Sept. 3 with a lecture by Chip Kidd, author of The Cheese Monkeys, an autobiographical tale of a graphic design student’s life at the ubiquitous “State U.” The novel is both a coming-of-age tale and a biting satire of academia all from the perspective of a paying victim.

The Literary Festival used to be only one week, but now it’s expanded to take place at various times throughout this year, averaging two to three authors a semester.

In addition to its regular annual programs, Program Council has developed a new daytime program called Program Council Happy Hour. The program will include mystery events on Wednesdays during lunchtime in the Hughes-Trigg commons.

“Each committee puts on some sort of event that would interest the student body,” said Britton Light, president of Program Council. “It could be anything. They might put on a play, maybe bring in a musician. It’s a surprise even to the board.”

The Sept. 11 Happy Hour will be a memorial, dedicated to quiet thought and reflection on last year’s events.

In October, Hispanic Heritage Month will center on the theme “Contemporanea,” which translates as contemporary. Its focus will be on issues in the lives of modern Hispanics. The month will be an appreciation of Hispanic literature, music and art and will include activities such as a movie, book fair, community service and much more.

For the third year in a row, Program Council is bringing Hollywood Squares to campus to find a contestant for its college edition. Coco Martinez was a former lucky contestant. One lucky SMU student will be chosen to appear on the show. Be there or be square Oct. 10.

The council is also planning a Fall Concert this year, for the first year since they brought Jackopieroce to campus in 1997.